Proof On Main

Celebrating a birthday dinner at our go-to spot, a tradition we've upheld for years, was an absolute joy. The service, a cornerstone of this dining experience, remained stellar, and our server Mitchell embodied the essence of attentiveness and helpfulness. It's heartening to see the familiar faces of the retained staff, truly adding warmth to the occasion.

Now, let's talk about the food—the star of the show. Each bite resonates with unparalleled flavors, making it a culinary journey worth savoring. As an appetizer, the frondosa mushrooms steal the spotlight, a savory delight that leaves a lasting impression. And to accompany your main course, don't miss out on the skillet cornbread—a refreshing take on a classic side that elevates the entire dining experience to a new level of indulgence.

The restaurant's ambiance, as always, was nothing short of stunning. The attached art gallery, a hidden gem, serves as a delightful way to pass time before or after your meal, a tradition we've gladly embraced on numerous occasions.

In a nutshell, this place holds a special place in our hearts. It's not just a restaurant; it's an experience woven with excellent service, delectable food, and an atmosphere that feels like coming home. Cheers to tradition and cheers to a dining spot that consistently delivers beyond expectations.

Artsy restaurant offering scrumptious cuisine and tasty cocktails in a spunky venue. The menu offers new and artfully executed takes on classic dishes while the bar shines with talented mixologists. Proof is definitely worth a visit—also, don’t be afraid to explore the connected museum after your meal while you digest!

Trendy colorful location that brings art, class and a modern flare. Large bar and separate dining area with a menu full of unique pairings of flavors across the board. Highly highly recommend the charred octopus it is to die for. Great location for a lunch before distillery tours or just a tour of mains Street and the slugger museum. Located in the 21c hotel first floor with street visible signs.

Look, this place is everything you can come to expect yes from fine dining and they do it well. I can understand that it is connected to an art museum but the wall paper is kinda hard to look at and the walls seem crowded. Also not sure about the eye level mirror. But the over all experience if it was possible I'd say is worthy of a Michelin star or a Bronze court crest. Keep up the great food guys

Off the brunch menu, the COULOTTE STEAK & FRITES meal was Delicious!!! 10 out of 10. Packed with flavor loved it. Highly recommend.
The FRUIT & GRANOLA was the best granola ever tasted anywhere.
The PROOF BREAKFAST SANDWICH bun was too dry lacked flavor difficult to eat wouldn’t order that again but the hash brown was good.
Loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and the bar in the next room along with the 21-c art museum makes for a great day out. The staff was all terrific and friendly.

We were strolling downtown Louisville, and we stopped by this restaurant. They were transitioning from Brunch and had a small menu, and we decided to try it out. First, the whole place is a gallery of art! Is fantastic! Second, from the host to the servers, everyone was friendly and very attentive! Third, the food came out, and it was AMAZING!!! The flavors and combinations were great. Totally recommend this place, and the cherry on the top is connected to a back art gallery!!!

Just walking in, it was wonderful. The host was wonderful and we were seated despite being about thirty minutes early for our reservation. The server was incredibly helpful and nice, and the other servers were also wonderful. Our waters were never empty and the food was delivered quickly. The octopus and fried mushrooms were delicious on top of looking fantastic. When asked about drinks, we told her we weren’t able to get alcohol and she immediately offered to make us non-alcoholic drinks as a solution. The drinks were fantastic. We then got the foccocia bread, which was fresh and soft, along with our entrees. We got the swordfish and the berkshire porkchop, both of which were absolutely fantastic. Presentation and taste were on point. We then got the butterscotch budino, which was on the house as a gift for our anniversary, and it was wonderful. We were also checked on quite often by several servers and members of staff, and everyone was wonderful. We spent $150 on everything.

Overall, a very, very nice experience. I definitely recommend it for anybody celebrating something special.

Oh, the absolute joy of dining at Proof! We celebrate our anniversary every year by staying at the 21c Museum Hotel and enjoying the ambrosial meals and cocktails at Proof. For our 27th anniversary, the staff went above & beyond making our night feel extra special. The host Xander, and our waiter Mitchell, were immensely sweet and kind. So much so that I wanted to hug and kiss them both on the cheek, but did not want to overextend my lack of boundaries onto others. 😊 As always, our dinner was sublime. We enjoyed the steak tartar, the lemon essence, and the nasturtium leaves added to the loveliness of the dish. The pappardelle was freshly made and the swordfish was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The desserts were phenomenal; I especially loved the spiced molasses cake, heavenly! We are so grateful for your generosity in making our 27th such a memorable one! May we have 27 more anniversaries at Proof on Main & 21c!

Amazing. The food was superb. Although I felt the dessert was a bit too much. Too many textures in one plate although the peanut butter ice cream was so creamy and flavourful. Our waiter was also very attentive and gave great recommendations for bourbon and the ambience in the restaurant is 200%. Definitely go for the tour of the rest of the gallery!!

The food was amazing. Presented well with a really nice atmosphere. I had brunch and the biscuit and gravy was perfect. Their pimento cheese spread is great too. It is pricey but you get what you paid for. Kept pur water filled and was fast to bring our food.

Troy waited on us and was absolutely lovely! I had the avocado toast which was mouthwatering! Hubby had the Bison Burger which was mouthwatering! Troy made us a delicious drink (I think it was called “The Prospector”

The food is consistent and tasty. The service was fast and the server was efficient. Can be a romantic atmosphere for a date or just a cool spot for dinner. You could start with appetizers at the bar before your reservation, go to the restaurant for dinner, and then walk the museum.

This place was so beautifully decorated! The food was pretty good! I loved my Octopus and my son really liked his meatballs! The drinks were okay but the menu was extensive and I really had never heard of any of the drinks on the menu but they were strong drinks! The prices were fair compared to its upscale atmosphere! The service was really good as well. Everyone was really friendly here. I loved taking pictures here because of the decor! 🔥

Wow! If I could give this more stars, I would! We had tomato appetizer, Caesar salad, and ribeye. Each was unique in flavor and prep like none we had before and were just scrumptious!!! The decor was artsy and fun! The service was a 10! Awesome!! Which we lived closer, then we’d go here frequently.

That's place is fantastic, dined in her on a Saturday with no reservations and got seated immediately. Fantastic bourbon menu, great staff, awesome food.

Came in here on a whim Viyvian took care of us and she walked us through the drink menu, food and dessert. She did such a great job and really he a passion for entertaining her customers and made sure we were happy with your food.

The sirloin was fantastic, bison burger was 11/10 and dessert was home made and out of this word.

Will be back here again. Viyvian your the best!!!

My experience was perfection. The cocktails, food, and service were wonderful. I started with the Rye Rye Birdie cocktail. It was very well done. I tried three of their 21c select pours suggested by the waiter and bar manager My favorite was the Willett 14 year bourbon. I highly recommend dining here. Each course was made with fresh, high quality ingredients.

Brittney made sure I tried the best items on the menu! The Bison burger was amazing...full of flavor. I had the salad instead of fries to balance things out. The Gold Rush was a nice drink to start off my trip in KY.

Celebrated a wonderful evening at Proof On Main. It almost didn’t happen. I accidentally cancelled my reservations. Called, but I wasn’t sure that I had reached them during normal hours. So we still showed up for dinner and luckily they found a table for us. My reservation had been canceled. They were so kind at the front desk and got us in. We had a great waiter and the food was absolutely delicious. I’ve lived in Louisville for over 13 years and never knew about this delightful gem of a restaurant. It is more upscale then most but still has a casual flair to it. The food was perfect and the service was excellent. Highly recommend making reservations and going. Great place to go before a broadway show. It’s within walking distance. Again, highly recommend and we will be back.

We decided to stopped at this restaurant after we left the Derby, and I’m glad we did. The food was great! My bf ordered the steak and I ordered the cordon bleu…we started with the octopus and let me tell you, it was delicious! If you like garlic which I do! I would absolutely recommend the grilled octopus. The cordon bleu comes with mashed potato, very creamy and a white sauce that absolutely complemented the plate. The steak cooked to perfection and so good! It comes with carrots and broccoli…also, comes with a great chimichurri sauce!
My boyfriend ordered a bourbon drink he loved and I ordered the French bottle of wine. Service and ambiance A+
If you like art, this restaurant it’s connected to a small gallery.
When in Louisville, go to the Proof for a magnificent experience

Great menu, wine list, atmosphere. Our waitress was very inexperienced, this the knock on the service. But the wine guy was awesome, so we ordered a 2012 Barolo and a few local bourbons.