Arrived late at night (ok, 9:45) Kitchen open go for the Chez Lucien burger and Blanche De Chambly...or two. From the outside it looks quiet and just the BAR neon light, but once inside the juke box playing good oldies and busy, but a few seats available and just all around comfy. Will go back again for try more of the menu and enjoy the environment. Service not super fast, but at the pace you want to drink at. read more

Chez Lucien is all about the burgers! I was there for lunch with a friend yesterday and we had a great meal. I got a normal burger which comes with tons of fries and a big side salad. Meat is great and bun was super fresh. Good service and decent prices. Also super cozy on a cold winters day! Can't wait to go back! read more

Good food. Great atmosphere. Reasonable prices. Long waits. The Frida and Diego burger might be the best burger in Ottawa. Good beer selection on tap. Love the eclectic music selection on the free jukebox. Love the live jazz every Sunday afternoon even more. Only negative is it is always very packed and usually understaffed. Expect to wait for a table and expect slow service. But all worth the wait of you are not in a hurry read more

Delicious Burger and Poutine, accompanied by a warm at-home atmosphere (upstairs) or local-pub atmosphere (downstairs) - either of which you'd be hard-pressed to find better elsewhere in Ottawa. This not-so-hidden gem is a must visit for me. read more

Went there with a party of 8 on Friday night. It was pretty crowded, so I guess it was alright to make us waited 20 mins even with reservation. The decor was nice but the tables were so close to each other, that it was quite difficult to carry on with conversations. The waiter was amazingly professional, he gave a detail explanation on the dishes and highlighted a couple that we should try. The food turned out to be alright, but good effort ! Maybe I was catching them on a bad day, do they still serve the steak appetizer? When I tried to order the steak, they said they didn't have it. Really? I simply can't understand how can restaurants running out of steak. To top things off, they told us the fish entree only had 2 orders left, so some of us had to compromise and ended up with salmon. The pork belly wasn't bad, but definitely over priced for the quality they serve. Apparently some people liked it, and maybe I'm just unlucky. Definitely not a pleasant experience. read more

Tried the burgers here recently and this spot is good if you're looking for some grub! It's very no frills. You basically come sit and eat and leave. It's not really a restaurant per se. The service here is also typical of a bar, not a restaurant so don't come here expecting service. This isn't to say the servers weren't friendly helpful, they were! We liked chatting with our server. The fries that accompanied our burgers were delicious! They were akin to pomme frites and had so much flavor. It's not just some boring steak fry. Diego burger and Chez Lucien burger - both were good, but not the best burger I've had. It comes almost well done so it's not very juicy. It's a decent burger, but I think the burgers at Bite are better. The fries are definitely better here though. If you decide to come here, I'd get a plate of fries + a beer and just sit back and watch the game on tv. read more

That chez Lucien burger is everything! Also, Guinness on tap! However, I actually had to revise this as the last time I went to this place the service was pretty poor. We ordered the nachos and they were incredibly disappointing. Just a mound of nachos with light cheese sprinkled on the top. As you move down very thin layer of toppings it exposed a dry heap of plain nachos. We ordered more sour cream because we were given the smallest amount to begin with. Basically it's a great purchase if you enjoy plain chips with sour cream. Guinness was fantastic still that's the reason for the 3 stars, otherwise I would have given a 2. read more

If you are like me, you may have walked by this place on Murray street without even noticing it. It's slightly off the beaten path, on the East side of Dalhousie. I had it bookmarked for a while but never managed to move it to the top of the list. Until someone we know well said: "you gotta eat here"! Ooohhhh the sweet power of word of mouth! And so we went and truly enjoyed the food and the vibe. It's like a tiny French Bistro with an English pub influence. My significant other proposed we share the scallops with bacon and spinach appetizer. Big mistake: sharing shouldn't be allowed because these scallops are way too good. Big plump scallops seared well leaving a crunchy exterior and a buttery center. Perfection! Burgers followed and all I can say is that they were excellent, including not being so messy you need 14 napkins to get through the meal. The burgers were served with a healthy portion of yummy frites mayonnaise and a fresh salad topped with homemade garlic dressing (so good I wanted to bathe in it). You know, this place was so unpretentious it added to the charm. The service was friendly and efficient. We both agreed Chez Lucien had not seen the last of us. read more

Chez Lucien - Chez Lucien: Scallops with spinach and bacon - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The other reviewers pretty much sum it up but here is a short course for getting the most out of Chez Luicen. Go towards, but not into, the dodgy part of the market and look for a small neon BAR sign over the door of an old stone building. Unless you love crowds, don't go during peak hours. Tuesday lunch would be an ideal time to check this place out -- or one of those days when you have the afternoon off but nobody else does. At the bar you'll see the regulars: bikers discussing Proust; law students just barely holding it together during exam season; and elderly, impeccably coiffed women sipping white wine. Order a pint of blanche de chambly - it's a citrusy Quebec brew that CL has on tap. Admire the collection of armadillos and Habs memrobilia behind the bar and then go check out the jukebox. It's free but it's only stocked with music 'Lucien(?)' likes - an eclectic mix of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Edith Piaf and who knows what? Don't ask for a menu. That's it on the little tent card on the table - eight items or so plus a few daily specials on the blackboard near the jukebox. Order whatever you think looks good. It will be good. The burger topping combinations work surprisingly well - I'm a Frieda and Deigo fan myself. Best of all they don't ask if you want fries or salad - they automatically bring you both plus lots of condiments for dipping. Service is friendly and as quick and attentive as the crowd permits. Out-of-Towner R, I totally agree with your assessement about a slight dryness to the burger patties but you have to know this is a Canadian thing. The federal food police watch grills across the country to ensure that every patty reaches a high enough internal temperature to extract all of the juice and most of the flavour. (This is why Canadians are so shocked when we order a burger in the US and they ask us how we want it done. There are choices??) I've never had the desserts at CL but I have been known to have a second chambly, which inevitably leads to discussions about Proust with bikers and more Johnny Cash on the jukebox. Just go! read more

Chez is my favorite place in Ottawa. The jukebox, the ceiling fan. . . fantastic hidden away tables on the lower level. Strange art on the second and barkeeps who make gin & tonics like it's nobody's business. There is also the food. But I'm sure you've already heard about that. Vegetarian friendly and awesome. It's just awesome. James Joyce. read more

From the outside, this is a very unassuming piece and very easy to miss. Once you get inside, however, you are rewarded with delicious, well-crafted burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads. Today was the special for both burger and soup and neither disappointed. Will have this on the shortlist for future visits to the Byward Market. read more

Horrible service. Can't comment about the food because we were never served. We were sitting at the bar, right in front of the servers and waited for 20 minutes without even being acknowledged. We tried this this place twice and will never go back again. There are many good pubs in Ottawa, don't waste your time on this one. read more

I've been here a few times, and really have not much positive to say about it. Slow service if you manage to get a seat, and it's crowded to all heck. Yes, it's a small place, but that should encourage either faster service or better use of the space. I found the price to be far greater than the quality of the food, but clearly this is not a place that I am the target client. If you are young, have money to burn to impress the two friends that MIGHT fit at a table with you, and have very big ambitions for your Masters or PhD in ten years this is probably your best spot to plan how to rule the world. Common folk like me will go to proper pubs and enjoy our elbow space. read more

Chez Lucien is a utopia hidden away in downtown Ottawa. Located in the Byward Market, it has a unique taste in burgers with great sides and mains typical of bars. They have a great selection of beers available for your perusal. The atmosphere changes from the bar where you can chat with the other patrons or the bartender, to upstairs where you can get cozy with a date or to the front of the house where you have a great view of the street and can enjoy a night on the town. read more

Still the best burger in the world, however they did raise the price a couple of dollars on most menu items. So, I adjusted the review to add an extra $ sign read more

Chez Lucien is a pretty decent place. Went around 1:00 on a Sunday; wasn't that busy and it looked like there was only one server. I had the Chez Lucien burger and I thought it was actually pretty good. The ranch dressing on the side was a good touch. Fries and the salad were alright. Overall, it was a pretty good place. Would go again. read more

We were so disappointed. I've been wanting to try this place for years but kept forgetting to check it out. Now I can cross it off my list and never return. Service was slow & burgers were just okay. I've had better many times. Nothing special here. read more

A wonderful little place, with a great warm friendly atmosphere.I've met so many new friends here, and the staff are very nice and attentive. The menu is not extensive, but the food is amazing, best burgers in Ottawa, the nachos are really good, they don't skimp on the toppings.So if you find yourself in the market area, go check this place out. read more

Best burger in Ottawa in my opinion, price I believe is fair. Service was terrible though, very slow. The place is relatively crowded, and it is hard to get in since there are no reservations. read more

Had the Frida burger. Very good, not too spicy, but a good amount of kick. Service was good. A little loud, but I think that's more to do with the brick walls than huge crowds. Reservations are recommended, especially with larger groups. read more

Great burgers. Great ambience. And a place to have a good beer that isn't an Irish or British pub. Not that I have anything against those types of pubs, just refreshing to see something different. read more

Certainly the best burgers I've ever had. They use local beef as stated on a sign near the kitchen. All their food is delicious. Beers usually are a bit warm and the service may be slow(but friendly). The place is almost always full. The is well worth it. The prices, when compared to others in the area, are reasonable. Edit: the prices are going up. $16 for a burger is a lot but it still is worth it if you can afford it. I am not going there as often as I used to...sadly..because of the price read more

You always hear about Chez Lucien's burgers, some people can't stop talking and raving about how good they are. I've been here on a few occasions, and on all occasions the wait for the food was a bit on the longer side, so if you are really hungry, good news, the mediocre burger you are about to be served will taste actually amazing. On a serious note, make sure to tell them not to over cook your patty. The burger buns they serve are great, however there is a problem, if you are serving a bun of this size, make sure you serve a patty that is the proper size too... After trying this place a few times, I've come to a conclusion that they actually way overcook the patty, so it shrinks quiet a bit, which then; 1. Isn't as good as it could be 2. Shrinks down to 3/4 of the size of the buns. Their burger has a lot of potential, but you have a sense that they are a bit careless with how they cook it. The fries and the side salad are on the good side of the scale. To be quiet frank, I'd classify their food as bar food, and for bar food it is above average. read more

Love the place and the burgers are great. Vegetarian burger is actually good. The only downside is it's always packed.

I like to bring out of towners to Chez Lucien. The atmosphere is great (jukebox! brick walls! locals!). I've tried all the burgers but the classic Chez Lucien burger is best. (Seriously, who thought of putting the cream cheese on? They deserve a gold star.) I love that it comes with both fries and salad (so you get to pretend you're being a little healthy) and the salad dressing is the best. I always get extra salad dressing on the side to dip my fries in. I love that the fries are shoestring, housemade. The burger itself is the most inconsistent part (I've had times where it's been cold or dry) but generally it's a great option and more consistent than the Works for example. read more

Stood at the entryway for more time than reasonable in view of the bar. Had to get someone attention on my own after staff came and left three times. Almost left, but the Host ended up saving the moment, and the food was redeeming. I am satisfied with the way the server handled my feedback. read more

This is one of my favourite places for a an excellent quality meal at a VERY reasonable price. It's sortof off the beaten path but only about a block from all the better known pubs/restaurants in the Byward Market. The menu is small, physically and in the amount of items on it but the food is really good. I've had a few of their different hamburgers. My usual choice is the Frida and Diego burger which is a beef burger with cheese, jalapeno peppers and caramelized onions. (YUMMY!) Their burgers are of the same size and quality the you'd get at The Works minus about 150 of the burger options but sell for about $3-$4 less. Unlike The Works you get both fries AND a salad with your burger. I've had their croque monsieur as well as a few of their other items. I've always been very please with the quality and flavour of the food. Their fries are julienne cut and are very much in the Belgian style. For around $10 you get a burger, fries and a side salad which an EXCELLENT deal considering the quality of the food. Service can be slow at time as there's usually only one or two people running the show. The good news however is that they have good microbrew beers on tap (Blanche de Chambly, Griffon etc.) and a free jukebox to keep you busy while you wait for your food Overall I really like this place and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good burger and a beer but has 45 minutes to an hour to do it because service can be a bit slow. (albeit friendly and knowledgable) Also reservations might not be a bad idea unless you want to sit at the bar. This place is pretty small and can get busy. read more

What's all the hype about? The service was pretty shoddy.. I believe there was one person for the entire main floor and upstairs (despite the place being packed). The menu is very limited and on a plastic table talker. There is no drink list as the waitress informed me they were all stolen and will not be replaced. I had one of the few burgers available and it was OK at best. Good bun, but nothing to rave on about. Atmosphere was OK, my girlfriend found it too bright for a pub though. I might go back if someone wants to but not on my own accord. Prices were average for pub fare. read more

I was going to the Rainbow Room to see a gig so a Yelp search of nearby restaurants brought me here. This place is unassuming from the outside, but once you walk in it's much bigger than first expected. There was a short wait for a table when we arrived around 8pm on a Friday night, but after 10 mins or so we were shown to a table. I was disappointed with the wine list - only 3 white wines available by the glass and 2 of them were chardonnay. I went with the soave, and thankfully it was delicious! Having read about the scallops from previous reviews, I was keen to try them, and they didn't disappoint! For $13 we got 3 perfectly seared scallops on a bed of spinach in a creamy bacon sauce. Absolute perfection!! I am going to dream about them for weeks to come. I picked the Beougois burger for my main, which came with pear, brie and grilled onions. The meat was thick and juicy and cooked medium, and probably one of the best patties I've had in recent memory, but unfortunately the taste of the meat overpowered the other ingredients so I could get a hint of sweetness from the onion but that's about it. The fries had the skin on, and were soggy (reminiscent of Swiss Chalet fries) so I barely touched them, but oh my God, the side salad was amazing. I'm the kind of gal that doesn't make friends with salad, but I would go back for the salad alone. I took 2 stars off as the service was really slow, and the TV screens above the bar detract it from being a lovely little restaurant. Besides these small flaws, I would definitely return. And when I do, I won't be sharing the scallops :) read more

Great Atmosphere and very friendly staff. I would Definitely recommend the Salmon Burger for a great meal. Only drawback was that the service was a little bit slow. read more

The reviews for this place is really overrated. I went in very excited to try the burger and it was burnt and seasonless. The only thing that was good are the chicken wings. But i don't think i'd ever come back. Service was slow and sucked. The restuarant didn't really feel clean either. read more

Nice crowd. Good selection of local beers on tap. Burgers are fine, but not nearly as 'legendary' as other reviewers would have you believe. Salads also good. My main gripe is it takes an awful lot of time for food to come out of the kitchen. read more

Delicious burgers with a yummy salad and fries. Service was excellent. My 9 year old wanted a burger with just meat and cheese. They brought it with tomatoes, lettuce and mayo and before we said anything the waitress noticed it and rectified the situation quickly. read more

Delicious burgers served with amazing fries and a very good salad. The Spinach and Goat cheese salad was large with lots of cheese. Delicious! On a Tuesday night it was busy and noisy but, heh, it's a pub! Great atmosphere and serve staff. Highly recommended! read more

First place I ate in Ottawa and my #1 go to whenever I have visitors coming from out of the city! This place has THE best burgers in town and the atmosphere is so relaxed and friendly! Just be warned the place is getting more and more busy so a reservation on weekends would be recommended! read more

More of a bar than a restaurant, but don't let that turn you away. The burgers are phenomenal, the salad fresh and beautiful and the fries crisp and tasty. If you're looking for a good burger, quality pub food and a fun atmosphere set in the heart of classic Ottawa, this is the place to go! read more

Definitely love it, but it'd better to reserve a place at night, people always crowding

Incredible burgers. On point salad dressing. Bangin' fries. You need to hit this spot up.

Chez Lucien is a utopia hidden away in downtown Ottawa. Located in the Byward Market, it has a unique taste in burgers with great sides and mains typical of bars. They have a great selection of beers available for your perusal. The atmosphere changes from the bar where you can chat with the other patrons or the bartender, to upstairs where you can get cozy with a date or to the front of the house where you have a great view of the street and can enjoy a night on the town. read more

Went in for a quick drink late on a thursday night. The place was fairly busy and I was greeted by friendly staff and served promptly. I couldn't say about the food because I didn't eat anything. My impression overall is pretty good for a little kind of neighbourhood bar with probably a fair amount of regulars because of friendly types hanging around and friendly staff. Prices are average for the area although it's a notch down off the so called trendy crowds of the other side of dalhousie along clarence st. And the rest. (I say this because Chez Lucien is located on the east side of dalhousie st. By about 100 feet, and is thereoff, technically speaking "out of the square" of the trendy clubs that make up the by-ward zone) The people in there also, are not very prissy like some of these " my s****t don't stink" kind who show off in some of those other clubs in the area, but are a lot more down to earth and seem much nicer to talk to. This goes for the staff as well ! I give it a 3 stars only because it was my first visit and I couldn't really honestly rate it any higher without really having tried the food. So I plan on doing this some time soon and can reajust this rating after having done so. I will say this though, I give them an A for friendlyness and good service as far as I'm concerned and I will certainly give them another shot to try the food which I heard can be pretty good on a good day. read more