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    Home » Travel » Food Travel » Kentucky

    The Bar at Willett (Bardstown, KY)

    Published: Sep 5, 2023 · Modified: Dec 27, 2024 · Leave a Comment

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    The Bar at Willett is a reservation-only, high-end distillery restaurant that serves craft cocktails and has tapas-style food options.

    Two-story brick building with curved exterior staircase and sign for The Bar at Willett.

    This past summer, we had plans to visit the Willett Distillery for a bourbon tour and tasting.

    After years of visiting distilleries in the area, one thing I've learned is that it's always a good idea to check out the food options ahead of time. Some distilleries are in fairly rural areas, and restaurant choices can be limited.

    I was thrilled to discover that the Willett Distillery has a restaurant: The Bar at Willett.

    We've had good success with distillery restaurants, such as at Star Hill Provisions (Maker's Mark) and the nearby Bardstown Bourbon Restaurant (at Bardstown Bourbon Company). I was pretty excited!

    Reservations for The Bar at Willett

    The Bar at Willett is reservation-only, and does not serve walk-in customers. You can make reservations on their website, or by calling the number listed on their site.

    We tried to make reservations online, but it was full. So I joined the waitlist.

    Since I didn't hear back from the waitlist, I called and they were able to get us a seat at the bar area. Calling is worth a try even if the website says they’re full.

    When scheduling your reservation, make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to enjoy the meal without feeling rushed. We had reservations two hours before our distillery tour and that seemed just about perfect.

    Arriving at the Distillery

    Head to the main distillery visitor's center.

    If you arrive early and want to relax outside, there are shady cabanas.

    Cabana with chairs and black curtains tied at corners.
    Cabanas at Willett Distillery

    The restaurant entrance is inside the gift shop area.

    Simply head up the indoor staircase. There's also an elevator if you have trouble with stairs.

    Interior curved staircase.

    Once you arrive at The Bar at Willett, you'll see a posh, tiny dining and bar area. It's both popular and small, so it makes sense that they only take reservations.

    Dining area with tables and bar seating at the Bar at Willett.

    Menu Pricing at The Bar at Willett

    Before arriving, I couldn't find the prices listed anywhere, which made me a little nervous. Here's what to expect.

    You could spend a small amount or a WHOLE lot, depending on what drinks you order.

    When we were here, the standard cocktails were $13 and the tapas (small plate) options started at $10. The menu changes often, but that should give you a ballpark idea.

    Menu at The Bar at Willett.

    The Bar at Willett also has an extensive, multi-page menu for rare and vintage high-end spirits (mostly bourbon) tastings.

    Rare and vintage spirits list at The Bar at Willett.

    Ordering Drinks + Food at The Bar at Willett

    We skipped the rare drinks and went with a Bee Keepers cocktail and a Manhattan.

    I chose the Bee Keepers cocktail because the bartender said it was his favorite drink — and he was right, it was fabulous. I loved that the ice cube was molded with the Willett logo.

    Bee Keepers cocktail.
    Bee Keepers Cocktail

    The Manhattan was one of the best we've tried, and we loved that they chilled the glass with dry ice just before serving.

    (I loved this cocktail so much that I got some of the Willett rye whiskey to make my own Manhattan at home!)

    Manhattan cocktail.
    Manhattan Cocktail

    Everything on the food menu is small plate style, and they recommend two plates per person if you want a whole meal. 

    The Bar at Willett is known for their egg salad sandwiches, so we made that one of our plates. It really was incredible, I highly recommend! What makes it so special? The menu lists smoked mayonnaise and yolk jam, but have fun working out what else might be in play here!

    Egg salad sandwiches.
    Egg Salad Sandwiches

    We also tried their crawfish hush puppies, which I enjoyed a lot even though I'm not usually a fan of hush puppies.

    Crawfish hush puppies and remoulade.
    Crawfish Hush Puppies

    We also ordered the eggplant dish, which used tiny delicious eggplants, garlic, pepper, and basil.

    Eggplant with peppers, basil and garlic.
    Eggplant Plate

    Our fourth plate was the fried chicken thighs, which were also delicious with its flavors of passionfruit, honey and ginger, although I admit I was getting too full to eat many of them by this point!

    Bowl of chicken thighs with passionfruit, honey and ginger.
    Chicken Thigh Plate

    For dessert, we shared a Basque cheesecake with a raspberry puree, and it was the creamiest cheesecake I’ve ever tasted.

    Basque cheesecake with raspberry sauce.
    Basque Cheesecake

    Afterwards, we walked downstairs to the visitor center espresso bar and got a latte.

    The Coffee Bar at Willett.
    Espresso Bar at Willett Distillery

    If you’re in the area, this is definitely worth a visit!

    More Kentucky Food + Drink Destinations

    • Roadside sign for Red River Rockhouse burgers, burritos and beer with restaurant in background.
      Red River Rockhouse (Campton, KY)
    • Restaurant entrance and sign for Mr Brews Taphouse.
      Mr Brews Taphouse (Lexington, KY)
    • Entrance to Corto Lima, a grey painted building with black awning.
      Corto Lima (Lexington, KY)
    • Indoor dining area with Mirror Twin Brewing Co. stenciled on the wall in decorative script.
      Mirror Twin Brewing (Lexington, KY)

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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