With so many people headed to Nashville for the holidays, I thought it may be nice to have a few quick tips on some of the awesome places that I love so much in this city. As I’m sure most of you know, Nashville is growing so incredibly fast that there is basically a new restaurant or bar here EVERY week. At least it feels that way to us locals. Googling all of the top spots can even be a bit overwhelming because there are SO many good spots here now. I thought a little break down might be helpful, so I put together a quick guide of some of my favorite spots and why I love them and also a few things to do that are specific to Christmas time here in Nashville!
Brunch:
Caviar & Bananas: Located in the Mid-town area right in the center of Nashville, close to Vanderbilt. The entire inside of Caviar & Bananas is picture worthy, so expect to see lots of bloggers documenting their visit. You can grab breakfast, brunch or lunch here (my favorite is brunch) and then grab some snacks in the “grocery” section for later. There is also a little wine cellar with some fabulous choices to stock up on. Click here for the menu!
Cafe Roze: (Pronounced Rose, not Rose’) This is one of my absolute favorite spots in Nashville. The vibe is cool, the food is amazing and the staff is super knowledgable. Cafe Roze is a product of the same chef, Julia Jaksic that started Jack’s Wife Freida in NYC and Employees Only. Both very well known and delicious spots in New York. Click on the pic below for her cookbook and GO EAT AT CAFE ROZE. (dinner is amazing too.)
Arnolds: Meat and 3’s are a huge part of Nashville culture. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention one. Down home cooking at it’s finest. Literally a meat and 3 sides.
Dinner:
Butcher & Bee: I love the vibe of Butcher and Bee and the food is equally as amazing. All from local farmers with a special Butcher and Bee twist. Literally everything I’ve ever tried on the menu is delicious. Click the name for the menu.
Henrietta Red: The place that officially made me like oysters, which I did NOT think would ever happen. Also try the cauliflower steak for a veggie option. SOOOOO good.
Mockingbird: Delicious small plates, drinks and fun fancy diner-like vibes.
Henley: A new spot with lots of flavor. The location is the middle of town so walking distance to lots of bars with loud, party vibes.
Hemingway’s: this is one place on my list that I haven’t tried, but it is getting RAVE reviews all over town. If you try it let me know what you think!
Drinks:
Attaboy: Speakeasy with delicious drinks. Knock on the door for entrance. Enough said.
LA Jackson: If you like sceney, rooftop vibes, this place is on it.
Rosemary & Beauty Queen: If you like chill hipster vibes, this is your spot.
Black Rabbit: in the famous Printer’s Alley area and near anything downtown. Tappas and yummy cocktails if you are looking for a place to get your night started.
Explore:
Country Music Hall of Fame: if you like history this is your spot. There are multiple exhibits and of current and former country music legends, plus tons of memorabilia. This is a great spot for the family and a great way to take in some of Nashville’s history!
Cheekwood: Cheekwood is a beautiful estate and garden in Nashville that is known for their exhibits throughout the year. The Christmas exhibit this year feature over one million lights. Hello! It’s amazing. Just bundle up and get some hot cider when you get there! Tickets can be purchased here.
Opryland Hotel:The Opryland Hotel is gigantic and this time of year it’s very popular because of the amazing Christmas lights arrangement they have. This is a great place to make an activity for the whole family to tour the hotel and the lights!
The Ryman and Lower Broadway: If you have never been to Nashville, this is one area you have to experience atleast once. This would basically be our equivalent to Beale Street or the Las Vegas Strip. Lower Broad is an entire street of bars we call Honkey Tonks with filled with lots of Nashville tradition and good country music. Music happens around the clock and obviously so do the cocktails. I recommend bouncing from bar to bar to really get the full experience. My favorites are Robert’s and Tooties, the place where a lot of country music legends got their start. Also on this downtown tour, make sure to check out the historic Ryman, the original home to the Grand Ole Opry and a beautiful venue we still see concerts at today. The Ryman is hands down my favorite place in Nashville to see a show.
The Frist:For the artsy types. Check out the art exhibits happening now here.
TopGolf: A lot of cities have TopGolf, but it’s new to Nashville and a major hotspot. Great for a family activity if you need to get out of the house and do something. They have overhead heaters, so it’s warm even when it’s cold outside. Suggestion: call ahead and check wait times. It’s usually less busy earlier in the day!
There are SO many other options that are amazing too, but these are my faves! Hope you guys enjoy and welcome to Nashville! Comment below or message me with any questions!
Coming back in April for the Rock & Roll Marathon. There are a few places on your list I haven’t checked out yet. Thanks for the tips. ?
You’re welcome!!
Hi Kelly – what about places to stay that are walking distance or quick Uber ride to downtown. Air B&Bs? Which little towns are close….sooo confusing! Thanks for any input you may have…. 🙂 Kimberly
East Nashville is a quick uber ride! So is Germantown. Antioch, Brentwood, Franklin, Cool Springs, Hendersonville…all kind of further outside of town. Hope this helps!
So glad you posted this! Headed to Nashville this week and will definitely check out some of these spots!
Enjoy!! xx
Hello Kelly, again thank you for sharing. I Just found this post…after questioning you on your Mexico post about Nashville hot spots…oh dear, my bad… Still I would like to know where to find shopping at awesome prices? Also where I might see a local celeb such as yourself? Yoga anyone? JK maybe I’ll see ya at one of your favorite places… I’ll look for the gal with the amazing shoes!
Haha! Thanks Jane! Also fun to shop around in the 12th South area…I like the vintage store Savant.
Thank you, I’ll look for it!