Chez Lucien

Updated May 2026

4-day business + leisure trip in Ottawa, and a return visit to Chez Lucien — the French bistro we tried last year.

We missed the duck confit back then, so this time we came back with one goal (mostly him ????). No reservation, so we wrapped up work and walked in right at 5 — turned out to be a very smart move. Plenty of seats when we arrived, we grabbed a bright window spot, and by 5:50 there was already a wait.

Service was warm and thoughtful. The server even asked if we wanted hot water when she saw us (small detail, but appreciated).

He finally got the duck confit, and I went with my go-to: seafood fettuccine. Verdict: the pasta still wins. Generous, fresh seafood and a rich, well-balanced sauce — exactly what I remembered. The duck was decent in flavor, but a bit on the dry side. It also came with a large portion of mashed potatoes we barely touched, and not much veg.

That said, the atmosphere here really hits. It has that Friday-after-work energy — the quiet excitement of the weekend about to start.

We’ve realized this is becoming a habit: if we like a place, we come back and work our way through the menu.
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I debated between three and four stars, but the experience leaned toward the former. The confit duck was sold out shortly after 7 PM – a real letdown. Service was painfully slow; it took an hour after being seated for our dishes to arrive, and another 10 minutes just to get the bill.

On the plus side, the snails and the mussel & salmon pasta were beyond decent. Still, the long waits overshadowed the food. Wouldn’t recommend, even if some plates are quite nice.

Toooo good, and service is fantastic

A local recommended this place to us, and we are glad we came. The French dishes were really good, and everything was nicely done.
Definitely worth checking out if you are in Ottawa.

Good food and attentive service, definitely would go again.

Solid food and the waiter was fun to chat with too!

Reasonable prices, good food, great location, and great staff!