The restaurants worth a reservation in Nashville, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Nashville. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Chef Philip Krajeck's Germantown Italian-American kitchen in Nashville opened in 2012 inside the Werthan factory and runs handmade pastas and wood-fired.
OrderSquid ink chitarra with octopus and chickpea, plus the wood-fired pork.
TipReservations open 30 days out on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00 and serves the same menu.
Chef Tandy Wilson's Germantown room in Nashville serves blue-collar Italian and Southern cooking since 2007. Kitchen leans italian southern.
OrderBelly ham pizza with mozzarella, oregano, chiles and pickled peppers.
TipBradley Midgett took executive chef duties in March 2025; the menu stays Wilson's. Sunday Suppers are the easy seat.
Chef Julia Sullivan's Germantown seafood room in Nashville opened in 2017 with a raw bar, wood-grill program and a wine list built around growers.
OrderHalf-dozen oysters from the daily list, then the wood-grilled whole fish.
TipBrunch on Saturday is the easier seat. Happy hour 17:00-18:00 runs $1 oysters at the bar.
Ford Fry's Atlanta-born seafood concept landed in Nashville's Germantown Hammer Mill in 2023, anchoring a seafood tower programme and Le Loup cocktail lounge.
OrderThe opulent seafood tower for two, plus the wood-grilled fish of the day.
TipSkip the line by booking the bar; downstairs at Le Loup serves the same raw bar with cocktails.
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.
OrderThe cornbread skillet, then whatever the menu lists from the wood hearth.
TipLunch is a quieter seat with the same kitchen. Book the porch in spring; it overlooks downtown.
Sean Brock's East Nashville Appalachian fine-dining room opened 2021, named for his grandmother and in the 2025 Michelin Guide. Sam Jett runs day-to-day.
OrderThe full tasting if you can; otherwise heritage pork from Brock's own farm.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. June, the upstairs counter, is on hiatus for guest chef sessions in 2026.
Chef Hal Holden-Bache's East Nashville room in Nashville opened in 2012 in a Lockeland Springs corner storefront, running wood-fired pizzas and Southern.
OrderMargherita pizza from the wood oven, the pork chop with redeye gravy.
TipHappy hour 16:00-17:30 runs half-price pizza and pours at the bar; a James Beard nominee for Community Kitchen.
Jake Howell's 38-seat Iberian room in East Nashville off the Gallatin corridor in Nashville. Michelin Bib Gourmand 2025 and a James Beard win for Howell.
OrderThe braised rabbit in garlic broth with piment d'espelette aioli and the oyster croquetas.
TipOpen Thursday to Saturday only with 38 seats. Reservations recommended; bar walk-ins early are the move.
Philip Krajeck's casual East Nashville sibling to Rolf and Daughters opened in 2018, running naturally leavened pizza and a vegetable-forward menu.
OrderThe mushroom pizza and whatever bitter green is currently on the menu.
TipClosed Wednesdays. Walk-in seats at the long marble bar are the best move on a weeknight.
A converted East Nashville church running 150 artisan wine selections and seasonal small plates, named to the New York Times 50 Best Restaurants list in 2024.
OrderTell the sommelier your price range and let them build a flight with snacks.
TipThe bar takes walk-ins; named Michelin American South Sommelier of the Year 2025.
Patrick Burke's Eastland Avenue ramen and izakaya counter in Nashville opened in 2014. The tonkotsu and miso ramens are the canonical bowls in East Nashville.
OrderTonkotsu ramen with extra egg and chashu, plus the karaage chicken.
TipHappy hour 16:00-18:00 runs $5 plates and discounted sake; counter seats easier than booths.
Brian Lea and Leina Horii's 40-seat Highland Yards Japanese comfort-food room earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand and Garden and Gun Hot List in Nashville.
OrderOkonomiyaki with bonito flakes, plus seasonal curry rice and karaage.
TipLunch only Wednesday through Sunday. No reservations; queue starts before opening on weekends.
Teresa Mason's McFerrin Avenue taco counter in East Nashville opened as a converted Airstream and now runs full kitchen service. Priced at $.
OrderTwo fried avocado tacos and a bowl of chicken tortilla soup with avocado.
TipClosed Mondays. Lunch lines build by 12:00; arrive at 11:00 or after 14:00 for an easy seat.
The Bishop family's Midtown hot chicken counter in Nashville opened in 2012 and is the tourist-friendliest gateway to the dish. Located in Hillsboro Village.
OrderHot chicken at Hot level, pimento mac, banana pudding.
TipLines run 60 minutes at peak. Hit a satellite location (West, Downtown) or go off-peak for a faster seat.
Andre Prince Jeffries's family invented hot chicken in Nashville in the 1930s. The Nolensville shop runs the canonical version. James Beard America's Classic.
OrderQuarter dark, Medium heat, plain white bread with pickles.
TipThe Nolensville location is the heart of the operation; the original Dickerson Pike shop closed and reopened on Broadway.
Bolton Polk's Main Street hot chicken shop in East Nashville is the editor's pick on the hot-chicken map: smaller, cheaper and darker-fried than Hattie.
OrderHot chicken thigh sandwich with slaw, plus the hot whiting fish.
TipClosed Sundays and Mondays. Cash and card; tiny counter, takeaway is the move.
Isaac Beard's hot chicken shop in Nashville moved to Centennial Boulevard in 2024. The Tender Royale, a sandwich on grilled cheese, is the cult order.
OrderTender Royale at Medium, plus a side of mac and cheese.
TipClosed Sundays and Mondays. Order ahead online; the kitchen runs 30-minute waits at lunch.
The Arnold family's Gulch meat-and-three lunch counter in Nashville won the James Beard America's Classics Award in 2009. Located in The Gulch.
OrderRoast beef or fried catfish with three vegetables, sweet tea, banana pudding.
TipCafeteria line, lunch only Monday through Friday 10:30-14:30. A North Nashville sit-down location opened in 2025.
Monell's family-style Southern dining in Germantown has run since 1995, seating strangers at communal tables in a Victorian house seven blocks north.
OrderThe full family-style spread: fried chicken, country ham, mac and cheese, greens.
TipReservations available; tables seat ten. Sunday brunch is the marquee meal, books a week ahead.
The Joseph Hotel's Italian fine-dining room in Nashville opened August 2020 with refined regional cooking. Located in Downtown. Priced at $$$$.
OrderPasta tasting and the whole fish; pair with the Italian-leaning wine list.
TipThe espresso bar on the ground floor serves the same kitchen at half the price for an aperitivo.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Hermitage Hotel restaurant in downtown Nashville opened 2022 with seasonal cooking, Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
OrderThe plant-forward plates the kitchen builds around Tennessee produce.
TipBreakfast at the Hermitage is the unsung meal: best biscuits in the hotel dining circuit.
Billy Dec's Chicago import in The Gulch in Nashville runs modern Southeast Asian small plates and a strong sushi programme since 2022, with a deep cocktail.
OrderCrispy pork belly bao buns and the chef's sushi tasting.
TipLate-night service runs until 23:30 Friday and Saturday; the bar is the easy walk-in seat.
Jonathan Waxman's Gulch room in Nashville cooks seasonal California-style food in a converted automotive garage. Located in The Gulch. Priced at $$$.
OrderJW chicken with crispy potatoes, salsa verde on the side.
TipAll-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet is the value play; carving station, smoked salmon, pastries.
Maneet Chauhan's Gulch room in Nashville runs globally inflected American comfort food with strong cocktails, opened 2018 and steady at the top of the area.
OrderCrispy pork shank with chili crisp, plus the kale Caesar.
TipHappy hour is generous and easy to walk into; book ahead for the patio in warm weather.
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