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 ★ 4.6
downtown · 259 W Short St, Lexington, KY 40507
Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-14:30, 17:00-23:00; Sun 11:00-14:30, 17:00-22:00
Dudley's on Short cooks seasonal contemporary American food on West Short Street, the downtown room Lexington books for anniversaries and Keeneland nights.
Tip: Reserve by phone for parties over six; OpenTable covers smaller tables. The bar seats walk-ins.
Honeywood ★ 4.6
fritz-farm · 110 Summit at Fritz Farm, Lexington, KY 40517
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-21:00
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.
Tip: Open all day 11:00-21:00, so it covers the awkward late-lunch hour most Lexington kitchens skip.
Coles 735 Main ★ 4.5
east-end · 735 E Main St, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun
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.
Malone's ★ 4.5
lansdowne · 3347 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-22:00
Malone's cuts USDA Prime steaks at its original Lansdowne room, the Lexington-born steakhouse that grew into the Bluegrass Hospitality Group's flagship.
Tip: Lexington Legend cut portions run big; the Hamburg and Palomar rooms take pressure off weekend waits.
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse ★ 4.5
downtown · 101 W Vine St, Lexington, KY 40507
Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-22:00; Fri 16:00-23:00; Sat 16:30-23:00; Sun 16:30-21:00
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.
Tip: The macaroni and cheese Food Network singled out is worth the add-on; Friday service starts at 16:00.
Blue Door Smokehouse ★ 4.5
warehouse-block · 819 National Ave, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:00-15:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-20:00; closed Sun
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.
Tip: Go before 13:00; when the brisket sells out they close, whatever the posted hours say.
Distilled on Jefferson ★ 4.4
jefferson-street · 157 Jefferson St, Lexington, KY 40508
Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00
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.
Tip: Dinner only. The bourbon list rewards asking the bar for a Kentucky-only pour before you order food.
OBC Kitchen ★ 4.4
lansdowne · 3373 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Thu 15:00-22:00; Fri 15:00-23:00; Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:00-21:00
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.
Tip: It sits in the Lansdowne Shoppes beside sister steakhouse Malone's; weekend service opens at 10:00 with brunch dishes.
The Merrick Inn ★ 4.4
lansdowne · 1074 Merrick Dr, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Thu 16:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-15:00, 16:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-15:00, 16:00-21:00
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.
Tip: Brunch runs Friday to Sunday 10:00-15:00; the walled patio is the seat to request from May to September.
Granddam ★ 4.4
distillery-district · 941 Manchester St, Lexington, KY 40508
Hours: Breakfast daily 07:00-11:00; lunch Mon-Thu 11:00-14:00; dinner Mon-Sat 17:00-22:00, Sun 17:00-21:00
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.
Tip: Free parking sits directly across Manchester Street until 18:00; brunch runs Friday to Sunday 09:00-14:00.
Tony's of Lexington ★ 4.4
downtown · 401 W Main St, Lexington, KY 40507
Hours: Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00
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.
Tip: Kitchen closes at 21:00 Sunday to Thursday; book the later Friday and Saturday seatings for a quieter room.
Corto Lima ★ 4.4
downtown · 101 W Short St, Lexington, KY 40507
Hours: Wed-Sat 11:30-22:00; Sun 11:30-21:00; Mon 17:00-21:00; closed Tue
Corto Lima presses its own corn tortillas downtown at Short and Upper, Jonathan Lundy's Latin American kitchen and Lexington's standing margarita champion.
Tip: No reservations; seating is first come, first served. Closed Tuesdays, and Monday is dinner only from 17:00.
Ramsey's Diner ★ 4.4
151 W Zandale Dr, Lexington, KY 40503
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00
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.
Tip: The Zandale Drive room is the classic location. Save room for a slice of Missy's chess pie.
Carson's Food & Drink ★ 4.3
downtown · 362 E Main St, Lexington, KY 40507
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:00-22:00
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.
Tip: Brunch runs Friday to Sunday 10:00-14:00; the banana bread pudding closes most tables here.
Azur Restaurant & Patio ★ 4.3
beaumont · 3070 Lakecrest Circle, Lexington, KY 40513
Hours: Mon-Thu 16:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-22:00; Sun 10:30-21:00
Azur Restaurant & Patio reworks American classics near Keeneland in Beaumont, a Lexington fixture since 2005 known for Tim Perkins' bourbon fried chicken.
Tip: Sunday brunch runs 10:30-14:00. Ask for the patio in racing season; it books out on Keeneland weekends.
Millstone ★ 4.3
downtown · 380 S Mill St, Lexington, KY 40508
Hours: Lunch Wed-Fri 11:00-14:00; dinner Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00
Millstone cooks contemporary American food with Kentucky leanings in an 1880s Dudley Square schoolhouse, one of Lexington's most-watched newer dining rooms.
Tip: Lunch runs Wednesday to Friday only. The shrimp and grits use Weisenberger white cheddar grits from Midway.
Bourbon n' Toulouse ★ 4.3
chevy-chase · 829 Euclid Ave, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00; Sun 12:00-20:00
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.
Tip: Order at the counter and grab a porch table; vegan and gluten-free pots are always on the board.
Stella's Kentucky Deli ★ 4.3
jefferson-street · 143 Jefferson St, Lexington, KY 40508
Hours: Mon-Sun 09:00-15:00
Stella's Kentucky Deli ladles farm-sourced burgoo and builds sandwiches in a Jefferson Street cottage, the daytime stop on Lexington's restaurant row.
Tip: Daytime only, 09:00-15:00. The weekend brunch menu is small; arrive before 10:30 to dodge the queue.
Columbia Steak House ★ 4.2
2750 Richmond Rd, Lexington, KY 40509
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00; closed Sun
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.
Tip: Order the Nighthawk Special with fried banana peppers; the Richmond Road room keeps the old-school feel.
Athenian Grill ★ 4.2
chevy-chase · 313 S Ashland Ave, Lexington, KY 40502
Hours: Mon-Sun 10:30-21:00
Athenian Grill plates gyros, spanakopita and baklava on South Ashland Avenue in Chevy Chase, the sit-down home of Lexington's favourite Greek kitchen.
Tip: Open 10:30-21:00 daily; the gyro bowls travel well if the small dining room is full at lunch.
Lockbox ★ 4.1
downtown · 167 W Main St, Lexington, KY 40507
Hours: In-room breakfast Wed-Sun 07:00-11:00; lobby lounge Sun-Thu 16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-23:00
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.
Tip: Renovation-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 ★ 4.1
jefferson-street · 185 Jefferson St, Lexington, KY 40508
Hours: Sun 17:00-21:00; Mon-Thu 17:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-23:00
The Blue Heron Steakhouse grills premium beef, oysters and fried chicken on Jefferson Street, Keith Clark's clubby corner of Lexington's restaurant row.
Tip: Dinner only, from 17:00. Jefferson Street parking tightens after 19:00 on weekends, so arrive early.
Winchell's ★ 4.1
southland-drive · 348 Southland Dr, Lexington, KY 40503
Hours: Mon-Thu 08:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 08:00-22:00; Sun 08:00-21:00
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.
Tip: Breakfast runs until 11:00 weekdays and past noon on weekends; expect a wait after Saturday UK kickoffs.