Lucien

Lucien is our secret date-​night spot. Been coming here for years to drink martinis and eat steak frites (with plenty of au poivre sauce). The staff is always friendly and makes everyone feel welcome.

Lucien has always been a personal favorite of mine and I dined here quite often until my last experience in May. The food is always fantastic but it is a bit pricy and the atmosphere, although busy has always been a pleasure. The last time I was in Lucien I hosted a dinner party for 8 people, the service was great up until we received the bill. A friend of mine did the math and left the tip since I picked up the tab, but she did not factor in the 4 bottles of wine which we ordered. Obviously, she undertipped– what upset me most was that the waitress sought me out since it was my card that purchased the meal and questioned me as to why I did not leave her a larger tip. I was unaware of the situation at this point and somewhat embarrassed so I took the bill and added to it. After leaving I realized how unprofessional and obnoxious this was, particularly when she did not provide any special services other then opening the wine bottles. Lucien, I am sorry to say that I am quite disappointed in the way that this situation was handled.

Cute and intimate French brasserie. Kicked it off with snails and had the perfectly cooked filet mignon and a good red. Very friendly staff

My wife and I went here before seeing a movie at Sunshine Cinemas. Absolutely spectacular. Can’t wait to go back!

Probably the best late night dinner option on the LES, not amazing but nice that it exists. Went in at like 11pm.
get the steak au poive, tuna or steak tartare, scallops, wine.

Good was delicious. Ordered Hanger steak with red wine mushroom sauce, very tasty! Would recommend this place to others.

Escargot, steak tartar, rabbit pappardelle are great.
Get the bouillabaisse if you want something very French and you love seafood. Lobsters, scallops and mussels in an insane soup base!!!

I went to this place for their «Boudin Noir» I saw on the Unilocal menu and unfortunately they don’t serve it anymore.
I was very satisfied with the soup and merguez.
Very good quality food and tasting.

Went there within an elegant event, luckily I didn’t have to pay a dime, so I can’t comment on those people who rate food versus price here. It was packed, because we were many, and it is a narrow space, but personally I love that and I love the natural feel that comes along with it and also the personal décor, (- talking about space: they do have a really huge AND clean bathroom, so there!)
I got on exceptionally well with the funky blue-​haired hostess and our server from Geneva, CH (not Paris).
The food was very, very good, but not the best food I have ever eaten, but many other people who went with me said it was the best food they have ever eaten. In my case it was everything done as should be in terms of techniques and times of procedures, but I would like a tiny bit more courage in terms of seasoning, and I like to be a bit surprised, not necessarily blue ribbon cooking school. But if you want to be safe you will be very satisfied.
The portions were HUGE, so if you get to eat a several course meal and are untrained in this, it can be hard to get up and go home afterwards.
The crème brûlée is delicious, but large enough for two people. So if you had other things first and not ONLY the crème brûlée and you have no one to share with you might feel a little sad if you have to leave half of it behind (I don’t know if they pack up left overs).
Since I am one who rates higher the atmosphere and how I am being treated than any food I might eat I am giving this full house and five stars. I had a great time and if I ever life the life style of a very wealthy person in New York City I will probably come back more often.

When you get to this side of town, there is a lot of noise on the food map.
Trying to find what you want, when there are so many competing for your time and money can be incredibly confusing.
I’d read a bit about this neighbourhood gem.
I made a booking on the day, they were relaxed and it wasn’t too promising when we turned up as it smelt like a bottle of bleach had just been spilt.
I really wasn’t sure.
However after an exquisite meal, with attentive, happy service and great wine in a lively atmosphere well sometimes this is what you want and I’m a fan.
We had lobster and hanger steak. The steak was cooked perfectly, melt in your mouth perfectly, the lobster is a show stopper!

J’adore! The food is decent and the service is excellent.
The obligatory baguette is always stale, but what can you do?
I ordered the mussels in a white wine sauce with a small salad. The mussels were tiny and the sauce a bit too peppery and milky. Some of the tiny mussels were closed, and upon prying them open there was fishy tasting warm water inside. Yuck! The salad however was perfect with a wonderful balsamic vinagrette. Desert was a delicious Tarte Tatin with a generous scoop of perfectly whipped cream.
The very old retired couple at the table next to me was a depressing scenario to eat by, since the tables are so close together and the restaurant so small, that one cannot help but to have overheard their conversation. Apparently the very old woman was returning for her first meal since a serious illness and a bout with death, and therefore was cross and contrary with her husband for the better part of their long and tiresome meal.

What can one say? Lucien is special. The food is classic Parisian fare, done very very well. Stick with the classics and you’ll be smiling while you eat. Frisee aux lardons, escargot, foie gras, steak au poivre — all excellent. Last night I tried the baby chicken and it too was perfect.
But perhaps Lucien’s best quality is the FEEL of the place. Yes it’s a bit cramped, but the way the room hums makes for a very pleasing night. It draws arguably one of most downtown crowds I’ve seen in years. Even Raouls is full of banker-​wankers these days.
So do yourself a favor and go. I realize by writing this I’m increasing the probability of it being overrun by Unilocal Douchsters, but Lucien is so good, it’ll probably not seat them.

Highly recommended
Probably the best French food in New York City
I’m telling you I’m from Paris and I’m going there when I miss it too much, It’s like a Parisian brasserie except the food is even better here!
so go for it !

While everything at Lucien was good — nothing stood out so it’s unlikely that I’ll go back. Again, everything was good. The service was friendly and attentive — and I feel like our server gave us good advice. My steak was well prepared — medium-​rare, more rare than medium as I requested. The crème brûlée was lovely — I liked that it had a large surface area, which meant more of the crunchy top — my favorite part. I think I was mostly saddened by the large bill — if I’m going to spend that much — I want my mind to be blown!

An amazing evening. I can’t say enough good about Lucien. First off the restaurant is straight out of Paris. A true beautiful bistro with all the charm and ambience you could hope for. Second, the food is perfection. My fiancé got the duck and I got bouillabaisse. Both of them superb. We also shared the octopus appetizer which is served with potatoes and a little squeeze of lemon and is totally a hidden treasure on the menu. It’s incredible– tender and delicious and I just wanted to lick the plate. We also shared a fantastic bottle of chateauneuf du pape that I could drink every day.
The bartender was a fantastic host and offered us many great recommendations including my beloved octopus.
We left blissfully happy, full, and in a happy haze of red wine and awesome. I will come back over and over.

Hands down my favorite restaurant in the whole of New York. Walk in a stranger and walk out a contented member of Lucien’s extended family. Whether you’re looking for a damn good meal or just damn good time, you can be assured, you’ll find it here.
Pro-​tip: Lucien’s steak au poivre is known to change lives.

I don’t even know where to begin! The food is amazing; i can’t decide if i prefer the octopus, the foie gras, the salmon, the scallops, the filet mignon, the duck or the squab !!! I come here all the time and there’s two very different vibes during the day or at night! Lunch time is so quiet, nice and cozy whereas the night is way more hype with a younger crowd. It’s not on the cheap side but the quality of the food and the wine is undeniable! And what a wine selection! Definitely one of my favorite places in NYC.
Anyone who wants to eat French food in a place that will transport you to Paris in an instant should look no further.

Ok but completely underwhelming. Old school French — without anything else to distinguish it — except menu sourcing note that birds and some other things come from D’artagnan. Maybe but garlic sausage was like shop rite italian special in the very lame cassoulet. Unmemorable. The onglet hangar steak was very good and nice that they offered choice of mashed potatoes over the usual frites. The mashed done Nicely. Given the seedy east Houston st hood and interior space which really needs some cleaning, maintenance and paint, Not bad but bad value. Meh at best. Not coming back anytime soon.

Lucien is one of our faves! Small place and nearly always a wait but it’s so worth it!
Great staff, super friendly and the Maitre de who has been there for years is amazing!
The bread is always fresh and crispy. Steak frites are amazing as is the frisee salad.
The place has a fabulous ambience and is always inviting. I think it’s one of the jewels of NY!

This review could have been a 4-​star outcome, but there are a few factors that places them into a 3-​star review.
The food is solid, and our waitress owns that dining room. She explains, in detail, what the offerings are, like she actually makes the food, how everything’s prepared, and is quite efficient and friendly.
The food is a solid 3-​star rating, the service is excellent, though. What holds them back from being a better establishment overall boils down to two primary issues;
1) It’s just way too noisy. At one point, early on, with a packed house, they actually turned-​UP the speakers, forcing the baseline decibel level to increase exponentially so conversation could be heard. There’s just no good reason for being forced to converse over the noise
2) Their bar is awkwardly-​close to the dining area, and is so crowded/​noisy that getting through the scrum of people to the restroom is quite challenging. Perhaps the bar area should be toward the back of the restaurant, yes? It’s obvious that the layout of Lucien is all wrong. They should decide what they really want to be, a bar/​restaurant, or a restaurant/​bar.
The good news is that the food, especially the duck entrée (with figs, spinach & turnips) was outstanding. One of the best duck dishes anywhere. The steamed mussels were a good starter, steamed (white wine, etc…), however, a bit milky (?) for our tastes. Usually it’s in a simple white wine & butter sauce. This was somehow watered-​down by a milky broth.
The octopus starter was grilled and tender. Not much more you could want in this, albeit a bit more acidity would enhance the dish.
Dessert was a big «fail» for us, since it was the tarte tatin that brought us here initially. We had been looking for this dessert all over NYC and was disappointed by the time it arrived. It lacked the caramelized, rich, gooey and sticky characteristics of the finest ones available. This one was more wet and overly-​spicy than it should have been.
If you’re in the mood for French, though, Lucien is worth considering.

I have never been so angry waiting for a table when I already made reservations. My fiancé and I LOVE little french restaurants in the EV, so we were super excited that this place takes reservations. I made a 8:30 reservation and we showed up 5 mins earlier and were told that everything was fine and to have a drink at the bar. We finished our drink and 30 minutes passed. At this point I was a little annoyed, but still really psyched for the meal I was about to thave.
Another 30 mintues go by — ARE THEY KIDDING? No free drinks while we wait. No apologies. In fact, when I asked what was taking so long the manager/​owner had the audacity to say «we allow people to linger and chat after their meal.» Fine, I understand that, but don’t let people think they have reservations then!
I was so angry by the time we sat down that it was hard to enjoy the begining of the meal. I started with a french martini that was pretty good. Then we had the escargot, which was pretty standard. The pâté, however, was AMAZING. I think it was the best pâté I’ve had.
Entrée: I had the squab, foie gras, mushroom risotto dish. The portion was very small. The squab had very little meat on it… I know there’s not much meat on it, but this was less than usual. The foie gras was okay, not great. The mushroom risotto was average, nothing special.
My fiancé had the steak tartare which was just okay. It was seriously lacking in the flavor department.
The bottle of wine that was recommended was decent.
The service was TERRIBLE. Mostly because it seemed there was one waitress for the entire back section and she was working her butt off. Unfortunately, this still meant that we were constantly waiting for her to come over to our table.
The service just sucked. The «reservations» were a joke. And the sorry excuse they gave just made me so angry. And to top it off, aside from the pâté, the food was nothing to write home about.