5 cutting-edge restaurants to visit now in Nashville

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Experience

Happy Hour

Thistle & Rye

4.6 (87)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Midtown

When this indoor/outdoor dining room opened at the Conrad Nashville in September 2022, it became the talk of the town thanks to its avant-garde cocktail experience from food and beverage director David Lim. Any drink from Thistle & Rye’s menu is a work of art, but the hermitage is a true masterpiece. The lilac-colored mixture of gin, orange-flavored triple sec liqueur, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and lemongrass is strained into a water pipe, then capped with fresh flowers and smoked with fragrant oils before arriving in a crystal coupe. The cotton candy sky is a close second, mixing heavily shaken cream with citrus and egg, causing the concoction to rise until a stiff, foam pillow forms on top. With a drink in hand, bask in the golden-hour glow on the expansive balcony. Thistle & Rye’s epic sunset views also make it one of Nashville’s most coveted spots.

Top review

A

ann

Dined on Jun 2, 2025

Our waiter was very helpful with some suggestions and good descriptions of the small plates. We have four things that were all delightful and your food for two for dinner. They were. all very creative and interesting…. The crispy rice was fantastic.

When this indoor/outdoor dining room opened at the Conrad Nashville in September 2022, it became the talk of the town thanks to its avant-garde cocktail experience from food and beverage director David Lim. Any drink from Thistle & Rye’s menu is a work of art, but the hermitage is a true masterpiece. The lilac-colored mixture of gin, orange-flavored triple sec liqueur, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and lemongrass is strained into a water pipe, then capped with fresh flowers and smoked with fragrant oils before arriving in a crystal coupe. The cotton candy sky is a close second, mixing heavily shaken cream with citrus and egg, causing the concoction to rise until a stiff, foam pillow forms on top. With a drink in hand, bask in the golden-hour glow on the expansive balcony. Thistle & Rye’s epic sunset views also make it one of Nashville’s most coveted spots.

Top review

A

ann

Dined on Jun 2, 2025

Our waiter was very helpful with some suggestions and good descriptions of the small plates. We have four things that were all delightful and your food for two for dinner. They were. all very creative and interesting…. The crispy rice was fantastic.

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4.2 (2488)

$31 to $50

American

The Gulch & North Gulch

Acclaimed chef Matt Bolus brought his skills to Nashville in 2014 with the opening of 404 Kitchen, which earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant that same year. The first location was housed in a shipping container; tables were built from the container’s original floors and candles were crafted from rendered beef fat (cut from meat deliveries). The unique, European-inspired restaurant, along with its iconic candles, continues to push the envelope. In 2018, it moved to an LEED-certified industrial home in the Gulch. Crowds come for the chef-driven menu and impressive bar, housing the largest collection of limited-edition whiskeys and bourbon in the Southeast. Pair a rare beverage with selections from the farm-to-table menu, beginning with pork belly and mushroom toast, a burrata salad with spiced lemon vinaigrette, and soul-soothing mains such as trout and roasted half chicken.

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L

Libardo

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious and very beautiful place, we celebrated my wife’s birthday and they surprised us with a delicious dessert

Acclaimed chef Matt Bolus brought his skills to Nashville in 2014 with the opening of 404 Kitchen, which earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant that same year. The first location was housed in a shipping container; tables were built from the container’s original floors and candles were crafted from rendered beef fat (cut from meat deliveries). The unique, European-inspired restaurant, along with its iconic candles, continues to push the envelope. In 2018, it moved to an LEED-certified industrial home in the Gulch. Crowds come for the chef-driven menu and impressive bar, housing the largest collection of limited-edition whiskeys and bourbon in the Southeast. Pair a rare beverage with selections from the farm-to-table menu, beginning with pork belly and mushroom toast, a burrata salad with spiced lemon vinaigrette, and soul-soothing mains such as trout and roasted half chicken.

Top review

L

Libardo

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious and very beautiful place, we celebrated my wife’s birthday and they surprised us with a delicious dessert

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4.5 (510)

$31 to $50

American

Nashville

Nashville’s Gulch district welcomed a sensual new supper club in 2022. Known for its creative prowess, The Electric Jane delivers culinary excellence alongside nightly live music. The modern dining room is as electric as its name suggests. Illuminated accents and colorful lights set the stage for an evening of intimate performances (recently featured musicians include Kyndle Wylde and Stevie Brock). On the menu, showstoppers are the ceviche-style shrimp cocktail and the “cheese on fire” starter, flamed tableside. What sets the versatile venue apart, however, is its hearty late-night menu offering globally inspired bites, bottles, and cocktails until curtain call on Fridays and Saturdays. Must-tries include the Jane smash burger smothered in the restaurant’s tangy secret sauce, or a thick-crust, Detroit-style pizza topped with ricotta and calabrian chiles.

Top review

FS

FranS

Dined on Sep 16, 2023

Great ambience Staff friendly Clean surroundings Wonderful entertainment Loved the size of the place

Nashville’s Gulch district welcomed a sensual new supper club in 2022. Known for its creative prowess, The Electric Jane delivers culinary excellence alongside nightly live music. The modern dining room is as electric as its name suggests. Illuminated accents and colorful lights set the stage for an evening of intimate performances (recently featured musicians include Kyndle Wylde and Stevie Brock). On the menu, showstoppers are the ceviche-style shrimp cocktail and the “cheese on fire” starter, flamed tableside. What sets the versatile venue apart, however, is its hearty late-night menu offering globally inspired bites, bottles, and cocktails until curtain call on Fridays and Saturdays. Must-tries include the Jane smash burger smothered in the restaurant’s tangy secret sauce, or a thick-crust, Detroit-style pizza topped with ricotta and calabrian chiles.

Top review

FS

FranS

Dined on Sep 16, 2023

Great ambience Staff friendly Clean surroundings Wonderful entertainment Loved the size of the place

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Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Fifth + Broadway

4.7 (595)

$30 and under

Sushi

Downtown / Sobro

Blue Sushi Sake Grill, with outposts in over a dozen American cities, isn’t just about innovative, Asian-inspired plates—it’s also a vocal sustainability advocate. The menu teems with both traditional and specialty nigiris, sashimi, and maki, even featuring vegan options. As a reflection of the brand’s Conscious Earth program, the menu includes all seafood sourcing details, such as the location and method. The baked sea bass, which comes from Antarctica, stars in the restaurant’s itchy sea bass nigiri, which also includes spicy crab mix, serrano peppers, cilantro, and ponzu sauce. The interiors are just as bold as the restaurant’s mission, adorned with Japanese-inspired elements such as hanging red lanterns and tables inspired by carts at Tokyo fish markets.

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R

RayVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Food is fresh and tasty. We especially liked The Thriller, Thai Hippie and Roja! Our server, Leo was friendly and fun. Several good Sake selections too!

Blue Sushi Sake Grill, with outposts in over a dozen American cities, isn’t just about innovative, Asian-inspired plates—it’s also a vocal sustainability advocate. The menu teems with both traditional and specialty nigiris, sashimi, and maki, even featuring vegan options. As a reflection of the brand’s Conscious Earth program, the menu includes all seafood sourcing details, such as the location and method. The baked sea bass, which comes from Antarctica, stars in the restaurant’s itchy sea bass nigiri, which also includes spicy crab mix, serrano peppers, cilantro, and ponzu sauce. The interiors are just as bold as the restaurant’s mission, adorned with Japanese-inspired elements such as hanging red lanterns and tables inspired by carts at Tokyo fish markets.

Top review

R

RayVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Food is fresh and tasty. We especially liked The Thriller, Thai Hippie and Roja! Our server, Leo was friendly and fun. Several good Sake selections too!

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$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Franklin

Nashville might be a modern metropolis, but a short drive in any direction leads you to rolling hills and picturesque farms. The village of Leiper’s Fork (most famously home to Justin Timberlake), about a 40-minute drive from the Music City, serves as the backdrop to 1892, a quaint and unique restaurant that brims with historical charm. In a home built in—you guessed it—1892, the spot sources ingredients from neighboring farms. Chef Dylan Morrison relies on old-school culinary techniques to build his nightly changing menu, which has featured standouts such as brown butter halibut with horseradish potato puree, smoked short rib, and house-churned cookies and ice cream. Accents such as antique breadboards and pewter dinnerware on the walls fuel a rustic vibe, resulting in a meal that exudes the kind of Southern charm that’s becoming increasingly rare to find.

Top review

DK

DerekK

Dined on Mar 26, 2023

Extremely amazing European caliber cuisine with the coolest possible Tennessee ambiance. An absolute favorite.

Nashville might be a modern metropolis, but a short drive in any direction leads you to rolling hills and picturesque farms. The village of Leiper’s Fork (most famously home to Justin Timberlake), about a 40-minute drive from the Music City, serves as the backdrop to 1892, a quaint and unique restaurant that brims with historical charm. In a home built in—you guessed it—1892, the spot sources ingredients from neighboring farms. Chef Dylan Morrison relies on old-school culinary techniques to build his nightly changing menu, which has featured standouts such as brown butter halibut with horseradish potato puree, smoked short rib, and house-churned cookies and ice cream. Accents such as antique breadboards and pewter dinnerware on the walls fuel a rustic vibe, resulting in a meal that exudes the kind of Southern charm that’s becoming increasingly rare to find.

Top review

DK

DerekK

Dined on Mar 26, 2023

Extremely amazing European caliber cuisine with the coolest possible Tennessee ambiance. An absolute favorite.