Earlier this year, National Geographic named Louisville, Kentucky as the "Number One Food City in the World." While this comes as no surprise to Louisville natives and foodies alike, others around the world may be scratching their heads as to how a random Kentucky city beat out the likes of Lyon, France, Osaka, Japan, and Bologna, Italy for the coveted number one spot. The dish that won Louisville the title of food capital of the world was none other than the Hot Brown, the famous open-faced turkey sandwich invented at the Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
The restaurant scene of Louisville reflects the population that inhabits it. It is diverse both in types of cuisine and in its price range. As is probably expected, there are a number of restaurants serving southern fare, but there are just as many others serving a wide range of cuisines, including Middle Eastern, Mexican, Ethiopian, Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean, Cuban. If you can name it, Louisville most likely has at least one, if not more, restaurants serving it.
The following is a list of seven of the best restaurants in Louisville, in no particular order.
1. Jack Fry's
Rated as Louisville's #1 restaurant by the website TripAdvisor, this American-style restaurant is famous for its charming fine-dining atmosphere and its excellent food. Reservations are recommended, as this place is wildly popular and getting a table can be quite the challenge.
2. Volare
Another one of Louisville's consistently top rated establishments, this fine dining Italian restaurant is open seven days per week, serving dinner only. They offer one of the most extensive wine lists in all of Louisville, as well as a wide variety of bourbon. It also happens to be the only place in Louisville that serves an authentic osso buco, a slow cooked veal shank served over saffron risotto with rosemary.
3. Seviche
This laid back, yet upscale Latin restaurant is located on the bustling Bardstown road, home to a number of Louisville's finest eateries. The changing seasonal menu offers a variety of fresh fish while maintaining the guidelines set by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. Owner and executive chef Anthony Lamas has been featured on the Food Network a number of times.
4. Tokyo
Louisville offers a wide range of sushi restaurants, but Tokyo is by far the best that the city has to offer. Often overlooked because of its location, this restaurant is truly one of the best-kept secrets of Louisville.
5. Rivue
This restaurant boasts one of the best views in the city, with a 360-degree view of downtown as well as the Ohio River, making it the perfect spot to view the sunset over dinner. However, stunning view notwithstanding, it is the cuisine that attracts food lovers of all walks of life to this establishment.
6. River House
This brand new restaurant is owned by successful chef and restauranteur John Varanese, the owner of Varanese Vietnamese Bistro on Bardstown Road. Veranese revamped the location formerly known as River City Boat Marina into an upscale seafood restaurant featuring a raw bar. While this restaurant is new on the scene, it is sure to become one of Louisville's finest.
7. The Oakroom
Located in the Seelbach Hotel in downtown Louisville, this restaurant features a wine selection of 900 different varieties and a collection of 50 of the best bourbons that Kentucky has to offer. Chef Nick Sullivan infuses Mediterranean and European influences into locally grown and raised ingredients while sommelier Aaron Wilson uses his expertise to recommend the perfect drink to accompany your meal.
The variety and sheer number of superb restaurants that Louisville has to offer makes this city a foodie paradise. It is definitely deserving of the title of "Number One Food City in the World."
