Condé Nast’s top choices for your perfect Lexington weekend – where to stay, where to shop, where to drink, where to eat and where to play.
Ashlea Halpern from Condé Nast has discovered the perfect places to pop into during your stay in Lexington, revealing her guide to the top attractions in and around town. Check out her full thoughts here.
Stay
21c Museum Hotel
167 West Main Street
Lexington’s newest boutique museum-hotel offers chic, modern guest rooms, rotating artwork exhibitions and a trendy restaurant, Lockbox, that serves Kentucky-inspired cuisine from acclaimed chef Jonathan Searle. Rooms book quickly, especially on busy weekends, so reserve your room early! 21cmuseumhotels.com/lexington
Lyndon House
507 North Broadway
A historic redbrick mansion turned bed & breakfast, the Lyndon House offers quaint guest rooms with period furnishings and made-to-order breakfasts in their refined dining room. lyndonhouse.com
Eat
County Club
555 Jefferson Street
One of the pioneers in Lexington’s smoked meat scene explosion, County Club has an industrial ambiance and a kitchen that has mastered the art of meat smoking. Check out what’s cooking on their ever-changing blackboard-style menu, or ask about the smoked meat of the day. countyclubrestaurant.com
Crank & Boom
1210 Manchester Street
A small batch craft ice cream shop in Lexington’s Distillery District that serves velvety ice cream in a variety of inventive flavors. Try the Bourbon & Honey, Superfudge or the Kentucky Blackberry & Buttermilk! crankandboom.com
Smithtown Seafood and West Sixth Brewing
501 West Sixth Street
Grab a platter of wild-caught fried catfish or some fish tacos at this fast-casual dining locale serving fresh fish sourced from neighboring indoor commercial Aquaponics farm Food Chain. You can also chow down in the adjacent West Sixth Brewing’s tap room and wash it down with a classic West Sixth IPA. smithtownseafood.com
Blue Door Smokehouse
226 Walton Avenue
Best brisket in town. Enough said. bluedoorsmokehouse.com
Missy’s Pies, Etc.
502 East High Street
A Lexington staple since 1989, Missy’s is most famous for their indulgent pies – but they do offer a selection of soups, sandwiches, coffee and other bakery items if you’re hungry for a good meal. Pie must-try’s include the Peanut Butter Pie, the Black Bottom Banana Pie and the Chocolate Brownie Pie. missiespieshop.com
Drink
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour
Bluegrass Region
Taste the refined flavors and learn the secrets of some of Kentucky’s smaller craft distilleries. You can taste handcrafted brands, learn the tricks of the bourbon trade and collect stamps for your Craft Tour Passport at each stop. kybourbontrail.com/craft-tour
Bluegrass Distillers
501 West Sixth Street
A craft bourbon distillery in the heart of downtown Lexington, Bluegrass Distillers formulate its recipes in-house and hand-crafts each of its batches using local ingredients. Stop in to view their beautiful 250-gallon copper still where the magic happens. bluegrassdistillers.com
Barrel House Distilling Co.
1200 Manchester Street
Located in Lexington’s hip Distillery District, Barrel House is a craft distillery distilling bourbon, vodka, rum and moonshine, which includes their long-awaited RockCastle Bourbon, the first bourbon distilled on the historic James Pepper Distillery’s campus in more than 65 years. barrelhousedistillery.com
Play
Keeneland Race Course
4201 Versailles Road
One of the world’s most beautiful and iconic Thoroughbred race courses, Keeneland is one of Lexington’s most popular attractions, with race meets occurring during the months of April and October. keeneland.com
Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farms
1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown
Many of Kentucky’s legendary racehorses retire to this home for Thoroughbreds after celebrated careers. Visitors can take tours of their facilities and learn about the lives and careers of the former champions. oldfriendsequine.org
Kentucky Horse Park
4089 Iron Works Parkway
A sprawling 1,200-acre park in the heart of Horse Country, the Kentucky Horse Park is a world-renowned attraction and also houses the Smithsonian-affiliated International Museum of the Horse. kyhorsepark.com
