Chapter Four
Nashville's serious dining scene beyond the Michelin tier — celebrated chefs, omakase, chocolatiers, and the spots locals fight for reservations.
Deb Paquette's globally-inspired menu. A room that doesn't read like anywhere else.
Chef Deb Paquette's globally-inspired restaurant at 303 Demonbreun in SoBro. Roasted cauliflower, octopus, lamb — a menu that doesn't read like anywhere else in town. Closed Sundays.
Japanese. Reservations are notoriously hard. Absolutely worth it.
Japanese in East Nashville. Reservations are notoriously hard to get and absolutely worth it. Yakitori, raw bar, chef's-course menus.
Sean Brock's walk-in sister. $15 Audrey Burger. Everything else: $5.
Walk-in-only affordable sister concept from the Audrey team (809 Meridian St, McFerrin Park). Opens nightly at 5:00 PM — get there early to grab a spot. Features the acclaimed $15 Audrey Burger alongside a menu where every other drink and snack is exactly $5. Rotating affordable menu with huge value.
The secret best fried chicken in Nashville. Most people walk right past it.
A tiny neighborhood convenience store — and home to the best fried chicken in Nashville. It's a super-secret underground thing: most people walk right past it. Coffee, snacks, and essentials, plus the fried chicken that regulars swear by.
Walk into someone’s home for a set menu, served like a dinner party.
Tailor feels like walking into someone’s home. You enter through the Living Room. Arrive early and enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine at the bar—they’ll seat you at your reservation time. Like a dinner party, the menu is set. As dishes come out, they’ll tell you what you’re about to eat, how they made it, or share a cool story about an ingredient.
Oysters and fresh seafood in Wedgewood-Houston.
A seafood-forward concept in Wedgewood-Houston. Oysters, fresh fish, and a menu that keeps things simple and ingredient-driven — lighter, brighter, and strong for a midday or early-evening stop.
Mediterranean-leaning sharing plates from Lettuce Entertain You.
The Nashville outpost of the Chicago group's Mediterranean concept — hummus, pita, mezze, and shareable plates with a Middle Eastern–inspired spirit. Light, vibrant, and built for the table.
Seasonal Italian from Chef Tony Galzin. Wedgewood-Houston anchor.
Chef Tony Galzin's seasonal Italian in Wedgewood-Houston — handmade pastas, grilled proteins, and a menu that follows what's good rather than what's safe. One of the stronger dining anchors in the neighborhood.
Boka Group Japanese. Sushi, izakaya, and omakase lounge downtown.
Boka Restaurant Group's Japanese concept downtown — a full izakaya menu, sushi bar, and an omakase lounge (Bashi) in the same building. One of the more complete Japanese dining experiences in the city.
Ford Fry's Southern seafood. Germantown's most reliable full evening.
Chef Ford Fry's Southern-coastal seafood restaurant in the Neuhoff District of Germantown. Raw bar, grilled fish, a deep wine list, and the kind of room that holds up for a long dinner.
Multiple sushi formats under one concept. The most focused sushi address in Nashville.
A curated sushi concept with multiple serving formats — traditional, hand roll, and omakase experiences available depending on timing and preference. The most sushi-focused address in the city.
The city's best Indian vegetarian restaurant. Pure veg, South Indian focus.
Nashville's standout Indian vegetarian restaurant — dosas, thalis, and South Indian cooking done with care. Beloved by the local Indian community and anyone who knows where to look.
Infatuation's toughest reservation. 14-seat omakase + Tennessee's smallest cocktail bar.
This intimate 14-seat experience features a thoughtfully crafted $75, 14-course tasting menu showcasing globally sourced seafood alongside a four-seat cocktail bar — the smallest in Tennessee — serving curated whiskey, sake, zero-proof options, and Asian-inspired cocktails. Dubbed one of Infatuation's toughest reservations in the country, and among Time Out's Top 10 Sushi Restaurants in America. Reservations open nightly at midnight, six weeks in advance on OpenTable.
Artisan bean-to-bar chocolate by day — home of Green Hour absinthe lounge by night.
An artisan bean-to-bar chocolate shop in Germantown with seriously considered confections and a rotating seasonal menu. At night (when the green light is on outside), the space connects to the Green Hour absinthe lounge. Two experiences, one address.
Nashville's original bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker since 2007.
Nashville's original bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker since 2007 — a working factory with a retail shop on Fatherland St. Southern-style chocolate bars (brown sugar, sea salt, bourbon), factory tours available.
Coffee shop in Wedgewood-Houston.
A neighborhood coffee shop in Wedgewood-Houston.
The East Nashville original. Ice cream worth building a detour around.
Jeni's flagship East Nashville scoop shop — the original location of one of America's most celebrated ice cream makers. Flavor-forward, ingredient-obsessed, and worth the line.