Best Restaurants in Nashville
Taste Nashville’s hottest tables, from fiery hot chicken to refined tasting menus, and discover which unforgettable spot belongs at the top.
Food tours and tasting stops can make Nashville easier to understand.
Hot chicken, barbecue, meat-and-threes and neighborhood food stops all land better when you know the story behind them.
Nashville now has more than 200 notable restaurants, so you can eat smoked brisket at noon and polished tasting menus by night without crossing the city twice. You’ll find hot chicken with a crackly, red-stained crust, biscuits that steam when you split them, and dining rooms where the music hums just below the chatter. The hard part isn’t finding a good meal. It’s deciding where to start.
Key Takeaways
- Bourbon Steak, Audrey, and Bastion are top Nashville splurge picks for polished service, creative menus, and romantic, celebratory dinners.
- Martin’s Bar-B-Que, Peg Leg Porker, Prince’s, and Hattie B’s define Nashville’s essential barbecue and hot chicken experience.
- Pelato, Luogo, and Rolf & Daughters stand out for excellent pasta, while Five Points Pizza is a favorite for foldable New York–style slices.
- Biscuit Love, Hearts, and 1 Kitchen are strong brunch choices, while Butcher & Bee offers lighter Mediterranean plates and standout whipped feta.
- Tootsie’s, Bluebird Cafe, and The Patterson House pair great food or drinks with Nashville’s signature live music and nightlife energy.
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Best Nashville Restaurants Overall
From rooftop steaks to late-night hot chicken, Nashville’s best restaurants cover a lot of ground and do it with real confidence. If you’re mapping the best restaurants in Nashville, start with Bourbon Steak at the JW Marriott. You get skyline views, polished service, crab mac-and-cheese, and the playful caviar twinkie. For Italian, Pelato brings rich meatballs and vodka pasta, while Luogo turns out elegant pizza and pasta with near-perfect consistency. When you want smoke and no fuss, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Peg Leg Porker deliver pulled pork worth the wait. Then there’s Hattie B’s, where the spicy fried chicken sandwich crackles, the pimento mac feels comfortingly cheesy, and the line moves faster than you’d fear. Prince’s still matters too, thanks to its original recipe. If you’re planning a weekend meal, the city also delivers a strong brunch scene with plenty of spots locals love.
Best Nashville Restaurants for Brunch
When you’re chasing Nashville brunch, you can start with the classics at Biscuit Love Gulch, where buttery biscuits hit the table fast and the room hums with counter-order energy. If you want a downtown pick, you’ll find a reliable seat at 1 Kitchen for rich biscuits and gravy, while Soho House keeps things polished with healthy breakfast and lunch if you’ve got access. For something a little different, you can chase Hearts for its favorite twice-baked French toast or book Audrey for an upscale weekend brunch that feels made for lingering. For a more traditional stop, Loveless Cafe delivers a classic Nashville dining experience that brunch fans still seek out.
A good food experience is useful early in the trip.
Book one near the beginning and the guide’s restaurant, bar and neighborhood tips can shape the rest of your stay.
Compare Nashville food tours →Classic Brunch Favorites
Often, the best Nashville brunches win you over with a mix of comfort and character, and this group shows why. At Biscuit Love Gulch, you order fast, grab a table, and settle in for buttery brunch staples and biscuits and gravy that taste like Southern Sunday done right. Hearts shifts the mood with an Australian-style menu and twice-baked French toast you’ll probably talk about all day. Pastis French Bistro lets you linger over omelettes, eggs, coffee, or wine in a room that feels quietly Parisian. If you want balance, Soho House Nashville serves polished plates that feel healthy without feeling fussy. And if you circle back to 1 Kitchen, you may find its biscuits and gravy, once easy to doubt, now absolutely worth another bite. For a first-time visit, this brunch lineup also works well as an easy introduction to Nashville’s mix of classic comfort and stylish new energy.
Downtown Breakfast Picks
If you wake up hungry in downtown Nashville, you don’t have to settle for a quick coffee and a forgettable pastry. At Pastis French Bistro, you can ease into breakfast with a fluffy omelette in a cozy Parisian room. If you want classic Nashville brunch energy, head to Biscuit Love Gulch for buttery biscuits and fast counter service. For a casual downtown table, 1 Kitchen delivers standout biscuits and gravy, plus salads and sandwiches if you want something lighter. If you have Soho House access or a room upstairs, you’ll find polished, healthy breakfast plates that feel satisfying. And if you’re willing to cross the river, Hearts in East Nashville rewards you with Australian style and twice baked French toast that’s worth the detour. If you want to keep exploring after brunch, nearby Germantown offers a taste of Nashville’s charming neighborhood appeal with historic streets and local character.
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Best Nashville Hot Chicken and BBQ Spots
Dig into Nashville’s signature comfort food, and you’ll hit two local obsessions fast: hot chicken and slow-smoked barbecue. Prince’s sets the standard with fiery heat, and if you’re tempted by X-hot, know medium or hot often lets the flavor shine. Hattie B’s keeps things crisp and busy downtown, with five spice levels plus pimento mac and cheese and banana pudding. For a neighborhood stop, head to Bolton’s in East Nashville, where you can order fish or choose a non-spicy plate. When smoke calls, Martin’s serves tender pulled pork and strong ribs. Peg Leg Porker and Edley’s also reward you with dependable barbecue, meaty ribs, and that slow-cooked perfume drifting out the door before you even sit down. It’s a delicious way to map Nashville. For more on the city’s signature spice, a Nashville Hot Chicken Guide can help you compare top spots and heat levels.
Best Nashville Spots for Pizza and Pasta
After the heat of hot chicken and the smoke of barbecue, Nashville gives you another comfort-food lane worth following: pizza and pasta. For a quick bite, head to Five Points Pizza for foldable New York-style slices and a lunch deal that keeps your budget calm: two slices and a drink for under $11. If you want classic red-sauce comfort, Pelato delivers tender meatballs and rich vodka pasta with near-perfect local praise. Luogo gives you polished Italian cooking plus standout pizza, while Folk turns seasonal toppings into something memorable, especially its clam pie. And when you crave handmade pasta, keep Rolf & Daughters on your list for creative plates and serious noodle craft. Since this is part of an Affordable Nashville approach, these spots fit nicely into a budget-friendly food crawl. You’ll leave full and maybe plotting another carb stop tomorrow morning.
Best Nashville Restaurants for Date Night
When you want a date night in Nashville that feels a little special, you’ve got options that range from candlelit bistro tables to polished rooftop dining rooms. You can settle into Pastis for a warm Paris-style meal, book Peninsula for a cozy East Nashville dinner with sharp service and a great gin and tonic, or go big at Bourbon Steak with city views and rich plates made for sharing. If you want something thoughtful and a touch more original, Audrey, Bastion, and Rolf & Daughters give you creative menus, soft room buzz, and plenty to talk about between bites. For couples planning a luxury travel guide itinerary, these restaurants fit naturally into an upscale Nashville evening.
Popular Nashville options for this kind of trip
A quick scan of start times, pickup details and reviews can help you avoid choosing something that does not fit the rhythm of your trip.
Intimate Evening Spots
If your ideal Nashville date night calls for low lighting, great service, and food that gives you something to talk about between bites, these intimate evening spots deliver. At Peninsula in Eastland, you settle into an intimate date-night spot where the rotating Spanish and French menu keeps things lively, the gin and tonics sparkle, and the attentive service never hovers. Pastis brings a warm bistro glow that makes lingering over seafood, wine, and one more coffee feel easy. If you want a room built for celebrations, The Finch lets you shape dinner into something more personal. Audrey adds a communal twist with its Feast tasting menu, while Bourbon Steak pairs upstairs skyline views with rich bites like crab mac and the cheeky caviar twinkie. For couples planning a full evening, Downtown Nashville adds an easy next stop for post-dinner walks, live music, and city views.
Upscale Romantic Dining
For a date night that leans more polished than tucked-away, Nashville gives you plenty of reasons to dress up a little and stay out late. Bourbon Steak, high above downtown at the JW Marriott, gives you steakhouse glamour, city lights, crab mac and cheese, and the cheeky caviar twinkie, all with service that makes a splurge feel easy. For a softer glow, slip into Pastis for briny seafood and a Paris bistro mood, or book Peninsula for its intimate room, rotating Spanish French menu, and sharp gin and tonics. Audrey turns Appalachian fine dining into something warm and shared with refined cornbread, silky grits, and the Feast family-style tasting. Bastion and Rolf & Daughters suit adventurous couples chasing a romantic spot for dinner too. If you want to keep the evening effortless, pairing dinner with one of the hotels near Broadway makes downtown after-hours feel especially easy.
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Best East Nashville Restaurants
Often, East Nashville feels like the part of town where you can eat your way through a whole weekend without repeating a mood. Start at Audrey on Meridian for upscale Appalachian cooking, then book the eight-dish Feast if you’re hungry. For a quick reset, grab a huge slice at Five Points Pizza and still spend under $11 at lunch. If hot chicken calls, Bolton’s delivers the classic East Nashville burn, plus a gentler option when you want flavor without a dare. Boston Commons brings crispy fish and chips with pub warmth. East Nashville Beer Works rounds things out with white pizza, dogs, kids, and community buzz. These are favorite restaurants you’ll return to gladly, even before you’ve finished deciding what to order next time. As any East Nashville Travel Guide would suggest, this side of town rewards wandering appetites with a mix of neighborhood staples and destination-worthy meals.
Best Nashville Restaurants for Healthy Meals
Eating well in Nashville doesn’t mean settling for a sad salad or a dry grilled chicken detour. You can find thoughtful plates that taste lively and still leave you feeling good afterward. If you have access, Soho House Nashville stands out for polished, relaxed meals and some of the smartest lighter options in town.
Downtown, 1 Kitchen pairs a dependable healthy menu with strong salads and sandwiches, so it’s an easy pick when you want something fresh between plans. Butcher & Bee brings Mediterranean small plates, and its whipped feta proves lighter food doesn’t have to be boring. The Treehouse leans farm to table, with seasonal dishes and a cozy neighborhood room that makes healthy eating feel like part of the trip, not homework. If you’re planning a solo trip, these spots also work well when you want a comfortable table for one without sacrificing quality.
Best Nashville Spots for Drinks and Live Music
Lean into Nashville after dark and you’ll find a city that doesn’t make you choose between a good drink and a great set. Start at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, where live bands roar from open to close. Lower Broadway, often called Music Mile, packs honky-tonks, neon, and nonstop performances into one iconic stretch. Slip into The Patterson House for polished cocktails, or chase intimate songs at Bluebird and The Listening Room.
| Spot | What you feel | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge | electric | classic Broadway |
| Bluebird Cafe | hushed awe | iconic writers |
| Listening Room | close connection | rotating artists |
| Patterson House | candlelit calm | expert cocktails |
If you want beer and ease, try Jackalope, Yazoo, or East Nashville Beer Works. Ole Red and Bourbon Street keep dinner loud and joyful. You’ll hear guitar strings shimmer, feel barstools rattle, and remember why town treats nightlife like supper.
Use this food guide to choose one meal that becomes a memory.
Compare tasting tours, food walks and local experiences that add more than just another reservation.
Compare matching Nashville options →Frequently Asked Questions
Do Nashville Restaurants Usually Require Reservations on Weekends?
Yes, you’ll often need reservations on weekends during Peak demand, especially for upscale or brunch spots. You can try Walk in etiquette at casual places, but you’ll wait less if you use Reservation apps early.
Where Can I Find Late-Night Dining in Nashville?
You’ll find late-night dining downtown on Broadway, in East Nashville, and around Midtown, where Food trucks, Hattie B’s, Five Points Pizza, and burger spots thrive. You can Dine and dance nearby, then hit Midnight bakeries.
Which Nashville Restaurants Are Best for Large Groups?
Right off the bat, you’ll love The Pharmacy, BoomBozz, Monell’s, and East Nashville Beer Works for large groups: you get Outdoor patios, Family style options, and even Private dining at celebratory spots like The Finch.
Are There Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Nashville Worth Visiting?
Yes, you’ll find kid-friendly Nashville restaurants worth visiting: BoomBozz offers playful menus and a playground, The Pharmacy brings interactive dining outdoors, and East Nashville Beer Works suits families. You won’t need a family prix fixe.
What Neighborhoods Have the Highest Concentration of Top Restaurants?
Like a compass for craving, you’ll find the highest concentration in Germantown gems, East Nashville, and The Gulch hotspots; you can count on downtown and Midtown, where standout restaurants cluster tightly and keep options plentiful.
Conclusion
Nashville feeds you like a great playlist builds a night. One track surprises you, then the next one hits even better. In a city with more than 200 live music venues, that rhythm shows up on the plate too. You might start with a biscuit at brunch, chase hot chicken by noon, and end over pasta under low lights. Follow your appetite across town. It rarely misses, and neither do you when you stay curious.
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Use this food guide to choose one meal that becomes a memory.
Compare tasting tours, food walks and local experiences that add more than just another reservation.
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