5 stars. Everything about this restaurant was wonderful. Ordered a bottle of wine to start along with the fried avocado appetizer. Top notch. Entree: Beef Shoulder Tender. Must order. Cooked to perfection with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Also, tried my girlfriend's shrimp and grits and they were tasty! Service was wonderful. Check this place out if you are in the area. read more

In a small little place on Main Street, lies the best food in Lexington without a doubt! I've ate at steakhouses in New York and Chicago and it does not compare to the NY Strip I had tonight. Along with the steak, you get grits. Yeah grits. Who serves steak with grits? Well Coles 735 does and it's amazing. And it's got cheese and it's fried! Along with the main course, we got the mac and cheese for a side. You can judge a chef by the quality of the "homemade" mac and cheese and it was spot on. The grilled caesar salad was a fresh take on a classic. The pork belly as an app melted in your mouth! Special note for our server Tammi. She's was spot on with suggestions, our drinks never got below half and she was very knowledgeable and so attentive! This was our first visit to Coles but definitely won't be the last!!! read more

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Well recommended and well worth a visit. A little pricey for Lexington, but everything from the food to service was excellent. Salads were fresh and abundant. Our entrees were perfectly described and expertly prepared. We enjoyed the casual upscale ambiance. Service was impeccable. We may never get back to Lexington, but will certainly return if we do. In response to mgt.... There was nothing "wrong" with our entire visit. Everything was good, actually very good. While I don't feel like l was be stingy by not awarding 5 stars, I feel 4, maybe 4.5 stars is appropriate, because there is always something to strive for. We expected and got very good service, food and service. If we were "wowed" then 5 stars. I liken it to performances. Today is seems almost every performance gets a standing ovation. Is every performance worthy of a standing ovation?? Really?? Wow me and I will respond in kind. We paid for very good food, service and experience, you delivered. read more

This was a neat little restaurant with a different outlook on their menu items. The menu seemed to have known southern items with a worldly twist to them. In the picture attached, we had the baked Brie with candied apricots and the twist was the oils and sweet balsamic vinegar. I also had the duck which was really tender with great flavor. I would recommend this restaurant especially if you are looking for something just a little bit different. read more

Coles 735 Main - The Baked Brie - New American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

A truly an amazing find on our trip. The Kobe burger is probably the best burger I have ever had. The fries in duck fat are awesome. I hope someday to make it back there. The cocktails are very well done. Just an all around great dining experience. read more

I came to Lexington for a business meeting. I felt this was a great local restaurant and was not a steak house which I always try to avoid. I enjoyed the fried avocado. I also ordered the shrimp and grits. It's more like fried polenta and 3 shrimp which was maybe a little on the small size, but tasty. I enjoyed the local atmosphere and would recommend this establishment to others. read more

The wait staff was terrific, but our meal was far less than memorable, especially given the four star prices. In particular, the "Divers Scallops" were a great disappointment. For $40, I expect a good deal more than three room-temp, yet still somehow overcooked, rubbery shellfish, scattered across nearly-raw, thickly julienned carrots and a seriously overcooked and soggy chunk of bokchoy .The grilled Caesar salad also left much to be desired, with a few tinned anchovies scattered over what appeared to be three day-old grocery-store romaine hearts. We'll go elsewhere for our important family dinners next time. read more

This is hands down our favorite restaurant in Lexington. Elegant romantic ambiance, fabulous service. The food is consistently amazing. You can't find a better steak anywhere. The house salad (seasonal) with avocados, citrus, cranberries, is perfect. Nice wine selection. Ordered the NY strip last time with delicious grit cakes. The mac and cheese is out of this world. Golden beet risotto was savory and satisfying. Never disappointed here :) read more

Coles 735 Main - NY strip - perfect every time - New American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Great as always! Garrett, our server was amazing and had all the best recommendations on wine! If you're looking for the best of fine dining in Lexington then look no further. Coles has it! read more

5 Star! I rarely give a 5 Star review but everything was on point. The cocktails were so unique and delicious. The food was great. The atmosphere was enjoyable. I was impressed, I was impressed which doesn't happen that often. (Side note-I did get choked and almost die but that was completely my fault.) read more

Great food, great server. Only downside is that it is pretty loud and difficult to hear your conversation at points. I had the pan seared chicken and it was to die for. read more

Coles is one of the best date-night locations and combines excellent food with wonderful service.

Had some friends from up north visiting and brought them here. They loved the food and the quirky ambiance. Thought the place, environment, and service exemplified the stereotype of Southern hospitality. read more

A lesson in how to make a bad situation worse. Drop a dish on the way to the table. Go ahead and serve the other person's dinner. Rush the replacement dish so that it is served undercooked. Voile' a terrible dining experience. We have eaten here a number of times over the past 4 years. Each time it has gradually gotten worse. This time makes it obvious that we need not keep spending money here. read more

Coles is the best restaurant in Lexington, period. Another amazing dinner last night. I tend to avoid wedge salads because they're often served in this unwieldy, giant cut, but the blue cheese wedge was chopped to a manageable (though still sizable) dish with a sharp, delicious dressing. Loved every bite. My wife had the grilled caesar and loved that the grilling deepened the flavor of the greens, but wasn't so long that it added a smoky flavor to the lettuce that she and I have seen sometimes and both dislike. I rarely get steak at Lexington restaurants because I'm so often disappointed and would simply rather prepare it myself, but I knew the selection and preparation would be excellent in Chef Arimes's kitchen and it didn't disappoint. An excellent cut of meat, succulent and tender at a perfect medium-rare. Eschewed the grits that came with the dish (never been a big fan) and got the mashed potatoes that were buttery and smooth. Finished the meal with a creamy, satisfying slice of key lime pie. I always leave here with that warm, satisfied feeling of having enjoyed a beautifully executed meal. read more

This place is amazing!!!!! Made a reservation and was seated right away. I recommend the fried avocado as an appetizer and the beef shoulder. Service was great. Waiter was very attentive. I also loves sitting out on the patio. Great ambiance. read more

The fried avocado is worth the trip! Everything I've ever had here is awesome! The shrimp and grits are some of the best in Lexington. read more

One of my top picks in Lexington as of now. Specials always something to listen too. Big Eye Tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes might be short list of fav meal of all time. But any seafood choice here is a good one! My seat of choice in the bar read more

Coles 735 Main - New American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Probably my favorite steakhouse in town. First off, the interior of the restaurant has a very cozy, intimate feeling which doesn't give you the large, stuffy feel of some other steakhouses. They offer a rather nice sized bourbon list for all you bourbon aficionados out there. Featuring a decent sized menu, I always go with the N.Y. strip. It comes with a sort of blackened seasoning which gives it a nice char and flavor. As a side, the weisenburger grits are amazing. Be sure to save room for dessert and order the fresh made cookies and ice cream . read more

My favorite place in town, I love the filet mignon and tempura shrimp. It is always good and you don't usually have to need a reservation if your coming before six. read more

Chef Cole could be anywhere in the world knocking it out of the park - lucky for us in the Bluegrass ...he's right here in Lexington on Main Street. Truly innovative - a star chef who makes Lexington one of the most exciting culinary scenes in the country! read more

Fantastic food and wonderful service here from out of town looking for a nice dinner for our anniversary amazing food beautiful restaurant and the staff esp the manager/owner were so attentive to their guests read more

Went to Coles day after Christmas for dinner with hubby... It was packed and yet everything we ordered was top-notched quality... Big plus whole wheat roles..yes I was glad to have that option.. We were hungry also and appetizer arrived fast.. I forgot the exact name but fries fried in duck fat with sauce and tacos with pork.. They both were great.. Ordered my drink which arrived quickly.. Hubby ordered lobster bisque soup and I ordered smoked baby back ribs.. I will say that I had lots of ribs in barbecue places and you can't compare this to them but it was still very good.. Their sauce was very good.. I just love going to Coles bc I can expect good quality food with top notch service.. Will be back off course read more

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Went for our anniversary dinner. Normally food and service is excellent. This time service started well but as it got crowded our service was terrible, when our food finally arrived it was cold and tasteless, we had to ask another server ask to find our server for our check, after waiting 40 minutes after our meal. Very disappointed. read more

Anticipated having a great experience at this restaurant as the reviews are great. This was unfortunately not the case. From time seated to appetizer arriving was 30 minutes for shrimp tempura that was unfortunately not cooked enough for our liking. Then, 50 minutes after that, the entrees came out which were extremely disappointing. The burger was grossly undercooked- when the server noticed they offered to take it back to the grill, which would typically be acceptable, however we were already there for an hour and a half, and weren't going to stay any longer. The pasta was over cooked- chicken on the pasta was good. The ambience was not great, the location of the table we were seated at was loud, next to the service doors, and lacked any sort of intimacy. They did comp the burger on their own, which is nice, but the quality of food, service, and ambience was simply not worth the price point. Bill was over $100 (3 glasses of riesling included). Will not be returning to this restaurant when traveling to Lexington again. read more

Coles 735 Main - Kobe Burger cooked "medium". - New American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I have been to Coles probably 5 times and I know that everyone raves about it and says it is so great and awesome but I just don't see it. We used to live a block away from here and an easy walk to. I mean it is ok. The service is always top notch, I will say that for sure but there are loads of other restaurants in town to me that have equal or better food that do not have the review of Coles. I always go in there thinking I am going to be blown away and instead, it is a good solid nice meal and off we go to daily life! read more

It's expensive -- and for food that didn't blow me away. I love duck, so I ordered the duck breast with a glass of wine. The naked plate syndrome struck again. An entrée barely enough to satisfy. Seriously, if you're going to high-price an entrée, you can't add a side without (over)- charging for it? Have to wonder if I was paying for the décor, oddly tea-room-like. read more

Two trips, the exact same order each time and they tasted exactly the same each time - delicious to the last bite. The go-to bites - Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew - a superb, healthy vegetarian option of a vegetable stew with side of quinoa and pesto, almonds et al to add to the flavor. With a side of perfectly prepared Lemon Shallot Brussel Sprouts that should serve as an inspiration to hit the market and use my oven! The wine and cocktails didn't make an impression but chocolate cookies a la mode certainly did! Food apart, love the vibe of this place - a little country, a little rustic, very very busy each time I've been there - it's comfortable, pretty, southern and classy rolled into one great dining destination. Probably my only favorite restaurant in Lexington - but well worth the trips in. read more

Delicious food and great service. Great appetizers and cocktails. Basil Jane (martini) was a sweet delight. Highly recommend the Panko crusted avocado with crab lump. Also enjoyed the baked Brie with crackers. Scottish Salmon was cooked to perfection with a crispy skin. Topped the evening off with a great sampler of desserts. read more

Coles 735 Main - Dessert trio - New American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Cole's is our go to for date nights or special occasions because of the cozy atmosphere and amazing food. Last night we were thrilled to have Garrett as our server,he was absolutely fantastic and had great wine knowledge. read more

Excellent food, service, and wine. The major downside is this place rushes you out. The restaurant turned the lights and music off on us 1 hour after our reservation time ( we were on time). We had to walk back in to the pitch black restaurant from the patio to exit. Very weird experience. read more

Unfortunately, our food didn't reflect the ratings on this page. The baked goods were tasty and cocktails were lovely but the food was not impressive for the price point. I had the seafood chowder and all of the seafood was massively over cooked. The menu was a bit all over the place and my partner got a very different dish than I and had the same issue over cooked over spiced and it was difficult to enjoy. Our server was very sweet and attentive and is the only reason I gave this place the stars. read more

I am so glad that we ate here! The food was really wonderful. I had a delicious roasted beet and goat cheese salad that was much more sophisticated then most. I tried the "beef shoulder tender" which I have never had before. It was good, not outstanding, but very good. My husband had the duck and that was better than my entree. What may have been the most amazing thing was the side that came with my entree. It was mashed potatoes that were topped with roasted mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and asparagus. Sounds simple right? At first, it seemed odd to even put those things on top of the potatoes. Then I tried it. It was incredible. The flavor combination was out of this world. I was stuffed and I kept eating it until it was gone. Sadly, they ran out of the creme brûlée dessert I wanted (but definitely didn't need by that point). Our cocktails were good and our server was very nice. The only thing that was hugely disappointing was the decor. This restaurant is badly in need of a makeover. Their food is so sophisticated and delicious, it is a shame that the decor of the restaurant doesn't match. Luckily it was evening and dim in the restaurant. Not sure I could manage to go in daylight hours. : ) read more

The Pastrami ribs were off the hook! Never had anything like this before, but our server convinced me to consider these in lieu of the lamb. Ms. Diane is a rockstar! You'd do well to ask to be seated in her section. She's a delight and certainly knows her stuff. Didn't like my olives warm (cheese tray), but the fried tuna avacado was tasty. Cheers! read more

Coles 735 Main - The Pastrami ribs, you just might enjoy 'em! - New American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Horrible service. Waitress rolled her eyes multiple times. Didn't receive food for over an hour. Didn't deliver the correct order. Spoke to the manger twice. Never have have received worse service. read more

Great restaurant. They have a variety of dishes and every dish I have tried has been well prepared and taste great. Very nice atmosphere and the service is first class. They are well managed respect your time.. so anytime we have made reservations they have got us back on time. read more

I'm sure that the food here is remarkable and perfectly suited for more sophisticated palates. All in all, though, it's not my cup of tea. I was there by virtue of having dinner with co-workers on the company tab. I may be a calorie counter, but I still appreciate ample portions and hate to be a party to paying these kinds of prices and walking out the door still hungry. I wouldn't discourage you from going, but just want to caution that if your project is to eat to satiety for a price that doesn't require taking a look at the family budget first, this may not be the place for you. read more

Here's my review. I've been waiting to go to Coles since they opened at the former location of Furlongs, such was the hype. I waited my Father to visit me from out of town and chose the place to take him for a nice dinner. The place has a very cozy atmosphere, very homey and nice. Much more than I expected - the kind of place we feel very comfortable at. I especially liked the sofas and the different pillows. Our appetizers: I ordered a brie cheese that came with toast, it was wrapped in filo. I scraped out the filo and ate just that since the taste of the cheese wasn't good and it was just too bland, I think the first time I ever left a brie cheese almost intact. Maybe the brand, but something wasn't right about the cheese. It wasn't spoiled, it just tasted bad. My father ordered a Grilled caesar salad that was just OK, nothing special about it, which I think it's good after all (not having anything special on it). My drink - a watermelon vodka (forgot the exact name) was also very bland, as if someone threw watermelon juice with vodka and ice on a glass and called it a special drink. Then I decided on the Pom Martini, way better. Our entrees: they had two NY strips. The regular one on the menu (32 dollars) and a "special" of the day one (46 dollars on the check besides having been informed by the waiter it was 40 dollars). The only difference between the regular NY strip and the "Special" was a piece of unattached (almost meatless) bone that came with the special one. We ordered medium rare, my Father was ok and mine was close to raw. Thy both tasted good, nothing extraordinary. The waiter told me that my special steak would be the most tasteful I would have experienced to date....NOT. Our side items: the mushroom risotto that my Father ordered with his steak was really bad. Unsalted and too well done, as in left to be cooked much more than it was supposed to. He had to season it himself and in the end, just left it since it didn't resemble anything like a risotto, neither in appearance nor in taste. My side item was a simple mashed potato that tasted good. This dinner cost us 158 dollars. COLES has everything to be a good restaurant, but until they match the prices with the quality of food, I will never be back. A nice atmosphere, nice waiting staff, etc do not make a restaurant, the food does. It was a big disappointment for the price. We can eat much much better in other downtown restaurants, and I hope this review serves to help them improve. Thank you. read more

A true find here in Lexington. Interesting menu with lots of choices and great service. Cauliflower app was delicious and we had the salmon and the pork chop both of which were terrific. Wish we lived in the area to return but thrilled we came this time. read more

This was the perfect date night spot. The food was out of this world and our server was very good. We will definitely be back.