Nashville Restaurants

Kisser chefs and owners (and married couple) Brian Lea and Leina Horii spent a couple years road-testing recipes at farmers markets and restaurant pop-ups—including a series at The Patterson House and one at Bastion—before opening as a brick-and-mortar in 2023. The result is a concise menu of only good stuff; standouts include the chicken katsu sandwich and Japanese breakfast. It’s hot ticket, a small space, and walk-in only. And it’s only open for lunch, only four days a week—arrive before opening to avoid a longer wait. Kisser was shortlisted for the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award in 2024.

Tucked into a craftsman cottage in East Nashville, Lou is a buzzy spot for natural wine and seasonal small plates. On weekend mornings, people flock here for buckwheat pancakes and fried eggs on the patio.

The Optimist has great seafood: Go for sprawling plates of oysters, shrimp, ceviche, fish dip, and lobster. On Fridays and Saturdays, the patio opens up for frozen cocktails and snack-sized raw bar dishes.

Chef Sean Brock’s the Continental is inspired by the history of glitzy hotel restaurants. Which informs the menu, which centers on classic luxury dishes: foie gras, lobster bisque, strip steak—you get it.

Santo is great for date night—expect excellent service and perfect plates of beets, brothy mussels, and beef tartare.

Peninsula’s menu changes every month or so. The bar focuses on gin and tonic. And it feels properly fancy—nice for intimate date nights and special occasions.

This is the best place to get sushi in Nashville. It’s not overtly fancy, which we appreciate, and the signature rolls are something special.

Everything chef Trevor Moran does at Locust is beautiful. His Asian-inspired menu is short and changes frequently, but we can tell you this: Get one of everything. Note that reservations are necessary and require a deposit, and the restaurant can only accommodate groups of four or fewer.

The focus here is definitely Indian food, but you can clearly see where chef Maneet Chauhan has taken inspiration from the South. The more classic menu items include: hot chicken pakoras, saag mac and cheese, and tandoori shrimp and grits.

Audrey is chef Sean Brock’s ode to Appalachia: cornbread, grits, cobbler, the works. The menu changes weekly and centers what’s in season.