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A La Lucie
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
159 N LimestoneLexington, KY 40507
(859) 252-5277
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri 11 am - 11 pm
Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Welcome to Nick's Place - Now serving Saturday Brunch! Nick Ryan's Saloon is a full service bar and restaurant with a comfortable neighborhood feel.… read more »
25 reviews for A La Lucie
Review Highlights
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"...covered with artwork, leopard print carpet, salmon pink..." In 3 reviews -
"...seafood casserole and my wife had the bone-in pork chops." In 3 reviews -
"Great, cozy, eclectic atmosphere." In 5 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from John R.
Lexington, KY
4/13/2012
This was my first visit. Since it was Friday on a Keeneland weekend, we could only get a 5pm reservation at the last minute. There weren't many folks there at 5pm so we had quick service and quick food.
We split a lobster corndog appetizer. I believe they take a cooked lobster tail, slice it lengthwise into three pieces, batter and fry it. Served on a stick with an interesting mustard. Very nice.
I ordered the crispy duck half over rice with some veggies on the side (some squash slices and a handful of asparagus tips). The duck was great!
There were many great things on the menu. I'll certainly go back. -
Review from DeAnna P.
This was my second time here, and the food was again spectacular. My pet peeve this visit seems to happen a lot at restaurants. They "opened" at 11 a.m. However, the server didn't know the specials yet, they didn't have the music turned on, and it took our server a few minutes to get situated before he came to our table. We figured coming right when they opened would get us through quickly (we were driving through town), but it took until about 11:40 to get our meal.
I will definitely come back, but they could work on the ambiance a bit to make it a better experience. -
Review from Peter P.
12/2/2011 1 photo
This was my 2nd visit to A La Lucie, and again I was not disappointed. This time, I was passing through Lexington around lunchtime on a weekday and decided to stop in for a bite. They open at 11 AM and I was there right when the doors opened, but the service and the food were still impeccable.
I ordered their version of the venerable Kentucky Hot Brown, and as you can see from the picture I uploaded, it's quite the production. Unlike some hot browns, this one has ham as well as turkey and bacon. The bacon on A La Lucie's version was extra good and crispy.
I would definitely put their hot brown up against the best. -
Review from Sam L.
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was the cutest, quirkiest, weirdest little joint, and I absolutely adored that. The food was good, albeit the prices were pretty high. When we first got there, the place was totally empty and the servers were kind of yelling across the place asking each other questions, which was a bit unprofessional. The phone was right by our table also, which rang pretty obnoxiously throughout our dinner. Aside from these little quirks, it was a great restaurant experience!
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Review from Christiaan T.
Covington, KY
Sticker shock $30 plate,
food was good, service was good
the place is nice and has outdoor seating.
someone could have wiped the food off the fax lether menu and bill holders. that is just gross. -
Review from ANN L.
Yelp always helps when in a new area and not sure where to eat. That's how we discovered A La Lucie. We parked at a paid parking lot near by ($5).
They have an outside patio area, but it was a bit too humid on this day. As you walk in, you see glass glasses at each setting with pink napkins awaiting your touch. We were greeting warmly and sat near the front glass windows to observe the day to day ongoings outside.
I chose Fried Green BLT with Sweet Potatoe Fries. I have always loved Fried Green tomatoes and never thought of combining it like a BLT. It was on wheat toast and absolutely wonderful!
It was fun to watch the people outside. The courthouse is across the street and it had the water fountain on where kids were playing and parents were trying not to get wet. One lady had her dog who got as close as she would allow with out pulling her in. For some reason today, many gentlemen had on white suits. I guess I'm used to seeing dark suits - so it was a pleasant change. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Cupertino, CA
5/4/2011
Visiting from out of town, and was looking for a place to meet someone for lunch. Found this place on yelp.
The decor is quirky, with leopard print booths. We were the first two people in the place, which at first was a little disconcerting.
But the waiter was great, and the food was good. I was pleased with the experience. -
Review from rebecca m.
New Orleans, LA
10/8/2011
This little downtown spot is absolutely delicious. Great, cozy, eclectic atmosphere. Good wine selection. Best of all, outstanding grub. I loved the rainbow trout with pickled beet sauce. The spinach salad with candied pecans and bacon with a bacon dressing was also amazing. Don't miss an opportunity to go - even though it's a small place, they accommodate large parties. Alternatively, it'd be a great date spot too.
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Review from Krsna V.
6/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Thoroughly mediocre.
This review is more than a month late, but I have a hard time reviewing mediocre places. The conference arranged for groups of us to dine at various restaurants, I picked A La Lucie because of the group that was going there.
I will give them props for handling a group of 10 nerds very well. They even did 10 separate checks for us. That alone deserves a star.
The cocktail menu is impressive only on paper. My "loosey goosie" was just wrong on many levels. It tasted like a super tart cosmo. My colleague's martini was ok.
I ordered the lamb shank and my colleagues ordered various items ranging from buttermilk fried quail, mahi mahi, rabbit, to some chicken dish. My lamb shank was cold in the center, it was probably prepared many hours ago and set aside without heating. The accompanying vegetables were wrinkled and stale. Everything looked and tasted like it was sitting on the kitchen counter for a while. I tasted the mahi mahi and rabbit. The mahi mahi was laden with salt, I almost had hypertension from eating one bite. The fish was dry and tough. The rabbit was mediocre.
The food is as unexciting as this review. I wasn't going to order dessert after this totally unimpressive meal.
Let's not even get started on the decor. I think they were trying to go for eclectic, but it can be summed up as "kitschy gone horribly wrong". Leopard print carpet, Arabian nights lamps, weird naked art on the walls, varying shades of pink everywhere? What the hell is this? Did someone design this space when they were stoned on crystal meth?
Life is too short to waste time on unimpressive food and bad cocktails.
[ ] Will return
[X] Fail -
Review from Victoria T.
Seattle, WA
3/6/2010 1 photo
We'd had a great day with all sorts of positive things happening and wanted to sit down, eat, and bask in the glory of our love and contentment.
Sexy Beast suggested that we have dinner here. He's a fan of the pork loin.
We found it, parked, tromped in and were immediately seated. Yay!
And we waited. Our server showed up out of breath and a little flustered. He took our drink and appetizer order and scurried off without really talking.
The lemon drop was not exactly the best that I'd ever had. To be honest, I'm not sure it was the most mediocre I'd ever had. It wasn't very good. So, the next cocktail was a Ketel One and cranberry because that's a no-brainer, right? The waiter brought extra cranberry juice because he thought he may have poured it too heavy. The bartender was apparently off that night.
This revelation caused me to take note that there were two waiters and a host on staff. The two waiters were pinging and ponging all over the place while the host just kind of stood around. Nothing sucks worse than sweating your ass off while someone else just holds up a post.
Moving on to the appetizer. We ordered a butter bean hummus with sun-dried tomatoes and olives. The pita was a bit on the charred side but we'd waited forever and were starving and I wasn't about to give up what food I had access too. The hummus was very good. The tomatoes were a bit oily. The olives were good.
I ordered a Filet Mignon. It was cooked perfectly but a bit bland. The side dishes were forgettable (I really don't even remember them now). The accompanying crab cake was good.
Sexy Beast enjoyed that pork loin again. It was very good. Perhaps, I should take heed the next time he suggests an entree.
So, the decor is supposed to be fabulous, eclectic, fantastical. A cheetah print carpet and lamp shades accompanied by varying shades of pink topped off with a painted tin ceiling isn't really my thing. Don't get me wrong. I like the unusual as much as anyone. This just wasn't all that unusual or eclectic or fantastical.
The bathroom was a water closet. Emphasis on the "closet".
The decor's shtick didn't really distract me from the mediocrity of the food or the dearth of service.
We'll likely try it again but for lunch this time. The bill for two was over 100 smackers and I just don't like to pay that much for mediocrity. -
Review from Jim J.
Eugene, OR
5/8/2011
In Kentucky for derby. Yelped A La Lucie in lex. Amazing dinner fun decor excellent service. Patsy cline nat king cole Andy Williams for ears. Fun posters, quirky lamp shades pink everywhere for eyes. Waiter Louis gracious helpful. Had the Kentucky rabbit and bourbon tabasco pork chops pecan pie all to die for. Left feeling like made new friends.
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Review from Marie R.
Chicago, IL
3/29/2010
I really don't need to write a review after saying these few words, but I will anyway. Although really, need I say more: Donut Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. Seriously.
My husband and I stopped here on the last leg of a cross country road trip. We were not exactly timely or dressed the part of diners to this fine establishment, but they welcomed us with open arms. They must open for dinner at 5pm because that's right when we walked in, and no one was there. They didn't appear annoyed, chatted us up, and didn't mind our road clothes. We got to the know the waiter, a bit about the chef, and about Lexington. Good start.
The decor, as mentioned, is quirky and random. There is a lot of pink, black and white photos, and things with feathers. It's actually how I would decorate a restaurant if I owned one. It's very girlie and might make the average straight man wince at first, as did my husband. But being a lover of all cuisines, he was sold from the first bite.
We wanted to sample a little of everything so we did a meal of appetizers. We had the warm artichoke/parmesan dip, escargots, and fried oysters with bacon and bleu cheese. Perfection, perfection, perfection. We both had a glass of wine, which was delightful, and wanted to have more if we weren't driving. They also had a butternut squash ravioli with cranberries that night, and the ravioli dough was obviously homemade. The way it should be.
Which brings me to the bread pudding. It was a comforting, creative, decadent dish that finished off a meal I am still dreaming about to this day. -
Review from Stephen H.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2010
I found this place on Yelp after a long day at a client site. When we left and pulled out onto the main road, the head client pulls up next to me in his Porsche and makes one request and asks one question:
(1) "Let's race!"
...to which I respond, "Uh, do you see me in my town car rental?"
(2) "Where are you guys eating?"
...to which I respond some place called "A La Lucie?"
He said we'd enjoy it, and enjoy it we did. We walked from the downtown Hilton to this spot and were immediately intrigued by the leopard print carpet, eclectic decor, and random music (it would jump from some old school french jazz to michael buble then to some other poppy music).
Crap. The start of this review looks like this is going to be a long one. So I'll cut it short and just say I had the lamb shank and mussels and both were quite good. Not excellent 5-star level, but worth a trip 4-star level.
After that, we went to three bars on the way back to the hotel and passed out in time to wake up without pain in the brain. -
Review from blue t.
Lexington, KY
10/16/2010
I've been wanting to go here for awhile, and my fiance and I stopped in for an early dinner. Now I can't wait to go back. The French onion soup was incredible, rich and flavorful with a flaky pastry topping. Even my simple poached pear salad was delicious. And the service was top-notch. Highly recommended.
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Review from Joanna H.
Lexington, KY
1/17/2011
The food was good, the atmosphere pretty good, the wine good as well. It was all just good. Nothing outstanding, a bit pricey for quality. But all in all a nice experience - we will try again.
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Review from Adam A.
Brooklyn, NY
4/29/2007
I've only been here once, only because it's prohibitively expensive to a youngster like me, but my experience was perfect:
I went with my girlfriend and we just wanted some creme brulee. It was pretty late. Sometimes expensive restaurants will not be down with seating a couple JUST for dessert, but our fabulous waiter was very obliging and served us just as well as the other tables. I left a handsome tip for this man. -
Review from Jaci Y.
Philadelphia, PA
7/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
Good food and good ambiance. Reminded me of a cozy French salon; deep green walls covered with artwork, leopard print carpet, salmon pink napkins, white tablecloths, low lighting. Food was excellent. I had the rabbit, which was juicy and served in a delicious broth. My coworker had the lamb shank, which was tender and flavorful, served with very good (read: not bland) mashed potatoes. The baguette was perfect, served warm, crusty on the outside and soft as velvet on the inside, accompanied by sweet cream butter. If I am in the area I will come here again.
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Review from Ross M.
Berkeley, CA
4/8/2007
Best date place in Lexington. Varied menu, good for vegetarians (and meat eaters like me.) Cozy, warm and colorful decor. Great stop on a great evening. Just head downtown for dinner here. Take a stroll down to triangle park, preferably after dark, and head back over to Natasha's for desert (see my review about their chocolate cake. Weeknights will give you a quite and relaxed dinner with only a few other people sharing the restaurant, but weekends can get crowded and provides a different atmosphere. I really like the place.
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Review from Kristina P.
Lexington, KY
12/26/2008
I've been to many restaurants all over this country and a few others and I have to say that Lucie's has firmly been in the top ten for years. The place is hard to describe, but it's one of the top three eateries in the city. The food is an eclectic mix making optimal use of local ingredients. The decor isn't the finest, but it is very comfortable and appropriately idiosyncratic. The waitstaff is professional, the cocktails are excellent and the ambiance is fun. It's fine dining without a lot of stuffy, uptight or overblown trappings. Even if the food isn't exactly your style, you should try it once, just for the experience, the goat cheese salad and the bread pudding.
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Review from Peter P.
Rochester, NY
2/16/2010
I travel a lot, eat out a lot...it's not often that I'm truly surprised and find a restaurant that really stands out. This is it! Great menu, excellent food and a great wine list. I'll definitely be back here often!
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Review from Mark T.
Huntington, WV
3/8/2010
Well prepared food. I had seafood casserole and my wife had the bone-in pork chops. Will return.
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Review from LU P.
Lexington, KY
5/17/2011
This is our "go-to" special occasion spot, as much for the atmosphere as anything else. We started with Shrimp Tempura which melted in your mouth. I had the parmesan encrusted swordfish, which was good, but my friend ordered a special: fresh caught Halibut. It was divine and a HUGE portion. The waiter said that Lucie had it flown in. Lucie herself came out to greet us during our dinner and brag on the new lamps she had purchased for a couple of the tables. Check out the decor when you are there: it is over the top. Perhaps a little like a bordello, but fun! We wanted the poached pear salad but without the salad for dessert. Lucie created something special for us on the fly: the poached pear with caramel sauce and chocolate sauce for dipping. Yum!
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Review from Martha S.
Lexington, KY
11/28/2008
It somewhat pains me that people seem to take this restaurant seriously, and that the "chef de cuisine" insists on taking pride in--if not credit for--the ugly food that tends to get served up here on a regular basis. I've had the misfortune of eating at this restaurant no fewer than five times, always on business and always on someone else's dime, and I've still never felt I got my money's worth. Everything from the preparation to the plating of each course I've had has been consistently atrocious (I once had a piece of fish that came on a plate that was "garnished" with a whole ear of burnt, inedible corn!). The doughy crabcakes are served with a cloyingly sweet "asian" sauce that tastes straight out of La Choy; the desserts are freezer-burned and, again, less than attractive on the plate. Nothing here is done right; I once had a filet that had clearly been cooked with a blowtorch (and, based on its "taste," finished with a fire extinguisher). Vegetables are routinely underdone and seem as though they were prepped by a child with a severe palsy; sauces have come to my table either curdled, cold, broken, or otherwise off-putting. One wonders whether hiring and staffing decisions take the form of: "hey you, homeless guy, do you want to make some quick cash chopping some carrots tonight?" I'm sort of astonished that, in a city with genuinely good restaurants that struggle to stay afloat (Metropole, the late and lamented Woodland Grill), this joke of a boite has become an "institution." My boozer friends tell me that they serve a good cocktail; maybe that's the secret to A La Lucie's success.
Also, the toilets smell, and the "ambience" is a musty joke. -
Review from Denika C.
Chicago, IL
4/13/2010
this place understands me in a way most restaurants don't. the leopard print, the pink, i felt right at home. gazing over i saw artwork of john lennon and yoko ono, but that's not where it ceased. there's so much artwork covering the walls in a la lucie , i found myself looking all around while i was enjoying my meal. i never eat salad , it makes me gag, but here i actually ate salad! and i don't mean just a bite and throwing down my fork in defeat like most places .. wow. . to quote my "sister", "i never knew a leaf could taste so good!" thank you a la lucie for the best salad experience i've ever had. the bread was a little hard/stiff but the meal made up for it. probably the aumbiance was enough for me. you can spend a lot of money here. it's not a grab and go place but if you're looking for a special occasion dinner with a few people, have some wine, invest in a nice meal out, and enjoy one of lexington's best exablishments (well this is my opinion.) i really want to go back for dessert. the prices are more affordable.
http://alalucie.com/ -
Review from Dianne C.
Philadelphia, PA
10/23/2010
I had positive expectations of A la Lucie but was mostly disappointed. They had a nice list of wines by the glass and an accommodating waiter who allowed me tastes before I made my decision. The menu featured what sounded like mouthwatering local food. However, the execution of the cuisine was poor. For example, my fried quail were so heavily encrusted that they may as well have been Chicken McNuggets. My companion's pork chops with BBQ-molasses sauce were only somewhat better. Their focus seems more on the quantity than the quality of the food.
