We had dinner at Lucien to celebrate my partner's birthday! We are both vegetarian and the food was creative, beautifully presented and delicious!! The place was so pretty. The staff made us feel so special - right from sharing a printed menu with us, wishing us throughout and giving us an amazing your of the kitchen! Thank you so much for making our experience so special and memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chandler Bobin
Stopped in for a couple drinks at the bar recently and enjoyed the indoor/ outdoor open concept.
Sam, who was a newer bartender there was super attentive, the right amount of engaging, and made our drinks to perfection.
Would happily come back to enjoy the bar with or without dining room reservations again.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Shane Garthoff
great place! creative dishes, friendly and energetic staff, comfortable atmosphere, and we left feeling full and satisfied. overall experience lasts about 3 hrs. would definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicole Lewandowski
Went here for Valentine’s Day and was so disappointed. The food is ok, but did not live up to the price point they are charging. Nothing about it justified the price. Even the caviar was sourced from China.
The service was a disaster. Staff was kind and pleasant, but the timing of the courses was terrible. We were served two courses at the same time. Our wine went dry multiple times. The people next to us who were sat first seemed to have it even worse in that we would get dishes before them. Overall the whole dinner took approximately 4 hours with one of the courses taking ~45 min to come out.
Then there’s the bathrooms. They’re public and they were disgusting. They were very kind and walked me to them (good service), but when I entered they were disgusting with even a dirty diaper in the stall. Trash everywhere, totally out of toilet paper. It was just over really gross and unexpected from a restaurant who seems to be chasing a star.
Overall ambience is good as long as you’re in the main room. The side room feels like the red headed step child of interior design afterthought.
For being a holiday and a Saturday night, there’s just no excuse for the poor experience. This place did not deliver to the hype.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Kim Custard
We had the Chefs Seasonal Tasting menu and it was interesting, portion sizes perfect. Our host was very knowledgeable of the ingredients and their wine pairings. I loved their glassware!! It’s expensive but worth every it. Can’t wait to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joseph Newsum
Unbelievable food, service and vibe! What an experience. Much better than many Michelin star restaurants I’ve been too, on all dimensions. And, I was stuffed at the end. Best meal ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bruce Levy
Wow - what a wonderful dining experience we had at LUCIEN's in La Jolla this past weekend.
The food was extraordinary - so many inventive flavors in the many dishes that were served. The attention to detail is so impressive.
The wait staff is top notch - big shout out to Kyra. They are incredibly friendly and so knowledgeable about the various dishes.
We were there for well over three hours. No one rushed us. On the contrary, they spaced out the many meals so that you could truly enjoy them.
At the end of the evening the owner gave us a tour of the kitchen. He probably does it for everyone, but he sure made us feel special.
I highly recommend LUCIEN!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Damien Gallot
One of my best culinary experiences. Food was inventive but not over thought, with first class ingredients. Service is elevated with attention to details (eg. Discrete pick up of dropped napkins) yet friendly and approachable. The presentation of the dishes by the actual chefs is great, all were very friendly. Wines and misc drinks were on point. All in all a fantastic experience, highly recommended
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jerry Lu
We went for my wife's birthday, and absolutely loved our experience at Lucien! From the minute we were greeted by the host, the service was personalized and outstanding. The cocktails were fantastic, and the food was creative, innovative, fun, and delicious! Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we really enjoyed learning about each dish (our favorite was the egg custard and caviar... sooo good!!!) We loved the opportunity to meet and chat with nearly everyone that was involved in our culinary journey that evening, and ending the evening with a tour of the kitchen with one of the owners really made what was already an amazing evening that much more special. Huge thanks to everyone at Lucien for making this birthday a memorable one!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bryan Miller
Wow. A phenomenal experience. The staff were all personable and to interact with, and super knowledgeable. The courses were yummy, both visually and taste wise. There were a few too many sweet dishes for my date and I but that’s likely a personal preference. I was a little underwhelmed by the Hana Haze cocktail; I was excited about a gin and sake combo but it was just okay. The wine pairings were all divine, and even included a scrumptious lager. One of the owners gave us a tour of the kitchen at the end of the meal and it was nice touch to the end of the evening. Thanks Lucien for a lovely food and wine based adventure.
Fantastic new restaurant, it has a lovely little sitting area prior to starting your experience and it was beautiful sitting under the calamansi tree. The dishes were inventive and delicious, and beautiful to look at. One of the most memorable experiences we've had eating in San Diego. Everyone was lovely and very friendly, and it was great experiencing the restaurant tour. You can tell how much thought, pride and love Chef Elijah, his family and team put into this gem of a restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Evan Pickett
Amazing, professional, and satisfying.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Al Aguirre
Had a terrific experience at La Jolla's Lucien for NYE. Great new addition to the San Diego food scene. This is one of perhaps less than a handful of restaurants in SD offering world class ingredients and innovative cuisine with impecable service (Lilo and Addison come to mind). The food was extraordinarily creative with standouts including a light and silky risotto with a soft poached egg and white truffle; a delicate wild turbot with celeriac and a hazelnut sauce; and a wonderful uni dish flavored with fennel and light flecks of Espelette pepper. Another standout was arguably the best buttery, laminated brioche I've ever tasted with impossibly fine layers; a viennoiserie love letter. The palate cleanser was also a triumph, somehow preventing a truffle sorbet with shaved black truffle from overwhelming after two earlier dishes containing truffle. On the pastry side there was a terrific Mont Blanc with the traditional chestnut vermicelli and an exquisite chocolate tart. There were no outright misses, though a lobster dish with a wonderfully flavored dashi broth felt a tad underwhelming on the lobster front, given the presentation of the beautiful blue lobster ahead of the dish. Service was on point; far from pretentious, it was warm, welcoming, and efficient. This felt like a professional group of good human beings who love what they do. The Sommelier was approachable, engaging, and knowledgeable; and the wine list is interesting with some non-obvious gems, but, as one could expect, a work in progress that still needs some breath and older vintages. All in all, we could not have asked for a better experience on NYE and look forward to visiting Lucien again. This restaurant is worthy of Michelin recognition and of customer support to ensure it remains a star in the San Diego food firmament.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Allison Koo
We had a wonderful family dinner at Lucien. The food was inventive, cooked perfectly, and presented beautifully. The atmosphere and service were immaculately curated, but managed to have a laid back California feel that was never too stuffy or formal like many fine dining restaurants. The staff also easily accommodated dietary restrictions without making any of the dishes less special.
It was a really enjoyable experience all around, and I highly recommend this restaurant for a special dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ankita Aparajita
A Classic, Exquisite & Extravagant Affair is all we needed on our anniversary.The Japanese-French fusion culinary plates, New York professionalism, top notch service, classy ambience - Outstanding! What made our experience top tier was them giving us a tour of the kitchen,goodie bag and also clicking a pic with all of the chefs making our day Extra special.The owner himself came and introduced himself and had a delightful nice chat…A gentleman! Must Have experience, thank me later!
We had dinner at Lucien to celebrate my partner's birthday! We are both vegetarian and the food was creative, beautifully presented and delicious!! The place was so pretty. The staff made us feel so special - right from sharing a printed menu with us, wishing us throughout and giving us an amazing your of the kitchen! Thank you so much for making our experience so special and memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stopped in for a couple drinks at the bar recently and enjoyed the indoor/ outdoor open concept.
Sam, who was a newer bartender there was super attentive, the right amount of engaging, and made our drinks to perfection.
Would happily come back to enjoy the bar with or without dining room reservations again.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
great place! creative dishes, friendly and energetic staff, comfortable atmosphere, and we left feeling full and satisfied. overall experience lasts about 3 hrs. would definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went here for Valentine’s Day and was so disappointed. The food is ok, but did not live up to the price point they are charging. Nothing about it justified the price. Even the caviar was sourced from China.
The service was a disaster. Staff was kind and pleasant, but the timing of the courses was terrible. We were served two courses at the same time. Our wine went dry multiple times. The people next to us who were sat first seemed to have it even worse in that we would get dishes before them. Overall the whole dinner took approximately 4 hours with one of the courses taking ~45 min to come out.
Then there’s the bathrooms. They’re public and they were disgusting. They were very kind and walked me to them (good service), but when I entered they were disgusting with even a dirty diaper in the stall. Trash everywhere, totally out of toilet paper. It was just over really gross and unexpected from a restaurant who seems to be chasing a star.
Overall ambience is good as long as you’re in the main room. The side room feels like the red headed step child of interior design afterthought.
For being a holiday and a Saturday night, there’s just no excuse for the poor experience. This place did not deliver to the hype.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
We had the Chefs Seasonal Tasting menu and it was interesting, portion sizes perfect. Our host was very knowledgeable of the ingredients and their wine pairings. I loved their glassware!! It’s expensive but worth every it. Can’t wait to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unbelievable food, service and vibe! What an experience. Much better than many Michelin star restaurants I’ve been too, on all dimensions. And, I was stuffed at the end. Best meal ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow - what a wonderful dining experience we had at LUCIEN's in La Jolla this past weekend.
The food was extraordinary - so many inventive flavors in the many dishes that were served. The attention to detail is so impressive.
The wait staff is top notch - big shout out to Kyra. They are incredibly friendly and so knowledgeable about the various dishes.
We were there for well over three hours. No one rushed us. On the contrary, they spaced out the many meals so that you could truly enjoy them.
At the end of the evening the owner gave us a tour of the kitchen. He probably does it for everyone, but he sure made us feel special.
I highly recommend LUCIEN!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my best culinary experiences. Food was inventive but not over thought, with first class ingredients. Service is elevated with attention to details (eg. Discrete pick up of dropped napkins) yet friendly and approachable. The presentation of the dishes by the actual chefs is great, all were very friendly. Wines and misc drinks were on point.
All in all a fantastic experience, highly recommended
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went for my wife's birthday, and absolutely loved our experience at Lucien! From the minute we were greeted by the host, the service was personalized and outstanding. The cocktails were fantastic, and the food was creative, innovative, fun, and delicious! Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we really enjoyed learning about each dish (our favorite was the egg custard and caviar... sooo good!!!) We loved the opportunity to meet and chat with nearly everyone that was involved in our culinary journey that evening, and ending the evening with a tour of the kitchen with one of the owners really made what was already an amazing evening that much more special. Huge thanks to everyone at Lucien for making this birthday a memorable one!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow. A phenomenal experience. The staff were all personable and to interact with, and super knowledgeable. The courses were yummy, both visually and taste wise. There were a few too many sweet dishes for my date and I but that’s likely a personal preference. I was a little underwhelmed by the Hana Haze cocktail; I was excited about a gin and sake combo but it was just okay. The wine pairings were all divine, and even included a scrumptious lager. One of the owners gave us a tour of the kitchen at the end of the meal and it was nice touch to the end of the evening. Thanks Lucien for a lovely food and wine based adventure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic new restaurant, it has a lovely little sitting area prior to starting your experience and it was beautiful sitting under the calamansi tree. The dishes were inventive and delicious, and beautiful to look at. One of the most memorable experiences we've had eating in San Diego. Everyone was lovely and very friendly, and it was great experiencing the restaurant tour. You can tell how much thought, pride and love Chef Elijah, his family and team put into this gem of a restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing, professional, and satisfying.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a terrific experience at La Jolla's Lucien for NYE. Great new addition to the San Diego food scene. This is one of perhaps less than a handful of restaurants in SD offering world class ingredients and innovative cuisine with impecable service (Lilo and Addison come to mind). The food was extraordinarily creative with standouts including a light and silky risotto with a soft poached egg and white truffle; a delicate wild turbot with celeriac and a hazelnut sauce; and a wonderful uni dish flavored with fennel and light flecks of Espelette pepper. Another standout was arguably the best buttery, laminated brioche I've ever tasted with impossibly fine layers; a viennoiserie love letter. The palate cleanser was also a triumph, somehow preventing a truffle sorbet with shaved black truffle from overwhelming after two earlier dishes containing truffle. On the pastry side there was a terrific Mont Blanc with the traditional chestnut vermicelli and an exquisite chocolate tart. There were no outright misses, though a lobster dish with a wonderfully flavored dashi broth felt a tad underwhelming on the lobster front, given the presentation of the beautiful blue lobster ahead of the dish. Service was on point; far from pretentious, it was warm, welcoming, and efficient. This felt like a professional group of good human beings who love what they do. The Sommelier was approachable, engaging, and knowledgeable; and the wine list is interesting with some non-obvious gems, but, as one could expect, a work in progress that still needs some breath and older vintages. All in all, we could not have asked for a better experience on NYE and look forward to visiting Lucien again. This restaurant is worthy of Michelin recognition and of customer support to ensure it remains a star in the San Diego food firmament.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a wonderful family dinner at Lucien. The food was inventive, cooked perfectly, and presented beautifully. The atmosphere and service were immaculately curated, but managed to have a laid back California feel that was never too stuffy or formal like many fine dining restaurants. The staff also easily accommodated dietary restrictions without making any of the dishes less special.
It was a really enjoyable experience all around, and I highly recommend this restaurant for a special dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A Classic, Exquisite & Extravagant Affair is all we needed on our anniversary.The Japanese-French fusion culinary plates, New York professionalism, top notch service, classy ambience - Outstanding!
What made our experience top tier was them giving us a tour of the kitchen,goodie bag and also clicking a pic with all of the chefs making our day Extra special.The owner himself came and introduced himself and had a delightful nice chat…A gentleman! Must Have experience, thank me later!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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