We went there last night for weekend dinner. They have their own private lot so helps with parking. Restaurant is in their hotel. We were greeted well and our waitress was very nice. First arrived our bread which included biscuit and corn bread. This accompanied side of butter, honey and some kind of jam with jalapeño. It was pretty good. I ordered their hibiscus poached pear and beet salad which was amazing..portion was small but was delicious.. Next thing was tempura snapper and hubby ordered grippo crusted rabbit.. Fish was good and I don't like rabbit taste so not commenting on that but celeriac purée with this was very less compare to meat portion size.. Last thing was desert which was decent.. Overall good.. Service was excellent.. Nice ambience, food wise very good not exceptional!!! read more

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The décor is light and airy with large windows providing plenty of natural light into the restaurant. One wall has tasteful wallpaper on it and the rest of the restaurant is painted a lovely light blue. I visited Distilled for lunch with five of my coworkers. It wasn't busy and we received excellent service. Our waiter was very friendly and seemed happy to be working there and eager to describe all of the choices on the menu. I ordered the Cuban sandwich with pulled pork and country ham. It came with a side of crispy shoestring French fries. The sandwich had crusty bread and it was delicious. It had a lot of flavor with the combination of the salty ham, pulled pork, pickles, cheese, and a light sauce. All of my coworkers enjoyed their meals as well. read more

I'm giving this 2 stars bc I've been for dinner multiple times & loved it. Today, we went for lunch & it was a major disappointment. I had the philly steak & cheese sandwich & my husband had the meatball sandwich. Both breads were overcooked, super crispy & difficult to bite into. My husband's meatballs were also overcooked. My steak sandwich was SUPPOSED to be like a philly cheese steak, but it was a joke in comparison. The beef was fine - thin, tender & tasted fine. It was supposed to have grilled mushrooms & caramelized onions, but I found only one onion on my sandwich. It was also supposed to have cheddar cheese - that I incorrectly assumed would be a sauce of sorts like the famous Philly sandwich. Instead, it had a sprinkle of shredded cheddar on top that I couldn't even taste. I was also disappointed in the portion size - it was about 4-5" of a French baguette. The meatball sandwich was much more food for less money, served on a full-size brioche bun. ($13 vs $11). My husband literally commented that Hardee's has better brioche buns. Ha! I'm not 100% certain, but I suspect that the skinny fries served with both sandwiches are frozen vs fresh which is another disappointment. They had no skin on & just didn't have that homemade taste we love. I debated getting the bean soup with kale & a salad with pistachio dressing instead. The deciding factor was that the soup & salad would've cost $17 vs my $13 sandwich, which I thought would've been more filling since I skipped breakfast today. I seriously regret getting the "philly steak" & will likely save my visits to Distilled for dinner only. read more

We had the loveliest lunch here a couple of weeks ago. We shared a wonderful salad (I wish I could remember the name of it) that had a fried pimento cheese medallion atop the greens. It was great. When the waitress found out we were dividing the salad, she offered to do that in the kitchen for us and brought us each out a separate plate with a half-portion each. I had the fish tacos and my partner had the Philly cheesesteak. She said her cheesesteak was good. It did seem a bit on the small side though. My fish tacos were excellent. We were celebrating a special occasion and indulged in wine with lunch, which we almost never do. Service was top-shelf. Ambiance is fantastic. read more

Had a few hiccups, but overall an excellent meal and a restaurant I'd certainly recommend. I was never a huge fan of Jonathan's at this location because I thought it was "all hat, no cattle" as the expression goes--all the trappings of a high end restaurant but lacking chops in the kitchen to deliver exciting food. But I've heard so many good things about Heirloom that I was excited when some friends wanted to eat at its sister restaurant in Lexington. In short, we were there over 3 hours and, with drinks, paid quite a bit for the meal, but I felt the evening was well worth the money. I did not think the meal was flawless, however, and would place the experience behind what I've come to expect at Cole's for instance. But here's the rundown: Service and Environment: Service was outstanding throughout. Our server (I think the name was Dylan) appeared to be 18 years old (maybe this says more about my age than his), but was knowledgeable, attentive, friendly, and helpful throughout the evening. I'd heard the restaurant is loud and it proved to be so. I was with a big group and so I didn't mind, but if you are looking for a quiet meal, you may want to come on weekdays, because that Saturday was fairly boisterous. Drinks: My wife and I both enjoyed our cocktails. I've never been a huge fan of rye, but the Barrel Aged Manhattan employed it deftly. Showcased the whiskey but added just a hint of sweetness. The wine list was not incredibly extensive, but certainly had enough to cover most tastes. Drinks were very reasonably priced. I thought the cocktails were actually sort of a bargain at $10-12 given their quality. Food: Didn't get an appetizer, but had the Mache and Brie salad, which was not that exciting, but fine. The brie came sandwiched between what looked like two slices of a baguette and felt very disconnected from the salad. My wife got this salad with Kale, frisee, and quinoa, which was bright, textured, and delicious. My entree was a sea bass special. The skin was not crisp--actually completely soggy--which was disappointing, but the fish was otherwise cooked expertly. The lentils that came with the fish were remarkably good. I would have eaten a plate of them with nothing else and been happy. Others at our table had the filet, the John Dory, and the Marksbury Fried chicken, and everyone returned clean plates to Dylan, raving about the quality of the food. My wife got the chicken, which was tender, with a flavorful breading and a light serving of savory gravy. For dessert, I got the pear and blackberry cobbler, which was good, but which would have benefited from a shift in the proportions (more blackberry, less pear) and a bit longer cooking time on the pear or smaller slices--they were a little less done than I'd want in a cobbler. But again, I think this is a legitimate fine dining restaurant in Lexington that far outshines the previous tenant. Even with a few mistakes, the menu is full of good choices and the kitchen clearly has talented people working back there. Will definitely go again. read more

The gnocchi and filet (two different entrees) were great. I was a little jealous I didn't get the filet. It was cooked to perfection and I had a similarly cooked steak (seared to a crisp on the outside- delicious) in Pittsburgh and it was twice as much. Our waiter (John B.) was sweet and helpful. The only reason for 4 and not 5 stars was the drinks- just okay and some our party had gnats in their drinks- hey, it happens, but $10 for a mediocre, gnatty cocktail loses you a star. I'd go back for sure. read more

Distilled On Jefferson - Gnocchi! - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Ahhhh Distilled....you have won a place in my heart. The decor and ambiance are nice, grown up, but not stuffy. The scene is on the romantic side, but certainly not quiet. All in all great feel for dinner. We started with the tempura halibut. The batter was a little heavy for tempura, but cooked expertly and topped with an amazing yuzu sauce and fresh radishes, scallions and celery. Fresh, bright and delish. I will recall that dish very fondly. Mmmmm... I had the local greens salad...dressed expertly with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. There was this fried pimento cheese addition that was warm and gooey and added a great salty and creamy element. Hubby had the pear and beet salad which was also fabulous. Sweet paired with a mild gorganzola or blue cheese. Great combo. For entrees I had the pork shank on grits....just yummm....yummmm....yummm. Hubs had the fried chicken. The Pork shank was on the sweeter side while the fried chicken more savory...both were worth getting again and again. For desert I had the Chocolate bavarian with 2 different ice creams. One was popcorn ice cream which literally made me forget what the other even was. Chocolate, creamy and beautiful. The Eclair cake was my husbands choice. Also really tasty and chocolately, but we agreed I won desert. We were running even to that point. We both had excellent cocktails...vanilla old fashioned for me and a vodka based lavender thyme lemonade followed by the gin and grapefruit offering. I am not a gin drinker, but that was a tatsy cocktail. This place is great....we are alreay talking about our next visit. Must try!!! read more

I visited Distilled for the second time this weekend. We were seated in the bar, which had a nice vibe but I would have preferred the dining room. The martinis and wine were excellent, as well as the cheese plate and the scallops which we were able to order as an entree rather than as an app as they are on the menu. We had a great time and our server was great, but make sure to allow a couple of hours for dinner. It's not an in and out kind of place. read more

Distilled provides a wonderful atmosphere, which is thoughtfully paired with their incredible food and drink options. I have always had an excellent experience when dining and it's always great to catch a Ben Lacy performance. read more

One of the most unique experiences you will find not just in Lexington but in the state. The plated contrasts are lively and expressive. The menu is simple enough to allow the culinarians to deliver excellent creations. This is a true craft/artisan food and drink experience. Highly recommended. The setting can be odd the way the Inn and restaurant layout but it made for an excellent experience. Bravo!!! read more

Great appetizers & main courses-- very mediocre desserts. We had crab cake, Caesar salad, and the burger. Panna cotta and strawberry shortcake were our desserts. read more

Distilled On Jefferson - Crab cake appetizer - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We stumbled upon this gem just walking in the neighborhood. The ambience was just wonderful. Very tasteful and comfortable. The bartenders were especially gifted and friendly. The fried catfish made us swoon. Highly recommend! read more

Very nice place. Cozy. The food was well displayed. The scallop appetizer item was really flavorful and the lamb dinner item was plentiful. I touched it up with a pinch of salt here and there to bring more flavor to it. But it was beautiful. read more

Distilled On Jefferson - The lamb dinner item. - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The atmosphere, cocktails and appetizer (Meatballs with Grits) were GREAT! We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant and food and drinks. What has earned a 3 star rating is the amazing rudeness and lack of interaction of the bartender. She made zero eye contact and hardly spoke to us. We had to wait 10 minutes before she even acknowledged we were siting there. Having been a server in the past, I even wondered if she was in the weeds. But as time passed and we tried to engage her, we realized her actions had nothing to do with her work load. As the person who is on the front line as the face of your wonderful restaurant, she is doing you a tremendous disservice. It is not the reputation you want and deserve. Best of luck and we will give you another try when we're back in Lexington. read more

Distilled was the first place we wanted to dine as we arrived in Lexington. The hubby was there for the bourbon trail, I was there to explore the food scene. We heard good things about Distilled and was all ready to travel to The Sire when we received a call that they had relocated to Jefferson street. No opening night jitters here, the service was flawless and everything we ate and drank were followed by not words, but sounds! Kasey was friendly, professional, providing advice when needed, close, but not hovering. And ALL her advice was spot on! From start to finish the food was phenomenal and the Vanilla and Black Old Fashions are now enjoyed at home. The decor was clean and modern with a nod to traditional features and colors, warm and inviting but not heavy or clubby. I'm just sorry we can't have our very own outpost of Distilled!! read more

My business is food, beverage and farming and I've eaten fantastic farm to table from coast to coast. Some of the very best I've sampled is right here at Distilled. And the friendly and smart welcome provided by all the staff, but especially Jenny behind the bar, made all the difference. read more

Distilled On Jefferson - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

One star for the food, which was excellent. Interesting flavors, which intrigued my palette. One star for the aesthetically pleasing environment. One star for the parking lot. Traveling with older people makes this a necessity. Service was terrible though. Not sure if she was having an off day, but everyone in our party noticed her lackluster service. Had to ask repeatedly for things like coffee/drink refills. read more

Love!!! From the staff to the food, everything is perfection. Whether it's a special occasion or you just want a delicious meal, this should be your first choice. Every. Time. read more

Fantastic food. Amazing service. Delicious, ample salads. Wonderful menu. Great drink menu / bourbon list. I will return on any and every trip to Lexington. read more

Great service and restaurant. The bourbon selection is tremendous and priced reasonably, especially for the size of pours they give. The food is delicious too! Somewhat limited menu selection, not sure if this is due to COVID or if it is just their menu. I will definitely be back soon. read more

I am really surprised that no one from this place has responded to my review from such a time ago. I have even given this place a second chance since then. I am afraid to go back to the bar 'unannounced' though because of my initial reception, emails sent without response and also these Yelp reviews. What's up, Distilled? Do you not have internet or is it basic docurem that you lack? read more

We went here for my husband's birthday tonight. The atmosphere was awesome, the food was top notch. They even gave my husband free desert, and the oysters we ordered were on the house! Definitely recommend! read more

Hidden gem in Lexington. Brunch was delicious. Had the chicken, biscuits, and gravy, and frittata of the day. Would recommend both of them and service was top notch. Will be back again soon! read more

Distilled On Jefferson - Frittata of the day: sausage, potato, tomato, chives. Absolutely spectacular. - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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My father and I went here just before I moved away and it was a quaint little place. We sat in the bar with some live music from an incredible guitarist and enjoyed the company. It's certainly and intimate environment which would be good for any special occasion. While the bar is small, the dining room is larger and could probably accommodate parties of 6-8 or so. We had the House Meatballs (delicious), split a Caesar salad (heavy on the anchovies) and split the 16 oz Ribeye with Broccoli Au Gratin. The steak was alright, not mouth watering or full of flavor, but decent. I loved the appetizer but felt that the steak was a bit over priced for the quality of the meal. read more

We started with cocktails - they had a long list of unique cocktails to try. Sad that we had to limit ourselves to one apiece. Appetizer list was similarly creative - I had scallops, my wife had oysters with a corn concoction. She pronounced them the best she had ever had. We both had beef for entree - she the filet, me the rib eye. Mine was wonderful. Fantastically full of flavor. Side dish of broccoli-cheese was delicious as well. She always wants her steaks done Pittsburg - black and blue style. One in 10 restaurants gets this right. Distilled did it perfectly. She loved hers. Start to finish - the most pleasing dinner we have had in a long time - and we eat at restaurants about 3 times a week. This one is a real winner. read more

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner at Distilled, which is located in the Gratz Park Inn near downtown Lexington. The service was great and our food was outstanding. They also have a full bar and make a first class Old Fashioned. We ate at Distilled in October and even though we had a reservation we were seated in the bar area. This time I specified that I wanted to be seated in the main dining room and I was. The menu had a very good variety and even though vegan options weren't on the menu they were willing and able to make adjustments to accommodate my vegan wife. We both were very pleased with our meals. I recommend Distilled. read more

Another amazing dinner at Distilled! Steak was cooked to perfection and the bartender was working magic as usual :-) our server, Pageant, was extremely polite and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed the brief conversations we had with him :-) Can't wait for another date night to return to one of my favorite restaurants in Lexington! read more

We went there as a small group (6) after Thursday Night Live. We had made reservations for the patio. It was a beautiful evening for sitting out. Our server was kind enough but didn't seem overly confident in knowing his menu for the evening and a bit soft spoken:/, but nice enough. We ordered two cheese plates. Good thing, because for $15 a plate they only had 3 pieces of cheese and like 3 crackers! Rip off. As couples we all chose the halibut to split, which was fantastic. I had ordered a wedge which he completely forgot to bring so when the fish arrived I asked and then he brought it out. There was bread for the table, but literally the biscuits were the size a quarter, you know a coin! I've never seen bread so small! When we got the bill there was a split plate fee, which I understand, however our waiter never told us or how much it was going to be for. This really upset one of our table mates. The chef/owners father, Henry came to the table a couple of times to see how we were enjoying supper and was very cordial. But I was charged for the wedge even though he said he was going to take it off our bill since he forgot it. I mean we ate it, but don't say something you aren't going to do! It was a one and done visit. None of us had been so we tried it. Now we know. read more

Very good place to eat! Superb food! Service was a bit slow, but didn't mind the lag due to the pleasant ambiance. I ordered the braised rabbit and my girlfriend ordered the filet. Both were phenomenal. read more

After a long break from Lexington we came back to disappointment. Such a limited menu and I thought arriving at 7:00 we could expect specials but we found out they sold out? Ok we both had a pasta dish on the menu it was so so. The desert menu was also a disappointment. As for the staff, the manager was friendly but the waiter & bartender both did the disappearing act that we experienced at Johnathon's all the time. Wont be back on our next trip up read more

This is the second time we have dined at this Lexington restaurant. In general, the atmosphere and service are excellent. The appetizers of scallops and rabbit were well done and satisfying. We were less happy with the entrées. While the rabbit was touted by the waiter, my wife found it fatty and and not as tender as it should have been. With the addition of apple and berries, the dish never really came together. Similarly, the snapper on ravioli was topped with a sauce that was too sweet. I would definitely ask about other entrees if I should return. read more

We went to Distilled on their second weekend and I am hoping that the extremely poor service we experienced was a result of growing pains and won't continue into the future. We had an 8:15 reservation and were not seated until almost 9pm. At this point, the restaurant was still full, but as we waited 15 minutes to order drinks, tables started to trickle out. In the meantime, a table of 6 (we were 4) was seated behind us, their drink orders were taken and they were given bread. When my companions ordered their drinks, I requested some bread for the table. Our drinks were delivered, the specials recited to us and our waitress disappeared for another 15 minutes. When she came back, we ordered salads and our entrees before she could run off again, and I again requested some bread. At this point, I was out of water, which the waitress did not seem to notice. The salads were served approximately 20 minutes later and she said she had just put some bread in the oven for us. I asked for more water and she said she would be back. She came back 10 minutes later with the bread, which bordered on cold and was definitely not fresh out of the oven and no water. I again asked for water, which was not brought to me. Another fifteen minutes later, our salad plates had not been cleared, but a bus boy brought out our entrees. We juggled some plates around and replaced our salad plates with our entrees. I asked him for water, which he brought in a timely manner. At this point, our waitress had only one other table, an 8 top. After we had all finished our entrees she came and asked if everything had come out alright and if she could bring us anything and if my friends would like more drinks. As we were finished, we didn't need anything further, other than water for the table. She reappeared about 10 minutes later with this and asked if we wanted dessert. At this point, we had been seated over an hour and a half and did not wish to stay for another hour to wait for dessert. We requested our checks and that process took over another half hour. For a considerable portion of this time, our waitress had only the one other table, which she was incredibly attentive to. It seemed that she could not be bothered with the four of us. As for the food, it's hard to be impartial about it as our experience was so tainted by the service. Our salads were good. Two of us had the short ribs, which were well cooked but somewhat bland. Another friend had the grits, which were delicious, but she felt overpriced for the portion size. The star of the meal, however, was the burger. It was so good we all passed it around to try. I will give Distilled another chance, but it will be in a few months. I hope the service issues were either growing pains or one bad apple, but there are too many other nice restaurants in Lexington at that price point to justify spending that much on a meal that was tainted by frustration. read more

We had a reservation for five at 5:30 and arrived at 5:32. When we arrived we were told there was no reservation. He subsequently said he couldn't find our reservation because "you're already seated." (This while we're standing in the hall.) The service was poor. (Examples: Our water glasses were empty for most of the meal. Although one person ordered an appetizer and one person ordered soup, they were served at different times meaning that the other four people watched one person eat the appetizer and then a different person eat the soup.) The five people had very different experiences with the food. The pork chop special was reportedly superb. The snapper was good. The gnocchi was served just above room temperature and the portion was very small. The person who ordered the chicken breast ate less than half and said it was terrible. Desserts were again very variable - the chocolate cup was reportedly excellent as was the ice cream. The green tea cake was described as "interesting" and the almond cake lacked flavor. (Note that the almond "cake" was a "deconstructed" cake and consisted of 5 or 6 one inch cubes of cake with a few berries and an "icing" that was reportedly pistachio but completely lacked flavor.) read more

Wonderful service and terrific food. Their menu has tons of variety, and the flavors all worked very nicely together. We had the scallops as a starter, and my husband had the filet for dinner. They were amazing (as of course I tried them.) I had the special Red Snapper and it was perfect. Mild, everything melded together beautifully. We skipped dessert, but will definitely return to try it some other time. The atmosphere is nice, but it is loud, so be prepared to speak up. I'll take a bit noisy over dead silence though. You know everyone's having a good time ;) read more

Absolutely fantastic. The filet with bone marrow is wonderful, presentation is phenomenal. I have already been 3 times and it keeps getting better every time. I actually prefer this place to heirloom. read more

I really enjoy Distilled at Gratz in Lexington. The staff is so friendly and attentive. The dinning room and bar area are very welcoming. The meals are outstanding. Highly recommend you checking it out if your looking for a great meal in a cozy, relaxed location. read more

Distilled was amazing! Wonderful atmosphere, impressive drink menu--especially for bourbon lovers, spectacular service (Nicole was so knowledgeable) and the food took my breath away. When you decide you need a special treat, this is the place to go! read more

Distilled On Jefferson - Amazing filet! One of the best in town! - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We've dined in the dining room before, but decided to stop in for a couple cocktails in the bar tonight. The bartenders were great and very friendly. Loved their cocktail list, too! read more

Distilled On Jefferson - The Parasol - very refreshing and light. Perfect for a summer evening. :) - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I generally come here and sit at the bar. On Tuesdays, Ben Lacy can be found playing guitar in the bar area. Not a fan of the dining room, but service is excellent and the food is awesome. I always get the filet over the Okinawa sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It's absolutely phenomenal. Their culinary team knows how to do it right. read more

We were guests at this hotel. The hotel and restaurant refused to allow us to eat at the restaurant even though there was clearly available seating. We were extremely disappointed. read more