When Georges Perrier opened the doors on Walnut Street’s haute cuisine mecca, Le Bec Fin forty years ago, he single-handedly started a restaurant revolution in this city that is still going strong today. Next week, when new owners Nicolas and Fazilet Fanucci re-open the doors of the dining institution to the public, chances are, Le Bec Fin 2.0 will once again change face of dining in Philadelphia.

COOK had the distinct pleasure of being invited to the see the renovated space during the final stages of construction last week. We took a few less-than-Leibowitz-esque pics on our phones but it gives you a sense of the major team effort going on to get the new Le Bec Fin ready for its close-up.

Nicolas Fanucci, a French Laundry veteran, brought in French Laundry chef, Walter Abrams as the new executive chef/partner in the restaurant while Jennifer Smith will act as executive pastry chef.

Amid a few “friends and family” events held at the restaurant over the past week, this week of previews culminates this evening in an “invitation only”, who’s who-style gathering to kick off the next fabulous phase of Le Bec Fin.

Beginning June 12, Le Bec Fin will be open for dinner Mon-Sat 6:00-10:00 featuring an 8-course tasting menu at $150. As of June 18, they will open for lunch, Mon-Fri 11:30-2:00, offering a 5-course menu for $55.

The lower-level bar, formerly known as Le Bar Lyonnais and then briefly as TRYST, will re-open as the appropriately named Mon-Sat 5:00-late with the kitchen open 6:00-late also beginning June 12 for drinks only. Dinner at the downstairs bar starts June 18 with an a la carte menu still being worked on but that will feature “classic French and Georges Perrier dishes”.