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The Best Places to Eat in Nashville

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by The OpenTable Team
Updated February 26, 2020

Nashville is famous for three things: great music, warm hospitality, and inventive cuisine. When one thinks of Tennessee meals, food like barbecue and fried chicken come to mind. Yet, Nashville is more than just meat and top chefs are reinventing this Southern cuisine. But where are the smartest, savviest diners eating out? Welcome to the Tastemaker Lists. We’ve pulled data from thousands of restaurants to find the top spots among OpenTable's most expert, seasoned diners. Iconic Nashville dishes like “meat and three,” fried catfish, cornbread, mac 'n' cheese, and country ham all get a chance in the limelight, but so do some more exotic plates. Book a table and get eating at some of these Nashville icons.

Park Cafe
4.8 (1444)
$30 and under
Contemporary American
Sylvan Park & Sylvan Heights
This minimalist bistro is a great example of how Nashville chefs are succeeding in soul fusion. There’s nothing more “Nashville” than the smoked Springer Mountain chicken. It’s served alongside house bacon, crème fraiche potato salad, and fried dill pickles and topped with an Alabama white sauce.
Top review
LauraVIP
Dined on Jun 24, 2025
Had the special spare ribs & fries (that, following an order of the delicious fried green tomatoes i introduced my pal from NYC to, and of course a side the green chili mac & cheese, allowed me to take home leftovers!) Wonderful and topped off by my very favorite the creme brule napoleon. Yummy!
This minimalist bistro is a great example of how Nashville chefs are succeeding in soul fusion. There’s nothing more “Nashville” than the smoked Springer Mountain chicken. It’s served alongside house bacon, crème fraiche potato salad, and fried dill pickles and topped with an Alabama white sauce.
Top review
LauraVIP
Dined on Jun 24, 2025
Had the special spare ribs & fries (that, following an order of the delicious fried green tomatoes i introduced my pal from NYC to, and of course a side the green chili mac & cheese, allowed me to take home leftovers!) Wonderful and topped off by my very favorite the creme brule napoleon. Yummy!
Giovanni's Ristorante - Mid Town
4.8 (1753)
$31 to $50
Italian
Music Row
This high-end restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine with a Southern twist. The ambiance is rustic — drawing both on Nashville and Northern Italy. The mac and cheese with ham and peas is a dish that is popular in both Italian and Southern cuisines. For the main event, order the chicken. It’s served on the bone with sausage, oil, garlic, and potatoes.
Top review
TroyVIP
Dined today
So worth it! The service was impeccable and the food was even better. We had the sausage ravioli and it may be the best ravioli I’ve ever had. We also had the cheese board. Everything was delicous!
This high-end restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine with a Southern twist. The ambiance is rustic — drawing both on Nashville and Northern Italy. The mac and cheese with ham and peas is a dish that is popular in both Italian and Southern cuisines. For the main event, order the chicken. It’s served on the bone with sausage, oil, garlic, and potatoes.
Top review
TroyVIP
Dined today
So worth it! The service was impeccable and the food was even better. We had the sausage ravioli and it may be the best ravioli I’ve ever had. We also had the cheese board. Everything was delicous!
Trattoria Il Mulino - Nashville
4.8 (3706)
$50 and over
Italian
Downtown / Sobro
You might forget you’re in such a laid-back city while sitting at a booth at Il Mulino. The Nashville outpost of this Italian restaurant screams class while embracing the flavors of the South. Here, you’ll never go wrong ordering the cowboy ribeye, served with asparagus, marasala, and mushroom ragout.
Top review
Brad
Dined 4 days ago
Excellent meal. Hadn’t been since Covid and the food was still stunning. Porcini ravioli with added scallops was the perfect bite to make me close my eyes, shake my head and marvel at the complexity and depth of the flavors. The sauce made the dish. Several appetizers and a nice bottle of wine made the meal complete. Excellent service was perhaps too attentive, but we dined early before a show and were one of only a handful of tables at that time. Not cheap, but a definite treat. Will return.
You might forget you’re in such a laid-back city while sitting at a booth at Il Mulino. The Nashville outpost of this Italian restaurant screams class while embracing the flavors of the South. Here, you’ll never go wrong ordering the cowboy ribeye, served with asparagus, marasala, and mushroom ragout.
Top review
Brad
Dined 4 days ago
Excellent meal. Hadn’t been since Covid and the food was still stunning. Porcini ravioli with added scallops was the perfect bite to make me close my eyes, shake my head and marvel at the complexity and depth of the flavors. The sauce made the dish. Several appetizers and a nice bottle of wine made the meal complete. Excellent service was perhaps too attentive, but we dined early before a show and were one of only a handful of tables at that time. Not cheap, but a definite treat. Will return.
The Palm Nashville
4.7 (4924)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
Downtown / Sobro
Another famed high-end steak chain that’s made its way to Nashville is the Palm. The décor is just as interesting as the Palm’s locations in other cities (full of caricatures of celebrities and memorabilia), and their menu is as classy. The food speaks for itself here. When in doubt, order the filet medallions. Make it a “meat and three” by adding an order of the green beans or three-cheese potatoes au gratin on the side.
Top review
AaronVIP
Dined 6 days ago
Everything was wonderful - food, service and ambience. Server Brenton was professional and attentive, as was his assistant. Manager Dillon was also great - he served our lobster beautifully.
Another famed high-end steak chain that’s made its way to Nashville is the Palm. The décor is just as interesting as the Palm’s locations in other cities (full of caricatures of celebrities and memorabilia), and their menu is as classy. The food speaks for itself here. When in doubt, order the filet medallions. Make it a “meat and three” by adding an order of the green beans or three-cheese potatoes au gratin on the side.
Top review
AaronVIP
Dined 6 days ago
Everything was wonderful - food, service and ambience. Server Brenton was professional and attentive, as was his assistant. Manager Dillon was also great - he served our lobster beautifully.
Bob's Steak & Chop House - Nashville
4.7 (3643)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
Downtown / Sobro
Possibly one of Nashville’s most iconic dishes (and exports) is hot chicken. Not for the faint of heart, hot chicken is an eye-watering dish that one might guess was a dare (it was actually a revenge scheme gone wrong). Many locals and tourists head to the hot chicken shacks in the city to try this delicacy. Luckily, Bob’s Steakhouse has created an upscale version of the dish that they serve in a setting one might expect to find in a Waldorf Astoria. The portions here are still quite sizable (what you would expect to find in a steak house instead of an upscale dining room), and the hot chicken isn’t so hot that it induces the pain and suffering you might find at the shacks.
Top review
Julia
Dined 1 day ago
The steak was amazing quality!! Service from Mae and all other staff was excellent
Possibly one of Nashville’s most iconic dishes (and exports) is hot chicken. Not for the faint of heart, hot chicken is an eye-watering dish that one might guess was a dare (it was actually a revenge scheme gone wrong). Many locals and tourists head to the hot chicken shacks in the city to try this delicacy. Luckily, Bob’s Steakhouse has created an upscale version of the dish that they serve in a setting one might expect to find in a Waldorf Astoria. The portions here are still quite sizable (what you would expect to find in a steak house instead of an upscale dining room), and the hot chicken isn’t so hot that it induces the pain and suffering you might find at the shacks.
Top review
Julia
Dined 1 day ago
The steak was amazing quality!! Service from Mae and all other staff was excellent
Maggiano's - Nashville
4.7 (7135)
$30 and under
Italian
Belmont / Hillsboro
While most diners might not consider Italian food to be a part of the Southern culinary landscape, Nashville was home to a huge wave of Italian, German, and Polish immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. Luckily, many restaurants celebrate this immigrant past through the iconic dishes that now call Nashville home. Few other restaurants can celebrate this union of European and country cuisine better than Maggiano’s Little Italy in the West End. The candied smoked bacon is the perfect example of American and Italian cuisine. Candied bacon in itself is just about as Southern as you can get. Pair that with a dollop of ricotta, fig jam, and a handful of arugula? You’ll wish you had paid more attention in history.
Top review
Chad
Dined 2 days ago
It was great! We will be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While most diners might not consider Italian food to be a part of the Southern culinary landscape, Nashville was home to a huge wave of Italian, German, and Polish immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. Luckily, many restaurants celebrate this immigrant past through the iconic dishes that now call Nashville home. Few other restaurants can celebrate this union of European and country cuisine better than Maggiano’s Little Italy in the West End. The candied smoked bacon is the perfect example of American and Italian cuisine. Candied bacon in itself is just about as Southern as you can get. Pair that with a dollop of ricotta, fig jam, and a handful of arugula? You’ll wish you had paid more attention in history.
Top review
Chad
Dined 2 days ago
It was great! We will be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ruth's Chris Steak House - Nashville
4.6 (2798)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
Music Row
Ruth's Chris might be famous across the country as the place for meat, but in Nashville (where meat is king) it’s an even bigger deal. Since bigger is better when it comes to meat in the South, the tomahawk ribeye is the dish to order here. This USDA 40-ounce ribeye is a great example of a marbled steak. Herbed butter tops all steaks, which come with a choice of accompaniments. The ambiance is upscale and reminds diners of the musical acts that pinned Nashville to the map. Chandeliers twinkle from above and are reminiscent of the ones at the Grand Ole Opry itself — making diners the stars of the show.
Top review
MarthaVIP
Dined 5 days ago
Always a great meal. They have a 3-course special right now. Greet deal!
Ruth's Chris might be famous across the country as the place for meat, but in Nashville (where meat is king) it’s an even bigger deal. Since bigger is better when it comes to meat in the South, the tomahawk ribeye is the dish to order here. This USDA 40-ounce ribeye is a great example of a marbled steak. Herbed butter tops all steaks, which come with a choice of accompaniments. The ambiance is upscale and reminds diners of the musical acts that pinned Nashville to the map. Chandeliers twinkle from above and are reminiscent of the ones at the Grand Ole Opry itself — making diners the stars of the show.
Top review
MarthaVIP
Dined 5 days ago
Always a great meal. They have a 3-course special right now. Greet deal!

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