My Top 10 Restaurants in Nashville

Friends, I’ve recently moved to Nashville and one thing we’ve been doing is checking out the Nashville Restaurant scene trying to search for the best restaurants in nashville.

Nashville’s dining scene has expanded well beyond its traditional barbecue and hot chicken foundations into an ambitious, multifaceted culinary destination. The city has grown a ton recently and with that growth have come a bevy of new restaurants.

While, some of these restaurants are just a mostly disappointing new location of an already established restaurant group from another state, there’s plenty of good and original stuff opening up as well. While this is still not an all encompassing list(we’ve only been here for 5 months so far and visited about 30 restaurants), it will get updated as we eat at more places.

For now, here is an in-depth guide to ten Nashville restaurants that have stood out amongst the crowd. If you’re visiting Nashville, these are the spots to put on your list. Note that most of these are actually outside of broadway as I find a lot of those restaurants just aren’t up to par with some of these offerings when it comes to quality and/or cost.

1. The Catbird Seat

• Neighborhood: Midtown

• Cuisine: Contemporary Multi-Course Tasting Menu

• Official Website: thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com

Perched discreetly on the second floor above Patterson House in Midtown, The Catbird Seat is an anchor of modern American fine dining in the Southeast. Operating as an intimate, 22-seat U-shaped counter wrapping a central open kitchen, the format strips away the traditional divide between back-of-house technique and the guest experience. Diners watch the kitchen execute each course in real time, from delicate vegetable carvings to live-fire finishing.

The menu is the expected Michelin tasting menu experience but this one really delivers especially for a one-star locale. We are not drinkers but the non-alcoholic pairing was absolutely fantastic and one of the best we’ve had in a long time if not ever. It’s nice to see unique drinks that pair well with the meal in front of you.

This is absolutely a special occasion type place as you’re going to shell out hundreds of dollars per person but Catbird Seat is by far the best experience in the city. The presentation is fantastic, watching the chefs and getting their descriptions is fun and the food is a slam dunk across the board. Our menu above delivered across the board. The lamb loin and pork belly were the best I’ve ever had and I would put Catbird Seat in the neighborhood of some two star places I’ve eaten at and heads and shoulders above anything else in the city. Parking here is a bit of a drag as it’s in the gulch but they do have a paid valet right in front of the restaurant(given the cost of the meal, you’d think it’d be free but hey I guess not).

2. Bastion

• Neighborhood: Wedgewood-Houston

• Cuisine: Experimental Modern American

• Official Website: bastionnashville.com

Spearheaded by Chef Josh Habiger, Bastion features an intentional dual concept tucked inside a refurbished industrial warehouse in Wedgewood-Houston. Beyond its lively, neon-lit neighborhood cocktail bar sits an intimate 24-seat dining sanctuary focused entirely on progressive, ingredient-led cooking.

Bastion’s tasting menu avoids rigid conventions. Guests are presented with modular menus that allow them to guide their course sequence across cold seafood preparations, dry-aged meats, and ember-roasted produce. The kitchen relies heavily on live coals, house vinegars, and delicate ferments to create vivid contrasts, making it one of the city’s most creatively dynamic dinner reservations.

The food is excellent but a bit more uneven than what Catbird Seat offers. There were certainly some misses both times we ate here, like an ice cream dessert with iceberg lettuce that just felt weird and out of place with everything else, but the overall experience was still very stellar and deserving of the one Michelin star this place has. Parking is easy and free with validation in a nearby lot.

3. Iggy’s

• Neighborhood: Wedgewood-Houston

• Cuisine: Handmade Pasta & Modern Italian

• Official Website: iggysnashville.com

Founded by brothers Matthew and Ryan Poli, Iggy’s reinterprets the Italian-American pasta bar with technical precision and neighborhood warmth. Housed in an airy, brick-lined dining room in Wedgewood-Houston, the restaurant balances approachable hospitality with serious culinary chops.

The menu isn’t all pasta but that’s certainly the main focus. One of my favorite dishes here is a seasoned tuna tartare that’s as good as I’ve found anywhere. On the pasta side, there’s a lot of variety and a lot of creativity. Their agnolotti is generally stuffed with whatever is in season and is always fantastic and their rigatoni bolognese is the best I’ve found in the city. Desserts are mainly soft-serve so it’d be nice if there was more variety and creativity there but I come here for the pasta and the tartare and just skip the dessert if I’m not feeling it. Parking here can be a pain but there’s plenty of street parking if you get lucky or paid lots nearby as well.

4. Noôsh Persian Cuisine

• Neighborhood: West Nashville / White Bridge

• Cuisine: Persian & Middle Eastern

• Official Website: nooshpersiancuisine.com

Situated along the White Bridge corridor, Noôsh Persian Cuisine offers an authentic and welcoming showcase of Persian gastronomy. The dining room emphasizes hospitality and shared feasts centered around hearth-baked flatbreads, slow-cooked stews, and charcoal-broiled skewers.

The owner is super friendly and the quality to cost ratio might be the best in the city.

The menu highlights the classic Persian balance of sour, aromatic, and savory notes using dried limes, sumac, and fresh herbs. Signature offerings include koobideh (charbroiled ground lamb kebabs) served over basmati rice scented with saffron and that might just be the best kebab in the city. Pair that with rich stews such as walnut-and-pomegranate Fesenjan and herb-heavy Ghormeh Sabzi and you’ve got a fantastic meal. While it might not sound super appealing, the house-made saffron ice cream is amazing.

This is my favorite place to eat where I just want something simple and consistent. Parking is easy and free as the restaurant is in a strip mall with a big lot.

5. Alebrije

• Neighborhood: East Nashville

• Cuisine: Contemporary Mexican & Heirloom Masa

• Official Website: alebrijenash.com

Operating in East Nashville, Alebrije grew from a culinary pop-up into an essential brick-and-mortar destination for Central Mexican cooking. The restaurant’s foundation is traditional in-house nixtamalization, milling single-origin Mexican landrace corn daily to produce fragrant, naturally pliable heirloom tortillas.

Moving far beyond conventional taqueria templates, Alebrije explores regional Mexican techniques and complex sauces. Highlights include slow-braised pork ribs glazed in savory adobo, coastal fish tacos, and multi-layered moles simmered for days to develop deep roasted chili and cacao notes. Alebrije has the best fish tacos I’ve found in the city and the flavors here are fantastic.

Splitting three dishes here alongside some hibiscus tea is one of my favorite lunches in the city. There is a paid lot in front of the restaurant with validation inside but we just park on a street nearby anytime we go.

6. Edessa Restaurant

• Neighborhood: South Nashville / Nolensville Pike

• Cuisine: Kurdish & Turkish

• Official Website: edessarestauranttn.net

Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish community in the United States, and Edessa on Nolensville Pike serves as an essential ambassador for Kurdish and southeastern Anatolian culinary culture. Named after the historic city of Urfa (ancient Edessa), the dining room is warm and family-centric, filled with the aroma of charcoal braziers and stone ovens.

The kitchen specializes in hot, puffed balloon bread (lavaş), meze dips, and generous grilled platters. Marinated lamb chops, hand-minced spicy Adana and Urfa kebabs, and fall-apart braised lamb shanks arrive alongside charred peppers, spiced bulgur, and tangy sumac salads, offering hearty portions and traditional flavors.

The food here is great and not too expensive. We always leave satisfied and with plenty of leftovers for another meal. This is a great spot to go to if you are visiting the zoo or something else nearby and while we don’t live too close to Edessa, it’s definitely a place we’ll visit if we’re in the area. Location is in a strip mall with plenty of parking.

7. Perenn Bakery

• Neighborhood: Berry Hill & Franklin

• Cuisine: European Viennoiserie & Daytime Café

• Official Website: perennbakery.com

Founded by pastry chefs Tyler and Aubrey O’Laskey, Perenn Bakery brings classic European viennoiserie and daytime café culture to Middle Tennessee with outposts in Berry Hill and Franklin.

We’ve mainly gone to the Franklin location which has a great brunch. We’ve honestly never tried their pastries but this is our favorite brunch near Nashville. The lemon ricotta pancakes are the best pancakes I’ve ever tried and most other dishes I’ve tried here are a hit as well. A morning hiking at Radnor Lake followed by a drive up to franklin and bunch here is as nice a morning as you’ll have in Nashville.

8. Limo Peruvian Eatery

• Neighborhood: East Nashville

• Cuisine: Peruvian & Nikkei

• Official Website: limoeatery.com

Located along Fatherland Street in East Nashville, Limo Peruvian Eatery showcases the dynamic coastal, Andean, and Japanese-influenced (Nikkei) flavors of modern Lima. Named after the aromatic ají limo chili, the kitchen pairs bright marinades with flavors that match how pretty food looks.

The savory menu highlights fresh seafood ceviches cured in citrus leche de tigre, crispy glazed pork belly starters, and wok-fired lomo saltado, strips of beef tenderloin flash-seared over high heat with red onions, ripe tomatoes, soy seasoning, and crisp hand-cut potato wedges over jasmine rice. Most things I’ve tried here have been fantastic, the pork belly was awesome and all of the entrees have been a hit every time I’ve been here. The octopus is not my favorite as it was a bit tough when I tried it but everything else works here and the flavors are excellent and unique if you’re not familiar with peruvian food. Parking is street parking all around the restaurant and not too hard to find.

9. Junior

• Neighborhood: East Nashville / Dickerson Pike

• Cuisine: Open-Flame Modern American & Refined French

• Official Website: juniornashville.com

Located along Dickerson Pike in an intimate 50-seat storefront, Junior pairs classic fine-dining craft with playful, offbeat energy. The dining room features lacquered wood finishes, deep red leather banquettes, and ambient lighting that sets a retro, moody tone.

The culinary program centers around Basque-inspired open-flame cooking and French-grounded technique. The kitchen is known for its focus on whole fresh fish roasted over wood embers, seasonal vegetable preparations, and an inventive dessert program that rounds out a lively, late-evening dinner experience.

We’ve only been here once but the food was quite solid. The fish was excellent here but I was a bit disappointed with the chocolate souffle which didn’t have that rich chocolate flavor or good varied texture I want from a souffle and was mostly overpowered by the massive lump of ice cream they automatically dropped in the middle. I do plan to return and try it again as I am a big fan of a good souffle so I’m hoping that was a bit of an off day.

10. The Butter Milk Ranch & Babychan

Number 10 is a tie with two solid brunch option, both functioning as a bakery as well.

• The Butter Milk Ranch

  • Neighborhood: 12 South

  • Cuisine: Southern Bakery & Brunch Dining

  • Official Website: thebuttermilkranch.com

  • Profile: Developed by the hospitality team behind Urban Grub, The Butter Milk Ranch is a bustling daytime destination in 12 South. It combines a full scratch bakery counter with an elevated sit-down brunch menu, serving warm powdered sugar beignets, house-spun milkshakes, and hearty savory plates such as griddled smash sandwiches and chopped cheese. The beignets were fantastic and their chocolate milkshake is a contender for the best milkshake I’ve ever had. The varied entrees we’ve had here all have been solid but they tend to lean on the side of being too rich or two sweet at times. Since it’s 12 south, parking can be a mess and getting a seat here can often mean an hour long wait which if that’s the case, might not be worth it. If you come later during, for a late late lunch then seating is easier and that’s really the only time I’d recommend coming here. The baked goods are solid too but quite expensive for what they are.

• Babychan

  • Neighborhood: Germantown / Neuhoff

  • Cuisine: Japanese Café & Bakery

  • Official Website: babychancafe.com

  • Profile: Founded by Brian Lea and Leina Horii (the culinary team behind Kisser), Babychan is located along the Cumberland River in Germantown’s Neuhoff district. Blending Japanese kissaten coffee shop traditions with precision pastry technique, the café offers Japanese milk bread (shokupan), savory pastries, and comforting plates like slow-simmered beef cheek Japanese curry. The beef cheek Japanese curry is reason enough to come here and I actually like the food here a bit more than Kisser but both are worth visiting.

Here are some other places that just missed the list but are still worth a visit; Kardes, East Side Bahn Mi, Roze Pony, Kisser, Rolf and Daughters and Tantisimo.

And that’s it, those are my favorite restaurants in Nashville. Are there any restaurants I’ve missed, is there anything I should definitely try that should crack the top 10? Let me know down below!.

Nashville Top 10 Restaurants Reference Guide