4 New Louisville Restaurants to Try (+ 2 New Menus!)
Craving something new? These new foodie hotspots are serving French bistro classics, Asian pastries, and Turkish mezze worth the drive across town. Image: Wild Eggs
Fall in Louisville brings a few brand-new eateries worth checking out, including a restaurant serving Turkish fare, a French bistro with classic dishes, and an Asian bakery stocked with unique treats. Plus, a familiar brunch favorite is rolling out fresh new picks. Pop by one of these new Louisville restaurants the next time you’re craving something a little different!
Brisé
Neighborhood: Norton Commons
More Info: opentable.com
Two years after opening artisan bakery and café Crust & Crumb, Debi Hatton has expanded next door with Brisé, a French-inspired bistro that began welcoming customers on September 16.
Debi collaborated with Executive Chef KeJuan Smith on a seasonal menu rooted in French technique and accented with Kentucky ingredients. A Chicago native and Sullivan University graduate, Chef KeJuan began his culinary career at Churchill Downs and most recently served as executive chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak. Early offerings include everything from steak frites to French onion soup.
Several menu items are made in-house each day, including fresh baguettes, desserts, and ice creams. You can also expect a dedicated bread service, chef-selected bites, and palate cleansers between courses — plus afternoon tea and brunch in the near future.
Cafecito
Neighborhood: Old Louisville
More Info: Instagram
Glenda Garcia Cortes and Meghan Jewell launched their family-run, women- and Latina-owned business as a mobile coffee truck in 2023. But as of September 5, the pair has put down roots in Old Louisville. Cafecito is set in the space that once housed Adrienne & Co. Donuts and Desserts, as well as Fleur de Tea.
With their new digs comes an expanded menu of coffee drinks, pastries, and light bites. Pair your beverages with everything from muffins and empanadas to conchas, with lunch fare expected to join the menu in the future. The shop is currently open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week.
Pide Point
Neighborhood: Fern Creek
More Info: pidepoint.com
Family-owned and chef-operated Pide Point began bringing Turkish cuisine to Louisville last month. The eatery gets its name from pide, a boat-shaped Turkish flatbread often compared to pizza. Dough is made in-house each morning, hand-shaped, and baked to order throughout the day.
Try the kiymale pide with ground beef, onion, tomato, and Italian parsley; the peynirli pide with kashkaval cheese and butter; or the kuşbaşili pide topped with hand-cut beef, onion, tomato, and pomegranate sauce.
The menu also boasts marinated chicken kebab, oven-roasted branzino, stuffed eggplant, and kumpir — an oven-baked potato loaded with cheese, sausage, sweet corn, beets, and pickles.
Vegetarian diners can choose cheese pide or any of the five salads, and everything served is halal. Pair your meal with Turkish tea or a frothy ayran yogurt drink, and save room for baklava, caramel-topped trileçe cake, or sütlaç, a baked Turkish rice pudding.
Purple Yum
Area: Hurstbourne Acres
More Info: purpleyumlou.com
Ye Ma and Michelle Zhang launched the Purple Yum in Lexington in March 2025 after noticing a shortage of Asian bakeries in the area. A little more than a year later, they’ve opened a second location in Louisville on South Hurstbourne Parkway.
The 3,000-square-foot bakery is larger than the Lexington original, giving the team space for a dedicated cake room, additional baking capacity, and a more extensive beverage menu. Everything is made from scratch, with display cases filled with Asian-inspired pastries and desserts.
You can also find sweets like pineapple buns, coconut palmiers, mochi doughnuts, sliced cakes, and lots of ube creations, plus several gluten-free options. The Louisville menu also incorporates a local touch, with bourbon cheesecake made using Kentucky bourbon. Featured drinks include the Iced Purple Ube Dream and the Iced Ube Brew Latte.
TRIED AND TRUE WITH SOMETHING NEW
Pasta Garage
Neighborhood: Phoenix Hill
More Info: pastagaragenulu.com
Pasta Garage’s Louisville location opened a refreshed café and market space on September 11. Though the main restaurant continues to serve its fresh pasta menu — including chef’s picks and build-your-own combos — the new café offerings include a variety of coffee, smoothie, and sandwich options. Featured selections include an iced matcha tricolore, Palermo smoothie, Roman PLT, and burrata prosciutto.
Other highlighted drinks and dishes for dine-in and takeout include an iced cannoli latte, layered strawberry matcha, and pressed focaccia sandwiches featuring pesto and fresh mozzarella. The restaurant’s market area also offers take-home options like house-made pasta, jarred sauces, and imported Italian treats.
Wild Eggs
Multiple Locations
More Info: wildeggs.com
Wild Eggs is turning up the heat with “Spice Spice Baby,” a limited-time fall menu available from September 30 through November 24.
The Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich — which comes with fries and chipotle ranch — stacks fried buttermilk chicken on an in-house jalapeño cornmeal waffle with hot honey, candied jalapeño bacon, pepper jack, and chipotle slaw. If you’re craving something sweet, you can order scratch-made Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, which are also available gluten-free.
Other seasonal picks include Sunrise Tostadas, The Wild Pumpkin Latte, a Spicy Mary, and the Caramel Apple Spice Mimosa. There’s also a pumpkin latte (with or without alcohol!) All of the fall selections are offered at every Wild Eggs location while the seasonal menu is in effect, except at Bowling Green, which does not serve alcoholic beverages.
Craving more? Keep scrolling for more recent restauarant opening throughout Louisville!
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AUGUST 2026 UPDATES
If you’re hungry for something new, the Louisville area has plenty of culinary spots worth adding to your list. Local eateries are serving up Italian fare, pan-Asian cuisine, creative takes on familiar favorites, and plenty of other tempting options. Give one of these new Louisville restaurants a try during your next night out!
Basilico Café
Area: Lyndon
More Info: basilicolouisville.com
The space that was home to The Corner Café for 40 years is now Basilico Café. Created by Clay Oven Indian Restaurant owner Raj Bhujel and Manish Shrestha, one of the owners of Tikka House, Basilico Café has retained its Italian flair.
Featured items include chicken parmigiana, blackened spinach dip, and a meatball sub — but the extensive menu offers nearly 40 other options, including pizzas, pastas, soups, salads, and other entrées.
The Lot
Area: Shelbyville
More Info: visitthelot.com
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop to try all kinds of cuisines at once, Shelbyville’s new food truck park has you covered. After seeing a similar property during a trip to Hawaii, owners Rebecca and Derrick Mullins were inspired to create something like it — and thousands of people have visited since its opening.
The Mullinses strive to bring a variety of food trucks to the Seventh Street spot so diners can enjoy everything from barbecue and seafood to coffee and Asian fusion fare. An online calendar lists each day’s lineup about a month in advance and includes the food truck schedule and special events, such as karaoke and bingo.
Wasabi
Neighborhood: Windy Hills
More Info: wasabilouisville.com
The space formerly occupied by Anoosh Bistro (then äta, and then Hen House Café & Provisions) is now Wasabi, a pan-Asian restaurant and sushi bar that opened on August 10 after a four-month renovation. Its current menu features primarily Japanese and Japanese-American dishes, with a few Chinese-American entrées sprinkled throughout.
Options include everything from nigiri, sashimi, and poke bowls to lo mein, fried rice, ramen, and bento boxes. The Brownsboro Road space also offers a full bar with a variety of cocktails and Japanese whiskies.
TRIED AND TRUE WITH SOMETHING NEW
High Stakes Rooftop
Neighborhood: Phoenix Hill
More Info: highstakesrooftop.com
After scaling down to offer primarily bar bites, High Stakes Rooftop has brought back a more robust menu, giving guests more reasons to dine al fresco.
Newly added items include bourbon-glazed salmon with smashed fingerling potatoes, grilled asparagus, and fennel and apple slaw; a grilled lamb lollipop, which features a New Zealand lamb rack, confit garlic hummus, mint gremolata, a bourbon honey glaze, and pistachio dukkah; and a house chicken sandwich with crispy or grilled chicken, buffalo lime slaw, bread-and-butter pickles, and cheddar on brioche.
Sweet treats like cappuccino cheesecake and strawberry shortcake, as well as several new cocktails, have also been added to the offerings.
Murray’s Creole Pub
Neighborhood: Deer Park
More Info: murrayscreolepub.com
Several new dishes are coming out of this French Creole-inspired eatery run by James Beard-nominated Chef Lawrence Weeks.
From Tuesday through Friday, Murray’s Creole Pub offers daily specials, including: rotating tikka and curry specials on Tuesdays; $2 oysters and $5 glasses of bubbles all night on Wednesdays; prime rib with two sides, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding for $55 on Thursdays; and a $22 Creole fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and buttered cabbage on Fridays.
Shahar
Neighborhood: Shelby Park
More Info: shahareats.com
Known as one of the few vegan restaurants in Louisville, Shahar has launched an updated menu that offers two new protein options: locally sourced grass-fed beef and organic chicken smash patties.
Though these fresh picks mark major changes for the Shelby Park spot, owners Vikrant Multani and Christian Nava are determined to keep Shahar primarily a vegan destination. It will also continue to operate as completely dairy- and nut-free.
“We want to be known as a vegan restaurant with meat options, not a meat restaurant with vegan options,” Vikrant says. “As rising costs continue to impact the restaurant industry, these changes allow us to keep our menu more accessible, support our team, and ensure Shahar remains a Louisville staple for years to come.”
The updated menu still boasts the familiar vegan dishes that regulars have come to know and love, including signature burgers, sandwiches, wings, and all-day breakfast offerings — but guests can now substitute Impossible meat, locally sourced grass-fed beef, or organic chicken smash patties on select items.
Still hungry? Keep scrolling for more recent restaurant openings!
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JULY 2026 UPDATES
It’s summer, and the local culinary scene is heating up right along with the temperatures. In fact, it’s working overtime with an exciting mix of cuisines and concepts, including Italian-Cuban fusion and New American Taiwanese fare. Take a break from outdoor activities this month to explore the new Louisville restaurants popping up around town.
Bae’s Baekery
Neighborhood: Cherokee Triangle
More Info: baesbaekerylou.com
Louisville native Abigail McGreevy has moved her beloved cake and pastry shop to a larger location on Bardstown Road. The 3,200-square-foot space that once housed OddBird Bakery and Café (and Steel City Pops before that) allows Abigail, her husband Griffin, and the rest of the Bae’s team to significantly expand their offerings, broadening both the pastry and coffee selections.
Pop in for a drink and a brownie, scone, breakfast pastry, French-style pastry, or cake by the slice. Or treat yourself to a jumbo stuffed cookie, usually available in more than 10 rotating flavors. Bae’s offers wedding and custom celebration cakes, too — though they require at least a two-week notice.
Plans for the new digs include “Hearth,” a nighttime cooking-and-baking classroom where you can hone your own baking skills. Learning never tasted so sweet.
Jump Start Smoothies
Neighborhood: Norton Commons
More Info: jumpstartsmoothies.com
With stores in Lexington and Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood, Jump Start Smoothies recently expanded to include a third location in Norton Commons. Using real fruit and fresh ingredients rather than artificial flavors or pre-made mixes, the locally owned smoothie and juice bar offers a variety of made-to-order smoothies and bowls, as well as café picks like breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and toast.
Unlike the NuLu location, the Norton Commons spot isn’t dedicated to gluten-free options. But there are plenty of those on the menu, too! Try the Sherbert Dreamsicle, a refreshing summery treat made with mangos, pineapple, orange, lime, and raspberry sherbets, peach juice, and soy milk. It’s sure to bring back fond childhood memories.
For a protein-packed snack, try the Almondy Green Power featuring almond butter, kale, banana, plant protein, and almond milk. It’ll keep you going strong all day long.
Prado 264 Restaurant
Neighborhood: Deer Park
More Info: prado264.com
On July 15, husband-and-wife team Luis Gonzalez and Lisanne Garcia held a soft opening for their Italian-Cuban fusion restaurant that pays homage to a once-popular spot in Havana, Cuba. Led by Chef Michael Garcia from Miami, the menu is anchored by Italian classics like handmade pasta and artisan pizza, while ropa vieja, oxtail, and rum-based flavors add a bit of Cuban flair.
You can expect to find dishes such as short-rib ragù pappardelle, Cuban ropa vieja ravioli, spicy rum penne, and Cuban pizza. The restaurant currently accepts dinner reservations Wednesday through Sunday, but seven-day dinner service, weekend brunch, and weekend lunch are slated to begin in August.
For now, operations are limited to the first floor, but plans are already in place to transform the second floor into a speakeasy-style space and private event venue.
Sweet Haven Bakery
Neighborhood: Middletown
More Info: Instagram
Set in a former bank space, this bakery, café, and deli began welcoming guests in May 2026. Owned by long-time friends Laisa González and Yunayky Pertierra, this new daytime destination blends the Cuban and Spanish culinary traditions from their respective backgrounds.
Pop in Tuesday through Sunday to enjoy everything from Cuban pastries, sandwiches, and coffee to chicken empanadas, croquetas, and specialty drinks.
We suggest sinking your teeth into a Sweet Haven Sandwich, made with ham and cheese on Cuban bread with optional tomato, lettuce, and onion. Save room for an espresso affogato or a dulce de leche latte for a sweet pick-me-up.
TANA
Neighborhood: Germantown
More Info: tanalou.com
Opened by Chef Ming Pu and his wife, Courtney, TANA serves dinner Wednesday through Monday nights. The name is an acronym for “Taiwanese New American,” and a nod to the island’s native tana plant, and the eatery is the first of its kind in Derby City.
Offering a menu inspired by Ming’s Taiwanese upbringing and travels, each dish is a mouthwatering blend of Guangdong (Cantonese), Fujian, and Jiangsu cuisines from China, mixed with an American twist.
The menu features a variety of plates for sharing, with dumplings as a standout. Bigger plates include the LuRou Fan, a Berkshire pork belly stew served over Kokuho Rose rice with a soy egg and pickled veggies. Or try the T.F.C. (Taiwanese Fried Chicken), a whole, semi-deboned bird with plum salt, Sichuan potato salad, and sea mountain sauce. Both are filling and delicious!
Dig in, Louisville!
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Lennie Omalza
Originally from Hawaii, Lennie Omalza is a Louisville-based freelance writer of over 18 years. Lennie is a yoga-loving foodie who travels as often as she can and enjoys writing about food, homes, and weddings. You can find more of Lennie's work at Eater, Hawaii Home & Remodeling, and The Louisville Courier-Journal.
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