Places to Visit
The best places in Nashville to eat, drink, and hang out curated by locals.
Guides
Drink
Our Favorite Happy Hours
Twelve happy hours we keep going back to, with the days, the times, the deal and what to order at each.
Stay
NashvilleTN's Favorite Hotels
The ten hotels locals rate highest, no more than two to a neighborhood, with what to book and what to ask for.
Food
Top 10 Brunch Spots in Nashville
Ten brunch spots open on both Saturday and Sunday, with what to order and when to beat the line.
Stay
Downtown & Broadway · $$$$
Nashville's grand hotel since 1910, across from the Capitol, with Jean-Georges' Drusie & Darr downstairs.
Local tipFor a big occasion, book a Parlor or Studio Suite. Even if you stay elsewhere, have coffee at the Pink Hermit Cafe and see the restored 1930s Art Deco men's room, a local landmark of its own. Weeknights are the better value.
SoBro · $$$$
Floor-to-ceiling Cumberland River views, polished service and Rivière on the seventh-floor pool deck.
Local tipAsk for a river-view room on a high floor. Rivière, the pool-deck restaurant, is worth booking even if you're staying elsewhere.
The Gulch · $$$
The Gulch's design hotel, with L.A. Jackson on the roof.
Local tipAsk for a room facing downtown for the skyline. The rooftop draws a line on weekend nights after 9, so go up at sunset.
East Nashville · $$
A 1905 East Nashville church turned boutique hotel, with stained glass, self check-in and no front desk.
Local tipThere's no front desk, so read the check-in email before you arrive. Part of each night's rate goes to local nonprofits that help people experiencing homelessness. Five Points is about a 10-minute walk.
Eat
Meat & three · SoBro · $
A cafeteria-line meat-and-three with roast beef carved daily and a 2009 James Beard America's Classics award. Weekday lunch, plus Saturday brunch.
What to getRoast beef from the carving board (every day)
Hot chicken + bar · East Nashville · $$
Hot chicken for a crowd: big tables, boozy slushies, and an East Nashville location open until 1 AM on weekends.
What to getHot chicken tenders ($15) or the Nashville hot half bird ($22): pick Medium or Hot
Tasting counter · The Gulch · $$$$
A chef's-counter tasting menu where the cooks serve you directly, now in a new home on 8th Avenue South.
What to getThe tasting menu (13–16 courses, $175 prepaid before tax and tip)
Japanese-style pizza · East Nashville · $$
Personal pizzas with Japanese toppings in Inglewood, from a kitchen with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
What to getMargherita or marinara (Infatuation: proof you don't need extras)
Drink
Honky-tonk · Lower Broadway · $
The honky-tonk locals still love: traditional country from open to close, no cover, and a flat-top grill.
What to getThe Recession Special: fried bologna sandwich, chips, MoonPie and a PBR
Tropical bar · East Nashville · $$
A tropical-themed bar on Gallatin Avenue that readers voted Nashville's best happy hour in 2025.
What to getTiny Tini, classic or dirty
Rooftop · The Gulch · $$$
The Thompson's rooftop: the skyline on one side, the Gulch on the other, and DJs on weekends.
What to get'Text Your Ex' (tequila, passionfruit, lychee) or 'People's Choice' (vodka, strawberry, génépy), $14
French wine bar · East Nashville
A French-owned wine bar in a Gallatin Avenue strip mall, with flights, crêpes and weekend jazz. Readers voted its list the city's best in 2025.
What to getA flight (Bourgogne pinot noir or picpoul blanc are approachable starts)
Things to Do
Belle Meade · 2–3 hrs
A 1920s mansion and 55 acres of gardens. Harvest runs Sept 19 to Nov 1, 2026.
Local tipWeekday tickets are cheaper than peak days, and members get in free. The Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail is closed for construction (since Aug 3), so don't plan around it.
SoBro
The deepest music museum in town, with a Dolly Parton exhibit on view in 2026. Buy RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print tours here.
Local tipPark in the Walk of Fame garage (161 4th Ave S) or SoBro Tower garage and get validated at the info desk: $15 for up to 3 hours. Locals from Davidson and bordering counties get a discounted admission.
Downtown / East Bank · 3 hrs
Hockey on Broadway from October, football across the river on Sundays.
Local tipFans have thrown catfish on the ice since 2003, a Nashville spin on Detroit's octopus tradition. The arena is steps from Broadway, so plan dinner and music around puck drop.
West End · 1 hr+
The city's big lawn, with a lake, a one-mile trail and the Parthenon. Musicians Corner brings free Friday-evening concerts in spring and fall.
Local tipThe 'free concerts' are Musicians Corner, which runs Friday evenings in spring and fall (the fall 2026 run ended Sept 25), not Saturdays.
The NashvilleTN Insider · 10K+ readers
The shows worth buying tickets for, what just opened, where happy hour is good right now, the weekend plan, and a heads-up before we go live.
