13 Best Nightlife in Nashville, Tennessee

Acme Feed & Seed

Downtown Fodor's choice
This converted old factory has a radio station, bar, and dance hall on the first floor, a sushi bar and venue on the second, a private event space on the fourth, and a DJ hall and bar on the roof. The food menu includes eclectic street food in addition to the sushi.

Corsair Distillery

Marathon Village Fodor's choice
A highlight of Marathon Village is Corsair Distillery, a microdistillery and brewpub offering eclectic, locally made spirits and beer. Visitors can tour the facility—which is housed in a century-old automobile factory—and try full- and sample-size offerings of Corsair spirits in the distillery's taproom.

Dino's

East Nashville Fodor's choice
Billed as Nashville's oldest dive bar, Dino's has maintained its charm by changing little over the years. The bar stocks a handful of cheap beer selections and can make simple cocktails, while the kitchen serves up hot chicken, Frito pie, and sneakily delicious burgers. On the weekends, Dino's serves one of the best brunches in town, with offerings like hot chicken French toast.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Exit/In

Elliston Place Fodor's choice

Exit/In showcases the most cutting-edge blues, rock, heavy metal, and hip-hop bands from the United States and beyond. If you want to hear everything except country music, come groove in an unpretentious atmosphere.

Fat Bottom Brewing

The Nations Fodor's choice
Visiting the Hop Yard at Fat Bottom Brewing turns enjoying the brewer’s locally crafted beers into an experience. The large, warehouse-like space features ample seating, multiple outdoor areas with yard games, and brewery tours on weekends.

Gertie's Bar

The Gulch Fodor's choice
This inviting downstairs addition to the 404 Kitchen offers up 30 pages of hard-to-find whiskies from around the world on its menu. You'll find some bottles here, all hand-selected by chef Matt Bolus, that you'd be hard-pressed to find in even the most exclusive whiskey bars in New York.

L.A. Jackson

The Gulch Fodor's choice
At the top of the luxe Thompson Hotel is the city's premiere rooftop bar, where the drinks are strong and the views are just as Instagrammable as the hip, modern decor. Filled to the brim with friendly young professionals on the weekends, this is always a lively spot, especially when there's a local DJ spinning records. The Frozé is always a crowd-pleaser, and they offer a variety of small bites and cocktails.

Pinewood Social

Downtown Fodor's choice
Everything you need for a good time at work or play is at Pinewood Social, an all-day hangout featuring a coffee bar, craft cocktails, a bowling alley, private karaoke rooms, bocce ball, and even an outdoor pool. This sceney spot is always bustling because the food is as good as the fun.

Robert's Western World

Downtown Fodor's choice
If you ask any native Nashvillian (even famous locals), they’ll tell you that Robert’s is the best honky-tonk in town, with live music and dancing nightly. The two-level bar has been a local staple for decades and is located across from the back artist entry to the Ryman where country legends sneak out to drink on the strip. Peruse the boot collection on the infamous boot wall and enjoy a fried bologna sandwich.

Smith and Lentz Brewing

East Nashville Fodor's choice
A host of craft breweries have opened in Nashville over the last few years, and Smith and Lentz Brewing ranks among the best of them. Located convenient to Five Points, Smith and Lentz offers a number of house and rotating brews in various glass sizes, also making each available to take home in a crowler or growler. They don't serve much food but do allow guests to bring in takeout. Ping-Pong tables and a solid selection of board games round out the experience.

The Green Hour

Germantown Fodor's choice
Located inside Tempered Café and Chocolate (and only open Thursday through Saturday), The Green Hour is one of Germantown's best-kept secrets. It's the only bar in town that specializes in serving a wide variety of absinthe in traditional absinthe drips, making each drink ordered its own experiential treat. And if absinthe isn't your thing, the bar also serves a variety of classic cocktails and a small selection of beer.

The Patterson House

Midtown Fodor's choice
The Patterson House is one of Nashville’s long-standing speakeasy-style bars, offering a Prohibition-era feel with its obscured entrance, cordoned-off dining area, and house rules, such as one must be seated in order to be served a drink, and men cannot introduce themselves to women without invitation. However, this cultivated vibe makes it one of the most popular nightspots in the city—that, and the amazing drinks, which are crafted by mixologists at a bar in the middle of the chandelier-laden dining room.

The Station Inn

The Gulch Fodor's choice

One of the last bastions of old Nashville that locals still frequent despite the influx of tourists, The Station Inn is without a doubt the best place to hear bluegrass, roots music, and Americana in the city. Inside the worn stone building you’ll find cheap beer, folding tables, mismatched chairs, and a sea of red-and-white-checkered plastic tablecloths that prove this venue is charmingly frozen in time.