East Main and Third Street's mix of old bakeries and new kitchens, from Spalding's donuts to Coles 735 Main.
Coles 735 Main serves Cole Arimes' locally sourced New American cooking in a circa-1938 room on East Main, with meats cured in-house for Lexington regulars.
TipClosed Sundays. The bar and gazebo open at 16:00, an hour before the dining room seats.
Coles 735 Main serves Cole Arimes' locally sourced New American cooking in a circa-1938 room on East Main, with meats cured in-house for Lexington regulars.
TipClosed Sundays. The bar and gazebo open at 16:00, an hour before the dining room seats.
A Cup of Common Wealth pours espresso and pour-overs on Eastern Avenue, the Lexington cafe that runs a pay-it-forward board for strangers' coffees.
DrinkPour-over of locally roasted beans
TipOpen from 06:00 on weekdays and until 21:00 from Wednesday; buy a chalkboard coffee forward for the next person.
Kenwick Table runs on a salvaged-rafter community table on Owsley Avenue, Rett McGoodwin's Lexington neighbourhood cafe that turns wine bar after dark.
DrinkEspresso by day, bourbon and wine by night
TipCoffee from 07:00, then wine, bourbon and beer into the evening; Friday and Saturday run to 22:00.
High on Art & Coffee hangs Kentucky-made art for sale over its East High Street coffee bar, a Lexington gallery-cafe hybrid with sandwiches and bakes.
DrinkCoffee alongside Kentucky-made art
TipClosed Sundays. Nearly everything on the walls and shelves is Kentucky-made, so browse while the espresso pulls.
Spalding's Bakery has hand-rolled glazed donuts for Lexington since 1929, and the Winchester Road queue still clears the cases well before the noon close.
Worth the queueGlazed yeast donut
TipCash-friendly, morning-only and gone when the trays empty; aim for 08:00 on Saturdays.
Martine's Pastries builds French tarts, wedding cakes and lunch pastries on East Third Street, Lexington's long-established special-occasion bakery.
Worth the queueFruit tarts and layer cakes
TipClosed Sunday and Monday; order occasion cakes well ahead and add a lunch quiche to the pastry box.
Missy's Pie Shop, born from Ramsey's Diner's pie counter in 1989, bakes chess pies and seasonal fruit pies on East High Street for Lexington's holidays.
Worth the queueChess pie
TipOpen daily 08:00-17:00, but order whole pies days ahead for Thanksgiving and Derby week.
Kenwick Table runs on a salvaged-rafter community table on Owsley Avenue, Rett McGoodwin's Lexington neighbourhood cafe that turns wine bar after dark.
DrinkEspresso by day, bourbon and wine by night
TipCoffee from 07:00, then wine, bourbon and beer into the evening; Friday and Saturday run to 22:00.
Spalding's Bakery has hand-rolled glazed donuts for Lexington since 1929, and the Winchester Road queue still clears the cases well before the noon close.
TryGlazed donuts by the dozen
TipCash-friendly, morning-only and gone when the trays empty; aim for 08:00 on Saturdays.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Embark on a journey through the heart of Downtown Lexington, where history and farm-to-table flavors intertwine for an afternoon of fun exploration.
Guided tour · 4 hours
Join us in the Distillery District for Kentucky farm-to-table cuisine, limestone-filtered bourbons, and an exploration into the history behind this revitalized piece o...
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Sink into your seat and sip unique craft cocktails and locally prepared plates while listening to captivating tales from Lexington's East End.