Lucien

ambiance	97.22000122070312% positive	“Sitting at the bar is a fun alternative and the tables are comfy, the service great.” “This felt like a locals only bistro in a cozy hidden street in Paris with the aged dark wood interior, candle votives, the bar full of easy laid back patrons, and for a moment you forgot that you are on Lower East Side.” “Accommodating, friendly service and a relaxed dining experience in a lively, authentic bistro atmosphere.” “The decor is simple and the lighting is comfortable.” “love the food and the atmosphere at Lucien.” “pretty good atmosphere.” “Perfect French food in the perfect French atmosphere.” “If you don't want great French food, authentic French ambience, and an owner who treats the place and its customers as family--in other words, as a real French bistro--then you should bar hop right past this one.” “It was good as usual, not crowded, nice atmosphere.” “the food is always top notch, the wine terrific, and the service is helpful and so much fun!” “This charming French spot serves wonderful food and is a great spot for a cozy meal on weekdays.” “Too bad, I was with my sister but this could be a go to romantic dinner place.”
drinks	72.58999824523926% positive	“The wine was good.” “love everything they serve, and the wine list is excellent.” “They had a Thanksgiving Prix Fixe menu with Turkey but we opted for the grilled Octopus which was delectably soft and not rubbery, a great Steak Frites and a Clams with white wine sauce with Linguini - which we paired with a good red wine from Italy - Sac” “Or, if the perfect match of wine and food don't mean that much to you, it's probably a good idea to hop on by.” “If you don't want great French food, authentic French ambience, and an owner who treats the place and its customers as family--in other words, as a real French bistro--then you should bar hop right past this one.” “Not only is the waitstaff extremely rude, the place is falling apart, the wait for a drink is at least 20 minutes, the food looked an smelled HORRIBLE.” “The only thing this place is good for is to have something good to eat while bar hoping.” “We stumbled upon this fabulous bistro last winter and stopped in for a glass of wine.” “the food is always top notch, the wine terrific, and the service is helpful and so much fun!” “The reviews on here complaining about it are clearly written by people who came to NY from god knows where in small town America, have no clue what real French food is truly like and think great coffee is made in Starbucks.” “had enough of being pushed by the rude wait staff that would push you out of the way with a hot plate or a cold drink to you back.” “My only complaint is that the wine is more expensive than I'd expect it to be.” “The food is on the good side but not so terrific to compensate the bad service, crammed tiny-tables, dirty glasses, overly loud music, which is good for the bar part of the establishment but not when you want to seat down, eat and have a normal conversati” “also had the hanger steak with red wine mushroom sauce, one of my friends had rabbit, and the other had a good looking filet mignon.” “This felt like a locals only bistro in a cozy hidden street in Paris with the aged dark wood interior, candle votives, the bar full of easy laid back patrons, and for a moment you forgot that you are on Lower East Side.” “Lucien has the usual staples and some variations - good wine list (mix, decent wines, prices).” “Sitting at the bar is a fun alternative and the tables are comfy, the service great.” “If Lucien is sitting next to you, there's a fair chance he'll even insist you have a glass of vin on him, because it offends his French sensibility to see you with such food sans wine.”
food quality	86.37999534606934% positive	“Although the place is charming and the staff is courteous, the food is very average and not authentic.” “If you don't want great French food, authentic French ambience, and an owner who treats the place and its customers as family--in other words, as a real French bistro--then you should bar hop right past this one.” “have yet to eat any of the main dishes, but so far the escargot, mussels, asparagus and arugala salads, and pate have all been perfect.” “The food was good, but hardly worth the headache.” “have been to this restaurant at least 40 times over the past few years and I have to say that I have never had a bad meal, in fact, every one was just as delicious as one from the last visit.” “The food is on the good side but not so terrific to compensate the bad service, crammed tiny-tables, dirty glasses, overly loud music, which is good for the bar part of the establishment but not when you want to seat down, eat and have a normal conversati” “excellent food.” “That's the price you pay to eat the best food in the best city!” “It's not pretentious, the service is attentive, and the food is fantastic.” “If Lucien is sitting next to you, there's a fair chance he'll even insist you have a glass of vin on him, because it offends his French sensibility to see you with such food sans wine.” “They had a Thanksgiving Prix Fixe menu with Turkey but we opted for the grilled Octopus which was delectably soft and not rubbery, a great Steak Frites and a Clams with white wine sauce with Linguini - which we paired with a good red wine from Italy - Sac” “Not only is the waitstaff extremely rude, the place is falling apart, the wait for a drink is at least 20 minutes, the food looked an smelled HORRIBLE.” “Perfect French food in the perfect French atmosphere.” “The duck, the steak frites, the roasted chicken--all excellent.” “also had the hanger steak with red wine mushroom sauce, one of my friends had rabbit, and the other had a good looking filet mignon.” “Aside from the suspicion I have that the escargot comes from a can, this place is a fabulous little hole-in-the-wall with absolutely French dishes.” “We split an escargot and some shrimp, and I had a great beet and chevre salad.” “Best French food in Manhattan for the money.” “The apetizers are delicious especially the salmon tartar and I've had some of the best steaks here.” “the food is always top notch, the wine terrific, and the service is helpful and so much fun!” “would not recommend this place if you are looking for good authentic French food.” “Even though the LES is a trek for us, a friend and I went back to enjoy the steak frites and escargot.” “This is one of the cheapest espressos/cappuccinos in the city, Go to some fake euro corp, like the Soho Grand, pay six dollars for a cappuccino or 7 for toast.” “We recently had two meals there - the service was good but the food was somewhat inconsistent.” “Accommodating, friendly service and a relaxed dining experience in a lively, authentic bistro atmosphere.” “Very authentic.” “Or, if the perfect match of wine and food don't mean that much to you, it's probably a good idea to hop on by.” “am French (lived in France for 20 years) and bistro food is usually my favorite.” “the food was truly melt-in-the-mouth (we had the snails) and the waitresses attentive and charming.” “The food is delicious, the staff friendly and efficient and the restaurant's somewhat cramped tables make it a perfectly friendly NY joint.” “This charming French spot serves wonderful food and is a great spot for a cozy meal on weekdays.” “love the food and the atmosphere at Lucien.” “The food sucked!” “Lucien's will always remind me of a great Thanksgiving Day meal for quite some time.” “The reviews on here complaining about it are clearly written by people who came to NY from god knows where in small town America, have no clue what real French food is truly like and think great coffee is made in Starbucks.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“They could have a few more vegetarian options, But their vegetarian plate is really impressive, it looks like a cooked vege tower, WIth eggplant.” “They had a Thanksgiving Prix Fixe menu with Turkey but we opted for the grilled Octopus which was delectably soft and not rubbery, a great Steak Frites and a Clams with white wine sauce with Linguini - which we paired with a good red wine from Italy - Sac” “Can't wait to go back and experience more of their amazing selections.”
overall	73.33000183105469% positive	“In hindsight I'm sorry I tipped them so well, but the waitress (who was very nice) shouldn't be held accountable for the poor management of that place.” “Seriously the best french restaurant in NYC, all around.” “If you don't want great French food, authentic French ambience, and an owner who treats the place and its customers as family--in other words, as a real French bistro--then you should bar hop right past this one.” “Last Thanksgiving Day when everything was closed, I had a nice trek of the LES with my sister when we happened upon this charming little place.” “Go to Lucien for a great French bistro in NY and save yourself from the Americanized versions elsewhere over Manhattan - only tourists think any French restaurant charging more than $50/head in NY is actually worth the money!”
return potential	100.0% positive	“Can't wait to go back and experience more of their amazing selections.”
service	71.40999794006348% positive	“Not only is the waitstaff extremely rude, the place is falling apart, the wait for a drink is at least 20 minutes, the food looked an smelled HORRIBLE.” “It's not a Bordeaux but the server was knowledgeable to recommend it and it was perfect.” “The people are very nice.” “No sweat though if you are in the area, there is an amazingly friendly and tastey Mexican right accross the street.” “Bad service!” “It's not loud, and the service is quite friendly.” “Sitting at the bar is a fun alternative and the tables are comfy, the service great.” “It's not pretentious, the service is attentive, and the food is fantastic.” “In hindsight I'm sorry I tipped them so well, but the waitress (who was very nice) shouldn't be held accountable for the poor management of that place.” “We recently had two meals there - the service was good but the food was somewhat inconsistent.” “The reviews on here complaining about it are clearly written by people who came to NY from god knows where in small town America, have no clue what real French food is truly like and think great coffee is made in Starbucks.” “The service was good, casual, but polite.” “The waitress was nice and helpful.” “The WORST restaurant staff in NYC!” “the food was truly melt-in-the-mouth (we had the snails) and the waitresses attentive and charming.” “good service.” “This is NOT a customer friendly restaurant, but the Mexican place nearby was great.” “the food is always top notch, the wine terrific, and the service is helpful and so much fun!” “Accommodating, friendly service and a relaxed dining experience in a lively, authentic bistro atmosphere.” “The food is delicious, the staff friendly and efficient and the restaurant's somewhat cramped tables make it a perfectly friendly NY joint.” “The food is on the good side but not so terrific to compensate the bad service, crammed tiny-tables, dirty glasses, overly loud music, which is good for the bar part of the establishment but not when you want to seat down, eat and have a normal conversati” “had enough of being pushed by the rude wait staff that would push you out of the way with a hot plate or a cold drink to you back.” “When you walk in you will think the staff will be patronizing (Like Casimir) but if you respect their slow pace, you will come to appreciate it on a sunday morning.” “Not only was it absolutely comfy but the owner and the waitress went out of their way to make sure myself and my baby had the best spot to relax.” “The service has been very helpful in answering questions and very attentive.” “Although the place is charming and the staff is courteous, the food is very average and not authentic.”
value	81.25% positive	“The food was good, but hardly worth the headache.” “That's the price you pay to eat the best food in the best city!” “If you like NY's "French brasseries" (overpriced, overhyped) stay away.” “My only complaint is that the wine is more expensive than I'd expect it to be.” “Lucien has the usual staples and some variations - good wine list (mix, decent wines, prices).” “Go to Lucien for a great French bistro in NY and save yourself from the Americanized versions elsewhere over Manhattan - only tourists think any French restaurant charging more than $50/head in NY is actually worth the money!” “This is one of the cheapest espressos/cappuccinos in the city, Go to some fake euro corp, like the Soho Grand, pay six dollars for a cappuccino or 7 for toast.” “Best French food in Manhattan for the money.”
wait time	0.0% positive	“When you walk in you will think the staff will be patronizing (Like Casimir) but if you respect their slow pace, you will come to appreciate it on a sunday morning.” “Not only is the waitstaff extremely rude, the place is falling apart, the wait for a drink is at least 20 minutes, the food looked an smelled HORRIBLE.”

03/01/11

One of the worst meals I've had in NYC!

by 2peas

My BF and I made a reservation and still had to wait 45min. We would have left but it was peak dinner hour on a Saturday night so we figured it would be the same everywhere else.

The service was rushed. My BF's mussels were overcooked and he actually had to spit one out in his napkin because it tasted so bad. I ordered Linguini with clams and it was awful. Pasta was undercooked and stuck together, clams did not taste right. It was so noisy we barely heard each other.

Quite frankly, I don't know why this place is always so crowded. I think they just say yes to all reservation requests, whether they can accommodate them or not, in order to look like they are serving something people are dying to eat. Trust me, there are plenty of better French Bistros in NYC.

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02/27/11

Don't bother making a reservation

by DoctorElvie

Don't bother making a reservation. They don't honor them. I made an 8:30pm reservation. Upon arriving early (8:15pm), I was told that all reservations were pushed back a bit, which is reasonable considering that it was a Saturday night. When the hostess came back around at about 8:35pm, out of curiosity, I asked how much farther back are reservations being pushed. Her response was "well, there are a few people ahead of you that don't have reservations, so we have to get to them first." Ok. So if that makes sense to you then I am sure you won't mind this restaurant. But, if that seems retarded, then yes, THAT'S "F" ing RETARDED. I waited another 10 minutes and then left. We walked down the street and went into Guayoyo. It was just as busy there, but we found a spot at the bar. Despite being crazy busy, the bartender was very attentive. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Malbec and some tapas. The food was very good and it came out quick. We finished up with an espresso and a cappuccino. The bartender admitted up front that she is horrible at making cappuccinos, but it turned out to be one very good cappuccino. I tipped her close to 30% of the bill. If you are thinking about going to Lucien, think again. If you still end up going and you experience the same nonsense that I did, walk down the street to Guayoyo. You should probably just skip Lucien and go to Guayoyo anyway.

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01/04/10

Paris on the LES

by flipcityguy

Last Thanksgiving Day when everything was closed, I had a nice trek of the LES with my sister when we happened upon this charming little place. They had a Thanksgiving Prix Fixe menu with Turkey but we opted for the grilled Octopus which was delectably soft and not rubbery, a great Steak Frites and a Clams with white wine sauce with Linguini - which we paired with a good red wine from Italy - Sacre Bleu! It's not a Bordeaux but the server was knowledgeable to recommend it and it was perfect. This felt like a locals only bistro in a cozy hidden street in Paris with the aged dark wood interior, candle votives, the bar full of easy laid back patrons, and for a moment you forgot that you are on Lower East Side. It may not be French Noveau but why change when you do the standbys quite well already. Too bad, I was with my sister but this could be a go to romantic dinner place. Lucien's will always remind me of a great Thanksgiving Day meal for quite some time.

Pros: Nice moody ambience, great food, excellent wine selection
Cons: Tight space, loud when full, ambient music needs updating

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04/21/09

French Kiss

by MaggotDance

I went to Lucien's for Lunch, after a few trips here, its not difficult to see that it pays to be a regular here. The food prices haven't changed in probably ten years... This is one of the cheapest espressos/cappuccinos in the city, Go to some fake euro corp, like the Soho Grand, pay six dollars for a cappuccino or 7 for toast. Here its under three.

Wines priced close to retail, a restaurant that actually Wants you to buy wine. Its awesome.

It gets me pretty excited. A bottle here is the same price as two glasses at a lot of places, AND the selection is broad and clearly Picked by someone Smart and French. Whenever I leave I always write down the wines they get so I can buy it later (for nearly the same price!)

The service was good, casual, but polite... fit the vibe.. IT is weird, it does feel like time travel to france... a lot of the people there were french actually.

They could work on the menus there, theyre kind of hard to read. They could have a few more vegetarian options, But their vegetarian plate is really impressive, it looks like a cooked vege tower, WIth eggplant.

My friend had the fish soup, it smelled like the beach and he had it to the LAST drop.

YUM.

i think sometimes the food is a bit different day to day, but i think because they use REAL food, you know...?

Go there, but don't rush.

Pros: old world, Old prices!
Cons: not a place to go in a rush

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01/14/09

Never Disappoints

by cbwestley

I've been going to this small French bistro for over 10 years and it has never let me down. The food is delicious, the staff friendly and efficient and the restaurant's somewhat cramped tables make it a perfectly friendly NY joint. Typically I get the same order - frisee salad and filet mignon - and have never been disappointed.

Sometimes there is a wait, but it's a good excuse to stand at the bar and get friendly.

Lucien

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03/01/11

One of the worst meals I've had in NYC!

by 2peas

02/27/11

Don't bother making a reservation

by DoctorElvie

01/04/10

Paris on the LES

by flipcityguy

04/21/09

French Kiss

by MaggotDance

01/14/09

Never Disappoints

by cbwestley

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