Louisville, Kentucky is a great city for food and coffee, museums and parks, and of course, cocktail bars and distilleries! Planning a trip there soon? Here are some of the best things to do in Louisville!
Quills Coffee is a local favorite for freshly roasted beans, espresso, brewed coffee and other treats. They have five locations around Louisville (plus others in Indianapolis and Prospect, Kentucky).
One of our favorites is the NuLu location, built in an old firehouse. It’s an ideal stop if you need a quiet moment or want to start a day exploring Louisville. (Check out their Baxter Avenue location here.)
More information: quillscoffee.com
The newly established North of Bourbon is a beautiful and cozy place that combines a dynamic selection of bourbon with New Orleans-inspired food.
The bourbon list easily exceeds 300 selections at any given time.
And the food is stellar. It ranges from seafood gumbo to oysters, pork boudin dumplings to a country ham plate.
More information: northofbourbon.com
It should come as no surprise that Louisville is full of excellent cocktail and bourbon bars. Many of them offer unique experiences such as classes, tastings and guided tours.
At Prohibition Craft Spirits you can take a cocktail class to learn the basics and then hit the bar!
Learn more: prohibitioncraftspirits.com
Start the day off right with a good breakfast! Locals will point you to Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe as a favorite.
Blue Dog is a bustling coffee shop and bakery on Frankfort Avenue that serves coffee, fresh bread and pastries, and hearty breakfasts with a focus on sandwiches and tartines.
More information: bluedogbakeryandcafe.com
After breakfast at the Blue Dog, take time to stroll down Frankfort Avenue, with a solid collection of shops, boutiques and restaurants.
You’ll find everything from record stores to art galleries, coffee shops and brewpubs, old haunts to lounges. If you’re still hungry, there are plenty of options for dinner, from sushi to Mexican, Mediterranean to Thai. Would you recommend brunch at The Silver Dollar?
Louisville lands firmly within the confines of the popular Kentucky Bourbon Trail, with stops like Angel’s Envy, Kentucky Peerless, Copper & Kings. One of our favorites is the Rabbit Hole Distillery and its state-of-the-art facility in the center of town.
You can visit the bottle shop downstairs or book a Rabbit Hole tour, but we recommend a stop at their Overlook cocktail bar and tasting room on the third floor. It offers beautiful views of downtown Louisville while you sample their bourbons and ryes or sip a cocktail.
More information: rabbitholedistillery.com
Not far away, Old Forester Distilling Co. offers guided tours, tastings, a full cocktail bar and classes in its facilities.
The space beautifully blends historic elements with modern conveniences, and includes a cocktail bar, bottle shop and views of the tall stills.
The neighborhood around Old Forester, full of bars and restaurants, invites even more to explore.
More information: oldforester.com/distillery
If you know your way around the downtown Omni Louisville Hotel, you might just find your way to an underground underground bar… complete with a bowling alley.
Pin + Proof at the Omni Hotel includes a full cocktail bar, an interesting bar snack offering and, if you fancy, a couple of bowling alleys where you can throw a few pints. Score it eight, friend.
Learn more: omnihotels.com/hotels/louisville/dining/pin-and-proof
North Louisville, or NuLu (also known as the East Market District) features a modern collection of shops, restaurants, bars, distilleries, historic properties and more.
Just to the north is Butchertown (home of Butchertown Grocery Bakery), where you can spy a house where Thomas Edison lived briefly early in his professional life.
NuLu is where you’ll find places we’ve already mentioned like Quills Coffee and Rabbit Hole Distillery.
Many of the streets are lined with historic buildings, some of which have been converted into AirBnbs that are perfect options for your stay.
More information: nulu.org
In the heart of NuLu you will discover one of the must-see stops for dinner: La Bodeguita de Mima, a beautiful Cuban restaurant and rum bar in a gigantic old house.
La Bodeguita’s menu ranges from empanadas to stuffed tostos, rice with chicken to old clothes. It’s highly recommended you make reservations for dinner.
More information: labodeguitademima.com
The Butchertown Grocery Bakery offers another perfect option to start the day.
The bakery and cafe around the corner offers good coffee, fresh pastries and breakfast sandwiches.
Learn more: facebook.com/butchertowngrocery
There are many great places to stop throughout Louisville. On our most recent trip, we stopped by Woodford Reserve in Versailles for a quick tasting.
The Woodford property is set in a picturesque valley and offers guided tours of its historic grounds, as well as a modern bottle shop and cocktail bar where you can sample their offerings.
More information: woodfordreserve.com/our-distillery
If you’re anywhere in bourbon country, a visit to Castle & Key Distillery is a must. The eclectic grounds feature a rich history, with a collection of historic buildings, gardens and meeting spaces. And their bourbon and gin are excellent.
Read all the details in Discovering the Rich History of the Castle and Key Distillery: A Journey Through Time and Bourbon!
Just a stone’s throw from Castle & Key is The Stave, an easily understated roadside stop with an amazing selection of bourbon and dynamic Southern-inspired menus.
At The Stave you’ll find rare bourbons and interesting cocktails, homemade pimento cheese, catfish and grits, honey fried chicken and more.
Learn more: kentuckyprojects.wixsite.com/thestaveky/