Naïve Kitchen + Bar

I have endless good things to say about this thoughtfully designed and incredibly talented restaurant and bar. First, just let me say - stop looking. You've found your next meal.Chef Ben made our night when he came out to chat with us about the turmeric aioli we were enjoying with the small plate of potatoes.I just discovered Louisville is a 2 hour drive from where I live and have come back twice in 2 months. Both stays, I've managed to eat at Naïve twice. I love delicious, plant forward menu. Cauliflower, pickle plate, anything with broccolini. I'm an omnivore, so the steak and short ribs and crispy chicken sandwish have also been items I've enjoyed.The only thing I've tried that I didn't want to rave about was the salmon croquettes (just not as flavorful as you'd think based on the kimchi mention and the breading takes over), but I give them a pass considering how much everything else is top notch!!Don't sleep on that dark chocolate torte.On my most recent visit, I tried some of the cocktails and there is just nothing I won't order from this place. Grateful that the menu changes seasonally, so there is always something new to try! I'll be back again and again.

Naive has a light airiness about it. It has a lovely feel to the place. The staff is friendly. You can make reservations if you want, but I walked over from happy hour at Cultured and was seated immediately. I had a delectable beet margarita, and myHubby enjoyed an unoaked chardonnay. The menu is split into apps, shared, and large plates. The server suggested three small or one small and large per person, but if we had done that, we would have a lot of food left over. We ordered three shared plates for two people: the General Tso cauliflower, halloumi salad, and tuna tartar. The large plate was crispy fried rice with mushrooms. Our dishes were delicious, and it would be hard to come back and not order them again, but there were other enticing options on the menu, so we would have to try some new things. We have four instead of 5 stars because the halloumi salad has the tiniest pieces of halloumi we have ever seen. The salad was massive, and we were left wanting more halloumi. Also, some of the pieces of cauliflower were undercooked. I would order the General Taos again because it was so good. The tuna was good, but the crackers that came with it were the start of the show. Lastly, the crispy rice was not as crispy as I had wished; once again, it was delicious but not all I had hoped. We loved our meal, but not five stars to

Opulence and Elegance and the Foods Great Too!I was in the East Market Butchertown area looking for new places to eat as I've been all over Louisville and Jeffersonville trying out local establishments. I heard about Naive Kitchen and Bar from colleagues of mine who had eaten there and decided to give it a try. Naive is a very chic, boutique-style eatery with fine decor, attentive staff and wonderful food. On my visit, early on a Friday night, I had some time before the place started filling up to take some time and decide what I wanted to eat. They had a feature that night of Sous vide Watermelon and I decided to start with that. The watermelon 'steak' was packed with flavour and the surrounding elements like the cabbage and the pickled watermelon rind were outstanding compliments to the main dish. I then had the Chilled Shrimp Lettuce Wraps made with Poblano pepper, cucumber and lime which was a very light a refreshing dish for a humid summer night. The star of the night was the main course, a locally sourced Pork Tenderloin duo again surrounded by complimentary flavours. The tenderloins were, very tender and had just enough flavouring that you still taste the pork itself. The food was fantastic and I washed it down with a Doc's Hefe Wheat Beer from Gravely Brewing. Overall a fantastic meal in a very stimulating space.

This place is very cute and small. We went on a Saturday morning and it wasn't terribly busy. That should have been the first clue. We ordered the cinnamon roll which was good. The entrees the breakfast burrito and sandwich left a lot to be desired. I wish I had taken a photo because it didn't even present well. Burrito was very dry and cracked after it had been wrapped. The bun on the breakfast sandwich was also dry and cracked where the top was mostly flaked off. The egg was scrambled on one side and all the bacon on the other. It was a mess. Very small egg and bacon pieces falling out. The side of potatoes with the sandwich and the potatoes in the burrito were warm but VERY hard but not inedible.

Not sure if this will make any sense, but this place gives major Cali vibes. I went in on my own, solo, and was able to grab one of the last seats at the bar. The place has plenty of tables and a rather large bar and it was mostly full. Good for them! It was brunch time, and one of the few places in Louisville that has a bottomless drink option. I didn't do that, but it was cool to see. Anyway, the staff were very friendly and I ordered with ease. I decided to get the polenta brunch plate and a side of sausage -- anticipating the plate on its own might be light.As I said before, I didn't do bottomless mimosas... but I saw that they had a mimosa flight and got quite curious. When the staff explained everything to me, I was sold immediately because of how creative the flavors were. Let me break it down:Blueberry basil: it was perfect, down to the last drop. The basil complimented it so well!Prickly pear: A flavor that I love but get to have so rarely. It was delicious... definitely the sweetest in the bunch.Strawberry coconut: nice combo, and frothy. There was lime in there too, which stood out. These were crafted by the bartender herself, and she walked me through her process of coming up with them. She did a fantastic job on each one. It far exceeded my expectations of flights where you just get like... orange, pineapple, cranberry... and maybe mango if you're lucky.The polenta brunch plate was indeed light as I expected, but the presentation was wonderful and it was really tasty! Glad I had that sausage. I could've eaten even more honestly. But I had a long day ahead and I didn't want to be too stuffed. I would eagerly recommend this place to anyone in the area, and it's on more of the eastern side. So while it was crowded that day, it doesn't get quite as packed as other places more central in Louisville.

Amazing food, fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend all the appetizers and the roast.m chicken.

The back patio is such a vibe. The cutest weeping willow photo op. Indoor/outdoor seating. Perfect for a date or catching up with friends. Rotating menu, very vegetable forward, lots of options, and full of healthy, fresh ingredients. Everything we tried was delish!The service was horrible. Hoping next time is better.

I went on a date to this place and it was absolutely delicious! The food was so good and the service was wonderful. Highly recommend this for anyone to try, so tasty!!

This is a must stop!! NEW ownership & NEW menus just reopened this week. Great date spot. Outstanding food & presentation was beautiful too. Enjoyed some craft cocktails and they were also fantastic, very balanced. Service was great and can't wait to visit again!!

I don't know how many chances I have to give Naive.Most of the time it's mediocre and I'm not upset about it. But this most recent visit was disappointing. We sat outside which was lovely, the patio is the best thing going for Naive.The service was fine, although at times it did feel like we were forgotten. But there were also times where too many people were being attentive and we had three big bottles of water on our table. We never did get the ketchup we asked for...Anyway the biggest disappointment were the drinks, no one seems to know to make a latte or tea beverage. Don't bother ordering a chai, matcha or even a coffee.The food was fine but not good enough for me to give them another chance.There are better places to eat in Butchertown.