Haywood's Restaurant

Cozy experience.
We walked in without reservations and were immediately greeted with a warm smile and welcomed in. We were quickly seated. The staff was kind and helpful, especially JJ, with all the food recommendations. And the food was exquisite! The duck livers were delicious, and the steak was just right.
The pianist continued softly through dinner and was quite a delight.
Thank you!

I've been visiting Lexington for years but for some reason or another never made it to Haywood's until last night (1-08-21) though I've always intended to, and this visit was actually on a whim. My date (a Lexington resident) had mentioned to me that she had also never been, and she found that there was a reservation open, so we grabbed it. Haywood's calls itself a piano bar (at least on the cocktail napkins) but it's really an upscale eatery that features live piano, and the music had apparently began just before our arrival at six. While we're on the subject, I'm not sure if the pianist (who was obviously talented) was playing from a fake book or from more detailed arrangements, but the tunes seemed to all be in the same upbeat jazz style, even though some of the standards could have used more lush and languid arrangements when it came to the ballads. On to the food: we started with the cheese and charcuterie plate that featured their pickles (made in-house), a Wensleydale lemon cheese (unusual and nice) a balsamic Bellavitano, a unique kiwi and lime jam also prepared in-house, and three cured meats, all beautifully arranged. Our entrees: for her, the mushroom tagliatelle which she loved and looked terrific and for myself, the grilled bone-in pork chop served with braised red cabbage, German spätzle, and finished off at the table by our server with a pork jus from a carafe. Everything in my dish was perfect and the cut was substantial. (We actually had to pack up part of our entrees for home as we were foundered on the cheese course.) We also had an a la carte order of their phenomenal roasted Brussel sprouts, so, of course there was no room for dessert. Overall an excellent first impression from an establishment that we'll be getting back to sooner than later now that we know what we've been missing.

LOVE Haywoods! Great food every time we have been. Great drinks and amazing staff. Everyone is friendly and the atmosphere can't be beat. I'd ask for a table a little away from the piano if you want to enjoy conversation.

My husband surprised me for our 1 year wedding anniversary. We sat out on the courtyard area that was very cozy. The patio could use some good music but other than that, The Filet was hands down the BEST I’ve ever had. I savored every bite and it was worth every penny.

My husband and I dined here on a brief trip to Lexington and the entire experience was exceptional. The staff was incredibly friendly. We started with delicious cocktails. I would strongly recommend the Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned. It was extraordinary. Our dinner was superb. I loved the blue cheese butter on my steak and the truffle mash was outstanding. We found the piano music to be delightful and added to our experience. I highly recommend dining here.

Enjoyed our 2nd Anniversary here tonight with great food and great atmosphere. I want to especially thank the pianist for playing our wedding song.

Had a wonderful meal and evening at Haywood’s. The filet was outstanding. One of the best I’ve ever had. Everyone in our party of four enjoyed their meal. Will return again in the future.

Really enjoyed our Sunday brunch. We both had variations of Eggs Benedict and thought each of our dishes were excellent. Yummy Bloody Mary's with a perfect spiciness!

Having had 2 of 3 children, their spouses, and now a granddaughter at W&L, it's so delightful to have such a wonderful restaurant available just a quick walk from anywhere in Lexington. My husband ate there 2 of the 3 nights during our visit and the service and the food was excellent. Coming from Louisiana we both appreciate good food and Haywood's was the oerfect place to go!

We came to explore Lexington and the surrounding area for a day. Made a reservation at Haywood's for their Valentine's Day prix fixe menu, and I'm so glad I did.

First, the service was so friendly and charming. While I can not remember our server's name, he was doubling as a very capable bartender in the piano bar area. He has a great energy and recommended cocktails that were delicious. Our host and food runners were also very nice and helpful.

Second, the entertainment. I LOVED the piano player. The songs were great, the volume low enough to have conversations with each other yet loud enough to hear. I've read other reviews that didn't like the piano, but not me. And frankly, there are other places to sit to not hear it. To me, it helped make a darn near perfect evening.

Finally, the food. It was just DELICIOUS. The radicchio salad was deliciously balanced between the dressing, sweet nuts, and bitter leaves. The foie gras was in the most delicious mushroom sauce, the lobster sweet and soft, the filet perfectly seasoned and cooked, and the molten lava cake delicious. We couldn't finish it all.

I also should mention the space. It was so cozy and lovely.

If you're considering Haywood's, do it. You won't regret it.

Excellent and friendly service, and very gracious staff about a mistake they made with my order.

I ordered a chicken salad sandwhich, but went to the bathroom after ordering. My sandwhich seemed to have gone out on accident with a different order while I was occupied. When I asked about my order, they were very apologetic and flexible. The staff pulled together a new sandwhich very quickly and even offered me a cookie for the trouble without any request on my part. It had been a bit of a difficult day for me, so I really appreciated how easy the staff of Haywood's made handling the mistake. I would definitely return when I am in Lexington again. The chicken salad was also quite delicious, and that cookie was top-notch.

My girlfriend and I picked this place on a whim tonight, no reservation even though most places seemed to be booked. Got seated right away. Service was fantastic, food was even better. If you're in Lexington and are looking for a great steak you can't go wrong here.

Absolutely fabulous dinner and atmosphere. Stephanie was so helpful getting us a spot. We enjoyed it so much we are visiting it again before we leave. Super friendly staff. You won’t be disappointed. Our waiter Chris was on point and awesome! The piano player made wonderful vibe.

This is the beat meal I’ve had in Lexington! We had the apple walnut salad, the scallops and ribeye. I’m really picky about scallops because I used to get them from the dock in Stonington, CT. These were so delicious and fresh. The steak was cooked perfectly, charred to perfection. Our Brussel sprouts were also cooked with some charring, my fav and the sweet potatoes were like a dessert. Not only was e food excellent, but the service was top notch. We ordered hot toddies and the bartender personally came to the table to ask us how we’d like them made. She recommended some excellent whiskey that paired well with the tea and honey. Piano player was also a nice touch!! Highly recommend!!!

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely evening at Haywood's recently. We were warmly greeted by Stephanie when we arrived and she took special care in making sure we were seated in a spot that suited us best. We had a wonderful, reasonably priced bottle of wine and charcuterie board to start. After our appetizer we had one of the best Cesar salads I've ever eaten. Next, we shared the mushroom ravioli, it was delicious. Lastly we shared the bread pudding, it was a fantastic finish! Chef Troy came out to see how we enjoyed our meals. We enjoyed talking with him and especially liked that we could thank him in person for our great night out. A big thank you to our server, Chris, who was attentive, helpful with suggestions, and friendly. If we are back in Lexington, we will definitely return for dinner :)
Karen & Gary

We recently celebrated our wedding anniversary with Haywood’s and it was wonderful. From my first contact with Stephanie when I booked the reservation throughout the meal, with Zach in charge of our evening, we were treated with genuine warmth and top notch service. The menu was delightful and our selections were cooked perfectly (just an aside, I highly recommend the shrimp and grits!). The restaurant was cozy and the noise level was minimal which is both refreshing and hard to find. I highly recommend Haywood’s and hope you enjoy your visit as much as I enjoyed mine.

Great place for dinner! Food excellent, service superb. Went when they had live music. Jazz duo, piano and bass. They were great! Hands downs the best meal we had in Lexington all week.

Greeted by Stephanie the manager who was very pleasant and friendly (she made a point to check up on us at the bar throughout the night). Georgia was our bartender and she was very friendly, efficient, and made sure we had a fantastic experience. The skilled pianist provided a very classy and relaxed atmosphere that’s great for unwinding after a long week. The food was phenomenal, especially the filet mignon and mushroom ravioli. Overall, a great experience and we can’t wait to come back again!

We were here a few weeks ago and had an amazing experience. The staff was friendly and very kind, and the food was excellent. A special shout out to our server Zachary for being excellent and bringing us a large and delicious piece of cake to celebrate our friends' recent engagement. We felt special and very taken care of.

Hands down, Haywood’s is the go to restaurant in Lexington for a romantic evening. The piano touched both of us and drew a few tears as we spent our evening talking over a few glasses of red wine. The atmosphere is cozy and the wine is delicious. The food is phenomenal and the price is very fair considering we got a bottle of willamette valley red, an appetizer, desert, and coffees. Highly recommend.