Lexington
Lexington is a beautiful old city in the heart of Bluegrass country. Visit for horse racing in the spring and fall, and don't miss plenty of great food, bourbon, beer, and coffee.
Food
Alfalfa: colorful spot downtown focused on sourcing local ingredients
Doodles: creative spot in the North Limestone (aka NoLi) district, built in an old gas station
Bourbon n Toulouse: an absolute must-visit for wonderfully seasoned Cajun and Creole dishes
Hall's on the River: beloved old restaurant serving Southern fare in Winchester. (Temporarily closed to recover from flood damage in 2021.)
Holly Hill Inn: the flagship restaurant for beloved Lexington chef and restaurateur Ouita Michel. Hit the link to learn more about her eateries across the region, from Holly Hill to Wallace Station, Midway Bakery to Honeywood.
North Lime Donuts: superb local donut shop with two locations in Lexington (and one in Louisville)
Ramsey's Diner: local diner chain with four locations
Tack House Pub: formerly the Coffee Pub, a cozy spot serving breakfast and lunch
Winchell's Restaurant: sports bar serving hearty breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare
Coffee & Beer
Brevede Coffee Co.: coffee shop and bakery in spacious industrial digs part of the Distillery District, which includes a cider house, restaurants, ice cream shop, and modern distilleries.
Manchester Coffee Co.: coffee shop with two locations in the city
West Sixth Brewing: ever-growing brewery on West Sixth Street. Their building includes their taproom, Ouita Michel's Smithtown Seafood, the hydroponic farm and fishery Food Chain, and The Broke Spoke community bike shop.
Parks & Attractions
The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky: lush 100-acre arboretum operated by the University of Kentucky
Keeneland: internationally renowned thoroughbred racecourse open in April and October
Kentucky Bourbon Trail: the expansive trail includes one distillery in Lexington (Town Branch) and a few just to the west of it
Mary Todd Lincoln House: historical home and museum dedicated to one of the country's most fascinating First Ladies
Shaker Village: historic site in Pleasant Hill that was home to the third largest Shaker community in the country, with homes and buildings, tours, restaurants over 3000 acres.
