Kentucky · best-of list
The 11 Best Restaurants in Kentucky
All 11 restaurants our route editors picked in Kentucky, across 5 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect tables and food stops, spread across 5 destinations.
Our curated picks
11 restaurants in Kentucky, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront 3 picks
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Big, clubby steakhouse on Main Street near the Yum! Center, a long-standing choice for a dressed-up dinner.
Tip: Reserve weeks ahead for Dec 31 and ask for an early table before the ball drop.
Proof on Main
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Restaurant and bourbon bar inside 21c Museum Hotel on Whiskey Row, with contemporary art on the walls.
Tip: The museum galleries upstairs are free to walk through before dinner.
The Brown Hotel
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
1923 hotel where the Hot Brown sandwich was created; order it in the lobby bar or J. Graham's Cafe.
Tip: Go on Dec 30 or early on the 31st; the Hot Brown is rich enough to count as dinner.
Lexington 3 picks
Holly Hill Inn
Lexington · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Ouita Michel's farm-to-table dinner restaurant in Midway.
Tip: Reserve dinner ahead.
Photo: Holly Hill Inn · Google
Keeneland Track Kitchen
Lexington · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Cafeteria where trainers and jockeys eat breakfast after workouts.
Photo: Ben Slivka · Google
Wallace Station Deli & Bakery
Lexington · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Country store deli on Old Frankfort Pike among horse farms.
Photo: Wallace Station Deli and Bakery · Google
Bardstown 2 picks
Bardstown Bourbon Company
Bardstown · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Modern distillery with a restaurant and big bourbon list.
Photo: Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar at the Bardstown Bourbon Company · Google
Old Talbott Tavern
Bardstown · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Stone tavern dating to 1779, serving Kentucky plates and bourbon.
Photo: Christopher L. Riley · CC BY-SA 4.0
Louisville 2 picks
Garage Bar
Louisville · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
NuLu pizza and oyster spot in a converted service station.
Photo: Garage Bar · Google
Jack Fry's
Louisville · On our Kentucky Bourbon Country route
Highlands bistro since 1933 with live jazz and Southern classics.
Tip: Reserve for dinner.
Photo: Jack Fry's · Google
The Highlands & Cherokee Park 1 pick
Ramsi's Cafe on the World
The Highlands & Cherokee Park · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Long-running Bardstown Road cafe with a global menu and a busy weekend brunch.
Tip: Check Jan 1 hours before you go; holiday hours change year to year.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in Kentucky?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 11 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Kentucky has the most restaurants on this list?
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront and Lexington lead with 3 each; the other picks are spread across 3 more destinations.
More lists for Kentucky
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Downtown Louisville & Waterfront 3 on this list
- Lexington 3 on this list
- Bardstown 2 on this list
- Louisville 2 on this list
- The Highlands & Cherokee Park 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.