28 Best Bars in Nashville, Tennessee

This converted old feed store has a radio station, bar, and stage on the first floor, a sushi bar and cocktail emporium on the second, a private event space on the third, and a DJ hall and bar on the roof. The food menu includes eclectic street food in addition to the sushi, and the roster of music performers is more varied than most Downtown honky-tonks.

If you’re a classic country music fan whose tastes lean more towards Waylon, Merle, and Willie than Luke and Luke (Bryan and Combs), get yourself to the Nashville Palace as quickly as you can. This bar and venue is a country music legend and one of the few places in town that showcases classic country exclusively. They have live music from open to close, and you can order a fried bologna sandwich whenever your heart desires. In the back is a huge dance floor where they have special events and concerts (usually ticketed) on weekends, but it isn’t uncommon to see a little line dancing or two-stepping on the smaller dance floor in the front room either.

If you ask any native Nashvillian (even famous locals), they’ll tell you that Robert’s is the gold standard of honky-tonks in town, with live music and dancing nightly. The two-level bar has been a local staple for decades and features some of the absolute best live bands on Broadway from before lunchtime until after midnight. Peruse the boot collection on the infamous boot wall and enjoy a fried bologna sandwich.

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.

A local favorite, 3rd & Lindsley hosts musical acts from around town and around the world. This no-frills venue has ample room for dancing, and also has a full lunch and dinner menu in addition to a full bar. For some of the best bets for musical events in town, 3rd & Lindsley is a must.

This small venue, which seats 100 people, hosts indie acts, emerging talent, and holiday events. It's one of two venues under the Basement umbrella (their other venue is The Basement East in East Nashville, close to Little Five Points). Entry is generally affordable, ranging from free to $20.

Jack White's Nashville bar and venue slings drinks from Thursday through Sunday, but there's almost always something happening during the week that's worth checking out. Independent film screenings that don't happen anywhere else in the city, touring bands from all over, funky little art markets, trivia, dance parties, and comedy nights are consistently found on the event calendar.

A fixture in Printers Alley for more than a quarter of a century, Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar entertains locals and tourists alike with a nightly lineup of R&B, blues, and soul acts, some of which have been playing regular gigs on their stage for years. A short menu of Cajun and creole snacks and small plates nicely complements the raucous New Orleans–inspired atmosphere and decor.

Popular Brooklyn venue and activity space Brooklyn Bowl opened its Nashville outpost in 2021 and has since become a hot spot for local and national touring acts alike. Catch a concert while you throw strikes, or just take in your favorite artist within the venue itself while you sip on a spiked milkshake. Most events require tickets and/or reservations, so plan ahead.

This versatility of City Winery’s offerings makes it a standout in this music city showcasing everything from rock and soul to comedy. Most people eat in the main showroom before concerts, making it a full evening out.

The Electric Jane is a modern and swanky take on a supper club, offering up a mystical dinner and a show. Come on Saturday, when you can experience a themed drag brunch. 

This grungy rock-and-roll dive bar is known for breakout performances by a host of famous bands like The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes, and R.E.M. Located on Elliston Place, in the strip historically known as the Rock Block, this is a small venue with a big reputation. Check out their website for upcoming events.

Showcasing cutting-edge blues, rock, heavy metal, and hip-hop bands from the United States and beyond, the Exit/In is the place to be if you want to hear an array of genres in an unpretentious atmosphere.

The Grand Ole Opry has packed in the crowds on Friday and Saturday night since 1925. Show times are Tuesday at 7 pm, Friday at 8 pm, and Saturday at 6 pm and 9:30 pm. Buy tickets ($25–$57) well in advance, particularly during CMA Music Festival week in June.

The Nashville branch of the Hard Rock Cafe is situated where Broadway meets the Cumberland River. It's packed with rock memorabilia from around Nashville, like recording equipment used by Elvis Presley, and from around the world. If you want to party like a rock star, you can take over the mic at live band karaoke in the live music venue on the upper floor on Thursday nights.

Looming over the busiest corner of Lower Broad, the balconies of this three-story club teem with revelers enjoying great live music, food, and beverages.

One of Nashville’s greatest musical traditions is the “writer’s round”: a group of songwriters performing their compositions one after the other in a round, creating an intimate environment focused on the music. The Listening Room Cafe is one of the premiere places to experience a writer’s round in Nashville, and its high-quality, straight-ahead Southern brunch, lunch, and dinner menus paired with its bar add a tasty twist to the music.

If you want to sing karaoke Downtown, this is the place to do it. No longer smoke-filled, it's still a carpeted time warp that will make you feel like you've gone back to the ’70s. With an extensive catalog of songs to sing, Jell-O shots behind the bar, and an always unpredictable and wild crowd, you’re guaranteed to make some kind of memories here. Whether or not you actually remember them is entirely up to you.

This 14,000-square-foot open venue in the former automobile factory now known as the Marathon Village complex hosts mid-level artists in its standing-room-only, 1,500-person-capacity space. Plan ahead, as most events are ticketed.

In some towns, singing at karaoke bars is a way to show off your lack of inhibition; in Nashville some performers sound like they're auditioning for a recording contract. Ms. Kelli's is a favorite among locals because even though the talent level is usually quite high, less experienced and confident singers are also warmly supported.

The backdrop for many a movie and music video, The Stage is classic Lower Broadway in both looks and entertainment. With live music starting in the early afternoon and a convenient location across from Bridgestone Arena, it's a great stop before or after a game or concert.

Tootsie’s gets its name from legendary former owner Hattie Louise "Tootsie" Bess and the bold color of the honky-tonk's walls and exterior, which also features one of the more famous Downtown murals of ’80s country stars. A multilevel honky-tonk playground, you can see live music on all of its four floors, including the rooftop. Take note of the neon sign in the back alley for the famous Tootsie’s Upstairs, a novelty relic of the ’60s and ’70s, when country legends would go sit in the private room and drink after shows at the Ryman.