Louisville
The big attraction of Louisville is certainly the bourbon, but don't miss the coffee, breakfast and brunch, cocktail bars, and excellent restaurants of this historic and easily accessible town. Bonus: the real Kentucky hot brown at the Brown Hotel.
Coffee, Food, & Bars
Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe: popular cafe and bakery with great coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and light breakfast
Brown Hotel: historic hotel downtown famous as the birthplace of the Kentucky hot brown
Butchertown Grocery Bakery: cozy corner bakery and cafe serving pastries, coffee, breakfast
Game: rustic Irish Hill eatery with a menu built around exotic meats like kangaroo, elk, camel, bison, and more
Garage Bar: big patios, craft beers, and great pizzas!
Hammerheads: fun Germantown spot with loads of creative eats
La Bodeguita de Mima: bustling Cuban restaurant in a gigantic old in NuLu
North of Bourbon: stylish and cozy new spot in NuLu doing modern Southern fare with a great bourbon selection
Pin + Proof: speakeasy in the Omni Hotel with cocktails, creative snacks, and bowling lanes!
Quills Coffee: local coffee shops with locations on Baxter Ave., on the University of Louisville campus
Ramsi's Cafe on the World: welcoming dining room that focuses on comfort foods from across the globe
The Silver Dollar: weekend brunch in a beautiful renovated firehouse
Sunergos Coffee Roasters: community-favorite coffee shop with multiple locations
Taco Luchador: terrific modern tacos on Baxter Avenue
Breweries & Distilleries
Angel's Envy: this distillery moved to modern digs downtown in recent years
Copper & Kings Distillery: brandy-forward distillery in beautifully renovated industrial grounds, with restaurant and rooftop bar
Monnick Beer Company: brewery and restaurant in the Germantown neighborhood
Old Forester: an old-school distillery downtown with modern touches
Rabbit Hole Distillery: terrific modern distillery with a ground floor bottle shop, tours, and a third-floor bar offering cocktails and tastings with a view of downtown
Attractions
Castle & Key Distillery: located an hour east in Frankfort, Castle & Key is a fascinating distillery with a storied history. We highly recommend booking a tour, then getting lunch before or after at The Stave nearby.
Frankfort Avenue: long strip with a great collection of shops and restaurants
Hadley Pottery: classic blue-and-white pottery brand with a showroom in an old barn
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: take a tour to learn about baseball history and see how the bats are made!
NuLu and Butchertown: two neighborhoods on the north end of downtown Louisville with loads of great restaurants, bars, shops, distilleries, historic buildings, and more.
Read our Louisville itineraries
Discover the Best Things To Do in Louisville
A weekend featuring distillery visits, cocktail bars, coffee shops, bakeries, and some great Southern and Cuban fare.
February 2023
A Look at Louisville
An overnight for a wedding that had us exploring a distillery, coffee, brewery, and great eats.
November 2016
The Silver Dollar
Eclectic brunch spot in a beautifully renovated old firehouse.
1761 Frankfort Ave.
Uncovering the Rich History of Castle and Key Distillery: A Journey Through Time and Bourbon
Get a look at the tour of Castle & Key Distillery, a wondrous spot with a rich and storied history outside Frankfort.
4445 McCracken Pike
Frankfort, KY 40601