The Optimist - Nashville

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1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Pittsburgh

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   The food was amazing! And our server Max was so great too. He gave us great recommendations and the food did not disappoint. It is a wonderful restaurant as well, I would dress a little nicer but it's not Sunday best fancy. Everyone is in business casual attire and all of the runners that brought us our food were very polite. Definitely recommend this place!

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2. LF

   LauraF

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   The food was delicious. We were celebrating our anniversary, and this place was perfect for the occasion.

   Report
3. CL

   CatherineL

   Grand Rapids

   13 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   13 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   I had the halibut, which was amazing! My husband had the flounder and it was also spectacular! The service was great and it was in general one of the best dining experiences ever. The icing on the cake was walking out of the restaurant behind Nicole Kidman. She is a sweetheart!

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   vip
   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Great time! Food service ambiance 5 star! Highly recommend.

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5. N

   Nolavisitor

   New York Area

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Our server was awesome and informative! Her name was Blake and she was so helpful!! We look forward to our next meal at the optimist !!

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6. K

   Katie

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   It was an absolute experience! The waitress was amazing. The food every single bite was an absolute delight. I plan to go again and again!!

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7. DD

   DavidD

   Atlanta Metro

   2 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We enjoyed our dinner at the Optimist! It's one of our favorite restaurants in Nashville. Oysters were delicious! My wife had the Halibut and I had the Red Fish. Both were wonderful but Halibut was the best! Our daughter had the Chicken and Dumplings. It was very good! Service from Ernest was impeccable! He took great care of us.

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8. G

   Gics

   Cincinnati

   49 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   49 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall4food5service4ambience4

   Overall the food was fantastic - our server was wonderful - made great suggestions. The only slight negative - we waited at the bar for our table - bartender was a bit of jerk. Made a simple drink from a mix rather that by hand - when asked what kind of bourbon was in the mix - said he didn't know. The other drink was a mule and it was barely drinkable - not sure he know how to make it. Minor details but this is too nice a place to have such lousy bar service.

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9. AH

   AshleyH

   St. Louis

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on March 14, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Everything was SO good! There was good timing between courses and Sammy’s (hope I spelled correctly) suggestions were perfect. She was attentive and so sweet!! Def will come back

   Report
10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing! Took the recommendations of the server and it was an amazing dinner!

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11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Atlanta Metro

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing all around experience! Service and dinner were outstanding! The smoked fish fried rice was our favorite. And their rolls, omg…what a treat! Loved everything though!

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12. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Hawaii

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Exceptional service and food. Great atmosphere and OYSTERS!

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 8, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Make sure you order the shrimp a la plancha, the flounder and coconut pie!

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14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Exclusive

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Everything we ate was excellent. Our waiter Ryan made great suggestions, too!

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 5, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience1

    Food was ok, a bit overpriced in my opinion but then again this is fresh seafood in a landlocked state. Service was super slow and disorganized, (not our waiter, he was great), we kept getting things out of order, not sure if they were short staffed that night but it took almost 20 minutes to order a drink and then 15-20 minutes to get the drink. Then we ordered a second round and they didn’t come until after we had finished the entrees. Sides were better than the main meal. Nothing thrilling about this place - just ok. I’m sure I’ll try it again sometime, maybe it was an off night.

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on March 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our group was celebrating a birthday and anniversary! We noted that in our reservation and they acknowledged it verbally at our arrival ( server + hostess) and on the menu! Food was delicious! Crispy octopus, oysters, branzino, halibut, hushpuppies, brussels...every dish was great! Nice portion, fast service and Travis, our waiter, was very fun and personable!

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17. JB

    JonB

    Nashville

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on March 4, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    Fantastic overall, great service and food. Portions were small for the cost but that’s what we expected.

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18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Service impeccable - Becca Food Exceptional

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19. JA

    JoyA

    Nashville

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our power was out all day and we decided to randomly go out. Friends had recommend the restaurant it exceeded our expectations. I adore all seafood and we sampled many items all without exception were well cooked, well flavored and fresh.

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20. JG

    JustinG

    West Palm Beach

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience3

    Incredible food and cocktails

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21. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great service throughout our experience! We always enjoy the incredible rolls at the start of the meal and have had fun trying different entrees across our frequent visits. Always a great dinner spot!

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22. JB

    JeffBinTn

    Nashville

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Dinner at the Optimist last night was simply outstanding. We had wonderful appetizers, delicious entrees and great cocktails all promptly served by our delightful waitress Pepper. I would recommend the Optimist to anyone looking for a great meal in Nashville.

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great service, cool vibe and excellent food. We’ll be back.

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24. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Great menu variety. Everything we ordered was great. Service excellent. The place is very, very loud. Hard to hear across a table for two.

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had heard how great The Optimist was and finally tried it. It definitely lived up to all the hype! The food was amazing and the service was great. We will definitely be going back!

    Report
26. S

    Sara

    Nashville

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience4

    Overall it was good. We ordered the giant platter, and 2 other apps to enjoy as dinner for a group of 3. The oysters were fantastic, but the shrimp on the platter was so overcooked they were mushy. Octopus was okay-- my husband thought it tasted fishy- I didn't think so, but it had a bbq flavor that was not what I was expecting. The hushpuppies were great (def more sweet than savory) and the coconut pie was amazing! Had a good vibe so I'd go back- but prob just for oysters. Tipped 20% per usual, but only saw our waiter twice and he definitely could have done a better job explaining the menu (for example, shrimp and lobster on the platter are cold- and we had no idea what the "opportunities" at the top of the menu were) . Kinda felt like I paid for more service than I received. Lots of construction going on around there- but there is a garage so that's a plus.

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27. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Dallas

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We visited Nashville to celebrate my wife’s birthday and we wanted a spot for dinner that offered seafood but a fun and different style. The Optimist was an immediate hit and we loved every moment. The service was outstanding and the food did not disappoint. Definitely a great spot for a special occasion.

    Report
28. N

    Nolan

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Absolute terrific service and great food, from Le Loup to downstairs at the Optimist we were extremely satisfied.

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29. SM

    SuzanneM

    Indiana

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Holy moly - one of my top 5 best restaurant experiences ever. Food - amazing. Service - even better, if that's possible LOLOL. Our server, Pepper, was literally OUTSTANDING. So friendly, so helpful - would go back just for her TBH. HIGHLY recommend The Optimist in Nashville!

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30. J

    Juan

    Miami

    44 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    44 reviews

    Dined on February 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The Optimist was (by far) the absolute best meal we had in our 4-day trip to Nashville. The food is magnificent. The Oysters, amazing. Not in many places you have an Oyster menu with 10 different (super high quality!) options. Their (special) version of the Flounder Meunière was fantastic! We didn't miss a Dover Sole! A special word for the service. Both our server, Chelsea and her Manager, Samantha managed a minor situation with high level class and out-of-this-world hospitality. Kudos to them! We would definitely return to our (now) #1 restaurant in Nashville.

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31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Love the food and experience. Happy we went here

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32. KG

    KristenG

    Nashville

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience4

    Samantha was a fabulous server!! So friendly and gave great recommendations!

    Report
33. CJ

    ChrisJ

    Nashville

    19 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on February 20, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience5

    We have been to The Optimist twice prior, and we had a wonderful experience both times. This time was a little different, however. The food was still very good, although there were a few items that were not cooked well (not bad enough to send back or anything -- an example was a chilled shrimp that was a different consistency than the ones served with it). What was most notable this time was the service and kitchen timing was off. It took quite awhile to get our entrees, and even then 3 out of 5 diners got theirs first while the other two took quite some time later to receive. There was just a lack of attention to things on the service front that was unlike the first two times we went. I would still go back, but my expectations are a little lower now given our recent experience.

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34. DS

    DavidS

    Chicago

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Great environment, excellent food and wonderful service. I’ll go back again soon, if only for the delicious chicory salad. Only negative, get ready for a huge check.

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fantastic food

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36. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Minneapolis

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Delicious fish and seafood the blue crab dip was amazing. Very pretty space w great service

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37. J

    Jenny21

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Good food and great service

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38. s

    sws1460

    Atlanta Metro

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on February 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Nice space, sat near kitchen

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39. KD

    KathleenD

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent dishes, great variety of tastes. Exceptional service, cool atmosphere

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40. DM

    DanaM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This place is fantastic, the atmosphere is great the staff is awesome the food was soo good and Chef Zane is great. We love this place!!

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