Looking for the next new restaurant hitting Lexington’s food scene? Check out these buzzy places to eat and drink in Lexington — plus, some spots coming soon. Keep tabs on this list to stay ahead of the cuisine curve. And don’t forget to bookmark it.

January openings

Halal Munchies, 395 S. Limestone | Halal street food
As Lexington’s newest halal bites, the spot serves up classic chicken or lamb platters and gyros alongside indulgent options like the “Heart Attack” burger or a crispy chicken sandwich.

November openings

Cafe Patachou, 4040 Finn Way, Ste. 110 | Brunch + all-day cafe
The celebrated Indianapolis brunch spot recently celebrated its grand opening in The Summit at Fritz Farm. The all-day cafe offers Indy favorites with a Bluegrass twist, including creative breakfast and lunch dishes, seasonal lattes, brunch cocktails, and a self-serve coffee bar.

Ford's Garage, 140 Rojay Dr. | American
The 8,000-sqft restaurant blends vintage automotive style with classic comfort food, featuring antique cars, gas pumps, and other nostalgic touches that make diners feel like they’ve stepped into a 1920s service garage.

Millstone, 380 South Mill St. | Elevated southern
A historic Lexington restaurant is reopened as Millstone in Dudley Square. It serves modern Kentucky flavors in a relaxed, but upscale environment. Renovations include a new 1,130-square-foot main dining room and an outdoor patio.

Bella Cafe & Grille, 2200 War Admiral Way Ste. 155 | American bistro
One of Lexington's lunch favorites opened its long-awaited Hamburg location. The third spot in the lineup, it serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, with favorites like parmesan truffle fries and grilled salmon salad. It’s part of the locally owned Bella Notte Restaurant Group.

Octoberopenings

Chicken Salad Chick, 1956 Bryant Rd. | Southern fast-casual
This cozy southern lunch destination opened its second Lexington area location in Hamburg. True to its namesake, try different styles of chicken salad like the Classic Carol or the Fancy Nancy — whether it's on a melt or a BLT.

September openings

Southern Cookhouse & Bar | 844 Hays Blvd. | American
Looking for comfort food? Southern Cookhouse & Bar opened in the former BLVD Grill location at BLVD Apartments on Hays Boulevard. Burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, and plenty of sides and apps — there’s something for the whole crew.

The V at The Vine, 106 W Vine St. | Fine dining
This all-inclusive downtown social club is more than a restaurant, offering fine dining alongside a rooftop pool, spa, and upscale amenities. Guests can choose from sea, land, and sides for two, including standout dishes like lobster tail ravioli, making it a rising downtown hotspot.

Le Gourmet, 1080 S Broadway, Ste. 107 | Haitian
A family-owned Haitian restaurant celebrated its grand opening this month in Lexington, serving dishes like boulette and boeuf bourguignon that blended French, African, and Caribbean flavors.

August openings

Floating Lotus Kitchen, 4371 Old Harrodsburg Rd., Ste. 105 | Lunch + Mediterranean-inspired
Floating Lotus Kitchen, a new family-owned lunch café in Lexington, is now open. The menu features wraps, sandwiches and Mediterranean bowls — including the pesto caprese sandwich, a standout for anyone craving fresh, flavorful bites.

Bread and Roses Bakery, 446 E. High St. | Bakery
Kneading more sourdough in your life? This offshoot of Kentucky Native Cafe from the owners of Michler’s Florist offers fresh breads and pastries. It opened to a warm welcome from the community and began with limited opening hours.

Athenian Grill, 3801 Mall Rd. | Greek
Already winning Lexington over, Athenian Grill's third location serves up its classic gyros and gyro bowls. Want to branch out? Try the “CrossFit special,” a bowl with two proteins and two sides, which can include Greek sausage, Santorini chicken, and more.

Jaggers, 2350 Norman Ln. | American, comfort
Lexington’s first Jaggers burger chain location is open. Operated by Texas Roadhouse, patrons can expect juicy burgers, crispy tenders, milkshakes, and all the sides you know and love.

July openings

Son of a Burger, 101 W. Loudoun Ave. | Burgers
Nostalgic, yet delicious, flavors await at this new burger joint. We recommend an onion ring-topped sando — although you can't really go wrong with anything here.

Char on Ashland, 316 S. Ashland Ave. | Craft coffee + cocktails
Have you stopped by Chevy Chase’s newest eatery and coffee spot? Char roasts its own coffee and plans to add lunch and dinner to the menu in a staggered approach this summer and fall. Stop by for a $4.50 latte daily from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in July? Let us know.

June openings

The Ketch, 2012 Regency Rd. | Seafood
After two years and some major renovations, The Ketch is open again. Take a look at the new space and prepare your belly because the classic flavors are returning, along with new additions like a sushi bar.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in June? Let us know.

May openings

Publix, 3855 Fountainblue Ln. | Groceries + cafe
The Fountains at Palomar store is the grocery chain’s second Lexington location. Head inside to hit up Pours cafe, where customers can enjoy acai bowls, smoothies, and caffeine power-ups perfect for grocery gurus at work.

RD1 Spirits, 113 Turner Commons Way | Distillery
Our bourbon scene is going up yet another gear. The $5 million combination tasting room + distillery spans 10,200-sqft and comes with financial backing from UK’s own Mark Stoops.

Azur Restaurant and Patio, 3070 Lakecrest Cir. | European
First opened in 2004, the Euro-inspired eatery closed for five months to renovate. It's open again and ready to offer modern takes on classic flavors, with seafood aplenty on its brunch + dinner menus.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in May? Let us know.

April openings

Black-Type Brewing, 373 Virginia Ave. | Brewery
The taproom awaits with over a dozen original craft beers. Across the street from Dairy Queen on Virgina Avenue, Black-Type Brewing also offers pizza + calzones straight from its wood-fired oven.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in April? Let us know.

March openings

Purple Yum Bakery, 1555 E. New Circle Rd. | Bakery
If you've been looking for fun flavored treats, like a pineapple bun or mochi donut, look no further than Lexington's newest Asian bakery, Purple Yum Bakery. Located in the Woodhill Circle Plaza, on the opposite end from Home Goods, it's open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, but closed on Wednesdays.

Crust, 3195 Beaumont Center Cir., #100 | Italian | Reservation
Bella Notte Restaurant Group has revived the brand — its wood-fired pizza restaurant that shuttered in 2020. The concept has also operated as Smashing Tomato in 2011 + Bella Forno in 2019. It'll be open daily at 11 a.m., and the menu is packed with leveled up pizzas and more, including meatballs, garlic knots, five pasta options, and sandwiches.

Tapster, 401 W. Main St., #101 | Beer
We have some really cool brews. Tapster, the self-pour tasting room, opened a location in The Square, across from Triangle Park. The space offers bourbon, craft beer, wine, and cocktails, as well as hosts social events like trivia and karaoke.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in March? Let us know.

February openings

AJ's Wings & Things, 1873 Alexandria Dr. | Wings + soul food
The menu features wings that can be fried or baked, and are available in five different sauces including lemon pepper + Carolina barbecue. You can also get soul food favorites like pork chops, chicken and waffles, and fried fish.

Better Blend, 2358 Nicholasville Rd. | Smoothies + bowls
Get your fill of fruit with 33 different smoothie options and eight smoothie bowls varieties with flavors like, green goddess and peanut butter Oreo.

Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ, Clays Mills Road | Hawaiin BBQ
This new southside location will feature a large patio space for outdoor dining and exclusive menu items.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in February? Let us know.

January openings

Jeff's Donuts, 1080 S. Broadway | Breakfast
The Louisville-based 24/7 donut and coffee shop is expected to open at the end of this month and features a menu with 22 flavors of Long Johns and a variety of fancy fritters, honeymooners, and glazed donuts.

Sassy Bleu Fine Southern Dining, 496 E. High St.
The menu at this 76-seat restaurant is filled with Southern soul food dishes, like catfish + buffalo chicken dip, and is available all day with beer, wine, and cocktails.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in January? Let us know.

December openings

Tijuana Flats, 2344 Elkhorn Rd. | Mexican
The Florida-based quick service Tex Mex spot has its own line of 14 hot sauces from sweet to hot. The menu features burritos, quesadillas, nachos + tacos served Tijuana style with jalapenos, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.

Dunkin Donuts, 2890 Richmond Rd. | Coffee
Lexington just got a new drive-thru coffee shop. Dunkin Donuts opened in the former LaRosa’s spot on Richmond Road. This is the fifth location of the coffee chain in town.

Thai House, 911 Winchester Rd. | Thai
A new Thai spot has officially taken over the former Jasmine Rice location on Winchester Road. The restaurant is open seven days a week — serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 + dinner from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Stop in for Thai favorites like drunken noodles, pad Thai, curries, and noodle soups.

3Ten, 310 West Short St. | Global | Call 859.407.2305 for same-day reservations
From the culinary minds behind Corto Lima, 3Ten has moved into the former Creaux spot + features a creative cocktail list and international tapas-style menu. It's open Tuesday-Sunday, 4-11 p.m.

Naz’s Halal Food, The Hub | Mediterranean
A fast-growing, Mediterranean-style chain is now open at The Hub complex near UK’s campus. The restaurant is known for its late-night hours and entrees like rice bowls, falafel, and kababs.

Bourbon n’ Toulouse, 1781 Sharkey Way | Cajun
This Lexington staple has expanded and brought its fan-favorite chicken etouffee + jambalaya to the Leestown Road area.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in December? Let us know.

November openings

JJ burgers and fries, 6421 Athens Boonesbore Rd. | Burgers
This recently opened dining destination lets you customize your perfect patty with available toppings like crisp lettuce, a fried egg, or sauerkraut.

Mileta, 3565 Nicholasville Rd. #932 | Italian | Reservations
This “Italian-ish” restaurant serves a variety of menu items including seafood, steak, and pasta dishes — which features pastas made in-house.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened in November? Let us know.

October opening

BK’s Cookies & More, 356 Longview Plaza, #160B | Cookies
Calling all cookie monsters. Leon Buford-Kelly, known as “the cookie man” by his Leestown Middle School students, opened BK’s Cookies & More behind Critchfield’s on Southland Drive. Satisfy your sweet tooth with flavors like classic chocolate chip, snickerdoodle + peach cobbler, Friday-Monday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dingbats Pizzeria, 471 Jefferson St. | Pizza
This fun and friendly place took over the former Jefferson Street Coffee spot, down the street from County Club.

Parlour Pizza, 2099 Harrodsburg Rd. | Casual pizzeria
Three new locations of the Indiana-based pizza chain are coming to Lexington in the coming years, where you can choose from pies, grinders, salads, and craft cocktails.

Thea's Bass & Biddy Kitchen, 101 W. Loudon Ave., Ste. 162
If you want that home-cooked vibe without making a mess at your own kitchen, look no further. Think: scratch-made fried fish and chicken, loaded fries, mac and cheese, and a Sunday brunch buffet with all the fixings.

Cibon, 211 Rosemont Garden | Charcuterie | Reservations
While not a full restaurant, delight your palate with cheese plates and wine pours. Plus, you can buy all charcuterie ingredients and wine by the bottle for an at-home tasting experience.

Playa Bowls, 3900 Fountain Blue Ln., Ste. 120 | Smoothies + bowls
Get a taste of the tropics with customizable bowls featuring bases including acai, coconut, and pitaya, piled high with toppings like fruit, granola, peanut butter + more.

Rosati's, 148 Malabu Dr., Ste. 160 | Pizza
Get your fix of Chicago-style pizza — deep dish, thin crust, or double dough — as well as calzones, pasta, salads, and wings.

Viva Mexico, 400 Old Vine St., Ste. 108 | Mexican
All your favorite Mexican eats can be found in this new restaurant in the former Old Vine Bistro spot. We recommend the Quesadillas Supremas.

Carson's, 3450 Todds Rd. | Elevated Southern | Reservations
Another East Main Street staple, Carson's will open a second location in the Hamburg area next year within the former Andover Country Club.

Osaka, 112 Lucille Ave., Ste. 130 | Japanese
The extensive menu at this Japanese restaurant boasts 70+ sushi rolls and sashimi, as well as chef specialties like teriyaki plates, tempura, noodles, hibachi, and more. There are two other locations off Boston Road + a newer one in Hamburg.

Did we miss a restaurant that opened recently? Let us know.

Coming soon

Black Squirrel | 175 N. Main St., Versailles | Brunch | Projected opening: TBD — final stages
The team behind Coles 735 Main and Epping’s on Eastside will open Black Squirrel in downtown Versailles. The new spot will serve Kentucky-inspired breakfast and lunch in a historic Main Street building with a nod to Woodford County’s saddlebred heritage.

Taste of Ukraine,106 E Maple Street | Ukrainian | Projected opening: TBD — final stages
Kentucky’s first authentic Ukrainian restaurant is coming to downtown Nicholasville, co-owner Tetiana Soloshchuk said. Taste of Ukraine recently celebrating a soft opening and will open soon at 106 E. Maple Street, serving borscht, varenyky, holubtsi (stuffed cabbage), pelmeni, potato pancakes (deruny), and other Ukrainian dishes.

Shibam Coffee, 535 S. Upper St. | Yemeni | Projected opening: Early March 2026
Yemeni-style coffeehouse, is set to open near the University of Kentucky campus, offering unique coffee drinks, late-night hours, and a luxurious decor aimed at creating a community space.

Carson's Back Porch, 321 E. Vine St. | Elevated American | Projected opening: May 2026
Construction is underway on Carson’s Back Porch, opening in the former Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken space. The fully indoor expansion will feature exposed brick, chandeliers, lanterns, and Charleston-inspired design elements.

Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, Various locations | Hawaiian-inspired | Projected opening: 2026
This island comfort food chain has plans to open five Kentucky locations, including two in Lexington. Lexington’s first location is slated to open in 2026. The menu features lunch plates with pork, chicken, and macaroni salad.

51st Deli | Casual American | Projected opening: TBD
Lex Deli will soon be celebrating its grand reopening as 51st Deli. 51st Deli is expanding from Nashville to Lexington serving up deli favorites and original recipes, including sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more.

Jagger's, 3029 Richmond Road | QSR | Projected opening: TBD
The fast-casual burger chain from the creators of Texas Roadhouse, is adding a second Lexington location on Richmond Road. Construction is underway at the former site of The Saucy Crab and Texas Roadhouse, with an opening date yet to be announced.

Still hungry for more? Dig deeper through our food news.