Even though I eat out a ton, but whenever someone is in town and asks for a place to go I always seem to draw blanks. I always have a running list but for some reason or another, nothing on my lists ever seem right for the time. So when I met up with Vivi and Erik for one last meal before they left, I felt guilty that I didn't have a long list ready for their list. They were staying in the LES which is chock full of restaurants but nothing was calling my name, so we ended up aimlessly wandering and ended up at Lucien on a whim. I've walked past Lucien many a times when I used to live off the F train and hung out in the E. Village more but had never been.
It's your classic, cute French bistro. You feel like you've been transported to France with the cramped decor, tiny round bistro tables and loud environment but it's all very endearing at the same time. The waitress was also French so that also lent to the authentic vibe of the place. As you would expect the menu is classic French - foie gras, mussels, escargot, duck, steak poivre, and quail just to name a few. Erik had asked the waitress what was good and she pointed out the 2 most expensive things on the menu: the squab ($42) and sea bass ($42). I'm sure they were both delicious but there's always something that irks me when the staff only picks the most expensive items on the menu. Vivi and I split the beet salad ($12) and I opted for a traditional steak frites ($28). The beet salad was your usual kind with goat cheese and field greens - standard beet salad. My steak was served medium rare - a bit closer to medium but still slightly pink on the inside - with a side of buttery pepper sauce. Thank god the sauce came on the side because it was incredibly rich and would have really overpowered the meat. The fries were on the thin side and definitely way to salty - I downed my entire water pitch when I got home. Erik had gotten the rabbit and didn't seem super happy with it but he didn't say exactly what was wrong with it and Vivi got the chicken which looked pretty moist and juicy.
Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to get home so we didn't really stay for dessert but I was full enough that I probably wouldn't have wanted it anyways. While I most definitely appreciate French food for what it is and get that it's one of the most classic cuisines in the world, it just doesn't excite me as much as Asian food or even other types of European food like Greek or Italian. I can always find something tasty to eat but it's almost too "traditional" for me. That being said, there's nothing wrong with saddling up to a cute French cafe or bistro and enjoying classic French wine and cheese - that's the way to go. Total bill: ~$120 for 3 people with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Yelp
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