25 editor picks in Nashville.
25 upscale places in Nashville, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Nashville: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Nashville food.
Brian Lea's converted East Nashville church running 150 artisan wine selections and seasonal plates. 2025 Michelin American South Sommelier of the Year award.
TipBar walk-ins available; named to the New York Times 50 Best Restaurants in 2024.
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.
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.
Chef Hal Holden-Bache's Five Points room in East Nashville opened 2012 in a corner storefront, running wood-fired pizzas and Southern-accented neighbourhood.
OrderMargherita pizza from the wood oven and the pork chop.
TipHappy hour 16:00-17:30 runs half-price pizza and pours at the bar; James Beard Community Kitchen nominee.
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.
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.
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.
The New York-born Attaboy opened its East Nashville McFerrin Avenue outpost in 2018: no menu, no cocktail list, bartenders build drinks to your spec.
TipDoors at 17:00 Sunday to Thursday, 16:00 Friday and Saturday. Press the buzzer to enter; first-come-first-served bar.
Julia Sullivan's Germantown seafood room in Nashville pours one of the city's deepest by-the-glass wine programmes, with strong growers' Champagne and raw.
TipBar seats walk in; happy hour 17:00-18:00 runs $1 oysters and discounted.
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.
Strategic Hospitality's Patterson House cocktail bar reopened in May 2025 on the fifth floor of the Bill Voorhees Building in Nashville. Booking recommended.
TipEntrance is on Paseo Pl. behind the building; reservations recommended on weekends.
Pearl Diver on Gallatin Avenue in East Nashville is a multi-time Spirited Awards Best US Cocktail Bar honoree and tiki-style room with a deep rum programme.
TipReopened March 2026 with weekend brunch service, greatest hits cocktail list and a refreshed food menu.
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.
The bar at Bastion in Wedgewood-Houston, Nashville is the walk-in counterpart to the Michelin-starred tasting menu next door, with a tight cocktail list.
TipWalk-ins only; closes earlier than the dining room. The Frito pie is the must-order under $15.
French wine bar and creperie on Gallatin Avenue in East Nashville with 49 wines by the glass, savory crepes, and a tucked-in Parisian-decor room.
TipBook the Tuesday night Au Naturel guided tasting for a clear walk-through of natural vs organic vs biodynamic; weekend jazz sets pack the room after 21:00.
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.
Strategic Hospitality's Old Glory in Nashville sits inside a former boiler-room basement, accessed by an unmarked staircase. Located in Edgehill.
TipLook for the white triangle on the brick at 1200 Villa Pl. No sign. Reservations on the website Friday and Saturday.
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.
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.
Robert's Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville has anchored the honky-tonk strip since 1996. Free live country music from 11:00-02:00 every day.
TipTip the band $5 or $10 if you stay through a set. The Recession Special is fried bologna with chips and a PBR for $7.
Le Loup is the downstairs cocktail and wine lounge beneath The Optimist in Germantown, Nashville, with a French-leaning list and the same kitchen's raw bar.
TipWalk-ins only; same raw bar as The Optimist upstairs at a lower price point and quieter buzz.
Billy Dec's Chicago import in The Gulch, 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.
Rosemary and Beauty Queen on Forrest Avenue in East Nashville pours natural and orange wines alongside Mediterranean small plates from a tight kitchen.
TipBookings on Resy; the back patio is the best seat. Snacks-only menu Sunday after 21:00.
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