$$$$Contemporary AmericanDowntown
Dudley's on Short cooks seasonal contemporary American food on West Short Street, the downtown room Lexington books for anniversaries and Keeneland nights.
TipReserve by phone for parties over six; OpenTable covers smaller tables. The bar seats walk-ins.
$$$$New AmericanEast End
Coles 735 Main serves Cole Arimes' locally sourced New American cooking in a circa-1938 room on East Main, with meats cured in-house for Lexington regulars.
TipClosed Sundays. The bar and gazebo open at 16:00, an hour before the dining room seats.
$$$$New AmericanFritz Farm
Honeywood is Ouita Michel's Kentucky bistro at The Summit at Fritz Farm, feeding Lexington sweet potato beignets and farm-driven plates seven days a week.
OrderSweet potato beignets
TipOpen all day 11:00-21:00, so it covers the awkward late-lunch hour most Lexington kitchens skip.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDowntown
Lockbox occupies the vault floor of the 21c Museum Hotel's 1914 bank building in Lexington, with Stephen Holden cooking a contemporary Southern-leaning menu.
TipRenovation-mode service: in-room breakfast for hotel guests Wed-Sun and evening drinks in the lobby lounge. Call before a special trip.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDistillery District
Granddam is the dining hall of Lexington's Manchester Hotel, where Top Chef alum Paula Endara cooks Ecuadorian-inflected American food from breakfast to late.
TipFree parking sits directly across Manchester Street until 18:00; brunch runs Friday to Sunday 09:00-14:00.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDowntown
Millstone cooks contemporary American food with Kentucky leanings in an 1880s Dudley Square schoolhouse, one of Lexington's most-watched newer dining rooms.
OrderShrimp and grits, Chicken and gnocchi
TipLunch runs Wednesday to Friday only. The shrimp and grits use Weisenberger white cheddar grits from Midway.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDowntown
Dudley's on Short cooks seasonal contemporary American food on West Short Street, the downtown room Lexington books for anniversaries and Keeneland nights.
TipReserve by phone for parties over six; OpenTable covers smaller tables. The bar seats walk-ins.
$$$$New AmericanEast End
Coles 735 Main serves Cole Arimes' locally sourced New American cooking in a circa-1938 room on East Main, with meats cured in-house for Lexington regulars.
TipClosed Sundays. The bar and gazebo open at 16:00, an hour before the dining room seats.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDistillery District
Granddam is the dining hall of Lexington's Manchester Hotel, where Top Chef alum Paula Endara cooks Ecuadorian-inflected American food from breakfast to late.
TipFree parking sits directly across Manchester Street until 18:00; brunch runs Friday to Sunday 09:00-14:00.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDowntown
Millstone cooks contemporary American food with Kentucky leanings in an 1880s Dudley Square schoolhouse, one of Lexington's most-watched newer dining rooms.
OrderShrimp and grits, Chicken and gnocchi
TipLunch runs Wednesday to Friday only. The shrimp and grits use Weisenberger white cheddar grits from Midway.
$$$$Contemporary AmericanDistillery District
Granddam is the dining hall of Lexington's Manchester Hotel, where Top Chef alum Paula Endara cooks Ecuadorian-inflected American food from breakfast to late.
TipFree parking sits directly across Manchester Street until 18:00; brunch runs Friday to Sunday 09:00-14:00.