67 Best Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee

Fresh, open, airy, and never too buttoned-up, Adele's is a favorite for business lunches and date-night dinners alike. This high-end Southern eatery was an early part of the neighborhood's revitalization, and James Beard–winning chef Jonathan Waxman continues to dazzle with his accessible but polished cuisine.

Serious coffee connoisseurs shouldn't leave the city without a visit to one of Barista Parlor's outposts. The Gulch location is housed inside a former transmission shop, and everything inside, from the wood tables and platters to the art and barista aprons, are sourced from local makers and craftspeople, so you better believe they're serious about keeping it bespoke. The coffee and food options take time, so don't stop by in a hurry, but the attention to detail is worth it.

Chopped judge and beloved celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan made a splash when she announced that she would be opening her first restaurant not in New York or Chicago, but right here in Nashville. Her playful global Indian fusion is not to be missed, and although you'll find some of the best food in the city here by far, the ambience is never stuffy. Tired of the usual bacon, eggs, and waffles for breakfast? Then head over on Saturday or Sunday to check out a daring brunch menu like no other.

Edley’s offers a delicious taste of Southern cooking in the classic meat-and-three tradition, and their sides are just as delicious as their melt-in-your-mouth meats. Make sure to try their brisket before it sells out for the day in either taco, sandwich, or platter form, and enjoy a craft beer or a signature spiked milk shake called a Bushwacker for refreshment.

Local favorite Fido is part of the Bongo Java family and has one of the coffee shop group's more extensive food menus. In addition to Fido's own take on the creatively made, ethically sourced espresso drinks found at other Bongo locations, the restaurant serves locally sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pro tip: try the burger.

Giant warehouse windows hearken back to The Nations’ industrial roots and shed bright light on the stylish wood-laden interior of this coffee shop and all-day café. The variety of seating options make Frothy Monkey a favorite for remote workers with laptops, and their health-focused menu features locally roasted coffee, fresh pastries, and farm-sourced ingredients for all meals.

Most Nashville hot chicken joints are smaller grab-and-go affairs, but this spacious sports bar provides table service and full bar. Heat levels on these hot chicken dishes—you can find everything from nachos and tacos to salads—range from mild to the scary spicy "Poultrygeist."

Celebrity chef and actor Billy Dec has brought his Chicago-based Sunda to Nashville with the recent splashy opening of this new sister restaurant, and the neighborhood is all the better for it. Characterized as "Southeast Asian fusion," you can find a menu of shareable plates that includes twists on classic Filipino dishes, a selection of dim sum, a full sushi bar, crispy rice topped with tuna, and quite a few expertly cooked pork dishes. Don't miss their unique weekend brunch.

With a menu nearly as broad as its beer selection, the entrées featuring lamb, seitan, and goat cheese alongside more traditional pub food favorites will surprise anyone who imagines 51 North Taproom to be a run-of-the-mill bar and grill. With ample options for vegans and vegetarians, there is something for everyone, plus beer to go with it.

Named for Interstate 55, which cuts through the Mississippi Delta toward New Orleans, this Gulf-inspired restaurant pulls out all the stops: gumbo, po’boys, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, oysters (char-grilled, fried, or in the shell), and even fried green tomato–shrimp rémoulade. Tables are first come, first served, but it’s worth the wait—especially for weekend brunch: Their build-your-own-Bloody-Mary bar has all the fixings for the hair of just about any dog. And their daily cocktail menu, including gems like Honey Hush and the Garden District, drips with Southern twang and Southern flavor.

This chef-driven restaurant, with its relaxed yet upscale feel and menu full of character, fits seamlessly into the Sylvan Park neighborhood that surrounds it. Their laid-back Sunday brunch has familiar favorites with thoughtful touches, and their dinner entrées tout flavors that can satisfy even refined palates.

Biscuit Love opened its first outpost in the Gulch, with the hip new breakfast spot so popular that lines poured out the door each morning. Now the popular eatery is open in Hillsboro Village, serving up homemade biscuits and breakfast plates until 3 pm each day. Be warned: unless you get there early, be prepared to wait in line.

What goes better with buttermilk biscuits than a historical Queen Anne Victorian home? This one, affectionately known as the Corn House (after the Corn family who lived there from 1920 to 1980), is home to some of the best Southern brunch around, from the traditional (biscuits and sausage gravy with a side of cheese grits) to the unconventional (a biscuit burger with pimento cheese and tomato jam).

What started as a beloved Airstream food truck is now a brick-and-mortar staple in the neighborhood that's hailed for its daily scratch-made Southern-style biscuits. There are nine different biscuit sandwiches to choose from, made with a variety of meats, gravies, and toppings, but there are plenty of tempting "Without a Biscuit" options like the surprisingly tasty egg-topped Lindstrom made with shaved brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, and shredded Parmesan.

This floating restaurant and bar is on a secluded marina, tucked away in a combination neighborhood and industrial area in true Nations fashion. The dockside dining options include many seafood options, large salads, and shareable appetizers.

The Belmont Boulevard location of Bongo Java is a popular hangout for Belmont students. Accordingly, its food menu is more college-centric (think breakfast sandwiches) than Fido's, though in recent years the local coffee favorite has expanded its menu (and remodeled its building) to suit the needs of the rapidly growing neighborhood.

The eastern outpost of the local Bongo Java empire, this location is in East Nashville's bustling Five Points neighborhood. Stop in for coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, and more, served up in a refreshingly unpretentious environment by a friendly, knowledgeable staff. Bongo also has beer on tap and a selection of board games (thanks to a 2017 merger with Game Point Café), so it's the perfect spot to transition from daytime work to evening play.

Though it only opened in 2015, Butcher and Bee is already a Nashville culinary mainstay. The restaurant is convenient both to downtown and to East Nashville's Five Points, and offers guests a variety of dining options, from a casual weekend brunch to an elegant dinner of small, shared plates, all of which find the middle ground between Middle Eastern and Southern American influences. The whipped feta is a must-try.

A Southern answer to French cuisine, Chateau West serves French-inspired lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Their upscale yet relaxed setting matches the quality and accessibility of their entrées.

As a restaurant, concert venue, and wine bar, the versatility of City Winery’s offerings make it a standout in the city. The Barrel Room restaurant and wine bar within City Winery serves hearty, Southern-inspired fare for brunch and dinner with an extensive wine list.

Part grocery market, part travel agency, part restaurant, Coco’s Italian Market is dedicated to and passionate about all things Italian. Their house specialities remain proudly authentic to original Italian recipes that won't break the bank.

Located in East Nashville's Riverside Village neighborhood, Dose Café and Dram Bar serves up some of the city's finest espresso drinks. In addition to a caffeine fix, you'll find a full food menu, baked goods, beer, wine, and cocktails, making Dose the perfect one-stop shop for exploring the neighborhood.

This small space is airy and bright, and maintains a bit of its pop-up-shop origins. Serving breakfast and lunch items—including soups and sandwiches—the best options are the cookies and pastries made on-site and also sold at a number of Nashville eateries. Marble-topped tables and black café chairs inside; outdoor seating in warmer months. The baking room is cloaked in a wooden shell that also wraps the counter. Only basic coffee, but it’s from local coffee shop Crema.

One of three locations in Nashville, weekend brunch here includes the “Nashville Nasty”—fried chicken served on top of homemade biscuits and covered with sausage gravy. This location has a large patio, and a small cocktail menu that includes the signature Bushwacker.

A family-owned restaurant serving traditional Lebanese and Greek dishes with foodie flair, Epice has a large patio, serves lunch and dinner, and has a popular weekend brunch.

Etc Restaurant is tucked away behind the Mall at Green Hills, making it the kind of place an out-of-towner could easily miss. The menu, though, makes getting out the GPS worth it, as new American favorites are reimagined using international ingredients. Etc also has an extensive dessert menu and a generous happy hour.

Bright and airy, this diner-style restaurant features a stand-alone coffee bar within the dining room, where Bongo Java’s coffee and signature drinks are paired with thoughtful, hearty brunch selections and breakfast cocktails. The large center bar is topped with a bowling lane, a nod to the building’s past life.

This coffeehouse opens first thing in the morning and stays open through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there’s plenty of porch space to enjoy your rosemary honey latte outside; in the evening, they expand their drink menu to include craft beer and wine. The menu is Southern comfort food with a New South twist (like johnnycakes with house-pickled okra and bacon-onion marmalade), but coffee is still the main event at Frothy Monkey. All their coffee is locally roasted by their own roasting company, and you can buy it by the bag from the café.

One of the early restaurants to open in the now-bustling Germantown neighborhood was Germantown Café. Now a pillar of the neighborhood, the popular dining spot serves inventive takes on an eclectic Southern menu, serving up meals for lunch, dinner, and brunch (on the weekends). Don't miss the bar's happy hour, either, as it's one of the city's most generous.