Enter your details to start booking your table now. You will receive an email confirmation when complete. We look forward to seeing you!
Enter your details to start booking your table now. You will receive an email confirmation when complete. We look forward to seeing you!
Reservations can also be made by phone at 859.266.9000. If your party will include more than 6 guests, please call the restaurant for reservations.
Our Story
At Coles, we’re dedicated to bringing the art of dining to every experience.
Think local meats cured in-house. Crisp vegetables fresh off the vine, pickled onsite. Breads baked fresh each day. The best seasonal ingredients available, sourced from local farms and trusted purveyors. And our menus go beyond the plate, with handcrafted cocktails featuring unique, house-made ingredients, hundreds of bourbons available for tasting, and an award-winning carefully curated wine program.
We believe in honoring history and chose to set our restaurant in a restored historic landmark in downtown Lexington.
Built in 1938, the Coles 735 Main building was originally built as The Stirrup Cup, a restaurant serving traditional Kentucky classics to residents and out-of-town visitors for years. Since the closing of The Stirrup Cup, the building has held a pharmacy and many other restaurants, including Le Café Francais, Hall’s on Main, and Furlongs.
When opening Coles 735 Main in 2012, Cole and team worked tirelessly to renovate this historic city landmark and restore the unique architectural elements. One of the focal points of COLES are the three restored English hunt scene murals, painted for the restaurant in 1949 by local art teacher Theresa Newhoff. With local faces painted into the scenes and what may even be a bullet hole in one mural, the murals are one of many elements that give the restaurant its one-of-a-kind character.
Most of all, we believe that southern charm and hospitality means treating our guests like family.
Cole Arimes
EXECUTIVE CHEF & OWNER
Cole
Cole returned to Lexington to open his namesake restaurant, Coles 735 Main, in 2012. Today, he is an award-winning chef and visionary that builds connections in the community and brings truly inspired dining to downtown Lexington. Cole lives with wife Susan and two children Hurst and Park, applying chaos management skills from the kitchen to daily life as a father.
Chris Hutchison
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Chris
Chris keeps Coles, Eppings and Poppy & Olive running smoothly, while always maintaining a gracious sense of welcome and hospitality. As a Certified Sommelier, he is also the creative mind behind the restaurants’ acclaimed wine and spirits programs. Chris grew up surrounded by phenomenal cooks in the small town of Pikeville, Kentucky. After years in the industry, it is still his love for food and “all things distilled or fermented” that keep him inspired every day.
Megan Duffy
CHEF DE CUISINE
Megan
Megan was born in Louisville, where cooking played a central role in bringing family and friends together. Working at a local breakfast spot in high school began her deep love for the professional culinary world. Today, Megan is a graduating member of the LEE Initiative, which inspires her continued innovation and drives her to further the diversity, equity, sustainability and compassion in the Coles kitchen.
Maggie MacChesney
MAITRE'D
Maggie
Maggie brings a brightness and joy to everything she does. With diverse professional experiences ranging from childcare to photography and wedding planning, she is uniquely skilled to ensure each Coles dining experience becomes an unforgettable memory. Whether antique shopping, coordinating a wedding or assisting a first-time Coles guest, Maggie embodies the welcoming spirit and creative energy of Coles 735 Main.
Rita Kraynak
GENERAL MANAGER
Rita
Rita’s passion for the industry began on her first day in restaurant work as a hostess. Originally from Philadelphia, she found a new “home” at 735 East Main Street. With five years of management experience at Coles and Epping’s on Eastside, as well as with other Lexington food and wine establishments, Rita's positive energy and service expertise make her indispensable to the Coles family. She finds inspiration in her family, bringing friends together, and, of course, in her beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 5-9 PM
Friday - Saturday: 5-10 PM
Bar and Gazebo: Open at 4 PM
Closed Sundays
A 3% processing fee will be added to all credit card purchases.
Location
735 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40502
Parking available in restaurant lot
or adjacent School Board lot.
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 5-9 PM
Friday - Saturday: 5-10 PM
Bar and Gazebo: Open at 4 PM
Closed Sundays
A 3% processing fee will be added to all credit card purchases.
Location
735 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40502
Parking available in restaurant lot
or adjacent School Board lot.