Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Central Kentucky

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in Central Kentucky? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bardstown Bourbon Company Kitchen & Bar

4.9

4.9 (2576)

$30 and under

American

Bardstown

About the restaurant

Thoughtfully executed, approachable cuisine informed by both Kentucky classics and the world's finest flavors. We source locally, calling out the farms right on the menu, and make everything in house. We call this the Modern Kentucky Experience.

Please allow ample time to enjoy your meal prior to a tour with us. Our suggestions: 1-2 guests 1 hour 15 minutes, 2-4 guests 1 hour 30 minutes, 4- 8 guests 1 hour 45 minutes, 9-12 guests 2 hours

Top review

Jenna

Dined 6 days ago

We all had a delicious lunch, including the chicken sandwich, patty melt, hot brown and shrimp and grits.

Guacamole Modern Mexican

4.8

4.8 (1789)

$30 and under

Mexican

East Market St - NuLu

About the restaurant

Guacamole Modern Mexican is Louisville’s destination for authentic Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. Our award-winning chefs have created a menu that typifies the best of Mexican food and cocktails while still bringing their own inimitable style and personality to the plate and glass. Immerse yourself in the ambiance of our one of a kind restaurant featuring handcrafted cocktails, fresh ingredients, and contemporary vibes.

Top review

MelissaVIP

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

The food was truly amazing!!! The portion size of the guacamole was kind of pitiful, but everything else was amazing.

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Popular dish

Carne Asada

Popular dish

Carne Asada al Carbon

Popular dish

Nachos

North of Bourbon

4.8

4.8 (601)

$31 to $50

Creole / Cajun / Southern

Germantown

About the restaurant

The Bourbon experience
Blending Bourbon, Louisville, and New Orleans into a unique Southern experience.

Top review

ToddVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Always a pleasure dining at North of Bourbon! Michael and his team provide a warm, friendly beautiful space to experience delicious and creative culinary dishes with a Cajun influence. The shrimp & grits special is superb and the catfish nuggets are always a hit with a rich cornmeal batter..catfish is not my go to typically, but they do it right! Great old fashioned and James at the bar is attentive and knowledgeable..if you don’t know what to drink just ask. Do NOT leave without having the cheesecake. This is one of my local favorites and highly recommend a visit again and again. Thank you Tammy for taking good care of us.

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4.8

4.8 (264)

$50 and over

Southern

Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill

About the restaurant

A Southern restaurant using Japanese technique and style to connect the parallels in culture between Japan and the American South. All service is a la carte and come out as they are prepared to insure they are served at their peak. Share the table with family and friends. We are honored to welcome all guests.

Top review

WendyVIP

Dined on Oct 16, 2024

We had a delightful evening - completely unhurried (were there 2 ½ hours). Food was amazing and we shared everything we ordered - portions are all appetizer size and its more like ordering a bunch of tapas. We all agreed that our favorites were the Sorghum Ginger Salad, Sesame Broccoluni, Japanese Fried Chicken, Nashville Hot Oysters, Mushroom Yakisoba. Lamb and Beef Skewers, and the Egg Custard. We also had cocktails and the Brandy Umeshu and Sake:) It was a treat for all the senses. Our servers were delightful and helpful but not hovering and one diner with Celiac had plenty of options. We will definitely be back.

Watch Hill Proper

4.8

4.8 (52)

$31 to $50

American

East Louisville

About the restaurant

Watch Hill Proper Bourbon Bar & Kitchen is a unique restaurant experience located in the heart of bourbon country. Open to the public, we offer the largest selection of American whiskey in the country along with a world class cocktail program made entirely with American whiskey. Chef Michael Crouch is a master of blending flavor to pair with our whiskey, cocktails, and wine offerings.

Top review

MichaelVIP

Dined 5 days ago

We had a medium sized group looking for a place to celebrate a birthday. Wonderful place. Excellent service.

The Melting Pot - Louisville

4.7

4.7 (962)

$31 to $50

Fondue

Downtown Louisville

About the restaurant

The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant, offers an extraordinary dining experience that you won"t find at any other restaurant. Here, you'll discover all the ingredients to a perfect evening, including a relaxed atmosphere, private tables, attentive service & fabulous four-course fondue dinners. No matter what the occasion, from a romantic date to a get-together with friends, meetings or large groups, The Melting Pot always hits the spot. The Melting Pot offers the highest quality fresh ingredients, a variety of cooking styles, unique sauces & your favorite chocolate fondue desserts. Make reservations today & come dip into something different. NOTE: OpenTable reservations are for full meal service only. Please contact The Melting Pot directly for cheese & dessert or dessert only service.

Top review

Joseph

Dined on Jan 2, 2025

Great time, Nikki was a great server! Loved the food as always!

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Experience

Valentine's Day Sweetheart Package

Experience

Valentine's Day Lovebird Package

Experience

Valentine's Day Passion Package

Proof on Main

4.6

4.6 (3772)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Downtown Louisville

About the restaurant

The ingredients in our menus reflect the region’s sustainable farmers and producers with a soulful and honest approach showcasing the bounty of the Ohio River Valley. Housed in five historic buildings in downtown Louisville, Proof on Main is part of 21c Museum Hotels, the award-winning boutique hotel and restaurant group. The dining room is one of the most striking public spaces in the city, with rotating, contemporary art exhibitions by local and internationally-acclaimed artists alike.

Top review

Logan

Dined 1 day ago

Great service equally matched with great food. Always a great place to host a business meal and know that every need will be taken care of.

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4.5

4.5 (192)

$30 and under

Sushi

Lexington

About the restaurant

School Sushi offers authentic Japanese cuisine, featuring tapas, traditional Izakaya style dishes and fresh sashimi and sushi.
Available 2 private dining rooms with Karaoke system and old bank vault room.

Top review

Michael

Dined on Nov 26, 2024

The fish was fresh, service was great and well worth the money.

The Last Refuge

4.5

4.5 (74)

$31 to $50

Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service

West Louisville

About the restaurant

Join us at The Last Refuge for a first look into Kentucky's High Church of Bourbon. Enjoy a sneak peek of our beautiful craft cocktails, featuring Bob Dylan's Heaven's Door Bourbon, accompanied with small plates and shareable pizzas. View our one-of-a-kind event space, located in a historic church adorned with original stained-glass windows and ornate woodwork from 1880. Cool off on our shaded patio and sip on a cocktail while listening to live music. Don't forget to follow us on social media @lastrefugeky to get the latest updates on our Grand Opening and launch of our incredible bourbon bar, featuring an 800-bottle whiskey portfolio! The Last Refuge is a 21+ establishment, persons under the age of 21 will not be admitted.

Top review

LindaVIP

Dined on Dec 18, 2024

Beautiful building, friendly staff and good food. When I was there, the music was too loud to have a conversation.

The Still at Blue Rook Distillery

4.4

4.4 (465)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Danville

About the restaurant

We welcome you to The Still at Blue Rook Distillery, the most unique spirits experience in the state of Kentucky. Situated inside Blue Rook's U.S. distillery - the home of award winning Brazilian sugar cane based spirits, cachaça, gin and vodka. The Still restaurant provides its guests with a multifaceted experience full of farm fresh food, with all menu items made from scratch and cocktails made from our unique spirits. We hope to see you soon for a delightful dinner!

Top review

JamesVIP

Dined on Dec 21, 2024

The revised menu has several new dishes and some favorites from before, so there are a lot of great choices. We had the sweet potato wedges and smoked chicken wings for appetizers, and then had potato pierogies and the grilled pork chop as entrees. Everything was delicious and prepared perfectly. Service was attentive but not intrusive to our conversation. Everyone enjoyed their cachaca drinks as well. Excellent all the way around.

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