Bigg Blue Martini

Stopped here to have a drink and appetizer before we saw James Taylor. We sat outside on the patio, and it was pretty nice. The server told us there was a condensed menu due to the concert and Keeneland, but we had never been there so, had no idea. Everything we had was «picked» by the server… meaning we gave her two options and asked her opinion. For the appetizer we had the quesadilla and it was fantastiv. It had caramelized onions in it… never thought of that before, but will trying it moving forward. For drinks my husband had the Boulevardier and I had the hibiscus mule. His was basically like a Manhattan and mine was nice and refreshing.
Recommend to anyone in town.

Bar was seemingly understaffed, our server was pretty inconsistent and slow. Stopped in on a random Tuesday evening via business travel for drinks and discussion (note: this place not ideal for parties over 5, seating-​wise). Drinks service was slow (they ran out of beer, the cocktails took 15 mins). Apps were decent. My seared ahi tuna salad was super fishy.
Didn’t have super high expectations for a bar within a hotel but would recommend venturing out into downtown if you’re craving snacks and drinks.

I never thought I would be giving a 4 star review to a restaurant located in a hotel but Bigg Blue Martini certainly earns it! Located in the Hilton Lexington Downtown, the atmosphere at BBM is pretty nice. It’s modern and pretty quiet — perfect for doing some work and sipping a martini while at a conference in a fairly unfamiliar city! When I was in Lexington last week I think I had the pimento cheese at Bigg Blue at least 3 times. I’m not kidding. I’m a pimento cheese fanatic and this is some of the best I’ve ever eaten. It comes with homemade crispy flour tortilla chips that add the perfect amount of crunch to the dip. So, so good! Another standout is the roasted duck breast quesadilla. The duck is tender, the tortilla is crispy, and the apricot jam that comes with it is perfectly sweet. When I am back in Lexington next year you can bet that I will be visiting Bigg Blue Martini!

Given that Bigg Blue Martini is in the heart of downtown Lexington where there are numerous other restaurants and bars I would probably choose to forego this place. I was in town for a training and I wanted to go somewhere for a drink and this was one of the top ranked places to go so I decided to take a gander. I was unaware of the fact that the bar is no standing alone but rather it is situated in the Hilton hotel (I think it was that hotel at least). I suppose this is a good option for people who are guests of the hotel, but it would not be my first pick.
For the entire duration of my stay it was not busy in the bar. There were about 5 other patrons beside myself, only 2 of which were sitting at the bar. I took about 5 minutes for me to even be greeted by one of the three bartenders standing by and once I was given the wine list it took about 10 minutes for the bartender to come back for my order. The bartender was flirting with the two guys at the other end of the bar… essentially, what I’m saying is that it took forever to get serviced.
Naturally there was a martini list here, but after trying a few of them I can say that I’ve had much better tasting martinis. The one good thing I have to say (which is their saving grace) is that their appetizers were awesome. Also, I went on a Tuesday night and their appetizers were half off so I got two for the price of one. Getting two appetizers proved to be more than satisfying enough so I didn’t have to get an entrée! I got the calamari and the duck quesadillas (but instead got them with chicken) and they were really, really good. The flavor was awesome and to be quite honest, those were the best quesadillas I’ve ever had. They had candied walnuts on them… never have I ever. So good, mm mm, so good!
Soooo, moral of the story — maybe just get some appetizers to go during the happy hour and get the drinks and atmosphere elsewhere.

Quick and friendly service. Had the BBQ Chicken Flatbread and it had a nice kick to it. They went pretty heavy on the sauce, but it was easy enough to scrape some to the side. Was in town for work, but next time I’m definitely springing for a martini :)

I had the brisket sandwich here. The food was pretty good, I enjoyed what I had, and others at my table enjoyed burgers and mussels.
The atmosphere at Bigg Blue Martini is really nice. It is upscale and trendy, with prices to match. That’s my only complaint, the drink menu, WOW. Beer is especially overpriced here.
Our service was really slow, too, but I’m blaming that on it being a game night and we were actually seated in the Triangle Grill side. The hostess was also rude when we gave her our name. Most of the tables were open when we walked up, but the hostess and a man standing up there with her told us rudely that they were all booked and people were just running late. OK sure… so we were meeting friends here, otherwise we would have left. We gave our name and waited. And then waited a long time for our food.

I used to go here to listen to friends sing occasionally, on Saturday evenings. They don’t play here anymore, so I’m not sure that’s performances are still part of the norm here or not. This place isn’t actually somewhere that you would think that offers live music. It always seemed too small for the patrons who didn’t prefer to listen to the music to escape. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy the covered patio area.
This place is located inside of the Hilton Hotel downtown location. Parking is an issue, especially if there is an event at Rupp Arena or downtown. Metered parking is your best option, if you can parallel park and find a spot. The hotel has a parking garage but there is a fee and they don’t validate or comp, no matter how long you’re there or how much you spend.
The view of downtown is exquisite. It runs parallel with Triangle Park and Broadway.
The food wasn’t anything to complain about and I think that they stop serving at a certain time and once they stop serving food, it turns into a bar and everyone has to be 21 to stay or enter. Before that time, it’s not just a bar, it’s more of a classy restaurant.
I think it’s one of those kind of places that locals need to discover, but mostly tourist visiting the area are the ones cashing in… your loss, if you say you’ve never been there. Now you can’t say that you weren’t told about this place.

Love this place. The atmosphere is one of the best in Lexington. Perfect location with a great outdoor patio area. Love sitting outside and looking at Lexington Center and the fountains. The food is fancy but appetizers and sandwiches are very reasonably priced.

Cecelia. Great service. Food was good if limited to grill fare.
Will stay at Hilton because of bar.

I went to Bigg Blue after a UK game with some friends. They couldn’t ask for a better location, being right next to Rupp. The décor is modern and cool and we were very comfortable hanging out there for a drink. We had great service and our server was happy to answer all our questions about the drinks.
I was just visiting Kentucky (returning Alumni) so I really wanted a bourbon martini. I decided on the Bluegrass Martini (Makers and Blue Island Puckers) and it was delicious. My friend had the Secretariat (Eagle Rare, Apple Pucker, Cranberry) and I had a sip and loved that too. Bourbon martinis are delish!
Can’t wait to go back again some time and try some of their other signature cocktails!

Love this place. Great place for a martini after a long day at a conference. Great atmosphere and great drinks. Great wait staff as well.

Drinks were fine — a few interesting martinis, of course — but the food was only passable. A fair place to meet someone for a few drinks: not too loud, but busy enough. Also, be warned: a fair place to run into people ordering expensive bourbon
and diet coke.
My visit was a summer Thursday, but I don’t get the impression that this place gets overrun by college students, if that’s what you’re trying to avoid.
I’d recommend going elsewhere for food, though… While it was ok (and included most typical bar options), there just wasn’t anything to recommend it. Not sure whether the food was too «chain-​y,» whether there just wasn’t much love or passion for the food they were serving coming out of the kitchen, or whether the inattentive service was the main culprit. (The bartender seemed put-​out when my date and I asked for menus when we ordered a second round of drinks.) I just hate to have what should be a fun meal turn out ‘meh…‘
I mean, if you’re staying upstairs and don’t feel like roaming far from the hotel, it’s fine. A good place to have a comfortable dinner without breaking down and eating in your room.

I just had a great Bibb salad maybe a little heavy on the dressing but it was fresh and tasted good, wait staff aren’t too attentive most of them chatting behind the bar.

Very good place to get a martini. Went there yesterday and got the «Old Bigg Blue Martini». It had a nice taste to it and the service was pretty average. Waiter for some reason told us not to go for the «New Bigg Blue Martini» and if I am new to a place, I usually go by what waiters/​waitresses recommend.

Nice little martini bar just walking distance from the Lexington center. Nice selection and very comfortable. The low lighting and the live music make for a great spot to hang out for a few hours.

Right in the Heart of Lexington at the Hilton. Only $ 7 for a Grey Goose on a Friday night. Live guitar duet playing… Nice!