Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Central Kentucky

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes 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!

Enso

4.8

4.8 (300)

$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

David

Dined 3 days ago

Tremendous service and all of our server’s recommendations were fantastic. Both the food and cocktails were complex in flavor and well executed.

3Ten

4.8

4.8 (40)

$31 to $50

Global, International

Lexington

About the restaurant

Celebrated Chef Jonathan Lundy and Certified Sommelier TJ Cox bring you 3TEN. Serving curated cuisine, cocktails, and wine. Intercontinental flavors add to the vibrant dining scene in downtown Lexington's West Short Street corridor.
3TEN is a destination where global flavors meet local charm with a rotating menu of small plates and shareable dishes. Guests can expect to find influential ingredients of Mediterranean, pan-Asian, and Latin American origins drawing from the duo’s 55+ years of combined experience in Lexington restaurants.
Complementing Jonathan’s culinary whim, TJ’s extensive cocktail menu features interpretive concoctions of ingredients from botanicals to house-made cordials. A curated wine selection of varieties and regions worldwide plus luxury cocktail experiences will support the robust beverage program.

Top review

Stacey

Dined 3 days ago

Food was delicious and beautifully plated. Drinks were delicious. Went on a Thursday night. Perfect noise level.

Hop Atomica

4.6

4.6 (49)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Germantown

About the restaurant

Welcome to Hop Atomica, Louisville's only brewery, distillery, & restaurant. Our hand-tossed, wood-fired, made to order pizzas, are simply incredible. Most similar to a Neapolitan Style, we proudly provide the best pizza around. Oh yea, the smoked wings are mind-blowing, too. Our 20+ craft beers, made on site, are high quality and poured ice-cold. Prefer spirits? Hop Atomica has an amazing craft cocktail program featuring over two dozen classics, a handful of seasonal libations, 30+ bourbons & whiskey's, house-made gins, rums, vodka, and 100% Blue Agave Spirit. Is wine more your speed? Hop Atomica carefully curated a highly intentional wine program with over 40 wines from around the world. Hop Atomica is nestled perfectly at the intersection of the historic Schnitzelburg, Germantown & Paristown, Meriwether-Fort Hill, and Shelby Park neighborhoods, just off Goss Avenue, only a five-minute drive from downtown Louisville. We can't wait to see you!

Top review

MariaVIP

Dined on May 1, 2025

Super cute venue. The drinks are unique and crafted perfectly. The food was awesome. Delicious pizzas and salad. The staff are friendly and welcoming. We had a great experience

Lost Palm

4.6

4.6 (145)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Lexington

About the restaurant

Seven stories up and an oasis above Lexington, a rooftop nod to sultry South Florida. Embrace an experience filled with small bites, big hats, and inspired tropical drinks. Lost Palm welcomes you!

Reservations are highly encouraged, however we accept walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis. Find us at The Manchester Hotel in the Distillery District, with valet services at your convenience. Street and paid parking options are available. All visitors must be 21 or older, with ID verification upon entry. For those with underage guests, please contact our restaurant Granddam.

Reservations are available indoors or outdoors. We'll try our best to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee swapping indoor/outdoor reservations. For groups over 6, please call (859)-785-3906. Our kitchen welcomes you from 4-10PM daily. For cabana rentals, email twetzel@themanchesterky.com.

Enjoy an unforgettable visit to Lost Palm, where leisure and luxury blend seamlessly.

Top review

Mattie

Dined 6 days ago

Had the best experience at Lost Palm for my birthday! The food, drinks, and service were all just phenomenal. Such a fun place!

The Silver Dollar

4.5

4.5 (667)

$31 to $50

American

Butchertown

About the restaurant

Step back in time to the 1950s at The Silver Dollar, a Louisville gem that captures the essence of Southern California honky-tonks. Immerse yourself in the sounds of classic vinyl as you savor Chef Tyler Powell's innovative Southern-meets-Southern-California cuisine. Indulge in craft cocktails and soak up the vibrant atmosphere, whether you're enjoying a lively dinner or a leisurely weekend brunch on the spacious patio. The Silver Dollar, housed in a beautifully restored 1890s firehouse, offers a unique dining experience that blends history, music, and culinary delights. Come discover the charm and flavors that await you at The Silver Dollar.

Top review

LouiseaVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Great local hangout with good food! Sweet potato fries are delicious and so is the burger

BRU Burger Bar - Lexington

4.5

4.5 (461)

$30 and under

Burgers

Lexington

About the restaurant

The hamburger is over 100 years old. It’s a classic, purely American, and an icon. The hamburger is the people’s sandwich, everyman’s food. BRU is an ode to our love….the Burger. Paired with a beer, we can’t imagine what could be much better. Join us at BRU Burger Bar. We look forward to serving you! BRU Burger Bar is proudly operated by Cunningham Restaurant Group.

Welcome to BRU Burger Bar.

Top review

Maryellen

Dined on Apr 23, 2025

You'll get big portions of delicious food at BRU Burger Bar. Though the wine's a little pricey, the atmosphere is good and it has a very nice patio. Our server, Sara, does a good job.

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Popular dish

Bru Burger

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Lexington

4.5

4.5 (219)

$30 and under

American

Lexington

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we've continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ's a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ's to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we've put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven't just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it's because of them we're continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ's, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

StephenVIP

Dined on May 2, 2025

Food was great, reservation worked out well as always and our server was great.

Emmy Squared Pizza - Louisville

4.4

4.4 (312)

$31 to $50

Pizzeria

Downtown Louisville

About the restaurant

Serving Detroit-style pizzas and an award-winning burger. Full service bar, local drafts & wine selection.

**Join us for brunch Saturday and Sunday mornings!**

Top review

Robin

Dined on Apr 5, 2025

Best pizza I’ve ever had. Gluten free crust, deep dish style. Amazing. Ricotta cheese, basil, pesto sauce. Yuuuuuuummmmmm. And fabulous pear lime cocktail. 10/10

33 Staves

4.3

4.3 (232)

$30 and under

Contemporary Southern

Lexington

About the restaurant

33 Staves, located inside the beautiful Origin Hotel Lexington at The Summit. 33 Staves is a modern southern-inspired restaurant and bar. We take pride serving a seasonally crafted menu comprised of handpicked local ingredients. Our bar offers a wide range of craft cocktails and bourbons.

Top review

Chad

Dined 3 days ago

Everything on the menu looked so good we had a hard time deciding what to order! We had a great experience and will return!

Upland Brewing Co - Jeffersonville

4.3

4.3 (142)

$30 and under

American

Jeffersonville

About the restaurant

Upland Jeffersonville is located right on the Ohio River with a tri-level patio overlooking the Louisville skyline. 20 taps feature Upland classics, seasonals, sour ales, & small-batch innovations. Pair your favorite beverage with a well crafted menu featuring spirited pub classics & creative options for vegetarians.
Soak in the beautiful view from the patio with an accompanying outdoor bar. Well-behaved dogs are welcome outside.

Top review

DonVIP

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

Our server Drew, was excellently as was the food. We went for brunch and we both had the breakfast pizza. It was perfectly prepare with a fluffy crust and an excellent combination of ingredients, none of which overpower the other. The blend of textures was also spot on with a thin helping over gravy which did not make the crust soggy, good blend of potatoes, eggs and bacon. Will definitely go back again as well as tell friends to visit Upland Brewing. There was also an excellent view of the Ohio River whether sitting inside or out.

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