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Restaurants in Nashville

Nashville has an extensive range of restaurants from roadside diners and BBQ joints to high-end eateries and more unique choices. Individually owned, trendy and many with a pan-Pacific influence, the city’s burgeoning foodie scene serves up grub in a delightful range of settings.

The restaurants below have been hand-picked by our guide author and are grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over $100)
Moderate ($50 to $100)
Cheap (up to $50)

These prices include three courses and a bottle of house wine. A sales tax of 9.25% is not included. Sometimes a gratuity (usually 18%) is added to the bill. If not, a tip of 10 to 15% for service is customary.

Expensive

1808 Grille

Cuisine: American

Located inside Nashville's hipster haven, the Hutton Hotel, 1808 Grille blends traditional dishes with global flavours. The décor of woods and rich shades of green, blue and white. are as unique and vibrant as the menu. Accompany meals with a well-crafted cocktail from the bar or a vintage plonk from the celebrated wine display, featuring local and international favourites. Organic meats and sustainable seafood are high on the agenda.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 340 0012.
Website: http://www.1808grille.com

Flyte World Dining and Wine

Cuisine: American

A warehouse conversion, Flyte is the brainchild of owners Scott Atkinson and Scott Sears. Earthy colours and bold original artworks abound in this corner of the up-and-coming 12th Avenue South District. A seasonal menu features organic, fresh or humanely raised dishes created by chef Bobby Benjamin, former cook at Nashville's illustrious Capitol Grille. For a true dining adventure try the Chef's Sampler - a food and wine pairing of five courses.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 255 6200.
Website: http://www.flytenashville.com

Watermark

Cuisine: American

A relatively new fine dining spot, unpretentious quality is the name of the game here. Housed in a former print shop, the place had high local expectations when it opened, and has not disappointed since. Sophisticated and unashamedly urban, the sleek dining rooms (and terrace) serve up new Southern dishes. Expect grits soufflé, sweet potato ravioli and artisanal cheeses.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 254 2000.
Website: http://www.watermark-restaurant.com

Moderate

Chef's Market Cafe & Take Away

Cuisine: Mediterranean

This Californian/Mediterranean style restaurant is a combination of popular business meeting spot, restaurant and gourmet grocery. Take your pick from foodie servings of seafood, pasta, chicken and exotic vegetable dishes, or 21 salad combinations. The signature Club Med Salad is an all-time favourite and California-style wraps are prepared to order. The pastry case and gourmet coffees are reason enough to stop at Chef's. Friday and Saturday nights feature weekly-themed all-you-can-eat buffets.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 851 2433.
Website: http://www.chefsmarket.com

City House Restaurant

Cuisine: Italian

This good-looking spot, located in the quaint residential neighbourhood of Germantown, delivers a menu of house-cured meats, fresh pastas and other rustic Italian recipes alongside a roster of intriguing desserts. The gorgeous architectural design melds perfectly with the old-world charm of Germantown's brick sidewalks and historic homes. In its decor, layout and cuisine, City House celebrates simple, beautiful ingredients.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 736 5838.
Website: http://www.cityhousenashville.com

Rolf and Daughters

Cuisine: Italian

Rolf and Daughters is where the country stars come to dine. The inventive menu by chef Philip Krajeck is the result of his Belgian roots, his Italian instructors and his American base, all mixed with sublime fresh ingredients. The rustic sauces and homemade dough are comfortingly good, but don't miss the mushroom, kale and parmesan pasta – it's food so good you won't notice the Grammy Award winner on the table next to you.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 866 9897.
Website: http://www.rolfanddaughters.com

Cheap

Jack's Bar-B-Que

Cuisine: American

Heralded by the neon flying pigs sign, Jack's is the favourite barbecue spot for those visiting Downtown. The casual, cosy dining room fills quickly for lunch, while the fragrance of slow-smoked barbecue cooked over hickory wood awakens the taste buds. The best deal is the BBQ Combo, giving a selection of pork shoulder, beef brisket, turkey breast, smoked sausage, ribs or smoked chicken with two vegetables and cornbread. The choice of six award-winning barbecue sauces adds to the flavour of Nashville's best grill.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 254 5715.
Website: http://www.jacksbarbque.com

Pancake Pantry

Cuisine: American

The Pantry is something of a Nashville institution. The place to eat your way through a hangover, break-up or bad day, their fluffy, sweet or savoury stacks are known to solve any issue. A long-standing family business, the owners make a couple of runs a year to the hills of East Tennessee to retrieve their specialty ground flours. Their syrups are freshly prepared each day from top secret recipes too. The only downside to this place is the line - expect to queue for anything up to two hours at weekends. It is worth the wait, though.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 383 9333.
Website: http://www.thepancakepantry.com

The Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse

Cuisine: American

The Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse is a sophisticated coffee shop serving a range of fresh and organic gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches and muffins. The outdoor patio is a great spot for people-watching in this hip neighbourhood of restored houses and health-conscious walkers and cyclists. Exposed brick, natural light, local artworks and a relaxed ambiance make sure the crowd is an interesting one.

Address: , , ,
Telephone: +1 615 292 1808.
Website: http://www.frothymonkeynashville.com
A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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The Hermitage Hotel

Built in 1910 in the beaux-arts style, this city institution is the grande dame of local hotels. Smiling after an $18million refurbishment, the lobby is gilded plaster and stained glass windows, and the all-suite guest rooms boast Florentine marble bathrooms. Dining at the hotel’s Capitol Grille evokes an elegant wine cellar, and the Oak Bar has ornate woods and plasterwork.

Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel

Boasting one of the most modern looks on the Nashville hotel scene, Loews Vanderbilt Plaza has bedded many celebrities and country music stars. Artwork is a heavy motif, from the tapestries of the lobby to the in-house branch of the Kraus art gallery. The angular guest rooms are softened by plush curtains, and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is well regarded among local carnivores.

Days Inn Vanderbilt/Music Row

The rooms here are at least refurbished every few years to keep this good value motel at least comfortable. The property dates back to the 1960s, giving it kind of a retro cool, and the free local calls and internet don’t hurt the budget. The location is convenient, with Music Row and Vanderbilt University both within easy walking distance.

The Hutton Hotel

Opened in 2009, this property blends traditional southern touched with Manhattan-esque chic, the lobby a mix of luxuriant woods, abstract sculptures and oversized lampshades. It’s a bold attempt to steer away from the more laboured aspects of the city, and you won’t find country music being piped on repeat. The rooms are trendy but not pretentious, and the 1808 Grille brings a modern twist to down-home cooking.

Union Station

A former railway terminal is the home for this hotel, which dates back to 1900. The architecture is Romanesque-Gothic, and the property enjoyed a $10million facelift in 2007. The station’s main hall becomes a striking lobby, with vaulted stained glass ceilings. While the exterior is a National Historic Landmark, the rooms are contemporary, though light sleepers may want to avoid those that overlook the tracks.

Hilton Downtown Nashville

Another all-suite offering, this new Downtown hotel has plenty of room, with 330 units. The palm-lined atrium lobby lends a touch of sophistication to the hotel, but its main appeal is the location, within walking distance of LP Field and the Country Music Hall of Fame. The suites lend themselves to self-catered living, though there are also 3 restaurants on site.