Al's Bar ★ 4.2
$north-limestone{'monday': 'closed', 'tuesday': '17:00-00:30', 'wednesday': '17:00-00:30', 'thursday': '17:00-00:30', 'friday': '17:00-01:30', 'saturday': '17:00-01:30', 'sunday': '17:00-00:30'}
Al's Bar keeps NoLi's corner stage busy with punk, bluegrass, hip-hop and Tuesday open mics, a long-running Lexington bar that books bands most nights.
Tip: Closed Mondays; Tuesday open mic is free and weekend shows are cheap, so it suits a no-plan night out.
The Green Lantern ★ 4.1
$north-limestone{'monday': '16:00-02:30', 'tuesday': '16:00-02:30', 'wednesday': '16:00-02:30', 'thursday': '16:00-02:30', 'friday': '16:00-02:30', 'saturday': '16:00-02:30', 'sunday': '16:00-02:30'}
The Green Lantern crams doom metal, folk and karaoke into a West Third dive stage, Lexington's scrappiest long-serving room for loud nights.
Tip: Cash is easiest at the bar; Wednesday karaoke is the institution and most gigs charge only a few dollars.
Belle's Cocktail House ★ 4.2
$$downtown{'monday': 'closed', 'tuesday': 'closed', 'wednesday': 'closed', 'thursday': '16:30-02:00', 'friday': '16:30-02:00', 'saturday': '16:30-02:00', 'sunday': 'closed'}
Belle's Cocktail House tops its three-level Market Street cocktail bar with downtown Lexington's best-known rooftop, open Thursday to Saturday nights.
Tip: Head straight for the roof before 21:00 on Saturdays; the lower floors absorb the overflow once it fills.
Wiseguy Lounge ★ 4.3
$$distillery-district{'monday': '17:00-24:00', 'tuesday': '17:00-24:00', 'wednesday': '17:00-24:00', 'thursday': '17:00-02:30', 'friday': '17:00-02:30', 'saturday': '17:00-02:30', 'sunday': '17:00-24:00'}
Wiseguy Lounge pours hundreds of bourbons in a Prohibition-styled room above Goodfellas Pizzeria, Lexington's speakeasy hiding over the pizza ovens.
Tip: Enter through the pizzeria and take the stairs; a slice downstairs at 01:00 is the correct way to end it.
The Bar Complex ★ 4.2
$$downtown{'monday': 'closed', 'tuesday': 'closed', 'wednesday': 'closed', 'thursday': '20:00-02:30', 'friday': '20:00-02:30', 'saturday': '20:00-02:30', 'sunday': 'closed'}
The Bar Complex has long anchored LGBTQ+ Lexington, stacking drag shows, a dance floor and three bars into one East Main address.
Tip: Drag showtimes post on the venue's socials weekly; Thursday is the calmer night to actually talk.
Crossings Lexington ★ 4.0
$downtown{'monday': '16:00-02:30', 'tuesday': '16:00-02:30', 'wednesday': '16:00-02:30', 'thursday': '16:00-02:30', 'friday': '16:00-02:30', 'saturday': '16:00-02:30', 'sunday': '16:00-02:30'}
Crossings pours nightly on North Limestone as Lexington's offbeat gay cocktail bar, with drag nights, leather nights and a loyal neighbourhood crowd.
Tip: Open 16:00-02:30 every day of the week, which makes it the reliable early-evening LGBTQ+ meeting point downtown.