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.
Tip: Closed 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.
Tip: Closed 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.
Signature drink: Pour-over of locally roasted beans
Tip: Open 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.
Signature drink: Espresso by day, bourbon and wine by night
Tip: Coffee 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.
Signature drink: Coffee alongside Kentucky-made art
Tip: Closed 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.
Tip: Cash-friendly, morning-only and gone when the trays empty; aim for 08:00 on Saturdays.
Worth the queue: Glazed yeast donut
Martine's Pastries builds French tarts, wedding cakes and lunch pastries on East Third Street, Lexington's long-established special-occasion bakery.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; order occasion cakes well ahead and add a lunch quiche to the pastry box.
Worth the queue: Fruit tarts and layer cakes
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.
Tip: Open daily 08:00-17:00, but order whole pies days ahead for Thanksgiving and Derby week.
Worth the queue: Chess pie
Kenwick Table runs on a salvaged-rafter community table on Owsley Avenue, Rett McGoodwin's Lexington neighbourhood cafe that turns wine bar after dark.
Signature drink: Espresso by day, bourbon and wine by night
Tip: Coffee 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.
Try: Glazed donuts by the dozen
Tip: Cash-friendly, morning-only and gone when the trays empty; aim for 08:00 on Saturdays.
Worth the queue: Glazed yeast donut