I was pretty surprised to find a fairly good Mexican restaurant in Kentucky! I was definitely having my fair share of heat when eating...even the margarita had a little bit of kickback. I just got the tacos which were crunchy instead of soft. I think I would have enjoyed them if soft...I only came to chat with a friend and we weren't that hungry but I'll visit again for another round! read more

Corto Lima - Adobo Chicken (G) Taco and Margarita - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Festive, modern Latin American kind of decor with lots of windows & great downtown location. Indoor seating at the bar or tables & umbrella covered outdoor seating. Both the regular Margarita & the Spicy Rocoto Margarita w/ salt were perfect for this very warm day. Shared everything & started w/ the bartender, Austin's recommendation of the Chicken Chicharron, spicy sauce on the side since my bf doesn't like spicy. I love spicy & they had a variety of hot sauces (my fav the Mango Hot Sauce). It was a tasty delish way to start. Next we ordered the Anticuchos, grilled steak skewers, potatoes w/ chimichurri. That was also delish! We ordered as we went so it was like a three course lunch experience. Lately we order an absolutely perfect Quinoa Croquetta! Lovely cashew cream covering the bottom layer of cucumbers & tomato. The fried Quinoa Croquettas were delish & it was healthy! Though we are full, didn't feel weighed down. Looking forward to the next time! This was a restaurant by referral from a local friend. read more

Great find in downtown Lexington. Guay was on point and in a fun wooden bowl. Tried two s. The Steak Rajas de Poblano and the Crispy Shrimp . both were great. A burst of flavors and texture n each. The shrimp was just my style with a little jalapeño spice in every bite. Got to share some of the Mac and cheese and that was something special! Some@die roasted poblanos and a little texture with some pumpkin seeds. Some Cr eamy goodness and the spiral elbow macaroni carries a little extra cheese in every bite. A great little spot to make sure you add into a visit to Lexington for sure. read more

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I've been hearing the buzz about Corto Lima for years and I finally made the time to go. I am very disappointed that I didn't go sooner! The flavors and the ambiance are both amazing. Prices are reasonable for sharing with a friend, though drinks are a little steep. There is something for every price point and level of hunger. We sat at the bar and had excellent service. The queso was great and the chips were made to order. The crab empanada was a fun little burst of flavor. The Peruvian Popcorn functions as your "bar nut," and though not my taste, definitely unique and appreciated. The shrimp tacos were great- the banana peppers on them were a great touch. The highlight, though, was the strawberry margarita MADE WITH ACTUAL STRAWBERRIES. I will absolutely be back to explore more of the menu. read more

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Amazing Food Fusions! Ambiance was spectacular and relaxing We totally recommend you try this restaurant as soon as you arrive and set the bar for the next restaurant. You wont regret it. You will love all the menu options . read more

Popped in on whim after being turned away from multiple restaurants for brunch and WOW so glad we landed at Corto Lima. The food was delicious. The margaritas were to die for. The star of the day was the pineapple salsa and elote salad (seriously I would marry that elote salad). Would highly highly suggest this to ANYONE! read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We went on Friday night while everyone else was waiting in lines for 40 minutes at the BBQ Festival we were seated in about 30 minutes. They don't take reservations. We started off with the Blue Corn Empanadas and they were to die for. Just crispy enough and loaded with crab and cream cheese, how could that be bad? Next we shared pork, steak and chicken tacos. They were so fresh and delicious. Chef Lundy is and excellent chef and consistently good. We will go back again sometime. Oh... and the Prickly Pear Margaritas are good too! read more

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I've heard nothing but good things about Corto Lima since it's opened, and after my visit this past weekend I can definitely say it lives up to the hype! We found street parking about a block over (not bad for downtown) and got to CL at about 7:45. We were prepared to wait since they don't take reservations; however the hostess gave us the choice of sitting at the bar for dinner or waiting 45 min for a table- we chose the bar which was great! The bar menu had a few different margaritas & cocktails listed, but I couldn't pass up a classic freshly made house margarita on the rocks. My date had a rum drink with ginger beer (tried a sip- interesting). For dinner, we decided to order a few different things to share- chips & guac (a must-order), cauliflower tacos, quinoa croquettes, and shrimp ceviche. Everything was absolutely delicious and tasted so fresh. I loved that CL has so many great veg options. The entrees on the menu sounded enticing, but I was glad we ordered a spread of smaller plates & were able to try different dishes. The space itself is very open, and I'm a big fan of the glass walls- sunsets over downtown Lex make for great dinner views. 5/5, will be back for another margarita soon! read more

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I had this placed bookmarked and was excited when it made it to the short list for a late lunch on Saturday. Since it was a off hour there was no wait... and as we stood outside the door looking at the posted menu a server was smiling and waving us in. How could we resist? We were seated immediately and given details of drink and appetizer options. We went with the Queso Blanco, it was a well seasoned smooth white cheese dip served with light fresh corn chips. ( I would take a bath in this stuff!) I am a huge fan of the small plate options because you can try a lot off things without leftovers or breaking the bank. We tried the steak taco, pork tacos and arepas. Arepas vary regionally and there were very light and fluffy stuffed with in house made guacamole (that is out of this world) and served with an fresh pico. The tacos are served on soft corn tortillas were both well seasoned and tasty. Our server was attentive and very willing to answer all of our questions ranging from drink ingredients to "Hey, what are the sauces on the table.". (The reddish one is pepper based and will catch you by surprised, the yellow one is pineapple based and goes great with the pork.) The décor is light and bright and the whole place has a light and bright atmosphere. Note: We parked across the street in the pay lot, $5 for all day. Not bad if you are going to hang out downtown for a bit. read more

Corto Lima - Pork tacos - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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This restaurant was recommended and I must say it was a good recommendation. There was a little wait for tables but I actually can see why! The food was amazing! We decided to grab a few drinks from the bar and Austin was awesome! He suggested the Drunken Sailor. It was a good choice and we really enjoyed it. It was mixed perfectly! He was very nice and we would've actually stayed the bar to eat if they had space available. We got a table and was greeted by Oliver. We got the Queso Blanco and the Guacamole as an appetizer. Best guacamole and queso I've had in a long time. It was perfect and full of flavor. We also ordered the Adobo Chicken Tacos, the Tamales, the Quinoa Croquettes, and the Cuban Sandwich. Absolutely nothing was left on our plates. It was soooo delicious! Everyone was very happy! The restaurant was clean and the food came out pretty quickly. It wasn't a long wait at all. The server made sure we had everything we needed. But I will say he didn't really have a personality. Or at least it didn't show. It was kind of a drop your drink off at the table and take off. Maybe it wasn't a good day?? Overall, I will definitely be back. I absolutely loved the food and bar service! read more

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Food tasted really good, but felt immensely overpriced. Corn tortillas only. The portions are so small - three tacos with minuscule filling for $12! On top of that, chips (that tasted the exact same as any other Mexican restaurant that serves you those for free) and queso were $7. The cheese on the tacos were also scant. If you're getting just meat and cheese, zhuzh it up. Gives very much so gentrified Mexican food. read more

Not the prettiest space. A bit on the dirty side. Food was solidly good but not exceptional. Service was okay though had to ask not to be seated right next to the heavily trafficked bathrooms. read more

Came here for an event- we were on the second floor. Food was great- they came out with more food everytime, staff was very attentive, and the bar was good. They had plenty of seating, but most stood. Again, didn't leave full- these are all very much finger foods. I would really like to try something that'll keep me full for a while. But for a small event, this would be a perfect place for a gathering of 20 people. read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Yummy modern Latin food in a sleek, clubby setting. I've been here twice, and enjoyed the food both times, particularly the guacamole and chips (freshly made and served in a cute short brown paper bag). The tamales with salsa verde are fantastic, and the blue corn empanadas with crab very tasty, but a bit smaller than I'd hoped. I had a mojito here that I really enjoyed, but the Old Fashioned I had on my last visit was waaaay too sweet. I think the cocktails here are made with simple syrup instead of sugar, which makes it tricky to achieve the right balance without the sweetness becoming overwhelming. Corto Lima seems to be a buzzy local hotspot, with good reason. Great for a date night, or solo dinner at the bar. read more

Corto Lima - tamales with guacamole - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Everything about this place is good. I'd recommend their tacos, always well prepared and presented.

Reserved the party room on the top floor for a private surprise birthday get-together for my husband in October. Brienne Lowry Cox helped coordinate with me and Laura H was our server. We were able to have a friend come a little early to decorate the space which was nice. The margaritas and food were delicious! There was nothing we ordered that wasn't liked by our group. Everyone had a great time. In hindsight, I'd discuss our timeframe ahead of time as far as how long we could hang out. We would've lingered a bit longer to nibble on our food and no doubt have more drinks. There were still diners on the main floor when we left. read more

Absolutely a 5 star experience! We started out with queso dip and fresh made chips. This was an excellent appetizer choice. The queso was nicely warm and served in a ceramic bowl to keep it fresh. The chips were fresh, crisp, and nicely salted. My wife enjoyed the chicken street tacos, and I had the shrimp. Both were fresh, tasty, and a bit snappy with flavor. We arrived for dinner at about 5pm on a Sunday night. We had to wait a few minutes for a table to open up for the two of us. Service was prompt and friendly. I've got absolutely nothing bad to say. read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I've probably been here a dozen times and I keep coming back despite having a lot of other really good options in the area. The margaritas are well made from fresh ingredients instead of using a mix. I usually end up going with the daily special margarita although the house is very good itself. You can order a lot of items and share with your table or get a few items and fill yourself up. The Papas en la Latta are cheesy fries that are extra good when you get it with pork. You can't go wrong with any of the tacos and make sure you put a little of the house made hot sauce on them to spice them up. read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I'm from Lex but have been living out of KY for a while now so this has been on my list to check out. It's essentially a trendy, more upscale Mexican restaurant and I really enjoyed my experience! I started off with a spicy margarita which I recommend. My friend and I shared the chips and guac and both tried one of the specials which was a stir fry (I can't remember the exact name of it) but it was delicious! It even had steak fries mixed in. Prepare to struggle with finding parking depending on what night you go, just as anywhere downtown. There is a pay lot right across from the restaurant where you may find some spots available. It's not a huge space so would plan on picking a weekday night if you're going with a group. I'll certainly be back though to try out other items on the menu! read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Good tequila and mezcal selection. Affordable. Awesome food. Have been a few times and will return.

Great location and vibe. Food is excellent. Margs great. Service was good. Only complaint would be if this restaurant says they have priority seating for parties of 6 or more, honor it. I intentionally went to the restaurant at opening (1130) - they don't answer the phone- to get priority seating for a party of 6 for 730 pm. The host blew us off. Disappointed. read more

My friends and I regularly eat at Corto Lima and I have never had a bad experience here! The waiters and staff are always so friendly- regardless of how busy they are. The most time I had dinner here my friends and I started the night with Palomos and the Chorizo Queso. They were both delicious. Their drinks never disappoint. We then ordered the Chicken Chicharron, Shrimp Ceviche and the Chicken and Masa Dumplings. All of these were delicious!!! I was very impressed with the Chicken Chicarron- I've had chicaroon from many places, but none like this, it was cooked perfectly. The ceviche was fresh and had huge shrimp. Since it is downtown parking may be an issue and the small location can make it difficult to get a table, but the food, ambiance and drinks are def worth it! read more

I came here with friends after Keeneland and we arrived early to make sure we got a table since it's a small restaurant inside and they don't take reservations. I started with the Prickly Pear margarita, which was so fresh and refreshing with a bit of sweetness. I also had a traditional margarita on the rocks which was equally tasty and fresh - definitely no mixes in these drinks!! We had the queso and chips and ordered a mix of small plates for our table to share, which were filling enough to be a meal. The surprise star of the show was the Chicken Chicharron, which was so flavorful & crispy. We all loved these and were talking about how good they were for days. Definitely recommend coming here & coming early! read more

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I've only eaten here a few times during COVID-19, but the food I've had has just been OKAY. This sentiment has been echoed by others I've eaten with as well. Most of the food we've tried has felt like it's missing something flavour wise. The portions are also pretty small for the price. With the amount of glowing reviews for this place, I feel like I owe it to try them again when they bring back their full menu. At the moment though, I'm not inclined to come back. read more

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The best margarita and guacamole in town. The papas and tacos are spectacular too. I would have never thought to order the avocado taco but it was so good! I eat at Corto Lima more than any other restaurant in town. Ingredients taste fresh and intelligently paired. Plus the staff are always so kind! read more

Corto Lima - Avocado taco (so good!) - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Delicious! Friend highly recommended it and we had a great experience. Thanks for taking me, Ali!!

We came to Corto Lima to celebrate our 20th anniversary and it was perfect. The queso & fresh chips were excellent, the papas were awesome and the empanadas and tacos were super tasty. We also enjoyed the mango margarita & margarita de casa. Our server was very friendly and attentive and the decor and atmosphere was super fun. It was totally worth the trip from Cincinnati for the experience. read more

Corto Lima - Margaritas - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We got there around 5 and was able to get a table right away. The service was fantastic and very quick. The food here was so amazing! I highly recommend!! I got the house margarita and spicy margarita... if you like spicy I definitely would get their spicy marg! read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I seriously cannot say enough great things about this place. I had some sort of grapefruit Margarita that they were serving that day and it was so good. I ordered the chicken tacos and we all shared an order of queso too. Everything was delicious and our waiter was super helpful with choosing drinks for us to try! We also got the cutest little pst card type of thing to take home which I just thought was so adorable and you should for sure check them out if you're in the area! read more

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We got take out and ordered the steak tacos, pork tacos, salsa trio Nd street corn. The salsa trio was by pretty good but everything else was standard if not a little sub. The steak tacos were a bit salty while the pork tacos were too sweet. The street corn was also pretty salty. The rice and beans that came with the tacos were bland. On top of that, the tacos were overpriced. Overall just nothing to write home about. read more

Great food and service! The place was packed and our wait time was very minimal. I would definitely revisit next time we are in Lexington.

I went to Corto Lima for a late lunch on Sunday afternoon. We were not able to call and make a reservation, but we only waited about five minutes before we were seated inside. We ordered the chips and guacamole to start which had a very nice presentation. We then ordered the pulled pork tacos and the chicken tacos. They each came with a side of your choice of beans and rice. The service was quick and the atmosphere is nice and laid back. It was a good experience and I would love to come back again! read more

Corto Lima - Adobo Chicken Taco - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Food was delicious! The daily special- green Chile chicken enchiladas with black beans was DELICIOUS, tons of chicken, very well seasoned, and only $18. The pork tacos have jalapeño honey salsa drizzle which is amazing and the pork was flavorful. Rice was over cooked and mushy. Both margaritas and salsa trio were also great. Service was efficient and wait staff were all very nice. Would recommend read more

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Great customer service and pork tacos. The rice was a bit too limey for me but still yum!

If you're looking for authentic peruvian food THIS IS NOT IT. Not enough plate options, this is not peruvian food. Just fancy shmanshy over priced food. I really wanted papa huacaina, etc read more

Great place. Obsessed with the plants. We were not ready to drink again yet from the previous nights events, but the way the bartender described the blood orange margarita swayed us anyway. Queso was awesome. The menu had a wide variety and everything we had was great. I recommend the Cubano and margarita. Great location too! read more

Corto Lima - Cubano Pequeno - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Oh my goodness I love their tamales. The service is great. The inside is clean and very hip- totally instagramy. It's a very bright and pretty place. It's enjoyable to be inside. read more

My girlfriend was in town from FL and Corto is one of her favorites. We were very fortunate to walk up and get a table outside and Maddie C greeted us with the friendliest smile I've ever seen! Maddie had several tables, but never missed a beat attending to our needs. Always a big smile and a fun story to share when she thought we wanted one. Completely recommend the great food, MADDIE and sitting outside, downtown on a 75 degree night to people watch with a friend. Thanks Maddie!! read more

First I want to be clear crystal clear...Save room for the Tres Leches Cake or you will be sorry! First visit to this hot n trendy spot and was it ever worth it. I'm Gluten Free because of an illness and appreciate a chef having so many GF and Vegan options on his menu. First the Chips...best ever served anywhere! Hot n salty right out of the fryer were just simply yummy! Now the GF Queso ok it queso no biggie right...noooooo not this Queso I donk know what was in it but it was terrific you gotta order it plus Chorizo! GF Guacamole is another can't miss and delicious and presented beautifully. Tostones...yummy! Green Chili Mac & Cheese has Jake's seal of approval! Everyone had a bite but me (the GF thing) and all loved it. Blue corn empanadas good also GF, Spicy shrimp tacos also good and GF. GF Steak tacos with pablano crema very tasty. Home made salsa's on the table very good too! Spicy so taste a little and if heat with flavor is your thing pour it on! Now for the Tres Leches...my wife is very critical of desserts I mean like a prison guard on no sleep down right mean at times. My daughter said her eyes were lit up like she was on drugs it was that good. Wife said it was great and the 2nd best dessert around from her... that was like winning the Powerball twice in the same week! The place isn't big so if they are busy expect a wait don't worry it will be worth it. Jessie our server was good and friendly. He was rewarded with a 25% tip on a big check! Prices might seem to some as a bit high but for what you get they are good. Won't hesitate going again! My new most favorite spot in Lexington...much appreciated Chef & Staff! read more

Corto Lima - Latin American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The space inside is super cute, and they do have a wonderful drinks menu. But really, for a place downtown, I would expect better food. The guacamole and queso are both delicious. The small plates are pricey but well worth it (get the jackfruit, or the crab). But the mains? For some reason, they fall short . It may be because you have higher expectations after those delicious little bites previous, or just because you get so hungry waiting for the food. Whatever the reason, I was not a fan of my salt chicken, or my friend's pork. If I go back, it'll just be for the drinks and small plates. read more