18 Best Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee

Tucked away in nearby Salemtown is Big Al's Deli, a neighborhood deli in every sense of the word. Owner Alfonso Hamilton serves home-cooked Southern food out of an otherwise nondescript converted house, making for a dining experience that feels like you're right at home. Seating is limited inside but the food—especially the breakfast—is well worth the wait.

James Beard–winning chef Tandy Wilson has built a Nashville institution with City House, one of the first restaurants to take hold in Germantown. The menu changes seasonally but always features thoughtful salads, unusually delicious pizzas, and creative protein options, most of which lean heavily on pork. Visitors on Sunday are treated to the special Sunday Supper menu, which changes each week.

Chef Philip Krajeck has devised a simple innovative menu at Rolf & Daughters, a pillar of dining in both the Germantown neighborhood and greater Nashville. Menu staples include assorted seasonal, house-made pastas and creative takes on small plates and vegetable salads. Don't skip the bread, either—the house-made sourdough with seaweed butter is to die for.

Tempered Café is unlike any other café in Nashville, serving an extensive selection of handcrafted chocolates alongside a full menu of espresso drinks, breakfast and lunch plates—and yes, homemade hot chocolate and drinking chocolate. Tempered also has a full bar and offers chocolate and beverage pairings that are unlike anything you've ever tried before.

Housed in a large artsy space, 5th & Taylor is a culinary playground for chef Daniel Lindley to push the boundaries of modern American cuisine. The menu often includes a number of Southern favorites, like tomato pie and beer-can chicken, all elevated by Lindley's finesse and knowledge of flavor. The center sculpture, which serves as a focal point in the dining room, is a depiction of General Francis Nash, for whom the city is named.

The original East Nashville Barista Parlor was such a hit that the hip shop has since expanded to several locations around town, including this spot in Germantown. Conveniently located right next to popular dinner joint City House, baristas put an extraordinary amount of care into each cup of coffee brewed; you can taste that attention to detail each time you visit.

The name says it all: Butchertown Hall is the place to go for excellent elevated meat dishes, with a menu inspired by meat markets in Texas. Order smoked meats by the pound with sides like seasonal vegetables and shaved street corn, or opt for (slightly) lighter fare like oak-smoked brisket tacos and grilled lamb lollipops. The cocktail program is heavy on tequila, offering a refreshing counterpoint to the filling spreads.

A trip to Nashville isn't complete without a stop at this Nashville-based bakery that makes gourmet cookies with real ingredients and recipes that have earned the brand national recognition. Their Germantown bakery now boasts a storefront where you can pick up a variety of cookies, milk, coffee, and Christie-branded goodies.

This locally beloved cupcake shop serves a variety of tasty creative cupcakes at their storefront; preorders are also welcome. Classic flavors like red velvet and chocolate are always on hand, while seasonal cupcakes pop up throughout the year. Who doesn't love a good cupcake?

Housed in a 100-plus-year-old blacksmith shop, Geist is as cozy and vibey inside as its food is delicious. A stone's throw from First Horizon Park, Geist offers a luxe alternative to the casual bar and ballpark fare nearby, instead serving creative takes on American dishes using regionally sourced ingredients. On nice days, be sure to check out the adjoining champagne garden.

One of the early restaurants to open in the now-bustling Germantown neighborhood was Germantown Café. Now a pillar of the neighborhood, this popular dining spot offers inventive takes on an eclectic Southern menu, serving up meals for lunch, dinner, and brunch (on the weekends). Don't miss the bar's happy hour, either, as it's one of the city's most generous.

Since opening in 2016, Henrietta Red has quickly become a Germantown staple, thanks to its creative menu and its hip airy digs. The project of chef Julia Sullivan and sommelier Allie Poindexter, the menu features vibrant seafood offerings (don't skip the raw bar!) alongside a carefully curated bar menu, as well as one of the area's best brunches.

Much of the dining in Germantown is high-end and experimental, making longtime local favorite Monell's Dining and Catering a welcome dose of Southern comfort food, all served family-style. Visit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner to fill up on Southern favorites like skillet-fried chicken, home-style meat loaf, and delicious biscuits. Just be sure to save room for dessert.

There are a lot of coffee shops in Germantown, but only Red Bicycle has an extensive menu of sweet and savory crepes. This neighborhood café also serves a variety of sandwiches, tacos, pastries, and small snacks, all complemented by a menu of seasonally rotating coffee and espresso drinks and served by one of the friendliest staffs in town.

If you're looking to pack a picnic lunch or grab a few things to eat on the go, stop by this neighborhood market for homemade bread and pastries, daily sandwiches, and other pantry items. There's a carefully curated wine, beer, and cider selection as well.

Germantown's Steadfast Coffee offers up the usual assortment of espresso drinks and café-style food options, but they also have some tasty menu items you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Their coffee soda, for example, is an unusual blend of espresso, soda water, and orange peel and has to be tried to be understood, while their "rested" coffee drinks bring out new flavors in old classics.

Diners at Tailor have the pleasure of enjoying one of the city's truly unique dining experiences. Chef Vivek Surti creates seasonally rotating menus inspired by his South Asian heritage that are served prix fixe over the course of a lively but leisurely two-and-a-half hours, with optional wine and beverage pairings for an additional cost. Reservations are required and tables tend to book quickly, so plan ahead.

Von Elrod's Beer Hall & Kitchen was a welcome addition to the Germantown neighborhood when it opened in 2017. Housed in a large group-friendly space, the restaurant offers a casual alternative to the neighborhood's more-elevated offerings, serving house-made sausages and sides alongside a truly extensive beer menu. As a plus, it's right next to First Horizon Park, making it the perfect spot for dinner before a baseball game.