42 Best Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee

The original location of this growing local coffee roaster serves ethically sourced coffee roasted in-house, plus seasonal treats, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items. Lined with exposed brick, the bright space is industrial yet cozy, featuring seating for both individuals and larger groups.

Serious coffee connoisseurs shouldn't leave the city without a visit to one of Barista Parlor's outposts. The Gulch location is housed inside a former transmission shop, and everything inside, from the wood tables and platters to the art and barista aprons, are sourced from local makers and craftspeople, so you better believe they're serious about keeping it bespoke. The coffee and food options take time, so don't stop by in a hurry, but the attention to detail is worth it.

This classic ice cream and burger stand feels like a blast from the past with retro decor, classic diner fare, ice cream, and milk shakes that can be enjoyed on their covered patio. This family-friendly staple embraces their throwback energy, even naming their delicious signature shake flavors after 1950s rockers.

Local favorite Fido is part of the Bongo Java family and has one of the coffee shop group's more extensive food menus. In addition to Fido's own take on the creatively made, ethically sourced espresso drinks found at other Bongo locations, the restaurant serves locally sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pro tip: try the burger.

A lively strip of bars wouldn't be complete without a pizza joint, and Five Points Pizza fills that void in the Five Points neighborhood, slinging slices, pies, and brews to the crowds heading to nearby 3 Crow Bar or the Five Spot. For the late-night set, Five Points offers a walk-up window for ordering slices to go. The prosciutto and basil slice is a sure bet, as are the big, greasy garlic knots.

Giant warehouse windows hearken back to The Nations’ industrial roots and shed bright light on the stylish wood-laden interior of this coffee shop and all-day café. The variety of seating options make Frothy Monkey a favorite for remote workers with laptops, and their health-focused menu features locally roasted coffee, fresh pastries, and farm-sourced ingredients for all meals.

The bright, pleasant shop opened in 2018; the nonprofit enterprise behind it was established in 2008 to train and mentor students. In addition to prepared coffees, the shop sells the beans, soaps, and scrubs made by the students, as well as mugs and T-shirts bearing the coffeehouse logo. All profits support programs and scholarships for the students.

Although ramen has always been hiding in Nashville's under-the-radar Japanese spots, Sarah Gavigan returned from 20 years in L.A. and made it her mission to get more Nashvillians interested in slurping it up (and although it isn't the city's only high-end ramen shop, it is the only one that lets you take a bowl to go). Don't miss out on the limited-time bowls or the Sunday Okonomiyaki.

Tempered Café is unlike any other café in Nashville, serving an extensive selection of handcrafted chocolates alongside a full menu of espresso drinks, breakfast and lunch plates, and, yes, homemade hot chocolate and drinking chocolate. Tempered also has a full bar, and offers chocolate and beverage pairings that are unlike anything you've ever tried before.

The original East Nashville Barista Parlor was such a hit that the hip shop has since expanded to several locations around town. One of those is in Germantown, conveniently located right next to popular dinner joint City House. Barista Parlor puts an extraordinary amount of care into each cup of coffee it brews, and you can taste that attention to detail each time you visit.

The East Nashville location of Barista Parlor is the spot that started it all for the growing local coffee chain. Barista Parlor is known for paying almost an excruciating level of detail to all of its coffee beverages, so you know you're getting a quality cup of coffee every time you visit. They also sell pastries and small bites, served up in a painstakingly hip environment.

What started as a beloved Airstream food truck is now a brick-and-mortar staple in the neighborhood that's hailed for its daily scratch-made Southern-style biscuits. There are nine different biscuit sandwiches to choose from, made with a variety of meats, gravies, and toppings, but there are plenty of tempting "Without a Biscuit" options like the surprisingly tasty egg-topped Lindstrom made with shaved brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, and shredded Parmesan.

What goes better with buttermilk biscuits than a historical Queen Anne Victorian home? This one, affectionately known as the Corn House (after the Corn family who lived there from 1920 to 1980), is home to some of the best Southern brunch around, from the traditional (biscuits and sausage gravy with a side of cheese grits) to the unconventional (a biscuit burger with pimento cheese and tomato jam).

The Belmont Boulevard location of Bongo Java is a popular hangout for Belmont students. Accordingly, its food menu is more college-centric (think breakfast sandwiches) than Fido's, though in recent years the local coffee favorite has expanded its menu (and remodeled its building) to suit the needs of the rapidly growing neighborhood.

The eastern outpost of the local Bongo Java empire, this location is in East Nashville's bustling Five Points neighborhood. Stop in for coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, and more, served up in a refreshingly unpretentious environment by a friendly, knowledgeable staff. Bongo also has beer on tap and a selection of board games (thanks to a 2017 merger with Game Point Café), so it's the perfect spot to transition from daytime work to evening play.

A hot dog stand housed in a converted gas station, Daddy's Dogs offers creative topping combos on your choice of a beef or vegan hot dog. They also have a small selection of filling sides.

Dose is one of the neighborhood’s better-kept secrets; its location on the border of Midtown and Sylvan Park makes it a less frequented (and, subsequently, quieter) café than the larger chains closer to downtown or Vanderbilt University. This is a good thing, because their daily fresh-baked goods, specially blended coffees, and delicious breakfast and lunch options are ones you’re going to want to keep all to yourself.

Located in East Nashville's Riverside Village neighborhood, Dose Café and Dram Bar serves up some of the city's finest espresso drinks. In addition to a caffeine fix, you'll find a full food menu, baked goods, beer, wine, and cocktails, making Dose the perfect one-stop shop for exploring the neighborhood.

This small space is airy and bright, and maintains a bit of its pop-up-shop origins. Serving breakfast and lunch items—including soups and sandwiches—the best options are the cookies and pastries made on-site and also sold at a number of Nashville eateries. Marble-topped tables and black café chairs inside; outdoor seating in warmer months. The baking room is cloaked in a wooden shell that also wraps the counter. Only basic coffee, but it’s from local coffee shop Crema.

Falcon opened in spring 2018 in a small former church. A light menu includes sandwiches after 11 am. Uses local beans from local roasters.

Located inside the Factory, this dreamy bakery seems to glow with soft pink light. They specialize in donuts, but not just any old donuts—these are 100-layer croissant-donut hybrids, cream-filled and glazed in flavors like spiced honey cheesecake and maple bacon (they also have a wide selection of paleo and vegan donuts).

This coffeehouse opens first thing in the morning and stays open through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there’s plenty of porch space to enjoy your rosemary honey latte outside; in the evening, they expand their drink menu to include craft beer and wine. The menu is Southern comfort food with a New South twist (like johnnycakes with house-pickled okra and bacon-onion marmalade), but coffee is still the main event at Frothy Monkey. All their coffee is locally roasted by their own roasting company, and you can buy it by the bag from the café.

Blink and you could miss the narrow, 9-foot-wide storefront of Headquarters, which serves locally roasted coffee, seasonal lattes, and locally sourced snacks. Small in size but not personality, relax in the cozy interior or head outside to the inviting back patio and deck area.

Franklin’s first coffee roasting company is an honest-to-goodness great place to get a cup of coffee. Located inside the Factory, Franklin’s converted industrial shopping complex, it’s also a great place to get an honest day’s work done on your laptop, and in addition to their ethically sourced and roasted coffees and selection of teas, there’s usually an assortment of croissants, scones, and donuts available.

This Mexican bakery serves up fresh tres leches, bread pudding, cheesecake, and a host of other pastries so flaky you’ll get almost as much on your shirt as in your mouth. Grab a Mexican Coca-Cola made to complete your sugary snack.

As soon as you squeeze through the front door of Meridee’s Breadbasket, you’ll feel at home. The shelves are stocked with fresh baked bread, and the cabinets are full of peanut butter pie and butterscotch bars. There are quilts on the walls and baskets hanging from the ceiling, helping the jumble of tables to feel more neighborly than crowded, and the service is as charming as the setting: ask any employee which bread you should order with your chicken salad sandwich, and they'll discuss it with you for as long as you like.

What started as a tiny coffee-and-gelato shop in nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee, is now a full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner in this Gulch outpost. Serving up their dreamy gelato—including their signature Milk & Honey flavor—along with wood-fired pizzas, pastas, and seriously good espresso drinks, this is a great choice when the lines at neighboring joints are too long.

Half café (pressed juices, coffee, and wraps) and half restaurant (tacos, burrito bowls, and a full bar), Nectar Urban Cantina is great whether you’re in a hurry or have more time to kill. Inside an updated Tudor-style house, they offer fresh Mexican-inspired cuisine in a bright, casual space. If the weather’s nice, check out their beer garden and outdoor margarita bar.

Maybe it’s the graffitied walls, maybe it’s the local bee pollen honey, but this crunchy-sandwich shop inside a converted garage is undeniably cool. Come any time, morning or night, and you’ll find a goat cheese–smothered waffle, a hummus-stuffed veggie wrap, or a late-night cocktail that will suit your needs.