Lilly’s Bistro

My wife and I were without the kids so we wanted to enjoy a «grown up» dinner together. I wanted to try somewhere we haven’t been to yet, so we picked Lilly’s.
The service was good overall, the appetizer wasn’t delivered until our salads were finished, and our meal came out when we finished our app. This may have been a coincidence, but given the server’s attention to detail I am giving them credit for being well trained. So why 3 stars? The food, unfortunately, was not as good as the service.
Truthfully I would give it 3 ½ stars, if that were possible. We weren’t brave enough to try the «Calamari Nachos» so the server suggested that they could prepare it as just calamari even though it’s not on the menu. My wife ordered the crab cake. Both of these were excellent. The crab cake, in particular, was well prepared. But the sauces were not special. The calamari was complemented with a bland (to me) remoulade. The crab cake was served with a deli mustard. At least the mustard was flavorful, if nothing special. If we had ordered just these dishes, I would still have given 4 stars — they were very well prepared. But i ordered the day’s special, swordfish steak. The side of greens, the rice bed, were very good. But the fish, oh no, was overcooked and not particularly flavorful. I generally avoid ordering fish in restaurants that don’t specialize in it, but I was willing to give them a chance. Unfortunately I was reminded why I don’t get fish in most places.
We may return one day, and I’ll stick with their regular menu items. I expect that to be better. But given the fuss (from writers/​reviewers) I was hoping for more.

A quaint bistro though the food is NOT worth it. One of the worst Caesar salads and frites. The dressing was grotesquely thick and appeared to have been squeezed out of a pastry bag in a wavy design attempting to be unique #epicfail. The romaine was mediocre.
The crab cake was alright and it was a crab cake with the plate slathered in a over spiced spread. My guest said what’s with all the spread on the plate? Am I to drown my crab cake. The burger was very nice though a bit tall making it slightly awkward to eat. The frites were not seasoned uniformly so the top was heavily sea salted.
Glad we went so know we will not go again.
The waiter was satisfactory, the owner was to focused on specific people, though the young man who cleared the table and kept our drinks filled was on point! He is the only reason I gave 2 stars. The wine list was wonderful and probably the reason for the award.
We have been to Michelin star restaurants and Beard award winning restaurants though this was a disappointment.

I was very excited to be going to Lilly’s for lunch today with friends. Unfortunately, the experience did not live up to what I had previously heard about this restaurant. We arrived at about 1:00 on a Friday afternoon. As we walked in we were somewhat impressed to see the accolades on the walls, including several James Beard award nominations. These must have been in the past, because it was currently not on par with those standards.
First, we were seated right away at a nice corner table. The waiter came about 5 minutes later and told us the specials. He also took our drink order. Sounds great, right? WRONG!!! We did not receive those drinks for 30 minutes. After about 15 minutes, he came and took our meal orders. Both of my friends ordered the pre fixe. The waiter came back about 10 minutes later and told us that they had just run out of the entrée from the pre fixe meal. Remember, we came at 1:00, and the restaurant had few other patrons. How could they run out of the main dish that early!!! My friends changed their order to get the crab cake and a beet salad. I chose the brisket sandwich. We then waited over 30 minutes for our meals. Once we finished our meals, we had to request a desert menu. We then ordered the crème brûlée., which came about 10 minutes later. I was not impressed with the puff pastry. It was another 10 – 15 minutes before we received our bill, which the waiter made a mistake when splitting the bill. No big deal, he took them back to correct them. Until I started signing my bill, when I realized he charged me the same amount as my friends’ bills which was several dollars more than my bill. So, that took time to work out.
In the end, the food was just okay, and the service was severely lacking. Not a good day at Lilly’s.

We went specifically to Lilly’s from Cincinnati because we heard great things. It did not disappoint. The four of us each had something different. My hubby had the fish and chips which said were good yet he wished he had ordered something else after seeing our meals. Another guest ordered the hamburger. He said it was the best burger he had EVER had!

Good bar vibe, but lacks on the ability to delight a diner. The goal is to make you wait, pack you in and take your cash. Poorly run hostess stand that is as fake as you can get. Bypass it, go straight to the bar or go down the street. A reservation is as fake as the made up maiden.

I know it is hard finding a place that is open in Louisville on any major holiday. Which is why I was delighted to see Lilly’s was taking reservations via Unilocal SeatMe for Christmas day. What an unexpected treat! So I made the reservation at the very beginning of December, so as to ensure a spot for me and my mother, who was traveling from Indianapolis to see me over Christmas.
I got a confirmation, and Christmas Day my mom and I get dressed, and drive over to the restaurant. I am horrified to see a cold, dark building in front of us. They are closed??? No one EVER called us or notified us about this, or that there might have been an error, and like I said, they had more than two weeks in which they had this info!!! In a blind panic I call every place I can think of. Nope, everything is either closed or fully booked.
I couldn’t even go to a GROCERY STORE at this point — NOTHING was open. So you know what my Christmas dinner was this year? Cheese and crackers in the kitchen of my apartment!
Now, I never, ever complain or threaten to not support a place I don’t like, I think too many times people do that in order to score free stuff from a business and trying to scam so they aren’t giving constructive criticism. However, I could not remain silent about this and sent an email telling my story and how upset I was that basically my Christmas was ruined. I get a rather blasé and dismissive response back that said «We’ve had a lot of issues with the SeatMe application and are no longer using it. I know this does not justify the situation, but I just wanted to let you know how sorry we are and that we hope you give us another try in the future. For the most reliable information regarding our hours and reservations, please visit our website: www​.lillys​bistro​.com»
Really, Lilly’s? Really? THAT’S your response to my complaint? I mean, I wasn’t expecting a parade with gold trinkets to be thrown at me over this but that is CRAZY. This was Christmas, not some random Friday night outing that the reservation got messed up on.
Essentially, my opinion of this place is forever tarnished, and I simply cannot recommend it. Especially when there is such a plethora of other options along Bardstown. Save your money. And if dining out over a holiday I suggest calling and speaking to a manager or an owner, dont leave your plans to chance by a reservation system or some employee low on the chain.

First things first: the food at Lilly’s was good, dare I say fantastic? My fiancé and I came here for our anniversary dinner. I chose to have a couple of Miller Lite’s while he went for an Old Fashioned that he described as, «stout but tasty.» On the food front we went with the Pimento Cheese Wontons, Crab Cakes, and the Saratoga Ribeye (that was my fiancé’s choice — I don’t really eat steak.) The Pimento Cheese Wontons with the Broadbent Bacon vinaigrette were to die for. I wanted to order 6 more plates and hoard them all! The Crab Cakes were equally delicious, not much filler and plenty of crab and they were set off perfectly with the bourbon remoulade.
So with all of the above accolades, why did I give Lilly’s just 3 stars? The atmosphere and the service were just subpar! The atmosphere at Lilly’s is very dark. I can appreciate ambiance but Lilly’s feels very dated. A dining room makeover would serve them very well. As of now, it definitely caters to the older Highland’s crowd — I think we were the youngest people in there. I can’t pinpoint exactly why but, despite the fact that we were dressed nicely, I just felt out of place there.
The service was very friendly but was also very slow. We waited for quite a while before we saw our waitress and then we waited at least 10 minutes for our drinks. That being said, our food did come out promptly and, as stated above, was worth the price!
While I am glad that I tried it, I don’t know that I will go to Lilly’s again. I think there are better places in the city with comparable food but with a much better atmosphere!

This is what I like about bistro food; simple dishes executed well. The fried eggplant was really, really good. Fried oysters and grits completed a very tasty lunch.

I’ve heard lots of good things about Lilly’s, but my visit with my parents was pretty disappointing. I love La Peche right next door, so I was hoping I would Lilly’s too. First of all, I’m not a big fan of the dining room. The decoration is confusing, and the interior feels a bit old and dated. The servers were friendly and polite, but they couldn’t make up for the atmosphere, which I would describe as pretty boring.
We ordered the calamari nachos ($ 12) to start. They were just okay – nothing to rave about, to be honest. For entrees, we ordered the Saratoga ribeye ($ 34), the stonecross pork chop ($ 26), and the farmer’s plate ($ 26). Overall, the entrees were, again, nothing special, which was disappointing when you consider the price.

I haven’t had the opportunity to try a lot restaurants in Louisville but we’re glad we tried Lilly’s. Enticed by the other reviews and the fact that Chef/​owner won in Throwdown, we chose to eat here, and glad that we did! The service was gracious and friendly. The atmosphere was comfortable. The highlight for us was Lillys board. Outstanding eggplant preparation on board with whole roasted garlic, the tastiest ham and cheese. Ended the meal with over the top caramel cake.

This was an excellent dining experience. We were in town for the Kentucky State Fair Horse show and was recommended by friends at the show. We darted with the Lilly’s Plate which was just right for two people to share. Cheese, local ham, fried egg plant all were very good. My wife had the veal scaloppine and I had the pork chop. Both were very good. The pork chop was the most succulent I have ever had in a restaurant. Service was perfect.

Saw it on Diners, Drive ins and Dives. Drove from Georgia to Kentucky to eat there (on the way to Indy) and it was worth the side trip. Great bar, excellent wine, and the Chicken Nicoise Salad was awesome. Crab cake was PURE crab, super delicious. The hamburger is no regular burger, extra juicy and full of flavor. Do yourself a favor and try this place.

We had a weekend getaway planned when we saw Kathy on Beat Bobby Flay. She did so amazing, we decided it would fun to visit her restaurant while in Louisville. The food was 5 stars! The entire staff was amazing and made us feel like we were the only customers in the restaurant. We were also excited to possibly see Kathy, who was there and visiting with all of the tables. She sat, visited with us, and made us feel like we were guests in her home. This was one of the best overall culinary experiences!

A little disappointing. I found Lilly’s to be quite pricey for the experience. Ambiance was jus so-​so,
and service was slow and unprofessional. While I understand the long honored tradition of adding an automatic gratuity to parties of six or more, I was stunned to see it was 20%(usually 18). The food was good, drinks reasonable. I’m a generous tipper when warranted, but like to feel somewhat in control of my generosity. In summary, I cannot recommend this restaurant, nor will I return. Extremely disappointed

I want to tell you… no, I am compelled to tell you that we had a most exquisitely delightful meal at Lilly’s last evening. First, I want to thank Brennon the bartender for his professional and friendly service. He clearly knows his craft and his selections. If you’re visiting soon, ask for a Spring Old Fashioned. And if you’re of the mind, go for the Pappy Van Winkle tasting flight. It’s worth it. :-)
Now, on to the meal. The owner had envisioned this simple, yet amazing soup: tomatillo-​avocado. It was spectacular! Check it out before its off the menu. We then migrated to center cut ribeyes with gnocchi and asparagus. Oh, forgot the equally delightful fried oysters! Nothing about this meal was below excellent quality. And the service, again, was outstanding! Thank you for a wonderful experience. We’d recommend Lilly’s for a superior dining and drinking experience!

Came here Derby night.
When you serve 3 star food (being generous), you can’t charge $ 100/​person. I’ve gladly payed four times that for a single meal, but the food was great, service was great, ambiance was great…
I understand that the local businesses like to raise prices for Derby weekend, but if you do, you must bring your A game. Again, the food was okay, but just okay. Service was poor – not so-​so, but poor. We were «served» by the bartender, Josh, who checked on us one time during our sad prix fixe meal, but did that in passing. Our food was delivered by a few other impersonal servers. Besides a server assistant who never let our water glasses empty, and the hostest (the young one), the staff is inattentive and dull. On top of the bad service, they added auto gratuity of 20% after giving us 10% service. I could understand if the guy was slammed, but he wasn’t. Seviche, down the road, gave us much better food and service the night before, so perhaps a staff field trip there would help.
Charge what you want, but make it worth it. This place surrendered before they opened their doors by offering that sad menu, and then gave poor service and had the audacity to make up for it by allowing auto grat.
The staff failed, but more importantly, the management and ownership failed.

The rosemary potato bread was awesome. The pear salad was ok. The greens had an earthy peppery taste I wasn’t thrilled about. The truffle Fries were very good. The crab cake was small for the price but it was really good and so was the sauce. My friend really liked her gyro. My other friend had the harvest cob salad and wasn’t keen on the greens either.

Everytime I think it’s the best lunch ever, they outdo themselves. Pumpkin bisque was
outstanding. Striped bass/​risotto and truffle fries uniquely delicious. Dessert– bread pudding with a Pappy van Winkle bourbon sauce– defies description. Service second to none. It gets no better than this.

I have hesitated a bit to write this review. I have been to a lot of really, really great restaurants in Louisville but for some reason had never been to Lilly’s until last week. I have always heard great things about the food and service and was so excited to go. Sadly, I was not impressed. I would go 3 ½ stars for food, but 2 or 3 for atmosphere and service.
The décor is a bit dated and felt a little dull and not very romantic.
My husband and I went on ½ price wine Wednesday and ordered a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir for $ 21. Sweet! The hostess that greeted us and took us to the table was very friendly and the night was starting off well. The server told us about the specials and gave us some bread with amazing infused olive oil to enjoy with our wine. We chose to do a 3 course prix fixe dinner.
I started with the soup of the day which was a creamy eggplant topped with shrimp and my husband had a melon salad. Both were delicious and at this point, the service was great. Next, I had salmon with quinoa and my husband had a perfectly prepared skirt steak. We enjoyed both, but nothing really special. After our entrees were dropped off by the food runner, we only saw our server as he rushed by our table to do other things. He never stopped to pour our wine or ask if we needed anything. Since we did the 3 course, we ordered all at once and had dessert coming, so we figured he was just busy.
Well, the food runner brought our desserts — I had a rich, flourless chocolate torte that was out of this world good. My husband had a peach ice cream that neither of us cared for. It was not creamy at all. Just blah. We were out of wine and wanted another glass or possibly another bottle, but no one came back to our table. I was frustrated but decided we were ready to move on. We couldn’t find our server to get the check. Finally, the manager came by and we asked him for the check. We still tipped well as I was a bartender for 7 years and I hate to stiff someone if maybe they were just having a bad night.
\
Bottom line– the food is pretty good. They do have a special small plate menu on Wednesdays that may be even better. If we go back– it will be to try that. The prices were a bit high for what you get and the service was not up to par for sure. I hope that we can try it again and I can update my review later. There are just too many fabulous restaurants in Louisville to spend money in a place that is average.

I’m between a 3 and a 4, so I’ll say this is a 3.5.
The décor surprised me a bit. It feels kind of South American-​Latin, but the food isn’t that type at all. It’s more of an American-​based offering.
We made reservations for a Thursday evening. I was surprised it was so busy when we walked in. A good sign, I thought. We were seated in a corner at a very small table with a bench I greatly disliked. For one thing, when someone at the complete other end of the long bench moved, got up, or sat down, I felt it. Another couple arrived after us and got a big booth to themselves. Jerks.
The bourbon list is extensive. I got some sort of cocktail with bourbon in it an it was good. My husband got an old fashioned and he liked it — very strong.
We had a groupon which was for a prix fixe meal. The choices were somewhat limited, which was a disappointment. We also noticed the Lilly’s inflates the value of their groupon. When we were comparing prices on the regular menu to those on the special prix fixe menu, the savings by using the groupon was negligible.
In any case, I started with a beet and goat cheese salad, which was good.
The main course wasn’t great. We both ordered the steak. I ordered it medium well and my husband ordered it medium. When the plates came, they were given to the wrong person, even after we specified how we ordered the steak. For medium, it was overdone. My dish was cooked properly, but I found so much fat on the steak. The asparagus and potato sides were really good.
For dessert, we both had lavender ice cream. It was great, probably one of my favorite parts of the meal. My one complaint about it (if it could be considered a complaint) is that there was just too much of it. The lavender is a potent flavor — one scoop would certainly have sufficed over the 3 we were each served.
I don’t live in the area, but if I did, I might give this place another try. If I had another meal like this one, I don’t think I’d go a third time.

3.5
We came here for dinner this past weekend and had a pretty good meal. The wait staff was professional and friendly. The meal began with these little pastries that had onions, pesto, cheese, etc. and was delicious.
For our entrees, we ordered the lobster ravioli and the «Old Hat Cattle Company Burger» with summer succotash as a side. Both dishes were good. however, not worth the price. When I go to a $$$-rated restaurant, I expect to be wow-​ed by the food. The burger was certainly a «good burger» but nothing I haven’t tasted before. The ravioli was in a wonderful sauce and had a flavorful filling but the texture of the ravioli was too hard.
I’d recommend. but I’m sure there are similar restaurants out there that are a better value.

What disappointment. When we lived in Louisville 15 years ago, Lilly’s was IT. Kathy Cary did locally-​sourced farm-​to-​table food before such a thing was cool, and she did it very well. When a friend suggested that we try Lilly’s lunch during our visit this week, we jumped at the chance. The shabby awnings and outdated dining room were tip offs that if we were meeting Miss Havisham for lunch, this would be the right place. The octogenarian lunch set, using walkers and oxygen, were the next clue that Lilly’s might have seen better days.
There were approximately four other tables when we entered, yet this was apparently too much for the two servers, one busboy, and one hostess to handle. Our waitress said she’d «be right with us» and then promptly disappeared for 20 minutes. Then another server told us again that she would «be right with us,» which she most certainly was not. When she finally did attend to us, she was awkward and stiff.
We had by then had quite a long time to peruse the menu, so we were ready to order two bib salads, a pot pie, and the fried oysters and grits. After some time, the waitress reappeared to awkwardly tell us that the chef had «checked on the pot pie and decided they would be unable to serve it today.» That sounded… bad. But we forged ahead and ordered the pulled pork sandwich instead. The bibb salads appeared, with leaves piled loosely on the plate. While this was fresh and serviceable, it was nothing special, and could have used a little more dressing. Quite a long time later, our entrees appeared. The fried oysters with their grits and sauce and crispy onion straws was quite a special dish. The pulled pork was not. Not bad, but not memorable in any way.
The entire experience was awkward and shabby. I felt like we had wandered into an upscale nursing home dining room, and that the entire staff and clientele were just waiting for us to leave. This was very disappointing, because my memories of Lilly’s were so good. Louisville has so much to offer in the way of good food now, there is just no reason to waste a meal here.