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The Optimist - Nashville

Name: The Optimist - Nashville
Address: 1400 Adams Street, Nashville, TN, United States, 37208
Telephone: (615) 709-3156
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.7

4.7

2508 Reviews

$31 to $50

Seafood

Top Tags:

The Optimist brings a menu of casual, wood-fired fare with a focus on sustainable seafood to Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood. The Optimist transports landlocked Tennesseans coast side to experience super-fresh, sustainably sourced seafood from the region’s most responsible purveyors. As the sounds of coastal-inspired bands fill the air, each dish perfectly blends together classic and modern seafood favorites, while adventurous yet simple cocktails of the season and an extensive outdoor patio and “game” area help to complete the full experience.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 22, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 82 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Seafood
Hours of operation
Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(615) 709-3156
Website
http://www.theoptimistrestaurant.com/nashville
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
We have 2 areas that can accommodate private events! Our Captain's Room can seat up to 10 guests and our Private Dining Room can seat up to 30 guests or up to 16 guests semi privately. The Optimist is also available for a full restaurant buyout!
Private party contact
Angela Clover: (678) 536-6506

Location
1400 Adams Street, Nashville, TN 37208
Neighborhood
Germantown
Parking details
Valet
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wine

Popular dishes

What 2,508 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

2,508 Reviews

M
Milnadgreat
Indiana
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best food, best service, best environment. Highly recommended.
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AG
AmandaG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely incredible. The flavors were divine, the quality of the fish and oysters was so so good, the servers were kind and knowledgeable, and I am blown away. Can’t wait to go back.
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AY
AngeliaY
Nashville
9 reviews
vip
4.0
9 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall4food4service4ambience4
Good food and nice, contemporary atmosphere. One of my favorites in Nashville. The reason they don't get five stars for me is because I am not crazy about their wine selections.
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m
madison1223
Nashville
221 reviews
vip
1.0
221 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall1food1service3ambience4
No longer kid friendly- they used to have kid options and with menu changes stopped. Further they had no ketchup and fries that came with the lobster roll were burnt. The lobster roll was all bun and no lobster after we were sold on how much lobster came with the roll. You mainly taste the bread. The mahi mahi was underwhelming and the kale salad overly spicy and too much dressing. We were not warned it would be so spicy and nothing was done to correct it despite making this known. We were there for a birthday and saw what other patrons had as a birthday extra something that we failed to also get- maybe the server was just busy? We had to ask for seafood forks and drink refills. This is not the first time we show up to be told they are out of items. This will be our last time dining at the Optimist with all the other options available and better service. Some of the peel and eat shrimp were over cooked- oysters were the only good item.
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TM
TheMrs
Nashville
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
My food was phenomenal. The service was spectacular.
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A
Anthony
Atlanta Metro
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food and service was excellent, looking forward to returning very soon. P.S. order the octopus!!!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Phenomenal waitress, I wish I have her name. Tall nice lady.
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NN
NativeNashvillian
Nashville
17 reviews
vip
4.0
17 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall4food5service4ambience4
The patio at The Optimist is one of our faves. There's nothing else like it in Nashville!
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DM
DawnM
Milwaukee
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Brian helped us to choose outstanding food and was wonderful to talk with!! Thank you for a great evening!!
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RM
RMLS
Nashville
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
We approach any restaurant expecting to be disappointed, but The Optimist was a delight. Food was excellent as was service. Every bite was delicious. Oysters, tuna and hamachi crudo, ricotta toast, halibut all fantastic, but the eggplant side WOWed us. A few assumptions about who was drinking the fruity drink made us laugh, but overall one of the best meals we have had in Nashville in close to 20 years.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on September 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a perfect dinner celebrating our anniversary! Noam was friendly and helpful in picking our dishes. From a Vino Verde from Portugal to oysters, gumbo, scallops and halibut (omg… indescribable!) and finally a delicious coconut pie… I mean really stellar. Thank you Samantha and Noam for a wonderful evening. See you soon!!!!
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TG
TomG
Charleston
16 reviews
vip
4.0
16 reviews
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience4
The restaurant itself is nice in the food is consistently good. Although the upside down pineapple cake leaves a lot to be desired our server did not have answers to several of our questions, and we were disappointed in that yeah she had to check several times for questions we had.
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KG
KathleenG
San Antonio
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Chefs selections are spot on and the semmollier’s suggestions were perfect.
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EG
EllenG
Nashville
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Kody was our waiter and suggested some amazing food. We sat outside and it was perfect. Thanks for a great anniversary evening!
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e
edwardf
Salt Lake City
9 reviews
vip
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing evening. Great service, food. We will be back!
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MG
MisseyGSmith
Nashville
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
If you have not been to The Optimist...what are you waiting for???!!! From start to finish this is the best dining experience. The Management, the servers, the food!
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BS
BradleyS
Nashville
34 reviews
5.0
34 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A wonderful menu and setting for any occasion. The oysters, shrimp appetizer, and entrees were excellent with great service. A top 5 restaurant in Nashville.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food, service, drinks, and ambiance. We will definitely be back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
South Dakota
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food and service was exceptional, would definitely recommend and will return. Our server was friendly and very knowledgeable about the food and had great wine recommendations.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience1
Food and service was excellent (Kevin was our waiter) however they sat us at a booth right by the service bar when the restaurant was not even busy . We suggested that we would like to move however nothing was done for us. The host that seated us was not very accommodating so our dinner was not very pleasant as servers where coming and going all night in front of us.
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D
Dinerus
Philadelphia
64 reviews
vip
5.0
64 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Outstanding Restaurant! The food and service was exceptional. I highly recommend the octopus, shrimp and the Coconut pie.
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JM
JanetM
Nashville
32 reviews
vip
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on September 6, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Food was delicious, however was not served as hot as it should have been in my opinion. It was not cold, but was not hot. Just warm. I have eaten at the Optimist several times, and the food has always been delicious and hot, however, this time not so much. I ordered the fish chowder, fish fried rice and scallops. Chowder and rice were dishes that seemed to just be on the warm side.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Brian our server was amazing. We very much enjoyed our dining experience.
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T
Twinkle
Los Angeles
5 reviews
3.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 6, 2023
overall3food3service5ambience4
Had the roasted oysters plus the shrimp appetizer. Food was good. What I didn’t like was ordering a $17 glass of champagne in a white wine glass. Details count.
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K
Karisa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 5, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, beautiful atmosphere, and great service! Cannot recommend this restaurant enough!
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JW
JoyW
Nashville
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
If you like seafood this is definitely a good choice. Great cocktails too. Taylor, our waiter, was very personable and we enjoyed talking to him.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great dining experience. The oysters were delicious and sea scallops were perfectly cooked. I would recommend to seafood lovers!
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N
Nashdiner
Nashville
31 reviews
5.0
31 reviews
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic service, exceptional food. Great place for date night, special occasions, or just dinner out.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of the best meals we’ve had. Everything we had was divine. Service was excellent - Stephen was great! Only complaint was valet doesn’t take card. Excellent dining experience!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Tuna crudo was phenomenal, and Stephen’s service was excellent!
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KP
KristofP
Montreal
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Geweldig gegeten hier! All the way from Belgium 🇧🇪. Excellent service and great food. Wel een beetje aan de dure kant.
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MM
MistyM
Nashville
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
When deciding on where to celebrate my husband's 45th birthday, Nashville has some amazing options. However, when I want everything to be perfect. I know I can count on the Optimist team to do just that. We enjoy visiting the restaurant when we get time to go out, and as I said I can always count on the Optimist team to deliver amazing food, great and sustainable oysters, and a great beverage program. We also loved the summer presentations of some of our favorite dishes. Well done team, well done! Cheers!! :)
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S
Scott
Nashville
11 reviews
2.0
11 reviews
Dined on August 28, 2023
overall2food2service2ambience5
It's disheartening to share that our experience at the Optimist was far from optimistic. Initially, there was a glimmer of hope as the meal commenced, but that spark quickly faded. The "Opportunist" starter, priced at a steep $65, left much to be desired. The promised "fresh shrimp" turned out to be mealy and clearly past their prime. This letdown set the tone for the rest of the evening. We had little choice but to settle for the soup as our main course, as our disappointment grew. It's truly unfortunate, as we used to hold this place in high regard. However, based on this recent experience, we've come to the regrettable conclusion that a return visit is out of the question.
1 person found this helpful
T
Tntimmer
Nashville
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on August 26, 2023
overall4food3service5ambience5
Loved the atmosphere. Everything was good. The only negative is the steak. New York Strip was overpriced and flavor was just OK. Definitely not worth the high price.
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s
sjdavis
Nashville
24 reviews
4.0
24 reviews
Dined on August 26, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience5
Our table of 4 ordered a ton of food & the highlights were: shrimp la plancha, rolls/bread service, and tuna crudo. Our server, Garth, was kind. Space is gorgeous.
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JU
JUANG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was outa this world good. Scallops were perfect, and the sides…..to die for.
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m
michelle
Nashville
23 reviews
vip
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on August 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We came here to celebrate a friends birthday! I had been a few times before and they never had been. We had an amazing meal, great service and everything was perfect and so thoughtful around the birthday. Thank you!!!!
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AW
AdamW
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great good, service and ambience. We will return.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 20, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing service and food! The staff was very friendly and service was fast.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best food with the best service! Hands down my favorite restaurant in Nashville! My go to’s: Wood Fired Oysters, Octopus, and Shrimp! Entrees I love the Mahi Mahi and Swordfish, always delicious! You honestly cannot go wrong with anything!
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Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

The Optimist - Nashville offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (615) 709-3156.

The Optimist - Nashville is rated 4.7 stars by 2508 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 22, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 82 times today

Order delivery or takeout

1400 Adams Street, Nashville, TN 37208

Additional information

Neighborhood
Germantown
Hours of operation
Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cuisines
Seafood
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Valet
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wine

Website
http://www.theoptimistrestaurant.com/nashville
Phone number
(615) 709-3156
Private party facilities
We have 2 areas that can accommodate private events! Our Captain's Room can seat up to 10 guests and our Private Dining Room can seat up to 30 guests or up to 16 guests semi privately. The Optimist is also available for a full restaurant buyout!
Private party contact
Angela Clover: (678) 536-6506

This restaurant now offers Takeout

The Optimist - Nashville

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Additional information

Popular dishes

Wood Grilled Mahi Mahi

Smoked Fish Chowder

Lobster Roll "Twins"

Menu

Start

Smoked Fish Chowder$12.00

Shrimp and Oyster Gumbo$14.00

Plateaux

The Opportunist$52.00

The Refuge$74.00

Fish and Meat

Lobster Roll "Twins"$30.00

Wood Grilled Mahi Mahi$31.00

Sides and Such

Shaved Brussels Sprouts$10.00

Smoked Fish Fried Rice$13.00

Desserts

French Almond Cake$8.00

Coconut Pie$8.00

What 2,508 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing

Screening

FAQs

Does The Optimist - Nashville offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Optimist - Nashville restaurant rated?

Is The Optimist - Nashville currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information