5 cutting-edge restaurants to visit now in Nashville

by OpenTable team

Updated December 14, 2022

Nashville’s dynamic food scene offers more than just hearty Southern plates. Though hot chicken and meat and threes still make up the restaurant scene here, they no longer define it.

An eco-conscious sushi spot downtown champions ethical sourcing and transparency. A Hillsboro cafe with a top-notch brunch spread became Nashville’s first upscale CBD retailer when it opened its doors in 2019. At a cocktail den on the West End, drinks are downright artistic, topped with fresh flowers and fragrant oils.

At some of Nashville’s most unique places, innovation isn’t an afterthought—it’s embedded into the restaurants’ DNA. Read on for a list of five of Nashville’s most cutting-edge spots to book right now.

Thistle & Rye

4.2

4.2 (72)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Midtown

About the restaurant

When this indoor/outdoor dining room opened at the Conrad Nashville in September 2022, it became the talk of the town thanks to its avant-garde cocktail experience from food and beverage director David Lim. Any drink from Thistle & Rye’s menu is a work of art, but the hermitage is a true masterpiece. The lilac-colored mixture of gin, orange-flavored triple sec liqueur, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and lemongrass is strained into a water pipe, then capped with fresh flowers and smoked with fragrant oils before arriving in a crystal coupe. The cotton candy sky is a close second, mixing heavily shaken cream with citrus and egg, causing the concoction to rise until a stiff, foam pillow forms on top. With a drink in hand, bask in the golden-hour glow on the expansive balcony. Thistle & Rye’s epic sunset views also make it one of Nashville’s most coveted spots.

Top review

Rachael

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

Had an amazing 21st birthday dinner here with my friends. Highly recommend, the staff was very kind and the atmosphere was very fun!! Overall a great spot.

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Experience

Happy Hour

404 Kitchen

4.4

4.4 (2436)

$31 to $50

American

The Gulch & North Gulch

About the restaurant

Acclaimed chef Matt Bolus brought his skills to Nashville in 2014 with the opening of 404 Kitchen, which earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant that same year. The first location was housed in a shipping container; tables were built from the container’s original floors and candles were crafted from rendered beef fat (cut from meat deliveries). The unique, European-inspired restaurant, along with its iconic candles, continues to push the envelope. In 2018, it moved to an LEED-certified industrial home in the Gulch. Crowds come for the chef-driven menu and impressive bar, housing the largest collection of limited-edition whiskeys and bourbon in the Southeast. Pair a rare beverage with selections from the farm-to-table menu, beginning with pork belly and mushroom toast, a burrata salad with spiced lemon vinaigrette, and soul-soothing mains such as trout and roasted half chicken.

Top review

jacob

Dined today

Fantastic food, atmosphere and service! We will be back!

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4.5

4.5 (509)

$31 to $50

American

Edgehill

About the restaurant

Nashville’s Gulch district welcomed a sensual new supper club in 2022. Known for its creative prowess, The Electric Jane delivers culinary excellence alongside nightly live music. The modern dining room is as electric as its name suggests. Illuminated accents and colorful lights set the stage for an evening of intimate performances (recently featured musicians include Kyndle Wylde and Stevie Brock). On the menu, showstoppers are the ceviche-style shrimp cocktail and the “cheese on fire” starter, flamed tableside. What sets the versatile venue apart, however, is its hearty late-night menu offering globally inspired bites, bottles, and cocktails until curtain call on Fridays and Saturdays. Must-tries include the Jane smash burger smothered in the restaurant’s tangy secret sauce, or a thick-crust, Detroit-style pizza topped with ricotta and calabrian chiles.

Top review

oksanalVIP

Dined on Sep 17, 2023

We had a party of 7 for brunch. This place is a gem. Great music. The band that was playing was amazing! Most of us ordered BLT and it was delicious. Highly recommend.

Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Fifth + Broadway

4.5

4.5 (533)

$30 and under

Sushi

Downtown / Sobro

About the restaurant

Blue Sushi Sake Grill, with outposts in over a dozen American cities, isn’t just about innovative, Asian-inspired plates—it’s also a vocal sustainability advocate. The menu teems with both traditional and specialty nigiris, sashimi, and maki, even featuring vegan options. As a reflection of the brand’s Conscious Earth program, the menu includes all seafood sourcing details, such as the location and method. The baked sea bass, which comes from Antarctica, stars in the restaurant’s itchy sea bass nigiri, which also includes spicy crab mix, serrano peppers, cilantro, and ponzu sauce. The interiors are just as bold as the restaurant’s mission, adorned with Japanese-inspired elements such as hanging red lanterns and tables inspired by carts at Tokyo fish markets.

Top review

Phom

Dined 4 days ago

The sushi is top notch and one of the best in Nashville. It’s in the touristy part of town but tucked away enough to be nice and cozy. Ambiance and noise level are good and I’ve had great service here, even when service had been at fault through miscommunication, the restaurant was willing to correct the issue. Sushi is fresh, creative, and tasty and there are lots of selections for Vegan sushi, more than I’ve seen compared to other places. Highly recommend this place if you’re downtown and want some high quality sushi.

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$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Franklin

About the restaurant

Nashville might be a modern metropolis, but a short drive in any direction leads you to rolling hills and picturesque farms. The village of Leiper’s Fork (most famously home to Justin Timberlake), about a 40-minute drive from the Music City, serves as the backdrop to 1892, a quaint and unique restaurant that brims with historical charm. In a home built in—you guessed it—1892, the spot sources ingredients from neighboring farms. Chef Dylan Morrison relies on old-school culinary techniques to build his nightly changing menu, which has featured standouts such as brown butter halibut with horseradish potato puree, smoked short rib, and house-churned cookies and ice cream. Accents such as antique breadboards and pewter dinnerware on the walls fuel a rustic vibe, resulting in a meal that exudes the kind of Southern charm that’s becoming increasingly rare to find.

Top review

DerekK

Dined on Mar 26, 2023

Extremely amazing European caliber cuisine with the coolest possible Tennessee ambiance. An absolute favorite.

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