Best Cozy Restaurants in Lexington

Great food and service. Highly recommended for an overall good dining experience

Incredible incredible incredible! Chef Monaco was a great host, entertainer, and obviously, a great chef. We came in a little before seating and he welcomed us in while he prepared the fish. He was very fun to talk to and the way he walked us through each course made this a truly educational and fulfilling experience. Furthermore, the creativity on some of the courses pushed the limit of my understanding of omakase and even fine dining. The cherry on top was that when my girlfriend covered herself with her shawl, Chef Monaco turned the thermostat up, showing a true care for his diners. This place is truly a gem with extremely accessible parking (huge parking lot behind the CVS) and while I’d love to gatekeep, everyone should go and try Akem. Extremely worth it! Great food, great vibes, and a great guy behind the counter.

Went to black & blue on Christmas Eve…and WOW. Neither of us had ever been but the menu looked incredible so we made a res. When we turned the corner past the host desk, our jaws dropped. It’s absolutely stunning in there!! From the bar to the tables, the ambient lighting. I was already sold. We were sat in a more secluded area rather than the large dining room area which was so cozy and good for conversation. Our server(s), Kelvin & Iverson, were so sweet. Kelvin noticed our coats kind of folded next to us and offered to check them for us which was such a nice addition to the upscale vibe of the restaurant. Now the FOOOOD. We started with the tuna tartare which was so much larger of a portion than I personally expected! It had a ton of flavor - loaded with a bit of vinaigrette, pickled ginger, seaweed salad, avocado, and topped with sesame seeds. For dinner, I got the salmon entree which came with maple glazed Brussels sprouts and a celery soubise that was sweet and tangy. The salmon filet was cooked perfectly with a crispy outside and went so great with the sides it came with. My dinner guest got the 10oz filet mignon which is ala carte - we went for the shareable sides of mashed potatoes and brown butter asparagus! The filet came out sizzling on a metal platter that was placed on top of the wood plank that was brought out before hand. He had ordered it medium-rare and it came out GORGEOUS. Perfect. It was SO tender and so tasty even without an additional sauce that they offer. We were in heaven, pairing our meals with a cold Hendricks martini (me) and a glass of Tuscan red blend (him)! We were there celebrating his Christmas Eve Birthday, so they brought us out a complimentary slice of chocolate cake with a candle in it. We split a second glass of that red blend to go with the richness of the chocolate cake as a little night cap which was perfect. Thank you, again, to the staff of black & blue in Burlington for the incredible hospitality from start to finish!

Place was warm, welcoming, & efficient. Tea & food was tasty.

Big fan of the Vintage Tea and Cake Company. Their new location in Arlington was lovely and the holiday team menu was lovely. Staff was friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back!