23 editor picks in Lexington.
23 restaurants in Lexington, editor-picked for restaurants open monday. Open on monday, the day most kitchens go dark. All restaurants in Lexington.
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.
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.
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.
Malone's cuts USDA Prime steaks at its original Lansdowne room, the Lexington-born steakhouse that grew into the Bluegrass Hospitality Group's flagship.
TipLexington Legend cut portions run big; the Hamburg and Palomar rooms take pressure off weekend waits.
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse brings the Cincinnati group's USDA Prime programme and live entertainment to West Vine Street, Lexington's flashiest big-night room.
TipThe macaroni and cheese Food Network singled out is worth the add-on; Friday service starts at 16:00.
Blue Door Smokehouse slices Texas-style brisket to order in Lexington's Warehouse Block, selling until the day's smoked meat runs out by mid-afternoon.
OrderBrisket, Pulled pork
TipGo before 13:00; when the brisket sells out they close, whatever the posted hours say.
Distilled on Jefferson pairs farm-to-table Southern cooking with a deep bourbon bar on Lexington's Jefferson Street restaurant row, in business since 2014.
TipDinner only. The bourbon list rewards asking the bar for a Kentucky-only pour before you order food.
OBC Kitchen stocks over 150 bourbons and whiskeys behind a Lansdowne storefront, the Lexington bar-restaurant where bacon arrives in a glass with the drinks.
OrderBacon in a glass
TipIt sits in the Lansdowne Shoppes beside sister steakhouse Malone's; weekend service opens at 10:00 with brunch dishes.
The Merrick Inn serves Southern dinners and weekend brunch from a former horse-farm manor off Tates Creek Road, a Lexington occasion room of long standing.
TipBrunch runs Friday to Sunday 10:00-15:00; the walled patio is the seat to request from May to September.
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.
Tony's of Lexington runs a Tony Ricci steakhouse on West Main Street, plating prime cuts and seafood a short walk from Rupp Arena's event-night crowds.
TipKitchen closes at 21:00 Sunday to Thursday; book the later Friday and Saturday seatings for a quieter room.
Corto Lima presses its own corn tortillas downtown at Short and Upper, Jonathan Lundy's Latin American kitchen and Lexington's standing margarita champion.
OrderHouse-made corn tortillas, Margaritas
TipNo reservations; seating is first come, first served. Closed Tuesdays, and Monday is dinner only from 17:00.
Ramsey's Diner has plated Lexington's meat-and-three since 1989, with an excellent Kentucky Hot Brown and pies from its Missy's Pies sister bakery.
OrderKentucky Hot Brown, Meat and three
TipThe Zandale Drive room is the classic location. Save room for a slice of Missy's chess pie.
Carson's Food & Drink runs steaks, seafood and cocktails on East Main Street in Lexington, an old Kentucky supper-club room that stays loud into the evening.
OrderSeared ahi tuna salad, Banana bread pudding
TipBrunch runs Friday to Sunday 10:00-14:00; the banana bread pudding closes most tables here.
Azur Restaurant & Patio reworks American classics near Keeneland in Beaumont, a Lexington fixture since 2005 known for Tim Perkins' bourbon fried chicken.
OrderBourbon fried chicken, Woven shrimp
TipSunday brunch runs 10:30-14:00. Ask for the patio in racing season; it books out on Keeneland weekends.
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.
Bourbon n' Toulouse ladles etouffee, jambalaya and gumbo over rice on Euclid Avenue, Lexington's counter-service Cajun habit and a family business since 2004.
OrderCrawfish etouffee, Gumbo
TipOrder at the counter and grab a porch table; vegan and gluten-free pots are always on the board.
Stella's Kentucky Deli ladles farm-sourced burgoo and builds sandwiches in a Jefferson Street cottage, the daytime stop on Lexington's restaurant row.
OrderKentucky burgoo
TipDaytime only, 09:00-15:00. The weekend brunch menu is small; arrive before 10:30 to dodge the queue.
Columbia Steak House has fed Lexington since 1948, still broiling the garlic-butter Nighthawk Special with a Diego salad and frying its famous lamb fries.
OrderNighthawk Special, Lamb fries, Diego salad
TipOrder the Nighthawk Special with fried banana peppers; the Richmond Road room keeps the old-school feel.
Athenian Grill plates gyros, spanakopita and baklava on South Ashland Avenue in Chevy Chase, the sit-down home of Lexington's favourite Greek kitchen.
OrderGyro, Spanakopita
TipOpen 10:30-21:00 daily; the gyro bowls travel well if the small dining room is full at lunch.
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.
The Blue Heron Steakhouse grills premium beef, oysters and fried chicken on Jefferson Street, Keith Clark's clubby corner of Lexington's restaurant row.
TipDinner only, from 17:00. Jefferson Street parking tightens after 19:00 on weekends, so arrive early.
Winchell's covers Southland Drive breakfasts, beer cheese and UK game days in one room, the Lexington neighbourhood standby that opens at 08:00 every day.
OrderBeer cheese, Country breakfast
TipBreakfast runs until 11:00 weekdays and past noon on weekends; expect a wait after Saturday UK kickoffs.
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.
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Sink into your seat and sip unique craft cocktails and locally prepared plates while listening to captivating tales from Lexington's East End.