• Intermezzo Cafe and Cabaret
    Actors Theatre's Intermezzo evokes a French bistro with its menu and decor. Popular dishes include Parmesan-crusted tilapia and crepes du jour. When the theater is dark, so is the restaurant.
    561-3344
    intermezzolouisville.com
    $$$ | Downtown | Upscale Casual
  • Bendoya Sushi Bar
    This downtown lunch spot offers a selection of sushi as well as Japanese favorites like miso and udon noodle soup.
    581-0700
    $ | Downtown | Japanese
  • J. Graham's Cafe
    The Brown Hotel’s more casual restaurant provides a chance to eat the Hot Brown at its natal site — along with other sandwiches, salads and entrées. Features a lunch buffet on weekdays and a contemporary a la carte menu. Breakfast buffet on weekends.
    583-1234
    brownhotel.com
    $$ | Downtown | Cafes
  • Harvest Restaurant
    Because at least 80 percent of Harvest’s ingredients are sourced from local farms and producers, the only things that stay the same at this trendy new place are the seasonal changes. But with entrées like buttermilk fried chicken and smoked pork shoulder as the backbone of the menu, you can’t go wrong.
    384-9090
    harvestlouisville.com
    $$$ | Downtown | Upscale Casual
  • Hillbilly Tea
    This Appalachian-inspired tea house serves its own brand of organic teas alongside a menu of mountain favorites including smoked catfish, frog legs and bourbon-marinated pork.
    587-7350
    hillbillytea.com
    $ | Downtown | Homestyle
  • Caviar Japanese Restaurant
    The well-designed dining room and two bars add ambiance to a menu that includes sushi, teryiaki and tempura dishes, soups and salads.
    625-3090
    caviarsushibar.com
    $$ | Downtown | Japanese
  • Bistro 301
    Located in a historic building on the lively corner of Third and Market streets, this downtown bistro offers an array of salads and sandwiches for lunch and an eclectic selection of upscale American favorites for dinner.
    584-8337
    bistro301.com
    $$ | Downtown | Bistros
  • Blu Italian Grille
    This downtown spot offers favorite Italian classics with a contemporary flair. Try the sea bass entrée with fingerling potatoes, olives, caper berries and artichoke.
    671-4285
    blugrille.com
    $$$$ | Downtown | Upscale Casual
  • Doc Crow’s
    Doc Crow’s offers a taste of the coastal South in a chic setting on Whiskey Row. Oysters are a specialty — try them raw, fried, or baked — as well as po’ boys and pulled pork sandwiches.
    257-7132
    doccrows.com
    $$$ | Downtown | Upscale Casual
  • The Cafe
    The perennially popular eatery offers outdoor seating and a brunch menu served all day Saturday and Sunday. The tomato-dill soup is a house specialty, and salads and sandwiches include names like The Naturalistic and The Louis XIV (chicken salad with apple slices and lettuce).
    589-9191
    thecafetogo.com
    $ | Downtown | Cafes