Nashville has definitely been having a moment lately. From bachelorette parties on Broadway to being the Mecca of country music, there are so many reasons to visit. Whether you’re going for a girls trip, finding the best food spots, or staying for a songwriters festival, here are my recommendations for Music City.
Restaurants | Bars | Hotels | Things to Do
Restaurants
Blue Aster
The signature restaurant of the Conrad Nashville, Blue Aster sources its food from nearby farms and purveyors. Start the meal with the buffalo burrata and kanpachi crudo, topped with sungold tomatoes, lime juice, and habanero oil. My favorite dish was definitely the roasted chicken rouge, a half chicken served with a smoked sumac yogurt and assorted pickles.
Butcher and Bee
Butcher and Bee is a Mediterranean restaurant in East Nashville. Despite the name, the dishes are primarily vegan but I promise you will not leave hungry. I actually didn’t know I could feel so full after having mostly plant-based plates, but the food was so good that I could not stop eating. The menu is divided into dips, mezze and small plates, and larger plates, so here’s what to order for each. Dips: whipped feta and hummus; mezze and small plates: bacon-wrapped dates and classic falafel; larger plates: avocado crispy rice and mushroom shawarma. For my fellow peanut butter lovers, the PB&J malabi is an absolute must for dessert, made with jammy figs, pomegranate molasses, and peanut crunch.
Hampton Social
While I am usually a proponent of trying restaurants/cuisines that can only be found in the city I’m visiting, Hampton Social is the exception (especially when you had a 7 a.m. flight for a press trip and there’s one right across the street from your hotel). The space is bright and definitely a bachelorette hot spot with a floral wall and neon Nashville sign at the entrance. Get a taste of the local food scene despite being at a chain restaurant with the Shelter Island chicken sandwich, a juicy piece of fried chicken topped with cole slaw, apples, Swiss cheese, pickles, and spicy aioli. Hampton Social is conveniently across the street from the riverfront so you can walk off your meal afterwards.
Hattie B’s
One of the most controversial questions in Nashville is, “Hattie B’s or Prince’s?” The rival hot chicken eateries are very similar (hence the competition) in that you order at the counter and scrounge for a table while waiting for your number to be called, and both serve chicken sandwiches and tenders at varying levels of heat. They also serve Southern side staples like mac and cheese, cole slaw, and collard greens. The fried chicken sandwich at medium heat was fire — no pun intended — and the pimento mac and cheese was creamy and comforting. Read on for my thoughts about Prince’s.
Mellow Mushroom
When you’re in the most touristy area of a city, (Broadway in Nashville, for instance), it can be hard to know where to get a good meal that’s not overpriced. The pizza chain has a ton of options, from mighty meat and buffalo chicken to veg out and holy shiitake. It’s great place to grab a bite — and to dry off after being on an open-air party bus during a downpour! The menu is also convenient for large groups (looking at you bachelor/ette parties) because you can order a bunch of pies for the table to satisfy everyone’s cravings. Plus, pizza after a day of honky tonk hopping just hits different.
Milk and Honey
Before setting off for a day of shopping, taking pictures in front of murals, and drinking on rooftop bars, fuel up at Milk and Honey in the Gulch. The cafe is a super popular breakfast spot, so be prepared to wait to be seated, or order your food and coffee to-go at the counter. There’s no shortage of delicious dishes, like a veggie breakfast burrito, a roasted mushroom omelet, and a bacon, egg, and cheese on a biscuit. The decisions don’t get any easier when it comes to coffee, with latte flavors including s’mores, lavender honey, and burnt sugar; although I opted for the salted caramel and would absolutely get it again.
Pancake Pantry
Flipping flap jacks since 1961, Pancake Pantry is a Music City icon. There are two locations: one downtown and one in Hillsboro Village (expect a line at both). I suggest getting there early because the line gets very long very fast, no matter the day of the week. Once you’re seated, you’ll find yourself at a table with house-made syrup and a menu with pancake varieties for miles. So far I’ve had the peanut butter and chocolate chip and the pecan, and I’m still hankering to try the sweet potato and the cinnamon roll stacks. They do have other items like omelets, avocado toast, and eggs with biscuits and gravy if you’re looking for something more hearty.
Pelato
If you want to escape the crowds of downtown Nashville but still have an outstanding dinner, venture into Germantown where Pelato can be found. The Italian restaurant brings a taste of the Big Apple to Music City, offering a menu of small plates that are meant to be shared. The courses are divided into five sections: Get Things Goin’, The Goods, The Meats, The Squids and Fishes, and Saucy. Here are my recommendations for each… Get Things Goin’: garlic bread; The Goods: potato croquettes, burrata crostini, and stuffed mushrooms; The Meats: meatballs al forno; The Squids and Fishes: fried calamari; Saucy: radiatori vodka and campanelle shrimp limone. You will absolutely be so full after all of this, but don’t pass up on the rainbow cookies, profiteroles, and vanilla bean and pistachio gelato for dessert.
Prince’s Hot Chicken
The latter half of the hot chicken competition is Prince’s. Whether you’re getting a whole chicken, wings, or a sandwich, the heat levels range from plain to XXX hot. To extinguish the fire in your mouth, wash it all down with a sweet tea or strawberry lemonade. It’s conveniently inside of the Assembly Food Hall so you can stumble from the honkey tonks to the chicken shop. In my opinion, both eateries are good and there’s not a huge difference between the two in terms of both options and quality.
Bars
6th & Peabody
The home of Ole Smoky Distillery, 6th & Peabody features moonshine tastings, live music, a brewery, and food trucks. Moonshine tastings allow drinkers to sample a ton of Ole Smoky products — arguably more than enough. Fortunately, the bartenders are chill if you want to sit out for a round or two. Personally, I passed on the first round of the original moonshine (because it was sold to us as pure rubbing alcohol/gasoline) and the banana pudding cream round (because I don’t like bananas). As you can tell from the latter, they have some extremely inventive flavors, like apple pie, white chocolate strawberry cream, and sour apple. They also sell foods/garnishes like moonshine cherries, moonshine pickles, and moonshine peaches.
Arrington Vineyards
Roughly 30 minutes south of downtown Nashville, Arrington Vineyards offers wines by the bottle, by the glass, tasting flights, snacks, and a sprawling lawn with picnic tables to enjoy it all. It’s great for groups (looking at you, bachelorette parties) or just a relaxed afternoon in the Tennessee countryside away from the mayhem of the honky tonks.
Broadway
Obviously if you’re planning a trip to Nashville, the Broadway honky tonks are probably somewhere on the agenda. Lots of musicians own/are affiliated with a number of joints on either the main strip or a side street, including the likes of Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, and Jon Bon Jovi. However, in my opinion, the smaller and less crowded ones are way more fun. Even if you’re not into the heavy drinking that’s typically associated the Broadway/Bourbon streets of the world, they’re still worth a visit for the live music and line dancing.
Monday Night Brewing
A full-service taproom in Germantown, Monday Night Brewing serves 24 draft beers, craft cocktails, wines and snacks, and offers indoor and outdoor seating. Formerly a meat-packing plant, the space definitely has an industrial vibe to it. The brewery hosts a ton of events like bingo on Thursdays, happy hour on Wednesdays, and trivia on — naturally — Monday nights.
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
No trip to Nashville is complete without some Tennessee whiskey. Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery offers tours and tastings, complete with a walk-through of the production floor and a sampling of four spirits. If all that whiskey drinking builds up an appetite, there’s an onsite restaurant with a surprisingly extensive menu. Some dishes worth trying include the Bavarian soft pretzel, the distillers’ board, and the chicken sando, made with fried chicken, Asian slaw, lemon aioli, whiskey gochujang sauce, and a side of rosemary fries. They also have a rather impressive merch store where they sell mugs, tote bags, candles, hats, and some incredibly soft t-shirts.
Hotels
Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown
The Embassy Suites brand doesn’t typically evoke thoughts of luxury and grandeur, but this property defies the status quo. Making its debut in 2022, the hotel is modern, the rooms are spacious, and the food-and-beverage options are superb. I stayed in a panoramic corner suite and it had so many different spaces: the bedroom, the living area, the kitchenette, working space, and expansive bathroom. An added bonus is the automatic curtains that open to reveal the city skyline.
Hilton BNA Nashville Airport Terminal
Open since late 2023, the Hilton BNA Nashville is probably the nicest (and newest) airport hotel I’ve stayed at to date. Getting to the property is seamless and doesn’t even require a shuttle; simply walk across a concourse from baggage claim and you’re there. It’s surprisingly quiet for being adjacent to the runway, but if you want to experience the roaring jets of the landing planes, spend some time at the rooftop pool or bar.
Four Seasons Nashville
The Four Seasons Nashville is hands-down the best hospitality I’ve ever experienced at a hotel (and I’ve stayed at a ton, so that’s saying something). There are so many thoughtful touches during the daily housekeeping and nightly turn-down service, like wrapping the cords of all your chargers into a pouch and placing a bookmark in your latest read (yes, even if you already have one). The property is walking distance from Broadway, yet it feels worlds away from the chaos if you’re looking for more of a sanctuary and less of a party scene.
Thompson Nashville
Staying at the Thompson Nashville puts travelers in the heart of the trendy Gulch neighborhood (think rooftop bars, Instagram-able murals, and cute boutiques). The decor really leans into the Western vibe with leather furniture, wooden accents, and a mini bar cosplaying as a vinyl record player. Rooftop bar L.A. Jackson offers indoor and outdoor seating, specialty cocktails, and shareable plates, and has been voted best rooftop bar six years in a row.
Things to Do
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
One of the biggest attractions in Nashville is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Spanning multiple floors, the museum is massive, so I suggest carving out a few hours to explore all the exhibitions, watch the artist interviews, and catch a glimpse of the Hall of Fame Rotunda — if it’s not in use. Even if you’re not a country music fan (like me), there’s something for everyone, from the Taylor Swift Education Center to artifacts from Elvis Presley.
Goo Goo Clusters
If you don’t know what a goo goo cluster is, I didn’t either until my third trip to the city. But they’re a milk chocolate bar with nuts, caramel, and nougat on the inside, and they originated in Nashville. At their downtown store, chocolate lovers can satisfy their sweet tooth by picking up the original version of the candy bar, sampling confections, and watching the chocolatiers at work. They also offer chocolate-making classes where visitors can create their own goo goo cluster. Being a peanut butter girlie myself, I made mine with Reese’s Pieces, pretzels, and toffee.
Grand Ole Opry
Rivaling the Ryman Auditorium for most iconic music venue in the city, the Grand Ole Opry is the home of the eponymous radio show. The longest running radio show goes live about five times per week. Even though there are “headliners,” it’s not like a concert where there are one or two shorter opening acts, followed by a longer main act. Instead, there are roughly a dozen artists on every show, who are perform around three songs. And since it’s a broadcasted show, there will be commercial breaks. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a backstage tour gives you access to a dressing room, snacks and drinks, and “backstage” seats for the first half of the show, which in reality are onstage behind the percussion. The Grand Ole Opry is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Nashville, so make sure to factor in enough time.
Hatch Show Print
Now inside of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Hatch Show Print is a working letterpress that has been in operation since 1879. They have been commissioned by just about every artist ever — Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan — as well as comedians, NFL teams, and even presidents. Visit the shop to see the artistry in action and buy one of their posters. Or book a tour to learn more about Hatch Show Print’s history and get a hands-on experience with a letterpress.
National Museum of African-American Music
Down the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame is the lesser-known National Museum of African-American Music. It’s undoubtedly a smaller museum, but definitely still worth a visit. Every tour begins with a brief film summarizing the history of the music before the doors open to the rest of the collection. The exhibits are categorized by time period and span hundreds of years, from the songs that slaves would sing on plantations, to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and the jazz of the 1950s and ’60s, to modern hip-hop and rap.
Ryman Auditorium
Known as the “Mother Church,” the Ryman Auditorium originally was built as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in the late 1800s. A century later, it became the home of the Grand Ole Opry in the ’50s and ’60s, and now hosts concerts and award shows. Artists including Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves, and Lizzo have all graced the famed stage. Visitors can tour the venue, watch a short film about the history of the building, sit in the pews, and take a photo on stage.
Coffee and Countries 