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Nashville’s extensive range of restaurants would take quite some time to explore, but we have selected a sampling to reveal some of the more unique choices. Individually owned, trendy, and many with a pan-Pacific influence have burgeoned in a delightful range of settings. We have divided them into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Dollar symbols can be interpreted as follows:
$$$$ (over US$70)
$$$ (US$35 to US$70)
$$ (US$20 to US$35)
$ (under US$20)
These prices include three courses and the least expensive bottle of wine. Not included is the sales tax of 9.25%. Sometimes a gratuity (usually 18%) is added to the bill. If not, a tip of 10 to 15% for service is customary.

Gourmet

Flyte World Dining and Wine
Converted from an old warehouse, Flyte is the brainchild of owners Scott Atkinson and Scott Sears. Amid earthy colors, bold original artwork and soft ambiance, enjoy fine dining at its best in this relaxed but vibrant new destination in the up-and-coming 12th Avenue South District. The restaurant specializes in ‘flytes’ (samplers) of salads, soups, desserts and wines. A seasonal menu features organic, fresh or humanely raised dishes created by Chef Bobby Benjamin, former chef at Nashville’s illustrious Capitol Grille. For a true dining adventure try the Chef’s Sampler - a food and wine pairing of five courses. The seasonal favorite, Chilean sea bass, melts in the mouth. Outstanding service and exceptional food matches the bill, but the coffee is disappointing. The vibrant casual bar area is popular with party groups. Extensive international wine list.
 
718 Division Street
Tel: (615) 255 6200.
Website: www.flytenashville.com
Price: $$$$
Zola
Voted Nashville’s ‘Most Romantic’ and ‘Best Special Occasion Restaurant’ in the Nashville Scene readers’ poll, Zola is rated one of the top 101 restaurants in the United States (CITY Magazine 2007). Once you’ve enjoyed a romantic dinner or a fun night out with friends, you will certainly agree with this high praise. The appetizers are referred to as provocations - and provoke they do, with each serving a work of art and tastes that go way beyond expectations. All dishes are small servings, a welcome change so you can savour the myriad taste sensations and still have room for dessert. Features include Grandma Zola’s paella, a fiesta of scallops, shrimp, market-fresh fish, chorizo, ham and saffron rice; Iberian pork tenderloin; or pistachio salmon. Even the homemade golden raisin and walnut bread or focaccia are a delicious offering. Savour the white chocolate passion fruit cheesecake with a coconut crust and fresh berries as the perfect accompaniment for Spanish nut coffee, with Frangelico, Tia Maria and whipped cream. Owner/chef Debra Paquette, described by her husband a ‘mad, genius chef’, is dedicated to providing a gourmet delight for diners who return to this Mediterranean-style restaurant. The intimate atmosphere is made complete by exotic lighting, archways, wrought iron, and brightly colored original paintings on the faux finished walls.

3001 West End Avenue
Tel: (615) 320 7778.
Website: www.restaurantzola.com
Price: $$$

Trendy

Mad Platter
There are no tea parties here or serving plates speaking in riddles, just exceptional food. Voted Best Romantic Rendezvous in the Nashville Scene readers’ poll, the quaint restaurant is housed in an historic brownstone building in Germantown, just two blocks from the Bicentennial Mall. The rack of lamb flavored with Dijon and rosemary crust is superb. But it is the salads that are truly exceptional and look as if they were prepared in Eden. If you have room for dessert the chocolate Elvis will transport you to a higher plane of delight. A lunchtime favorite is the pasta mad platter. Menu items are seasonal and may also change with the whim of the chef. No lunch Saturday or Sunday. Closed Monday.

1239 Sixth Avenue North
Tel: (615) 242 2563.
Website: http://madplatter.ypguides.net
Price: $$$
Mirror
Located on 12th Avenue South in the burgeoning new hotspot of urban life The Gulch, or 12th South District, Mirror offers diners a very stylish eating event with fish bowls complete with resident goldfish on each table, and bright colors throughout. Vegetarian tamales filled with chipotle-chocolate quinoa are an excellent entrance into the menu of ‘American’ cuisine, which takes in all aspects of the immigrant influences to American palate. There is even a ‘Country of the Month’ menu to augment the regular main courses. Speciality vodka martinis are a great way to kick-start the meal, followed by the tapas selection, an affordable way to create your own menu. The white chocolate soup served in a mini tea kettle and poured over a fried chocolate truffle is as different as it gets for dessert.

2317 12th Avenue South
Tel: (615) 383 8330.
Website: www.eatdrinkreflect.com  
Price: $$-$$$
Mambu
This Midtown restaurant has expanded on the charm of the original 1896-built home close to West End and the Vandy neighborhood. Eclectic and funky, Mambu is a dining experience to be savoured, as much for the unique atmosphere as for the incredible taste combinations on the pan-Pacific influenced menu. The winning chef/owner combination of Anita Hartel and Corey Griffith has resulted in a creative restaurant with a vibrant appeal that continues to evolve. Famous for their martinis, the meal advances to flavors that pique the palate, such as sesame and nori-crusted tuna or Brazilian-style paella with seafood and chicken in a tomato ginger broth. The intimate bar is a cosy spot for a quiet drink before or after dinner, and the outdoor patio dining is especially popular in the fall.

1806 Hayes Street
Tel: (615) 329 1293.
Website: www.eatdrinkmambu.com  
Price: $$$

Budget

Elliston Place Soda Shop
Open the door and you’ll suddenly feel as if you should have worn your poodle skirt. The unchanging Elliston Place is a step back in time to the 1950s - a Nashville institution known for the best shakes in town. The menu features large portions of the basics - burgers, chicken fried steak, and all-day breakfast. Even if hunger isn’t an issue, this is still a fun place to sip one of the tasty milkshakes and soak up the atmosphere.

2111 Elliston Place
Tel: (615) 327 1090.
Price: $
The Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse
Warm and inviting, yet sophisticated coffee shop serving a range of fresh and organic gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches and muffins. The outdoor patio is a great spot for people-watching in this hip neighborhood of restored houses and health-conscious walkers and cyclists. Exposed brick, natural light, local artworks and a relaxed ambiance draw an interesting crowd. Open till 1500 for breakfast and lunch.
 
2509 12th Avenue South
Tel: (615) 292 1808.
Website: www.frothymonkeynashville.com
Price: $
Jack’s Bar-B-Que
Heralded by the neon flying pigs sign in the heart of Nashville’s ‘District’, Jack’s is the favorite barbecue spot for those working or visiting Downtown. The casual, cosy dining room fills quickly for lunch, while the fragrance of slow-smoked barbecue cooked over hickory wood wakes up the taste buds. The best deal is the BBQ Combo, giving a trio selection of pork shoulder, beef brisket, turkey breast, smoked sausage, ribs or smoked chicken with two vegetables and cornbread. The choice of six award-winning barbecue sauces adds to the flavor of Nashville’s best barbecue. Jack’s is strategically located just 10 steps from the back stage door of the historic Ryman Auditorium. Many a music star can be found sampling Jack Cawthon’s winning combination of Texas and Tennessee-style barbecue on the outdoor patio overlooking the Ryman.

416 Broadway
Tel: (615) 254 5715.
Website: www.jacksbarbque.com
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

Aquarium Restaurant
A spectacular underwater dining experience that is unique to a landlocked city like Nashville. The 200,000-gallon floor-to-ceiling main tank fills the center of the restaurant and is filled with over 100 species of saltwater fish from the Caribbean, South Pacific and Indian Ocean, including four types of shark, a 10ft sawfish, manta rays and trigger fish. Booths are nestled into reef nooks on the ocean floor, surrounded by coral, seaweed and a realistic sense of being underwater. The lobster bisque is outstanding, and pan-Pacific offerings like the shrimp and crab dip appetizer or grilled ahi tuna and steamed asparagus make the price worthy of the experience. Tastefully presented dishes add to the tropical ambience. Divers feed the fish twice daily at 1130 and 1730, and four on-staff marine biologists maintain the aquarium. Landry’s Restaurants, owner of the aquarium, offers children’s programs to work with a marine biologist for the day, or packages for kids’ birthdays. Pricey for families, but the aquatic experience makes it a memorable event.

516 Opry Mills Drive
Tel: (615) 514 3474.
Website: www.nashvilleaquarium.com  
Price: $$$
The Cheesecake Factory
A success story that began with homemade cheesecakes in Evelyn Overton’s Detroit basement, the Cheesecake Factory is today a coast-to-coast legend serving a cosmopolitan menu, with Asian/Mediterranean influence. With exotic Turkish décor, handblown glass sconces, palms, marble columns, handpainted murals, and intimate nooks, the restaurant is already a new Green Hills icon. Outdoor patio seating with pole heaters and European street lamps overflows from the exotic interior, where teams of chefs make over 90 sauces alone to accompany fresh produce from regional growers, and humanely raised and caught meat and seafood. Begin with the piquant flavors of Thai lettuce wraps and end with a choice of 40 different cheesecakes while planning a return visit for an unforgettable dining experience.

2133 Green Hills Drive
Tel: (615) 463 2400.
Website: www.thecheesecakefactory.com
Price: $$$
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Originally begun in Chicago, each Maggiano’s venue is built to match the local neighborhood. A full Italian menu is served all day. All dishes are made from scratch from the freshest ingredients, with very generous servings, and pastries made fresh daily. Dress up or down and feel equally at home in intimate booths or sipping a glass of wine at the piano bar. Locally acquired black and white photographs adorn the walls, adding an old-world ambiance. Don’t miss the Little Italy favorite - Baked Ziti and Italian sausage served with tasty pomodoro sauce, provolone and parmesan cheeses. Predominately Italian wines featured. A local pianist/vocalist plays six nights a week in the piano bar. Banquet facilities available.

3106 West End Avenue
Tel: (615) 514 0270.
Website: www.maggianos.com
Price: $$



Nightlife:

Music is the focus of Nashville’s nightlife, of course, with many of the city’s bars starting their music stints at 1000, when they open. Acts play throughout the day and into the night - sometimes two acts play simultaneously in different rooms at the same venue. Country music is not the only attraction, however, as Nashville also attracts rock, swing, blues and jazz musicians. Downtown is the hub, with many of the liveliest places along Broadway or nearby in Printer’s Alley.

The legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21 years and bars are licensed until 0300, but most tend to close earlier on Sundays. Drink prices start at US$3-4 and vary enormously according to the establishment; draught beers are less expensive than bottled imports. A tip of 10 to 15% is expected at the bar and table. Dress code is ’anything goes’ in the honky-tonks and ’smart-casual’ elsewhere, although Nashville is always more casual than smart.

The free, weekly listings magazine The Rage (website: www.nashvillerage.com) and the more comprehensive free weekly paper, Nashville Scene (website: www.nashvillescene.com) provide information on nightlife venues and events. Listings information is also available online (website: nashville.citysearch.com).

Bars: These are too numerous to mention them all, but no one should miss Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway. Close to the stage door of the church-like Ryman Auditorium (original home of the Grand Ole Opry), musicians used to nip in here for a drink between shows and famous visitors have included Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristoffersen. Other nearby options with live bands include the Bluegrass Inn, 418 Broadway, where there would be no prizes for guessing that bluegrass is always playing, Robert’s Western World, 416 Broadway, where the band BR5-49 launched their career, and The Stage, 412 Broadway, a super-sized country music honky-tonk. In the Gulch, an up-and-coming area on the edge of the CBD, Bar Twenty3, 503 12th Avenue South, is an upscale lounge bar.

Clubs: Blues music, a bar, and good food is available at the ever-busy Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, 220 Printer’s Alley (website: www.bourbonstreetblues.com). There are several sophisticated jazz clubs, including Level 88 Jazz Bistro, 609 Ninth Avenue South. 3rd & Lindsley Bar & Grill, 818 Third Avenue South (website: www.3rdandlindsley.com), is an intimate jazz and blues club popular with session musicians and singers. The Bluebird Cafe, 4104 Hillsboro Road (website: www.bluebirdcafe.com), is the place for singers and songwriters to be noticed. Many, such as Garth Brooks, played here as virtual unknowns, and have gone on to fame and fortune as top recording artists. Exit/In, 2208 Elliston Place (website: www.exitin.com), features rock and alternative country, while Station Inn, 402 12th Avenue South (website: www.stationinn.com), is one of Nashville’s legendary bluegrass venues, featuring acoustic music in a smoke-free environment. Many clubs in town are also going smoke free after the recent change in Tennessee’s smoking laws. (Smoking is prohibited in bars and clubs unless clientele is limited to over 21s.)

Live Music: As you would perhaps expect, Nashville is a thriving live music center - and not just for country music. Great live performances can be caught just about every night of the week, in one or other of the city’s numerous bars and clubs. The Bluegrass Inn, 418 Broadway (website: www.laylasbluegrassinn.com), Robert’s Western World, 416 Broadway (website: www.robertswesternworld.com), Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway (website: www.tootsies.net), and Wildhorse Saloon, 120 Second Avenue North (website: www.wildhorsesaloon.com) (famous for its line dancing), have live bands virtually around the clock. The Ryman Auditorium, 116 Fifth Avenue (website: www.ryman.com), has bigger acts, as does the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick Street (website: www.tpac.org). Opposite Zanies Comedy Night Club, at 2106A Eighth Avenue South, is Douglas Corner Cafe (website: www.douglascorner.com), a popular club with nightly live music from every genre. Songwriters have often been known to disregard the stage, pull up chairs in a circle and perform in the midst of the audience.

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