National Provisions

Rudest encounter with a waitress I’ve had anywhere in the continental United States or Europe. Throughout our entire meal, Lauren was increasingly condescending and difficult. When I ask if I could have a side dish other than that suggested with my entrée her response was, «This is a fine dining establishment, not Olive Garden. You must not be used to this caliber of restaurant». Her constant blatant rudeness was an embarrassment to myself and those at surrounding tables. The manager was very apologetic and the restaurant is charming. Our food was excellent and we purchased a number of items from the gourmet shop. No doubt Lauren will be replaced and we certainly will give national provisions a second chance. Based on the numerous negative reviews on Zomato, and here on Unilocal,other patrons have had similar experiences with the waitstaff.

National Provisions falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. It’s a beautiful but trendy place, with crushed velvet benches in the restaurant area. With $ 4 house wines — red, please! — and fabulous baked items — hello, bread! — it’s a great spot for drinks & pastries.
Dinner, though? Not so much. I just wasn’t impressed enough to justify the price of the food. Dessert, however, was very good. We had a large piece of cake (seven layers, I think it was) that was so large it took four adults to polish it off.
There are reviews complaining about poor service. That certainly wasn’t my experience. My boyfriend and I ran into friends of ours and the hostess immediately offered to push a table together with theirs. The server was friendly and helpful and after we finished dinner, he told us that it was nearing closing time and they’d be tossing their left over bread and pastry items out, asking us if we’d like any. He stuffed bags with an assortment of breads and pastries for us to take home. That was fabulous, and it allowed us to try several of the bakery items.
So while I don’t think I’d return for dinner, I’d definitely return for drinks and dessert (or baked goods). I’d be willing to try lunch, as well.

I have been excited about going here for months, but I never had the opportunity. And then I went all low carby. The day I decided to venture here I said to heck the the diet; I’m doing this right.
We came in around 5:30am. Happy hour was still in full swing. $ 4 house wines, yes please! There was also a special on pretzel knots and $ 1 off draft beers (the draft beer selection is limited). The server told use about the daily specials. One sounded especially tasty to me, the oven roasted quail with sautéed kale and a sesame ginger carrot purée. The husband decided on the steak.
Our drinks, pretzel knots and bread for the table came out quickly. Then by some magical miracle, a friend and her boyfriend showed up and decided to join us. They ordered drinks and debated as to what they should order. They decided to share the burger of the day – which was a good choice since the mound of waffle fries was more than one person could eat.
My dinner was beautifully plated. Such a cute little quail. As dinner was rounding out, I needed the dessert menu. I am a firm believer in go big or go home and I was not wasting a cheat day by not getting dessert. I settled for the 6 layer cake of the day: gingerbread and chocolate with a vanilla buttercream. It was the biggest slice of cake I had seen in months. All four of us shared it.
Two glasses of wine, 1 draft beer, an appetizer, 2 entrees and a dessert (plus the tip) ended up being $ 100. This place isn’t cheap. However, I loved the food and I loved the atmosphere. This might be more of a special occasion place for some people. It is possible to do it cheaper if you skip drinks and dessert, but I am not sure why you would want to.
I didn’t get a chance to check out the bakery part, but I certainly want to next time I have a chance

We stopped in here for an early dinner on Wednesday. We were headed to a Unilocal event afterwards, and this restaurant is in the same trendy area off National Ave.
It wasn’t busy – there were only two other diners when we arrived. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. With his input, I selected a draft beer with a fruity passionfruit flavor. I really liked this beer. My companion had a couple of glasses of white wine.
As an appetizer, we had the pretzel knots. There was also complimentary fresh-​baked bread. All of it was good.
For dinner, I had the 8 oz. strip steak and waffle fries. Since I know how not to ruin a steak, I ordered it medium rare. It came out correct and was very tender. The compound butter topping it gave a good flavor. The waffle fries made a good accompaniment.
My companion had the quail on a bed on kale. I enjoyed the bite I had. She enjoyed it as well, but I think she would have preferred a little more substance to the plate.
We shared a piece of gingerbread and chocolate cake for dessert. Very good.
Overall, this was a pricey dinner, but the food was good and the ambience was sort of fancy but not overly formal. Oh, and we got a free bag of end-​of-​day bakery items!
I enjoyed dinner here and would probably go back.

I would love to give this place 4, even 4 ½ stars. The atmosphere is beautiful and European, the menu is small and focused, great wine list, great craft cocktails and generally should be such a cool and unique experience in what can be a repetitive Lexington food scene. HOWEVER, the service and employees (other than the actual owners) are so completely aloof, rude and inattentive. My hubby and I came in right around 5… finally getting out after the big snow. First, we walk in and stand by the front while, literally, 6 – 8 employees are standing in the back by the kitchen chatting away. A few of them actually turned, looked at us over their shoulders and kept talking. It wasn’t until I loudly asked if they were open that anyone made an effort to greet or seat us. We sat down and actually had a seemingly nice server. We only ate a few appetizers and had a few drinks. In total our server maybe came to the table 3 – 4 times. When the bill came we payed with a gift certificate and cash. The gift was actually from my family for Christmas because they know we frequent this place! Yet, the server looked at it and almost leered. I gave the server $ 81 ($ 50 gift cert and $ 31 cash) on $ 67, so a $ 14 tip but, he still seemed offended when we ‘settled up’ actually counting the money at the table. I’m still not sure why he was displeased with his tip… we gave him over 20%.
The thing is I love so much about this place but, the hipster servers are just the worst. One girl, the chick with the gray haired bob, was just so disinterested in doing much but, looking at her phone and leering at customers… please just fix the service! Please just remind the staff they are there to serve and provide a good dining experience… it will go a long way with the customers.

Cool space… but that’s about all that brought me back to give this place a second try.
I like to think I recognize the vibe they’re trying to achieve here – I’ve been to many a well-​decorated, small-​menued, somewhat small-​portioned-​large-​priced boutique restaurant, but National just doesn’t seem to grasp how a restaurant like that is pulled off: with creativity and quality.
Now, I appreciate the classic. You want to do a burger? A wedge salad? An open-​faced chicken salad sandwich? Awesome. But you have to either charge classic prices, or make it an exceptional specimen of a burger/​wedge/​chicken salad. I didn’t pay $ 13 for a piece of toast with smoked salmon that isn’t much of a jump in quality to what I would make at home for breakfast (or $ 6 for a side of 10 soggy asparagus spears that tasted like nothing but plastic spatula). The fact that I did left me feeling offended – it’s almost like National thinks they can pass off whatever they want because or their aesthetic (which IS pretty nice/​Instagrammable), but you can’t use pretty to excuse blah, overpriced food.
If I’m back to give it one last try in the future, it’ll only because I still really, really, really would love to see National actually become what it’s arrogantly acting like it already is – a beautiful, high-​quality dining experience.

Where even to begin? The place is a one-​stop-​shop for anything you’d ever want to consume. It’s a combination French bakery, market, beer hall, restaurant and cocktail bar all rolled up into one dope spot.
When I go? Primarily weekday mornings for quiche which is the bomb. I also go for brunch on the weekends and get their burger (add a fried egg) which is easily in my top three burgers in Lexington.
Drinks — they have a full bar with competent cocktail makers (a real bonus for Lexington) and an amazing beer selection. If you can’t find something to drink here you should just stop going out and reserve your eating and drinking to the confines of your own miserable dwelling.
Parking — easy. There is plenty of street parking and a parking lot. Just don’t park in Local’s lot or they’ll get grumpy.

Very impressed with this place. Very clean, with a simple, yet elegant décor. Someone described it as «hipster» and I agree. I got the duck with dumplings and my wife got the scallops. Both dishes were superb. The duck was cooked nicely, and the broth is the mvp of this dish, wow! The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the banana peppers somehow complemented the rest of the dish with keen precision. Decent beer selection; above average compared to typical Lexingtonian spots. The Gingerbread and Chocolate Cake was delightful; rich and smooth, but not too sweet. Very cool atmosphere with exceptional service. Their attention to detail makes this place a must.

They get five stars for food. Location has varied service has varied. But one thing has never varied. The food. This place is pricey. 25 bucks for duck and dumplings. I tried it last night. The dumplings were not visible but they were tasted. It was delicious. So much so. I was craving a second visit tonight. This time the dumplings were a visible scone broken up into the broth of KY mushrooms, bacon and other veggies. It. Was. TRANSCENDENT! Also. Last night I had the chance to sample a chilled west coast oyster. First raw oyster I ever had that was actually tasty. Amazing texture. And the Bartender Lorna besides providing me with amazing service tonight, mixed me THE BEST Old Fashion (cocktail) I’ve ever had (and I’ve had opportunity to ask for this drink across the commonwealth and the country) tonight has been. The perfect meal. Kudos

We heard great things about this lively French bakery/​beer hall. We stopped by on a Thursday night for a night cap and dessert.
My husband had a great Pinot noir and I had an espresso martini (yummy). We spilt a chocolate pudding pie dessert that was awesome.
Dinner menu looked ok but over priced when we saw the portion sizes being brought out to surrounding patrons.
We will definitely be back for the French pastries and cocktails.

Good food and beer selection. A bit pricey, but well worth the occasional treat when we walk down here. I have always had good service. When we have sat outside at the Beer Hall the servers even bring a water dish out for our dog. Really, really love the tarts!
Edit ¹²⁄₂₇ — came for drinks yesterday and stayed for dinner. Had the prix fixe and it was AMAZING. The new handcrafted cocktail menu is out of this world. We tried everything on it and were just blown away. By far one of the best drinking and dining experiences in the city. Bumped to 5 stars!

The bar is great but service is terrible, beyond belief. I’ve been here several times but tonight is the last time. The collard greens and kimchi are delicious, as are the deserts. My food tonight was burned and there was hardly anything edible. The waitress was non-​present! The host, Jonathan (although gorgeous) is rude, cold and aloof! My friends have all agreed never to return. Managers: do not estrange the gay community! They do not split checks! If you are ok with bring treated badly, enjoy!

Expertly crafted cocktails… so unique. Tonight I ordered a Paper Plane which is Weller bourbon (a most excellent selection) lemon, ramazzotti, amaro and aperol… Lusciousness in a glass… For Dinner I was lavished by the seafood Bouillabaisse that just melted in my mouth. The seafood was buttery and tender! This Establishment is definitely at «To Do» while in Lexington

Unique atmosphere, chillaxin music, cocktail infusion madness, oral papillary pleasures. Thats a pretty good start to describe this wonderful gem. I have never been to France but if this is any bit close then I neeeeeed to go. Beautiful things surround you here. Tables of glass and copper, velvet seating. The music is a relaxing vibratory treasure itself. The Bartenders (capitalized to show respect) are masters of their art. Perfectly crafted, presented and NOT to be missed!!! The food… well lets just say that my mouth is consistently pleased in ways that would embarrass a Femme Sensuelle. If you have not been here, you should be ashamed.

The seafood bucatini is my fave. The quality of the seafood is wonderful. Nothing tasted like it was frozen and the shrimps and scallop were large.
We went on a Friday night and were seated in the beer hall. Not the best place to carry a conversation, but it’s pretty back there. Next time I’ll call ahead and make a reservation.

This is my favorite restaurant in Lexington! Their menu is constantly changing, which I love, I can try something new every time I come in. The menu is always very unique, my friend and I always come in and order all their appetizers. The ambiance is gorgeous, the service is exceptional, and their cocktails are perfect!

Not great. Not great at all. A beautiful space does not a great restaurant make.
We arrived at 6:30 on a Thursday evening to find the dining room empty for all but two groups. We opted to eat outside due to the weather, even though, service-​wise that probably wasn’t the best plan.
They have ZERO rosé wine on the menu which is hilarious, and settled on a cote de Rhone which was solid. We started with the wedge salad which was great aside from the surprising amount of saltiness from the dressing.
For dinner we ordered the duck & dumplings and the PEI mussels. The duck arrived with no big complaints other than some general over-​saltiness. The PEI mussels on the other hand were a different story. Described on the menu as being in a broth with garlic, white wine, and pepper flake, I assumed they would have a bit of spice to them, as places never generally over spice mussels to allow for the juiciness of the meat to show. NOT HERE! The amount of fairly crappy, low quality red pepper flake that was present in this modest sized dish was ENTIRELY unacceptable. One entire shell was full of the flake and made the entire dish absolutely inedible. The feeling in my lips only came back half an hour later. They did, however, comp the dish which was replaced by a decent albeit salty and undercooked artic char that had a side dish of over saturated kale salad.
Generally disappointed in the dining experience. For a restaurant that has written up in the EFFING NEW YORK TIMES I would expect that their staff know how to properly spice a basic dish and completely cook a modest piece of fish.

Love this place! Food is delicious I plan to return and enjoy the many choice of beer offerings. Their bakery turns out extraordinarily great breads. Enjoy!

This restaurant has absolutely no business being open and it’s gonna be absolutely hilarious when it finally has to close its doors.
It’s hard enough to get a new restaurant off the ground in ANY neighborhood, even more so when you’re in a neighborhood that absolutely no one wants to venture to. You would think this would make them put a premium on at least ACKNOWLEDGING their customers. (I’m not asking for the best service in the world here. But just something resembling service would be nice).
We walked in, dining room was only half full. We sat and looked at our menu for about 10 minutes. Not ONE server acknowledged our presence. If they were all busy, fine. But at least say «we’ll be with you in a moment.»
Then one lady (the one who looks like a background character from The Nightmare Before Christmas) had the nerve to sneer at us.
One of the people in our party called after we left to calmly speak to the manager, and got hung up on. So it’s clear they don’t care whether they have customers or not.
I would love to have a better review, one that actually reviews the food. But, we opted for a different restaurant downtown with a much friendlier waitstaff. Can’t wait for this place to close.

Even though it’s not my cup of tea, it’s obviously a favorite for many… with the crushed velvet seats and fully stocked bar, I immediately sensed the European feel. I love how this area is coming up or taking off as a district of its own. Just a few years ago the entire area was only a complex of factory like businesses.
This place is actually four businesses in one. It’s the same owner, and is in the back of National Boulangerie. There is a market attached and a place called Beer Hall attached too. All are connected and open, so you can walk into one from the other. The entire concept is as European as you can find in Lexington.
The worst thing about this place and my experience at National Boulangerie is the lack of hospitality. I guess it’s a European thing, but I don’t dig it. I need some southern hospitality if I’m going to spend my money somewhere. Even the service was slow and lacking.
I will agree that the portions of the selections that my husband and I ordered were small, especially for the prices. I was doing a bit of a vacation detox, so I decided to stick with a salad. I ordered the Spring mix salad and it was about the same size of side or house salads that I’ve had elsewhere. It’s wasn’t leafy, mostly stick cuts of vegetables… not very good at all.
The bread is free, but we had to ask for it. It doesn’t come with butter and it’s not the fresh and warm kind, but I liked it. The wine and the bread were my favorite things about the place.
I like the carafes of water and wine and they have many rare craft beers to choose from. My husband loved that facts that they listed the hop rating in the beer (he likes his beer hoppy). Happy hour is 4 – 6. Give it a try, see what you think!