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

morgan

Dined on Jan 3, 2025

Always a pleasure to dine here! Best $200 spent on dinner and a babysitter I’ll ever spend.

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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

Sarah

Dined 5 days ago

We visited on a snowy night and it was so cozy. The ambiance was amazing. Cocktail menu is super solid. There are plenty of vegetarian, seafood, and meat options including small, larger plates and sides. It was so hard to choose but everything we tried was great. Kind of a random note, but I love that you can order the baked oysters (special each day) by the piece which is a nice add-on to any meal. The best part of service was our server carded us and apparently recognized someone in our party had a birthday earlier in the week. It wasn’t anything we mentioned during the meal or noted in our reservation b/c it was a business meal not a birthday celebration. She brought us a dessert with our check on the house and we were confused at first but it was a nice little touch. Will definitely return and recommend.

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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

TaylorVIP

Dined on Oct 18, 2024

The staff and service was fabulous! We had a delicious meal and will be back. Favorites included the sashimi, shishito peppers, broccolini and lamb skewers. One of my favs in Louisville!

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

William

Dined 2 days ago

I don’t live in Louisville, but I visit often and love this restaurant: the ambiance, the food, and the adjoining art gallery.

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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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