Our picks · Updated October 4, 2026
The 7 Best Restaurants in NuLu
NuLu (short for “New Louisville”) is the stretch of East Market Street just east of downtown, where old storefronts and warehouses became one of the city’s densest restaurant rows. These are the seven we’d send you to first, in order.
Our list, our call. This is 502 Restaurants’ own recommendation — where we’d send a friend for this food in Louisville right now, from our own eating and research. It isn’t a sponsored or “official” ranking.
Reviewed monthly: the order can change month to month based on the food, what’s new in town, our own visits, and your thumbs up/down votes below (logged and shown live).
One honest note: our parent company has marketing relationships with a few Louisville restaurants that may appear on our lists — that never buys a spot, and it’s never for sale. These are simply our genuine picks.
Reviewed monthly: the order can change month to month based on the food, what’s new in town, our own visits, and your thumbs up/down votes below (logged and shown live).
One honest note: our parent company has marketing relationships with a few Louisville restaurants that may appear on our lists — that never buys a spot, and it’s never for sale. These are simply our genuine picks.
1
MeeshMeesh Mediterranean
636 E Market St · Louisville
Mediterranean on the NuLu strip, and a 2025 James Beard finalist.
What to order: Shawarma shishlik, the yellowfin tartare in tomato-harissa broth, and knafeh for dessert.
Good to know: Chef Noam Bilitzer was a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Southeast.
When: Dinner only; closed Mondays.
Details checked September 12, 2026
2
La Bodeguita de Mima
725 E Market St · Louisville
Cuban, loud in the best way, and still the hardest table on the block.
Good to know: Named for the owners' grandmother, Mima, a Cuban pageant winner who performed at Havana's Tropicana before leaving Cuba by raft in 1994.
When: Dinner Monday to Thursday; lunch and dinner Friday to Sunday.
Details checked September 12, 2026
3
The Mayan Cafe
813 E Market St · Louisville
Yucatecan cooking that helped make this stretch of Market what it is.
Good to know: Opened in 2007 by Yucatán-born chef Bruce Ucán, whose cooking has been on East Market since the late 1990s.
When: Dinner only, Monday to Saturday.
Details checked September 12, 2026
4
bar Vetti
727 E Market St · Louisville
Pasta and pizza at the corner of Shelby and Market.
What to order: A margherita pizza, the bucatini with 3D Valley Farm beef sugo, or the orecchiette with Jake's Country Sausage ragù.
Good to know: It sits in the AC Hotel at Market and Shelby, and moved into this bigger space in July 2020.
Price: Pizzas $21–$25 on the September 2026 dinner menu.
Details checked September 12, 2026
5
Decade
1076 E Washington St · Louisville
Just outside NuLu in neighbouring Butchertown, and worth the short walk.
What to order: From the current seasonal menu: tuna crudo, the Groce Farms half chicken, or the prime ribeye if it's a night for it.
Good to know: Named one of USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year.
Price: Small plates $10–$18; large plates $21–$64.
When: Dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday.
Details checked September 12, 2026
6
Lou Lou on Market
812 E Market St · Louisville
The NuLu one — not to be confused with their St. Matthews or Middletown rooms.
Good to know: Cajun and Creole cooking, New Orleans style.
Details checked September 12, 2026
7
Guacamole Modern Mexican
900 E Market St · Louisville
Modern Mexican at the east end of the strip, since moving here in 2022.
Good to know: Moved here from Lyndon in February 2022, and shares owners with La Bodeguita de Mima up the street.
When: Dinner nightly; lunch Friday to Sunday.
Details checked September 12, 2026
Questions about this list
How does 502 Restaurants choose the best NuLu restaurants in Louisville?
This is our own editorial recommendation — where we’d send a friend right now, from our own visits and research. It isn’t a sponsored or paid ranking.
How often is this list updated?
We review it monthly, and the order can change based on the food, new openings, our visits, and reader votes.
Do the thumbs up/down votes change the order?
We read them — votes are logged and shown live — but the final call stays editorial: ours.
Does a restaurant pay to be on this list?
No, never for sale. Our parent company has marketing relationships with a few Louisville restaurants that may appear on our lists, but that never buys a spot — these are our genuine picks.
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