225 Best Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee

From the rustic wood-paneled walls and the rows of rocking chairs to the shrine of signed headshots from country music legends, this catfish surf-and-turf restaurant has been turning out traditional Tennessee cooking in a laid-back family atmosphere for decades. Beyond the obvious steak, catfish, and shrimp mains, they also offer several standout sides like coleslaw, hush puppies, and fried pickles.

Dedicated to—and passionate about—all things Italian, Coco’s is part grocery, part travel agency, and part Italian restaurant. Known for their grab-and-go pizzas, homemade meatballs, and baked ziti, all their house specialties remain proudly authentic to original family recipes, and you won't have to worry about breaking the bank.

Located on the lobby level of Virgin Hotels Nashville, the cuisine at Commons Club ranges from Southern staples like the Nashville meat and three to seafood dishes and oven-fired flatbreads. Entering through the front doors, you’ll walk past an eclectic inviting lounge area with plenty to look at, but continue on to the dining room for intimate seating, a pool table, a full bar, and frequent programming including songwriter showcases.

Breakfast and lunch sandwiches made using house-baked bread, braised meats, gourmet aioli, and premium produce are the most popular items at this airy and amiable café, but the pastry case just inside the front door is the real showstopper. Get there early for the best selection of flaky croissants, delectable cookies and muffins, colorful macarons, and other baked goods. The pickings can get pretty slim after the lunch rush.

A hot dog stand housed in a converted gas station, Daddy's Dogs offers creative topping combos on a beef hot dog—the Georgia is topped with cream cheese, peaches, jalapeño, and a secret sauce, while the Carolina has coleslaw, bacon, secret sauce, and barbecue sauce. They also have a small selection of filling sides such as loaded tots, mac and cheese, and chili. There are satellite locations in Printers Alley, Nissan Stadium, GEODIS Park, and 6th and Peabody.

Occupying the ground floor of the Life & Casualty Tower, once the tallest skyscraper in the South, Deacon's is a decidedly modern tenant of the venerable building. Offering a traditional steak-house menu with Southern twists, Deacon's dry ages full tenderloins and rib eye racks of beef in a custom aging room visible at the back of the main dining room. Home grillmasters gaze in awe at the huge full rib eyes lying on racks while time and temperature dry them out to concentrate their beefy flavor. The kitchen then cuts individual steaks to expertly cook to the desired temperature before serving them with shareable Southern side dishes like collard greens and mac and cheese. Seafood lovers can find plenty to like at Deacon's, too, but the real emphasis is on the beef.

This place looks and feels like it’s been here for ages—and it has, but not as a pizza restaurant that now serves thin-crust pizzas cut into small squares, a selection of subs, and a few salads. In a short time it has become a neighborhood hangout where, depending on the time of day, you’ll find families with babies in strollers meeting with out-of-town friends or fans tailgating or settling in to watch the soccer match. There’s a large covered deck area with ceiling fans, and beyond that is a patio area with picnic tables and umbrellas; both have views of the beautiful May Hosiery Mills building that's now home to the Soho House Hotel. Prefer takeout? Walk up to the pickup window out front.

With its quiet vibe and speedy free Wi-Fi, District Coffee welcomes remote workers along with anyone who enjoys a good cup of coffee or espresso made using locally roasted beans. An eclectic menu of pastries, bagels, and New Zealand–style savory hand pies offers food choices while you work and sip.

Located on the border of West End and Sylvan Park, Dose is one of the neighborhood’s better-kept secrets, allowing it to be quieter and less crowded than larger chains closer to Downtown or Vanderbilt University. This is a good thing, because their daily fresh-baked goods, specially blended coffees, and delicious breakfast and lunch options are ones you’re going to want to keep all to yourself.

Located in East Nashville's Riverside Village neighborhood, this café serves up some of the city's finest espresso drinks. In addition to a caffeine fix, you'll find a full food menu, baked goods, beer, wine, and cocktails, making it the perfect one-stop-shop for exploring the neighborhood.

This small space is airy and bright, and it maintains a bit of its pop-up-shop origins. Serving breakfast and lunch items—including soups and sandwiches, some seasonal—the best options are the cookies and pastries made on-site and also sold at a number of Nashville eateries. There are marble-topped tables and black café chairs inside, and there's outdoor seating in warmer months. The expanded beverage menu includes several coffees, chai, and other teas. 

Vegans, vegetarians, and anyone looking for a healthy pick-me-up can find light breakfast and lunch fare at this location of the popular local chain. Hearty salads with house-made dressings, bright fruit superfood bowls with crunchy cacao nibs, fresh-pressed juices, and inventive smoothies make it a treat to grab some nourishing food on the go. There's another location in Wedgewood-Houston. 

Inspired by a literary giant (guess which one) this restaurant exudes rustic elegance—rough brick walls, rich hardwood floors—found throughout Houston Station. A hearty menu (pork rib eye and poutine) and an extensive drinks menu complement the vintage decor.

At Edley's it's first come, first served for their mouthwatering brisket. If you miss the brisket, there are plenty of other delectable Southern barbecue favorites, quickly made to order and enjoy on polished-wood picnic tables inside or on the large patio; you can wash it down with a local craft beer or their signature Bushwacker, a chocolate rum milkshake. There are also locations in 12South and Sylvan Park. 

The original location of this family-owned Nashville institution is always busy for lunch and dinner, but they don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. Known for its award-winning barbecue, the menu includes lots of smoked meats as well as a number of Southern sides like cornbread bean salad, mac and cheese, and banana pudding—you've got to love a place that includes banana pudding as a side rather than a dessert. Remember that the portions are large, and a kids' menu is available. There are locations in East Nashville, Sylvan Park, Donelson, and Franklin.

A coffee concept by the owners of The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, Elegy is a tiny shop with bold flavors on offer. Pop in for a seasonal latte or one of several rotating burritos, like the autumnal Witching Hour burrito with black forest ham and Havarti. And you can't go wrong with the shop's signature Honey Bear cold brew, which you can also purchase in family-sized bottles. Elegy only has outdoor seating, making it more of a to-go spot than a place to hang out.

Tucked off the lobby of The Hyatt Centric, Ella's is open just about any time you're hungry (it's also where guests at the hotel get room service from). The California-inspired, Italian fare–focused menu has something for everyone: dinner highlights include crab risotto, braised short ribs, and pan-seared salmon piccata, while breakfast and lunch offer classics like lemon-ricotta pancakes and a grilled chicken Caprese sandwich.

A family-owned restaurant serving traditional Lebanese and Greek dishes with foodie flair, Epice has a large patio where diners can enjoy lunch and dinner in good weather. The popular weekend brunch menu includes French toast, omelets, and special cocktails.

Tucked away behind the Mall at Green Hills, this restaurant is the kind of place an out-of-towner could easily miss. The menu, though, makes getting out the GPS worth it, as new American favorites are reimagined using international ingredients. They also have an extensive dessert menu and a generous happy hour.

Bright and airy, this diner-style restaurant features a stand-alone coffee bar within the dining room, where Bongo Java’s coffee and signature drinks are paired with thoughtful and hearty brunch selections and breakfast cocktails. The large center bar is topped with a bowling lane, a nod to the building’s past life and the source of the restaurant's name since the kitchen tries to roll a perfect game every time.

A donut wonderland right in the middle of bustling East Nashville, Five Daughters Bakery is known for its Hundred Layer Donut, a doughnut/croissant hybrid stuffed with various flavors and creams. Popular donuts sell out quickly so go early in the day. Classic offerings include vanilla cream and maple glaze, while flavors like blueberry lavender and pumpkin spice latte are available seasonally. Vegan, paleo, and gluten-free treats are available.

These heralded sweet treats are made from scratch daily, which will be of no surprise when you taste their savory signature croissant-donut hybrid, dubbed a Hundred Layer Donut. Five Daughters Bakery is as authentic as its name—owned and operated by a local family with five girls.

Whopping pizza slices, determined by the day of the week, are cut from 20-inch pies and baked in retro gas-fired deck ovens at this laid-back neighborhood favorite. If you want a whole pie, those are available in 14- or 18-inch sizes with the same made-from-scratch dough and fresh pizza toppings as the slices, which all complement the extensive offering of craft beers. There's another location in East Nashville. 

The closest thing that Nashville has to an authentic British pub, this subterranean tavern serves as a "third space" to many different constituencies. Soccer fans know they will be able to watch big matches on the telly, while other patrons prefer to pass quieter times enjoying a pint on a comfy sofa while reading a book or playing a board game with a friend. The selection of imported British beers and ciders is admirable, as is the range of Scotch whiskies on offer. Fleet Street's fish and chips game is on point, and other traditional British specialties like shepherd's pie and a classic British breakfast measure up favorably with the best of the U.K.

On a hot and humid summer day, this tiny storefront attracts a crowd of locals and tourists alike. Sit outside to people- and pooch-watch while you dip your hot crispy fries into cool soft-serve ice cream—the simple combo is a very good thing. If you're not feeling very adventurous, you can get the fries and soft serve separately.

Located on the lobby level of the Virgin Hotels Nashville, the only thing funny about this coffee shop is its eccentric decor. Serving La Colombe coffee, baked goods, and breakfast bites, this is a great space to stretch out and work, relax, meet a friend, or plan the day's events.

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.

A standout in the pocket of international eateries clustered around Nolensville Pike, Gojo Ethiopian Cafe serves authentic dishes in a cozy brightly colored building. The lunch buffet is a favorite of both vegetarians and meat-eaters. The staff is known to be helpful to beginners having their first Ethiopian food experience.

Pop into this bright friendly space to satisfy your munchies, get a caffeine fix—or better yet, do both. The woman- and family-owned shop boasts a wide array of specialty coffee drinks, going out of their way to cater to visitors with food sensitivities by including menu items like gluten-free bread, alternative milks, and optional plant-based cold foam. The food menu is more extensive than that of most coffee shops, making it a great place to recharge while exploring the east side. That it's also connected to The Bookshop, another local favorite, is a sweet plus, as you can grab a book or two to read while you sip.