Lower Broadway honky tonks and SoBro hotel restaurants. Husk on Rutledge, Drusie and Darr at the Hermitage, plus the Assembly Food Hall.
Sean Brock's Rutledge Hill institution in Nashville cooks ingredient-driven Southern food on a wood hearth, run today by chef de cuisine Brian Baxter.
Signature: Cornbread skillet, Pork belly with peas
Order: The cornbread skillet, then whatever the menu lists from the wood hearth.
Tip: Lunch is a quieter seat with the same kitchen. Book the porch in spring; it overlooks downtown.
Tony and Cathy Mantuano's Joseph Hotel Italian restaurant in Nashville opened August 2020 with refined regional cooking, awarded a Michelin Star in 2025.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Whole grilled fish
Order: Pasta tasting and the whole fish; pair with the Italian-leaning wine list.
Tip: The espresso bar on the ground floor serves the same kitchen at half the price for an aperitivo.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Hermitage Hotel restaurant in downtown Nashville opened 2022 with seasonal cooking, Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence 2025.
Signature: Plant-forward tasting, Wood oven pizzas
Order: The plant-forward plates the kitchen builds around Tennessee produce.
Tip: Breakfast at the Hermitage is the unsung meal: best biscuits in the hotel dining circuit.
Tony Mantuano's Joseph Hotel Italian room in downtown Nashville opened August 2020 with refined regional Italian cooking, awarded a Michelin Star in 2025.
Order: Pasta tasting paired with a deep regional Italian wine list.
Tip: The espresso bar on the ground floor serves casual antipasti at half the price; counter seats welcome walk-ins.
Sean Brock's Rutledge Hill institution in Nashville cooks ingredient-driven Southern food on a wood hearth, recommended in the 2025 Michelin Guide American South.
Order: Cornbread skillet, then whatever the menu lists from the wood hearth.
Tip: Lunch is quieter with the same kitchen. Book the porch seats in spring; they overlook downtown.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Hermitage Hotel restaurant in downtown Nashville opened 2022. Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence 2025 and Modern Luxury hotel pick.
Order: Plant-forward small plates built around Tennessee produce.
Tip: Weekend brunch at 11:00 to 14:00 is the Hermitage's quieter face; the bar pours top by-the-glass selections.
Pat Martin's Nashville BBQ joint in downtown runs old-school whole-hog barbecue, a massive beer garden and live music nightly behind the Music City Center.
Signature: Whole-hog pulled pork, Redneck Taco
Order: Pulled pork sandwich with Alabama white sauce on top, and a side of mac.
Tip: The beer garden out back is the move on warm nights; live music starts at 19:00 most days.
Strategic Hospitality's 13,000 square-foot Peabody Street complex in downtown Nashville combines a restaurant, copper-bar cocktails, six vintage bowling lanes and a coffee shop.
Signature: Burgers, Brunch with bowling
Order: Burger at the bar; banana cream pie on weekends.
Tip: Bowling books out for weekend nights; the patio with mini bocce takes walk-ins year-round.
Crema's downtown Hermitage Avenue flagship in Nashville opened 2008, runs the city's longest-tenured third-wave espresso programme and a coffee education lab.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: Public coffee classes run from this location; sign up online. The patio is small but quiet on a weekday morning.
Crema's downtown Hermitage Avenue cafe in Nashville houses the company's Coffee Education and Events Lab, where all public classes and cuppings happen.
Tip: Coffee classes run monthly; book online. Pourover flight tastings let you try three single origins at one sitting.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Pour over, Subscription
Strategic Hospitality's downtown wine bar in Nashville opened 2024 inside the former Acme Feed building. Old World leaning list, by-the-glass programme rotates weekly.
Signature pour: By-the-glass list rotates weekly
Wine focus: Old World and natural by the glass
Food: Seasonal plates and pastas
Tip: Stop in for an aperitivo before dinner at one of Strategic's other rooms in walking distance.
Robert's Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville has anchored the honky-tonk strip since 1996. Free live country music from 11:00 to 02:00 every day.
Signature drink: Beer with fried bologna sandwich
Food: Bologna sandwich and snacks
Tip: Tip the band $5 or $10 if you stay through a set. The Recession Special is fried bologna with chips and a PBR for $7.
Assembly Food Hall at Fifth and Broadway in downtown Nashville opened 2021 with 30 stalls including Prince's Hot Chicken, Hattie B's, Hattie Jane's Creamery and Loveless biscuits.
Tip: Prince's Hot Chicken inside is the easy way to try the original without trekking to Nolensville. Rooftop bar is the move at sundown.
Walk Eat Nashville's flagship downtown tour visits five restaurants and shops in Nashville over three hours, named a Top 15 US Food Tour. Small groups of 12.
Tip: Sunday and Monday brunch versions run a slightly different stop list; arrive 10 minutes early at the meeting point.
A Little Local Flavor's walking tours in Nashville are locally owned and run a community-anchored route, rated number 13 of culinary experiences in the US by Tripadvisor.
Tip: Tour size is intentionally smaller than competitors; book a private group route for parties of six or more.
Sidewalk Food Tours runs two Nashville routes in either downtown or East Nashville, with authentic Tennessee cuisine and history stops. National operator with multi-city pedigree.
Tip: Tours run rain or shine. The downtown route is the better first-time-visitor option; East Nashville suits return visitors.
Dabble Tours' Nashville Hot Chicken and Whiskey route in Nashville visits three hot chicken counters and a whiskey distillery, the dish's defining pairing on one tour.
Tip: Eat a small breakfast; the three stops add up fast. Tour includes transport between stops.
Nashville Wine Auction's l'Été du Vin gala in Nashville is the city's longest-running wine event, founded 1980. Funds cancer research; the 2025 edition ran 24 to 26 July.
Tip: The Patrons' Dinner in June and the Vintners' Tasting in late July are smaller, easier to book than the August gala.
The Nashville Predators Wine Festival and Tasting in Nashville benefits the team foundation, with 200 wines, signature pours and chef stations inside Bridgestone Arena.
Tip: VIP tickets get early access and access to a special grand-cru room; general admission opens 60 minutes later.
The Recession Special at Robert's Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville is fried bologna with chips and a PBR for $7, plus free live country music from 11:00.
Try: Fried bologna sandwich with chips and beer
Tip: Cash for the bar; tip the band $5 per set. The Recession Special is one of the city's most reliable cheap meals.
Strategic Hospitality's 13,000 square-foot Peabody Street complex in downtown Nashville serves weekend brunch with bowling lanes, copper-bar coffee cocktails and the patio.
Order: Brioche French toast
Tip: Family groups book the lanes; brunch + a game runs about $40 per person. Reserve 10:00 lanes for a quieter time.
Robert's Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville stays open until 02:00 every night with free live country music, the Recession Special and a fast-pour bar.
Try: Fried bologna sandwich with chips and beer
Tip: Tip the band $5 per set if you stay. The Recession Special: fried bologna sandwich, chips and a PBR for $7.