Where to stay
Six hotels we'd send our parents to. A mix of East Nash boutiques, downtown landmarks, and Nashville icons.
🪩 Dive Motel
A 1956 motor lodge that once hosted Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, reborn in disco-ball glory. Every room has a "Party Switch" that fires up a spinning disco ball synced to one of four themed radio stations (Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n Roll, or Sleep). Pool, sauna, and a world-famous bar out back.
🤠 Urban Cowboy
A Victorian B&B with clawfoot tubs in the rooms, a complimentary glass of whiskey at check-in, and Roberta's pizza tucked in the back. Live music in the lobby almost nightly. Cozy, romantic, very Nashville.
🎨 The Gallatin
Twenty-five color-blocked rooms with Dyson fans, free parking, and no concierge desk. Quietly does a lot of good too: 100% of profits go to local Nashville nonprofits fighting homelessness.
⛪ The Russell
A 1904 brick church reborn as a 23-room hotel. They kept the stained glass and turned the old pews into bed headboards. Like the Gallatin, every stay sends money back to local homeless ministries.
🌴 Gaylord Opryland Resort
A 2,888-room mega-resort east of the airport with nine acres of indoor gardens, glass atriums, indoor rivers, waterfalls and an indoor waterpark. The Grand Ole Opry House sits next door. Fun fact: Delaney's parents had their first date here despite living in California when they met!
🚂 Union Station Hotel
A 1900 Romanesque train terminal turned boutique hotel downtown, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection. The lobby's stained-glass barrel-vault ceiling is the showstopper. The rooms are old-world ornate without feeling stuffy.
What to Do
Activities that are actually worth it.
🎤 Ryman Auditorium
Built in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle, home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. They call it the "Mother Church of Country Music" for a reason. The old wooden pews still hold the ghosts of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Dolly, and Loretta. See a show if you can, but the tour is just as good.
🎶 NMAAM
The National Museum of African American Music. Six interactive galleries spanning more than 50 musical genres, from gospel and blues to jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. You can put on a choir robe and sing along with the Nashville Super Choir, build your own blues song, the works. Way more hands-on than your average museum.
🤠 Country Music Hall of Fame
Close to a thousand instruments on display (Mother Maybelle's Gibson, Bill Monroe's mandolin) plus Elvis's solid-gold Cadillac. Your ticket also includes a tour of historic RCA Studio B (where Dolly cut I Will Always Love You) and Hatch Show Print, the working letterpress poster shop that's been at it since 1879.
💃 Motown Monday
At The Five Spot in East Nashville. DJs spin classic Motown, Stax, doo-wop and funk on vinyl while a sweaty dance floor swings. Free to get in. Delaney spent every Monday of college trying to gather friends to go.
🌉 Pedestrian Bridge
Stroll it after dinner. Free, with a postcard view of the city. Best at sunset.
🌳 Shelby Park & Cornelia Fort Airpark
A 1,300-acre stretch of greenspace right in East Nash. The airpark used to be a small airport (1944 to 2011), named for the first female pilot killed on US war duty. The runway is now a stretch of preserved tarmac you can bike, blade, or run on. Truly one of our favorite things about Nashville.
⚾ Nashville Sounds
One of the best minor-league ballparks in the country, complete with a giant guitar-shaped scoreboard. Honestly more like a great bar with a baseball game in the background.
🏒 Nashville Predators
See why they call it SMASHVILLE. Catfish on the ice and country covers between whistles. Probably our favorite sporting event in the city.
Where to Listen
Our favorite places to hear tomorrow's hits today. From intimate writers rounds to iconic venues.
🎙️ The Pitch Meeting
The format: writers pitch songs they've never performed live, and a house band invents the arrangement on the spot. You'll watch a song get born in real time. The venue moves around the city so look it up, and you really do have to see it to believe it.
🐦 The Bluebird Cafe
Opened in 1982 by Amy Kurland in a strip mall in Green Hills, now run by the Nashville Songwriters Association. Their "in the round" format (writers seated in the middle, taking turns) became the gold standard back in 1985. This is also where a 14-year-old Taylor Swift got signed. Book tickets way in advance.
🎟️ The Listening Room
If you can't swing the Bluebird, this is your next best bet. Ticketed shows with talented up-and-coming writers and the occasional hitmaker who just feels like dropping in.
🎶 Favorite Concert Venues
From legendary listening rooms to legacy rock clubs to the biggest stages in town.
Eat & Drink by Neighborhood
Each pocket of Nashville has its own personality. Here's where to go and what to look for.
Downtown the main event
Where the magic happens (and where most locals avoid, lol). But if it's your first time, you have to go. Laid-back vibes in the daytime, bachelorettes and party buses after dark.
🍷 Sixty Vines
Sixty-plus wines literally on tap from kegs (way more sustainable than bottles), perched on top of the Assembly Food Hall. Wood-fired pizzas and charcuterie, with sweeping views of Broadway and the Ryman from the patio.
🌵 Pushing Daisies
An underground margarita bar tucked beneath the Assembly Food Hall (same group as Sixty Vines). Dramatic lighting, DJ sets, late-night dancing. Don't bother looking for it on the sidewalk, the entrance is part of the bit.
🥂 Twelve Thirty Club
Justin Timberlake's $25 million Broadway monolith. Three floors: a high-end honky tonk on the ground floor, a supper club above it, and a rooftop terrace with city-scraping views. Dress up.
🦩 White Limozeen
A glittering pink rooftop at the Graduate Hotel named for Dolly Parton's 1989 album. There's a giant chicken-wire Dolly statue, a sparkling pool, country-glam everywhere you look, and yes, Jell-O shots on the menu. Karaoke Jolene downstairs at Cross-Eyed Critters after.
🃏 House of Cards
A 1930s-style speakeasy beneath the Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline museums. You enter through a hidden tunnel, magicians work tables all night, and the venue actually owns Houdini's handcuffs. Dress code is real. 21 and up.
🎸 Robert's Western World
The last truly traditional honky tonk on Broadway. The famous "Recession Special" is $6 for a fried bologna sandwich, a bag of Lay's, a Moon Pie, and a PBR. The house bands play actual classic country with steel guitars and everything. No pop, no classic rock, just the real thing.
🍽️ 5th and Broadway
A trendy food hall (where Sixty Vines and Twelve Thirty Club live) with stalls for every craving and every budget. Great for big groups without reservations. Indoor and outdoor seating.
- Cheese Lab
- Chilangos Tacos
- Cotton & Snow
- DeSano Pizzeria
- Dock Local
- Hans Banh Mi & Pho
- Hattie Jane's Creamery
- Honeyfire Barbeque
- Hōru Sushi Kitchen
- Istanbul Shawarma
- NoBaked Cookie Dough
- PokeNash
- Prince's Hot Chicken
- Radish
- Saffron Kitchen
- Sixty Vines
- Smokin Chikin
- Steam Boys
- Thai Esane
- The Liege Waffle Co.
- The Pharmacy Burger
- The Philly Special
- Twelve Thirty Club
- Velvet Taco
- Whisk Crêpes Café
- Agave Maria
- Homegrown
- Single Barrel
- The Butterfly Bar
East Nashville our neighborhood
Home to Nashville's artistic class. Not the superstars, but the lifeblood of the arts scene. Great restaurants, killer bars, beautiful parks, and the best people-watching in town.
🍖 Lockeland Table
An upscale New American spot in a beautifully restored building on Woodland St. The bone-in pork chop with smoked cheddar mac and braised greens is non-negotiable. Catch their Community Hour (Mon to Sat, 4 to 6 PM) for $7 drinks and snacks, with a chunk of every order going to local schools.
🍜 Two Ten Jack
An izakaya leaning on the latitude Tennessee and Japan happen to share. Excellent ramen and yakitori, a tight sushi list, and cocktails that actually try. Cozy but never quiet.
🍸 Golden Pony
A mid-century-cool spot with a retractable patio window and a DJ-fueled back patio that gets going on weekends. Small plates and creative drinks, with a lively LGBTQ+ friendly crowd. The lighting alone.
🫒 Butcher & Bee
Family-style Mediterranean and Israeli small plates with a market-driven menu that rotates seasonally. The whipped feta with fermented honey alone is worth the trip. Easily one of our favorite restaurants anywhere in Nashville.
🏘️ Riverside Village
A walkable cluster of our favorites tucked along McGavock Pike:
- Sho: Sean Brock's neo-Neapolitan wood-fired pizza, with mozzarella from Italy and everything else local
- The Village Pub: Bar food, great salads, great patio, cheap drinks
- Dose: Coffee, breakfast, and pastries to start the day
- Curry Boys: San Antonio import fusing BBQ with curry. James Beard semifinalists two years running
- Bite-a-Bit: Thai and sushi with no misses
🥯 Crieve Hall Bagels
Actually boiled, actually made fresh daily, sourdough fermented for flavor. Creative options like lemon thyme and cinnamon sugar, plus stuffed sandwich combos like the Fig & Pig (whipped feta, fig jam, bacon). The best bagels in Nashville, full stop.
🌮 El Fuego
Food is solid, but the vibes are the absolute best when the weather is nice. Cheap margs, sprawling outdoor seating, and the kind of patio energy that erases a Tuesday.
🍔 Dino's
East Nashville's oldest dive bar and a Bourdain-approved cheeseburger that's thick, charred, and dripping with melty American. Get the fries Joe's style (Velveeta, grilled onions, hot oil, tartar sauce). Cram into a booth, or grab the back patio when it's nice.
🥃 Attaboy
Sister to the legendary NYC speakeasy of the same name, tucked into an unmarked concrete-block building on McFerrin. No menu, no parties of 7+, and no vodka. You tell the bartender what you like, they take it from there. Drinks are around $15 and worth every penny.
Hillsboro Village vandy's backyard
A walkable strip of shops and restaurants right next to Vanderbilt. Heavy nostalgia, especially for us.
☕ Fido
A 30-year-old neighborhood coffeehouse with locally sourced everything and a real community feel. Owner Bob Bernstein recently announced it'll close June 1, 2028. Go now, go often, and bring a book to blend in with the studying students.
🍦 Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
Founded in Ohio, but Nashville claims it. The Hillsboro shop is the nostalgia spot for us. Brambleberry Crisp and Gooey Butter Cake are the flavors to chase. Always packed.
🎬 Belcourt Theatre
An independent non-profit movie house that's been part of Hillsboro Village since 1925. Today it programs indie films, documentaries, classic repertory, and the occasional sing-along screening. Grab a beer and some popcorn at the bar before the show.
12 South bachelorette HQ
A walkable, very Instagrammable neighborhood full of shops, bars, and restaurants. The bachelorette parties cluster here for a reason.
🐷 Edley's BBQ
The original location of a Nashville BBQ institution, opened here in 12 South in 2011 by Will and Catharine Newman. The Tuck Special (pulled pork with a fried egg and special sauce) is the lore.
🥖 Postino WineCafé
A new favorite, opened in late 2024. The draw is the bruschetta board, four of nine seasonal options on one platter. On Mondays and Tuesdays after 8 PM, you can get a board plus a bottle of wine for $25. Wide patio, vintage-TV art wall, and an excellent wine list.
💐 Amelia's Flower Truck
An adorable flower stand on wheels. Often parked in front of Imogene + Willie's denim shop in 12 South, or in front of Dose in East Nashville. Build your own bouquet.
Sylvan Park low-key locals
An established Nashville neighborhood west of Vanderbilt. Mostly residential, but a handful of standout spots make the trip worth it.
🥘 Lola
Spanish tapas from Chef Juliana Aguiar, who spent decades in Madrid kitchens. Get the duck croquetas and the octopus with chorizo, then graze your way through the Spanish and Portuguese wine list. The patio is a dream on a sunny day.
🥯 Star Bagel
A quaint neighborhood bagel and coffee spot. Classic, reliable, exactly what you want.
Germantown trendy & walkable
Right next to downtown and home to some of the city's best new restaurants. The play: dinner and drinks here, then an Uber downtown.
🍝 Pelato
A Brooklyn-Italian trattoria doing pasta tapas-style so you can sample everything. The spicy vodka radiatori (in-house pasta, tomato cream, Calabrian chili, parmesan) is the signature, and yes, it's the best you'll have. The garlic bread with melted parm is a close second.
🍗 Monell's
Southern family-style in a 1905 Victorian mansion, open since Thanksgiving Day 1995. No menu, no phones, pass to the left. If your party doesn't fill the table, you're seated with strangers. Fried chicken, cheese grits, biscuits and gravy. Bring an appetite.
🍔 Jack Brown's
Smash burgers using 100% American Wagyu, plus a 100-plus beer list and some weirdly wonderful toppings (peanut butter, cream cheese, jalapeño jelly). The secret sauce is undefeated.
🍸 Mother's Ruin
A New York transplant that's become the trendy late-night spot. Always packed, always fun.
🍺 Monday Night Brewing
Atlanta brewery's first Tennessee taproom, planted inside the Neuhoff development. The whole site was a 260,000-sq-ft meatpacking plant from 1911, and they kept all the bones: exposed brick, big industrial windows, wooden accents. 24 drafts and a sprawling outdoor area.
🍻 Von Elrod's
German beer hall right next to the Sounds stadium. Big pretzels, big steins, big tables.
Wedgewood-Houston Warehouse District
Old factories turned into galleries, breweries, and some of our favorite cocktail bars.
⭐ Bastion
Twenty-four seats, a six-course tasting menu that changes weekly, and Chef Josh Habiger (James Beard finalist) running the kitchen. Picked up a Michelin star in November 2025. There's also an attached neighborhood bar if you just want drinks and snacks.
🍕 Dicey's Pizza & Tavern
Classic party-cut tavern pizza with cheap beer, natural wine, and a tiny but mighty menu. The Peppy Boy (small pepperoni cups that crisp up to hold pools of oil, plus hot honey and Calabrian chili oil) is our forever order.
🪩 Flamingo Cocktail Club
A former church reborn as a late-night cocktail bar with vaulted ceilings, a giant disco ball, and a dance floor that doesn't quit. Live funk and jazz some nights, DJ-spun everything-else on others. Plant-based food. No country.