Nashville has always had a strong food identity, from hot chicken and meat-and-three counters to barbecue and Southern comfort food. Today, the city also has one of the most exciting chef-driven restaurant scenes in the South, with ambitious tasting menus, inventive neighborhood restaurants, and globally inspired cooking across the city.
From Michelin-starred dining rooms to beloved local institutions, these restaurants show why Nashville has become much more than a music destination.
#10 Prince’s Hot Chicken
Cuisine: Nashville Hot Chicken
Neighborhood: Multiple locations / Downtown option
Price: $
Best For: Classic Nashville food, casual lunch, spicy fried chicken
Must Order: Hot chicken with white bread and pickles
Why It Made the List:
Prince’s is the original name behind Nashville hot chicken, making it one of the city’s most important food institutions. The fiery chicken, simple setup, and deep local history make it an essential stop for anyone who wants to understand Nashville’s signature dish.
Known For:
Original Nashville hot chicken
Family-run legacy
Fiery spice levels
Casual, no-frills experience
Local food history
#9 International Market
Cuisine: Thai / Southeast Asian
Neighborhood: Belmont / Hillsboro
Price: $$
Best For: Thai classics, relaxed dinners, local flavor
Must Order: Fried chicken or smoked beef curry
Why It Made the List:
International Market carries forward one of Nashville’s most meaningful Thai restaurant legacies while giving it a polished modern update. The restaurant feels personal, energetic, and deeply rooted in the city’s dining history.
Known For:
Longtime Belmont-area legacy
Thai family recipes
Modern dinner service
Colorful, casual atmosphere
Michelin recognition
#8 Kisser
Cuisine: Japanese Comfort Food
Neighborhood: East Nashville
Price: $$
Best For: Lunch, Japanese café dishes, intimate casual dining
Must Order: Chicken katsu sandwich or udon
Why It Made the List:
Kisser brings precision, warmth, and personality to a tiny East Nashville dining room. Its Japanese comfort food feels both highly considered and completely approachable, which explains why it has quickly become one of the city’s most talked-about restaurants.
Known For:
Japanese kissaten inspiration
Small dining room
Milk bread sandwiches
Handmade noodles
Bib Gourmand recognition
#7 City House
Cuisine: Italian-Southern / New American
Neighborhood: Germantown
Price: $$$
Best For: Sunday supper, wood-fired dishes, neighborhood dining
Must Order: Belly ham pizza
Why It Made the List:
City House helped define modern Nashville dining with its mix of Italian technique, Southern ingredients, and casual neighborhood energy. Years after opening, it remains one of the city’s most influential and consistently satisfying restaurants.
Known For:
Chef Tandy Wilson
Germantown setting
Wood-fired pizza
Sunday supper
James Beard-winning pedigree
#6 Rolf and Daughters
Cuisine: New American / Mediterranean-Inspired
Neighborhood: Germantown
Price: $$$
Best For: Date night, pasta, natural wine
Must Order: Seasonal handmade pasta
Why It Made the List:
Rolf and Daughters remains one of Nashville’s defining chef-driven restaurants, pairing rustic warmth with refined, seasonal cooking. The combination of handmade pastas, natural wine, and a lively Germantown room still feels fresh and essential.
Known For:
Historic Germantown location
Natural wine
Seasonal cooking
Handmade pasta
Lively neighborhood energy
#5 Tailor
Cuisine: South Asian American
Neighborhood: Germantown
Price: $$$
Best For: Warm hospitality, tasting menus, group dinners
Must Order: Seasonal dinner menu
Why It Made the List:
Tailor turns dinner into a generous, story-driven experience shaped by chef Vivek Surti’s South Asian American perspective. The restaurant’s hospitality is as memorable as the food, creating one of Nashville’s most distinctive dining rooms.
Known For:
Chef Vivek Surti
First-generation American cooking
Communal warmth
Storytelling menu
Michelin recommendation
#4 Audrey
Cuisine: Appalachian / Modern Southern
Neighborhood: East Nashville
Price: $$$$
Best For: Special occasions, Appalachian flavors, Sean Brock fans
Must Order: Seasonal tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Audrey is Sean Brock’s deeply personal tribute to Appalachian foodways, Southern ingredients, and regional memory. The restaurant stands out for turning heritage cooking into a polished, modern fine dining experience.
Known For:
Chef Sean Brock
Appalachian inspiration
Seasonal Southern ingredients
Artful dining room
Fine dining experience
#3 Bastion
Cuisine: Contemporary Tasting Menu
Neighborhood: Wedgewood-Houston
Price: $$$$
Best For: Tasting menus, cocktails, intimate celebrations
Must Order: Chef’s tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Bastion combines a serious 24-seat tasting menu restaurant with the energy of a neighborhood cocktail bar. Its Michelin-starred dining room is intimate, creative, and unmistakably Nashville in its relaxed confidence.
Known For:
One Michelin star
Chef Josh Habiger
24-seat dining room
Wedgewood-Houston location
Cocktail bar next door
#2 Locust
Cuisine: Creative Contemporary / Japanese-Influenced
Neighborhood: 12 South
Price: $$$$
Best For: Special lunch or dinner, inventive cooking, kakigori
Must Order: Dumplings and kakigori
Why It Made the List:
Locust is one of Nashville’s most original restaurants, known for a concise, high-impact menu that feels playful and exacting at the same time. Its Michelin star confirms what locals and traveling diners already knew: this small 12 South restaurant is operating at a national level.
Known For:
One Michelin star
Chef Trevor Moran
Compact menu
Kakigori
12 South destination dining
#1 The Catbird Seat
Cuisine: Contemporary Tasting Menu
Neighborhood: Gulch / 8th Avenue South
Price: $$$$
Best For: Destination dining, chef’s counter experience, special occasions
Must Order: Seasonal tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
The Catbird Seat remains Nashville’s premier destination restaurant, built around an immersive chef’s counter and a constantly evolving creative kitchen. With a Michelin star and national awards attention, it represents the city’s highest level of modern dining.
Known For:
One Michelin star
Chef’s counter format
Seasonal tasting menu
Interactive dining
National recognition
