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Chez Lucienne
Category: Restaurants French French
308 Lenox Ave(between 125th St & 126th St)
New York, NY 10027
Neighborhood: Harlem
(212) 289-5555
- Nearest Transit:
-
125 St (2, 3)
125 St (A, B, C, D)
125 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 12 am
Fri 11 am - 1 am
Sat 9 am - 1:30 am
Sun 9 am - 12 am
Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
116 reviews for Chez Lucienne
Review Highlights
"I also had the skirt steak with red wine shallot sauce..."
(in 13 reviews)
"For coq au vin, an espresso, 15% tip."
(in 8 reviews)
"...confit, Skirt steak, Shrimp linguini and Kobe beef burger."
(in 3 reviews)
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116 reviews in English
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Review from Missy J.
New York, NY
12/28/2011
I can't believe my best friend, who lives in MD, has reviewed this place before me (when we ate here in 2010), when I live on the block. Shame on me.
Well, ditto everything she said. I come here semi-regularly for the deliciousness that is their Thursday evening fish specials. OH EM GEE at the Moules Marinieres. And I think the french fries (perfectly spiced, crunchy on the outside, savory on the inside) make my dreadlocs grow. And at $12.95? Oui, oui, bien sur. Add a glass of white with that, try to save room for dessert (je voudrais la Tarte Tartin, s'il vous plait), and you're still coming in well under $30 before tip and tax.
The service is super friendly, and generally really attentive. The atmosphere is homey, attractive and not pretentious. The only flaw is that it's a bit too cramped and I would appreciate a slightly sexier (though still down-to-earth) and brighter ambiance, because it sometimes feels dank inside.
People who want to be seen go to Red Rooster. People who wanna have fun come to Chez Lucienne. C'est ca la verite. -
Review from Malcolm G.
Manhattan, NY
1/16/2012
I was recommended to this spot by a friend from Belgium. I having lived in New York City my whole adult life somehow missed this place ...even on my couple of trips to the bar next door.
Perhaps I picked the wrong night to come because I ordered le onglet from the steak special menu and it arrived devoid of salt, flavor and chewy so i put my fork down and waited a few minutes for the waiter to ask how the food was to send it back. My girlfriend had ordered le entercote (ribeye) which because of the char had some flavor but none from salt.
Now he said it would be a few minutes for my steak. she finishes her food then her wine and I am sitting there with no food and a half empty glass of wine. The busboy clears the table and the waiter returns 8 minutes later and says your plate will be out shortly. Mind you at this point my girlfriend is waiting to be offered a refill on her wine but alas he never no returned. Another bus boy brought my steak which sadly I only had two bites before putting the fork down for good because the waiter never returned until I waived down someone to take my plate ( I was never asked if the replacement was satisfactory I guess they assumed it was ....it was not and they never asked my gf if she wanted a second drink. I slid over my remaining half glass. Sadly my girlfriend wanted desert and we got the menus but after waiting another 5 minutes in a not that busy restaurant we just asked for the check.
The steaks not good they did not use a grain of salt to finish them and the Bearnaise was somehow bland
The roasted mushrooms were tasty.
The french fries needed another 30 seconds if you ask me but who is splitting hairs in comparison to the underwhelming steak.
Sub par service you always ask a patron if they want a second glass of wine, am I wrong?
And you always check on a dish that was sent back the first time. -
Review from Jo R.
Manhattan, NY
11/7/2011
Lunch time for a meeting.
Not difficult to be seated at 1 PM. The wait staff was most accomodating especially since there were several locals already seated I needed to say hello to for a minute.
I dined on "Le Saumon Roti" Roasted salmon, watercress sauce on a sesame brioche roll.
It was delicious and excellent value for the price!
Will return... -
Review from Zan D.
Manhattan, NY
2/6/2012
I love this place for brunch, it is consistently good & the atmosphere is very Europen which I love in the heart of Harlem. Great food & good service. Its nice to see that their neighbor Red Rooster has been a asset to their business with all the new foot traffic it has attracted , they feed off each other. We need more new places in Harlem.
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Review from Kurt R.
New York, NY
Updated - 1/25/2012
They've clearly kicked it up a notch since Red Rooster moved in next door. High quality, generous portions and lower prices - a real deal! Had the best salmon entree ever for lunch on 1/23/12.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/14/2011
They've clearly kicked it up a notch since Red Rooster moved in next door. High quality, generous… Read more »
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Review from Erica R.
Bronx, NY
1/9/2012
I visited Chez Lucienne for a glass of wine & appetizers on Saturday early evening. The hostess was very pleasant & so was the wait staff. I ordered a French Onion soup, it was just ok. My friend that I was with suggested that there wasn't enough broth and I agreed as well. We also had the snails and I have to say I have tried it before and didn't like it and Chez Lucienne made me love it! All in all good experience will try it for dinner soon.
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Review from Nico M.
12/29/2011
The service was really good, the staff nice and welcoming. I only ordered an avocado burger to go but, I have to say, one of the best in town. I will go back next time I'm in New York.
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Review from Chris J.
Los Angeles, CA
12/27/2011
It's rare the kid ever reviews anything I love in Harlem, but I see it's on a serious culinary come up. Last night I had the pleasure of checking out Chez Lucienne and I have to say I was quite pleased. It was their "Steak Night" so all special entrees were only 12.95. I had the Steak Hache Forestiere which is a Grilled chopped 12oz kobe steak served with mushroom truffle sauce. Mmmm Mmmm Good. A side of sautéed spinach and a glass of red, I was set. Great atmosphere, lively bartender all helped to break me in. I'll certainly be back to taste other items on the menu.
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Review from Janelle R.
Princeton, NJ
11/20/2011
We stopped here for lunch and were very pleased with the food. It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed both inside and out. The four of us took a small table inside and were greeted rather quickly. The service was rushed and the restaurant is pretty loud and crowded with very little room, but I liked in nonetheless. The place has a vibrant, enthusiastic feel to it and serves some pretty tasty food. If you're looking for a slow, quiet, relaxing lunch - look elsewhere.
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Review from Sahara W.
Manhattan, NY
1/14/2012
I like this place, because you truly feel like you are transported to France. The food is very good, and the staff is very attentive. The waiters all speak french which is pretty cool, and the Bartenders are GREAT! I love the pear martini they have- like no other! The owner is amazingly sweet and professional, and the manager is one of the best on Lenox. The only reason I can't give this place five stars is the bar... You cannot get a seat at the bar unless you get there at 4pm or you've got the AARP club hogging all the seats sipping wine at the rate of one glass per 2 hours. Don't come here for the bar ambiance, although the bartenders are great, the regular customers are 65+ and they stay there from about 5pm til around 10pm. It's perfect for a date, bringing your grandma or mom to find a date, or bringing someone from out of town that wants good authentic french food. I'll be back for sure. The Duck liver is great, and so is the butter! LOL
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Review from Emma H.
Hoboken, NJ
10/1/2011
After a long day I decided to order in from Chez Lucienne. The menu looked good and they were on http://delivery.com so ordering was simple.
1. Received a phone call from the restaurant about 10 mins after ordering to say the Lobster was not available, and neither was the dessert we had ordered. OK fair enough, I understand restaurants sometimes run out of certain dishes.
2. I wait an hour, no food had arrived. I call the restaurant who tell me it has been sent out and to give it a few minutes it should be right with me ... well they were wrong, it took another 45 mins to get my food ... that's1 hour and 45 mins. Ridiculous.
3. The food is cold. They forgot to include the spring water I had ordered and the food is average to say the least.
4. My bill - despite items being forgotten and removed (no dessert, no lobster, no flat or sparkling water.) is still the original price.
Just all around a really bad experience.
The bread was the best part of the meal.
This is not good french cooking ... do yourself a favor and take a ride downtown to Raoul's or similar. -
Review from Dale M.
Kew Gardens, NY
9/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Here's what I love: the loction; the service, outdoor seating, the cocktails.
Here's what better than OK: the food.
Here's what I'm not crazy about: that there are simply too many tables in the space.
I think the name doesn't really match the menu. Perhaps it led me to expect the food to be more French.
I really enjoy going here, especially for drinks outside. I'd encourage you to check it out when you're in Harlem.
And let me repeat, each time I've been there, the service has been outstanding. -
Review from france r.
Queens, NY
11/24/2011
We had our Thanksgiving dinner here. We had French fare, having already done our traditional Turkey at the weekend. The food was French and authentic: the appetizers, escargot and pate were delicious. My husband's cassoulet was fresh, I ordered steak medium rare and it was done properly pink, my daughter ordered boeuf bourguignon and that was very good, too.
The waitstaff was very accomodating and French speaking, which we all appreciated! Cocktails are more than ample and the desserts, creme brulee, mousse au chocolat and tarte tatin were also very good.
We would readily go again, it was a pleasant afternoon and the decor and ambiance was lovely and welcoming. -
Review from Aj E.
Manhattan, NY
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Lame. 15 dollars for a neat whiskey.
edit: it was glenlivet. on top of the a single corona. grand total 23 dollars. im accustomed to paying steep prices in nyc, but this is absurd. only after i ordered and drank did the bartender jokingly say " oh i guess i should have warned you that the price was steep". -
Review from OD N.
New York, NY
7/24/2011
Location:
On the corner of 125th St and Lenox right off the red line.
Atmosphere:
It had a pretty good vibe. The lights were nice and dim. The music was nice but a little to loud at times as my wife and I couldn't hear each other unless we leaned into each other. Since, we went on a Wednesday it was a Middle Eastern themed night and there was a belly dancer.
The food:
Unfortunately I did not finish the review immediately after going there so I forgot exactly what we had but I remember there were limited vegetarian options. I'm not a true vegetarian as I eat seafood so I had a dish with muscles and I remember it was pretty good. My wife had the Quiche Lorraine and she said it was good but not great. So overall the food was good. -
Review from Queen G.
Bronx, NY
7/1/2011
I had a great dinner at this place. It's a nice, quite little spot right next to the red rooster, and the food is just as great if not better. They have great outdoor seating, and their decor is cozy but modern, with exposed brick walls. The staff was great and attentive.
I tried their chicken burger and it was huge, delicious, and well-seasoned. I was so full I couldn't eat another bite. My friend ordered the steak, it was also perfectly cooked and the flavors were great. The burger also came with good fries. Their selection of wine is great, and their menu has a wide selection as well, mussels, sausages, chicken, and rabbit if you are into french cuisine. Definitely worth a visit! -
Review from Shwetha B.
New York, NY
4/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
First off, I really appreciate its existence in the area. Nice ambience. Quite lounge-ey, relaxed, and diverse, with people engaging in what appears to be lively and interesting conversation. A bunch of knowledgeable old-timers at the bar. Perfectly charming and an overall welcome addition to 125th street.
That said, the back of the house really needs to pull its socks up. 45 minutes for TAKEOUT lunch at 2:45 pm on a Tuesday? Seriously? And the place was only about half full. I've been here twice before on weekday afternoons and I've had ridiculous wait times consistently. The front of the house server staff is certainly polite, attentive, and well-intentioned but when the bartender needs to instruct a server to put plastic forks and napkins in a to-go bag, you know some training is a-miss.
As for the food, it's barely average. I've had sandwiches a couple of times - they were just about what you'd expect. The coq-au-vin is ok. The chicken curry casserole mango coulis was laden with heavy cream, with tough pieces of chicken. It's not as expensive as Red Rooster next door but it's not cheap either. The quality of food is certainly not commensurate with the pricing.
The worst part is that the last time I went there earlier this week, I happened to look at their health department restaurant inspection rating and it was a 'B'. I've gritted my teeth and eaten at a couple of 'B' places before figuring hey, I've probably eaten worse before without knowing it and survived. But since I ended up having time to kill while waiting 45 MINUTES FOR MY TAKEOUT, I looked up the full inspection report online on the NYC Health Dept. website. I prefer not to go into details as I don't want to be overly slanderous but what I saw truly made me gag. It was too late to cancel my order but I ended up pretty much forgoing lunch that day. I'd say ignorance is bliss, if you want to give this place a whirl without the risk of losing your appetite. -
Review from Mike O.
6/19/2011
A friend took me here for lunch today, so if she happens to be reading this, Thank you! The food was good and I really had a great time. I can see why this is one of your favorite spots in the city.
Now down to business. Chez Lucienne has a great spot in central Harlem, and the place was booked all Sunday mid-afternoon. The outdoor seating looked lovely on a late-spring afternoon, and it is located just off the 2, 3 train.
I was a little worried about eating at this place after reading some less-than-stellar reviews here on Yelp, but I thought the service was fine. I did find it confusing that the restaurant has nearly a dozen different menus. I don't quite see the point in that, and I can imagine that might cause confusion, too, among a staff, and, as a result, bad service for customers, but I'm speculating here.
We ordered from the brunch menu. The food was...fine. Nothing to call home about. I ordered the brunch skirt steak (which basically threw some scrambled eggs in the middle of the plate), and all the ingredients were...okay. Not bad, not blowing me away. The only part of my meal that I couldn't get enough of were the marinated juices from my steak, including shallots, garlic and thyme. I dipped plenty of bread in that stuff. Don't know much about skirt steak, but I had to cut it with a butter knife. That doesn't seem right. The potato cake was good.
My friend ordered the coq a vin, which she didn't finish. I should say she technically finished the coq a vin, but didn't finish the angel hair pasta. Infer from that what you will.
I live in upper Harlem, and I feel that anyone traveling to Harlem from wherever should visit one of the famous soul food restaurants above this place. It's not bad, but why go the distance when you can get something different, or when you can get the same somewhere perhaps closer to where you live? -
Review from Paul C.
New York, NY
Having been ignored for 10 mins at Red Rooster next door I thought I'd give this spot a try, I'm glad I did.
Booze - good selection and very reasonable, my glass of wine was $10
Mussels - $11 - big plate full and good crispy fries come along with it
Fast and friendly service.
I suspect being close to Red Rooster keeps them on point but I can say this place is well worth a visit for French bistro fare. -
Review from Emily H.
New York, NY
7/3/2011
Hey, if you want a Harlem feel and cannot get into Red Rooster next door, please try this great restaurant. Had lunch here and really enjoyed my coq au vin and spicy sausage and white bean salad. The service was warm and one felt like this was a great choice no matter what goes on next door.
Saddle up to the bar and have a drink or dine here. I have no idea about dinner or brunch but Lucienne is alright. -
Review from Lady B.
Seattle, WA
3/6/2011
The host was nice and our server was accommodating. The food on the other hand was less than desirable. Ok, that may be unfair. The food was extremely AVERAGE. Our tuna tartare appetizer was pretty good, we'd recommend it. We had the steak with french fries and the monk fish. The steak was requested as medium, but served as medium well and the monk fish was seasoned probably only with salt. Everything was edible, very average, nothing special. We will not be going back here because the prices were above average and surely didn't match the taste.
Pros: Service was good
Cons: Average tasting food, steak was over cooked, the restaurant was extremely loud - not romantic at all, nothing french about it -
Review from LISA N.
2/13/2011
Taking a walk around the block looking for some place to eat brunch, my boyfriend and I stopped in here since we looked at other menus from other restaurants and Chez Lucienne had more options for food.
It was empty, on a Sunday afternoon with just another couple in the restaurant. The waitstaff very eager to greet us at the door and let us sit on the side. It was strange to see that in order to get in to my seat they had to pull out the table to let me sit down. The worst was when I had to use the restroom, and I didn't want to knock over my coffee and water so I had to squeeze through the table which didn't work because I almost knocked over the big vase!
I got the brunch as well as my boyfriend did. He ordered the eggs benedict chez Lucienne, and I ordered the eggs benedict a la russe. The a la russe was amazing. The eggs were cooked to perfection, their hollandaise sauce was creamy and tangy at the same time. A perfect combination with the smoked salmon and the mushrooms. It was also on top of what it seemed to be a potato hash, which was amazingly crispy on the bottom and was starchy enough to hold in that amazing creamy egg goodness all around it.
Their coffee was one of the best coffees we had, I need to find the same one in grocery stores, and just drink it everyday.
The bathroom was nice and clean. It had a very rustic feel to it, but at the same time felt cheap looking.
Service was good, and I do like the open kitchen window so we can see who's cooking and what they are doing.
And I had to take a look at their dessert menu, which I was so full but I'll definitely be back soon. -
Review from Jacqueline J.
Manhattan, NY
2/4/2011
Thank you, Chez Lucienne, for one of the weirdest dining experiences I've ever had in New York.
We were lucky enough to have a table for two on a night with a live performer. This was late summer or early autumn of this year. The performer regaled us with live motown all dinner long. She was really talented, and if the volume were turned down ever so slightly it would have been great ambient noise. However, it was so freaking loud I could not hear a word my date was saying to me from across the table.
We ordered a bottle of sparkling and a tuna tartare to start. The sparkling seemed to be infused with orbit bubblemint. No, really. It was literally liquid bubble-licious. We drank it anyway, since it was so hard to communicate with our distaste to out server over the din of live motown. The tuna tartare came out in a cylindrical, fresh-out-of-the-can type lump topped with wasabi caviar. It was actually quite good if not especially interesting or original. The tuna tasted fresh.
So we're drinking and exchanging hand signals from across the table when the couple next to us gets into a chaotic break-up fight. Like, a lets shove the table at each other and then knock over the plates at the table next to us in our rush to get out the door. So that was awkward, if not the restaurants fault. Even over the motown madness, we were able to hear the "FUCK YOU BITCH!" of the disgruntled gentleman to my left.
Anyway, my date got a pasta dish that was pretty good and i got the cobb salad. it was unlike any cobb salad I've ever had before. Usually they involve some kind of lettuce. This one was neatly arranged rows of bleu cheese, bacon, etc with maybe 5-6 lettuce leaves placed beneath. It was a very strange presentation, and even stranger that the salad part was missing. My date enjoyed his pasta, which I remember nothing about.
So that was about the whole experience. The food is not bad, but it's nothing worth getting excited about. Maybe avoid loud music night, avoid the sparkling wine, and maybe don't order the cobb. Other than that, have to give the place credit for trying. -
Review from Elise L.
Washington, DC
6/4/2011
We got great service. Seated immediately outside, and the servers brought us everything promptly and checked in with us regularly. I see some complaints below but my service experience was great. When we sat down the table was wobbly and they saw us messing with it and came over to fix it right away.
It is true that the tables are packed close together, but that happens in many a new york restaurant.
I had a salad with a poached egg on top and bacon and croutons to start, it was delicious--great dressing, perfectly done egg.
I had the linguine with shrimp and thought it was delicious also. Very well done simple dish. It was not oversided so I felt ok eating most of it.
My dining partner had the cobb salad. It is served deconstructed, with rows of each ingredient on top of lettuce. He loved it. I thought I might have wanted a bit more lettuce. The dressing was a strong garlic, creamy dressing. He said it was delicious.
We shared the chocolate torte with pistachio ice cream for dessert. It was satisfying. Warm chocolate center.
It is a bit pricier than I would like. Also I do not recommend the pinot noir, it tasted like a sweet, cheap, merlot at a bar that does not do wine. So I'm a bit hesitant about the wine list. But I may have just made a very poor choice. I switched to the Montepulciano and it was better.
Overall, good experience, great service, and I very much enjoyed my meal. I'll be back to try the more traditional french items on the menu. -
Review from Greg S.
New York, NY
1/7/2011
Over-priced and under-rated. The service is not all that great on a consistent basis and the food is just OK.
The owners surely don't care about what diners of this establishment think. I voiced a complaint three days ago and have called twice about a delivery order that was not correct. I asked for the manager and the person who answered the phone - Max, said that he was the manager. When I indicated that I had spoken with him twice about my incorrect order, he said the manager was going to call me. I reminded him that he had identified himself as the manager and he said he was the "manager for the day". I informed Max that I was not trying to make my issue a part-time job and simply wanted to receive what I had paid for.
There are more and more restaurants popping up in this neighborhood within very close proximity. I would highly recommend taking your money and going to one of the other establishments who consistently recognize that the customer is the reason why they are there and who serve better food at better prices. -
Review from Vindu G.
Brooklyn, NY
3/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here twice in the past year and been disappointed both times.
But let me focus on the most recent experience. We came in on a Wednesday night and the place was crowded. Upon greeting us, the host/manager leered at my girlfriend. OK, some people are weird -- we let that go.
After about 10 minutes, we got a table in the very overcrowded, noisy dining area (so tight that the servers kept bumping my chair every time they passed).
The water glasses arrived well before the water or the waitress. OK, they are busy.
Before ordering, we told the waitress we were going to use a DealOn coupon for $40 and asked if it was OK to use it with the half-price wine special they offer every customer on Wednesday nights. She said yes.
We both ordered mussels, which were quite good -- very flavorful, nice portion size and excellent French fries on the size. Also, since it WAS half-price wine night, we ordered a bottle of pinot grigio, which the restaurant normally sells for $28 (fair retail value for this cheap Italian white was about $6, so let's note upfront that this place has an outrageous markup, even at half price).
When it came time to pay, they gave us a hard time about using the coupon -- the manager, who initially refused to talk to us, conveyed through the waitress that it was either use the coupon and pay full price for the wine or not use the coupon and pay half price for the wine.
That in itself isn't outrageous -- except that we asked before ordering and good customer service would suggest that a restaurant honor that commitment. Especially when the wine is so overpriced anyway.
After wrangling for 15 minutes, we got the discount and used the coupon, but the host/manager indicated the extra money might be docked from the waitress's earnings. Very uncool.
Bottom line: despite a relatively positive experience with the food, the whole experience soured us on the place, and I for one will never return. Sad, since I like to support Harlem restaraunts. But I hate to support crappy management.
Oh, yeah, get rid of the cheesy plastic placemats with the daily specials. If you aspire to be a French bistro, act like one. -
Review from Eros A.
New York, NY
1/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's very hard for me to rate this place because I don't think it was great, but neither was terrible. It's one of those who I can form my opinion on because it was so-so.
I noticed that the decor is a bit old, french style, but nothing impressive or distinctive.
The service could need some help for sure, very short staff, and lack of knowledge and gracefulness, somewhat a bit friendly but timid, the Host on the other hand was very friendly and treated everyone like if he knew them; and probably he did since everyone seem like locals.
Some mature men at the bar drinking whiskey straight up at noon was a sign that this people were regular there when you just hear "the usual please"...
I have to say that my Steak and Eggs was huge; could have fed two people with it and all for $12.00 which wasn't so bad; not sure what people mentioned "overpriced" on their review. I didn't see it.
Overall this place seems more like a local hang out with decent food, but not great, and with just an OK service. Not much to brag about it, neither to complain so much... -
Review from Tunyaluck P.
Astoria, NY
1/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Quite far from lower Manhattan, but surprisingly easy to get there by express subway lines.
There are many options for prix fixe menu and they are all reasonable prices. They are also very generous with the side dishes.
I like their Escargot. I have it every time. Staff are so friendly. -
Review from Holly N.
Updated - 11/3/2010
Wow, Chez Lucienne, way to fall on your face after my first stellar review. I talked you up and down, then a friend of mine wanted to try it out one evening after work, so to Harlem we trekked and I was no longer impressed.
We arrived right in time for our reservation and went for the Prix Fixe $20 menu. I started with the tomato appetizer (which was lovely!) and we both had the Coq au Vin (since I was such a fan the first time around). Service was meh and turned dismal. We finished our app & main course, then we were handed the bill. "Umm, excuse me, we ordered off of the prix fixe menu... don't we get dessert?" The waiter apologized and went to get the dessert menu. 5 minutes later, we got the dessert menu and promptly ordered... 20 minutes pass and I reminded the waiter that we had ordered dessert. 15 more minutes passed... Eventually I had to leave for a prior engagement, sans dessert. No good and due to the experience I have stopped singing your praises indefinitely.Listed in: Classin' it Up, Uptown: Eastern Edition
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/6/2010
We checked out Chez Lucienne using a decent Groupon. We had a really nice meal. I went for the Coq… Read more »
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Review from Tiffane C.
College Park, MD
12/21/2010
My dinner at Chez Lucienne was one of the most memorable NYC meals I've ever had--next to Asia de Cuba a few year's back. Tucked away in Harlem, I never would have ventured here were it not for my best friend who lives in the area.
The atmosphere is very welcoming. We had a fairly large party, so we were seated at a long, family-style table which was nice, but made it logistically challenging to get up and go to the restroom. Just saying.
Anyway, I'm still wetting my feet when it comes to french cuisine, but the menu was very approachable. I played it safe and ordered the coq au vin. It was perfect. The sauce was thick, almost gravy-like, which I didn't expect because it was a wine sauce. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was accompanied by mushrooms, onions, carrots and mashed potatoes. It reminded me so much of my grandmother's smothered chicken. Seriously, one of the best meals I've ever had.
The server was great, too. I asked for a wine pairing suggestion and he was pretty spot on. He chose a red which accompanied the chicken nicely.
This place was such a joyful surprise. I can't wait to return on my next visit to New York! -
Review from Bill T.
New York, NY
7/29/2011
The food here is absolutely average. In a neighborhood lacking many 'nice' sit down restaurants, especially French restaurants, it's probably better than most - but just travel a few blocks downtown and the food here is outclassed easily. So if you absolutely are craving a meal in central Harlem go for it, if you're craving French food and are willing to travel - just go downtown.
Also don't, I repeat DO NOT get delivery from this place. My small order took 1 hour and 45 minutes to arrive. I've never had such a wait (and trust me, I wouldn't have if not for restaurant staff assuring me that my food would arrive shortly after I called to complain after a 1 hour wait). -
Review from Marian G.
Manhattan, NY
7/19/2011
The service was slow, the food disappointing. I mean if your name is chez lucienne should at least be able to make decent fries! Although our party of 4 got two versions of the cocktail menu(one obsolete), the ooh la la was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, my friend's cosmo was mostly cranberry juice and she sent it back. I guess when you get the spill over from Red Rooster, you don't really have to try that hard....
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Review from Teju A.
Mountain View, CA
1/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place was jumping on NY's eve... packed full with a live band for ambience.. very nice.
The waiters were accomodating despite the busyness and take out steak was melt of the bone scrumptious.
New Year's day brunch was also pretty good; only downside here was the small table seating for four and narrow aisles -
Review from Sarah A.
Eh, yeah. About Chez.
Dropped by around 10:57 a.m. today for an early lunch with my bff who was in town only for the next few hours. We walk up to the hostess stand, wait around for a good 2 minutes with the hostess posted up at the bar, CLEARLY seeing us wait for a table.
"Yeah, we're gunna open in about 10 minutes," she said, practically shooing us out of the dining room and back onto the sidewalk with her nastiness.
Ok, fine. Even thought it says you open at 11. And it's 11 now. And clearly everything in the restaurant is set and ready. Oh, but you'd rather go over to the hostess stand and text people on your cell phone while we stand there for 10 minutes and wait to be seated. You couldn't have just seated us and brought us some water until everyone else got ready? It was like 95 degrees out - scorching. And you made us wait out in the hot sun for NOTHING. And you were a bitch on top of it.
Yeah, I know I was in love with this place the first time I came. But honestly, I've been back several times and never had that "wonderful first time" replicated. I hate to say it, but there goes another eatery off my Harlem list that I thought I could count on.
Bitchy service. Overpriced, hit-and-miss food. Due to lack of cute/upscale dining options in Harlem, you might need to settle for this place once in awhile if you live up here. But definitely don't drag your ass up to be gawked at and made to feel inadequate.Listed in: Harlem World, They call me 'drunkie'..., Been Around the World, Do guys still ask girls out on…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2010
SO excited this place is in my neighborhood. I wish more places like this would pop up! This is… Read more »
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Review from Onnicha G.
Woodside, NY
1/31/2011
This is a nice little gem in Harlem.
Came here with my BF about 2 weeks ago, we ordered from their prix-fixe menu, which was $19.99, three-courses included.
The portions were generous, and good.
Everything was very buttery, and creamy for some reason.
Creme brulee was very disappointing, I was looking forward to it all night, BUMMER.
Service was prompt and friendly.
The decor was my favorite thing here, loved the walls, the fans, and the hanging lights.
Candles were lit all around, seriously romantic.
They also have specials for every night, which is pretty cool because everyone can use a good deal, saving money while enjoying the night? more please! -
Review from Katie T.
I finally tried the dinner here - all my other previous experience have been just lunch and takeouts. I very much enjoyed it! They have a daily special menu in addition to the regular menu. Monday is steak night! It comes out to be half off!
Last night was fish night. I had trout with garlic sauce. I was pretty satisfied!
The waitstaff was great too - very attentive and helpful!
The only thing is, the place does get loud, mostly because the bar is built into the dining area. It's great atmosphere but don't expect to carry on a serious conversation! -
Review from chynna b.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Updated - 3/29/2011
We dined at Chez Lucienne before going to a show. It was a wonderful way to begin the evening. As soon as you pass though the entrance you are transported to a world of service and quality. Everything we ordered was wonderful! The wine list was phenomenal!
The Service was excellent and the food was great.
In summary: Excellent food and atmosphere! Wonderful evening1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/8/2011
I travel weekly to NYC from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and stay at the W downtown, however for Lunch and… Read more »
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Review from Allison F.
Manhattan, NY
9/29/2011
My fiance and I first went to Chez Lucienne just a few days after moving to the neighborhood. Our first meal there was good - not great by any means. The food was decent and the service was good because it was a weeknight and the restaurant was totally empty. We thought that this would become our "go-to" place for quick dinners out...
HOWEVER, every time we have been back has been a total disaster. The restaurant is consistently under-staffed and if there is any kind of crowd at all you will not only have to wait FOREVER to get your food, it's very likely that your order will be lost or forgotten about and that you will be unable to flag down a server to ask about it. If you ever get your meal (and if it is what you ordered), you'll find that the quality of the food on a busy night is totally inconsistent and unreliable. I ordered fish with lemon caper sauce. The brought me a tiny, overcooked, oily (like really oily - it was supposed to be grilled) piece of fish with a little thing of sauce on the side. They brought the wrong sauce and I had to wait ages to get the right one. My fiance's food is generally ok - he usually gets a burger or something like that. Last time he had some kind of sausage that was ok but definitely not worth waiting over an hour for.
I will say that some of the staff at least try to be helpful and apologetic, but there's very little they can do when the kitchen is a disaster and the management doesn't care enough to ensure that there are enough servers to deal with the number of tables they've managed to cram into the place. My advice would be to get a new chef and kitchen staff and cut the number of tables in half. Otherwise I'm going to continue to walk a few extra blocks to Settepani.
p.s. this is not French food by any stretch of the imagination. -
Review from Kim G.
Manhattan, NY
8/21/2011
BAD SERVICE, BAD FOOD, BAD EXPERIENCE = NEVER COMING BACK
I will not recommend this restaurent to my worst enemy. Not only was the service horrible, but I found hair in my fish!!!! -
Review from Ann S.
Manhattan, NY
7/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A lovely area for alfresco seating. A very VERY delicious cosmo. And an amazing dinner of monk fish. Friendly staff. Really friendly patrons as well! A great spot for people watching. Definitely going to be a summer favorite of mine!
