22 Best Bars in Nashville, Tennessee

Acme Feed & Seed

Downtown Fodor's choice
This converted old factory has a radio station, bar, and dance hall on the first floor, a sushi bar and venue on the second, a private event space on the fourth, and a DJ hall and bar on the roof. The food menu includes eclectic street food in addition to the sushi.

Exit/In

Elliston Place Fodor's choice

Exit/In showcases the most cutting-edge blues, rock, heavy metal, and hip-hop bands from the United States and beyond. If you want to hear everything except country music, come groove in an unpretentious atmosphere.

Robert's Western World

Downtown Fodor's choice
If you ask any native Nashvillian (even famous locals), they’ll tell you that Robert’s is the best honky-tonk in town, with live music and dancing nightly. The two-level bar has been a local staple for decades and is located across from the back artist entry to the Ryman where country legends sneak out to drink on the strip. Peruse the boot collection on the infamous boot wall and enjoy a fried bologna sandwich.

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The Station Inn

The Gulch Fodor's choice

One of the last bastions of old Nashville that locals still frequent despite the influx of tourists, The Station Inn is without a doubt the best place to hear bluegrass, roots music, and Americana in the city. Inside the worn stone building you’ll find cheap beer, folding tables, mismatched chairs, and a sea of red-and-white-checkered plastic tablecloths that prove this venue is charmingly frozen in time.

3rd & Lindsley

Downtown

A local favorite, 3rd & Lindsley hosts musical acts from around town and around the world. This no-frills venue has ample room for dancing, and also has a full lunch and dinner menu, in addition to a full bar. For some of the best bets for musical events in town, 3rd & Lindsley is a must.

AJs Good Time Bar

Downtown
Country star Alan Jackson’s Broadway honky-tonk occupies three levels, all dedicated to having a good time. Not every level is the same—while all feature beer and live music, check out the third floor for karaoke and the rooftop level for skyline views.

Ascend Amphitheater

Downtown
This outdoor amphitheater is nestled into a hill between Broadway and the Cumberland River, making for great skyline views. Ascend Amphitheater regularly hosts popular musical artists and other touring acts, especially during the spring and summer months.

Betty's Grill

Sylvan Park
This no-frills beer-only watering hole is the real deal: cheap beer served in plastic cups, pool tables, cash-only, and a straightforward food menu. Don’t let appearances fool you, however: this is also one of the best places to see both touring and local live music up close.

Grand Ole Opry

Opryland/Music Valley

The Grand Ole Opry has packed in the crowds on Friday and Saturday night since 1925. Show times are Tuesday at 7 pm, Friday at 8 pm, and Saturday at 6 pm and 9:30 pm. Buy tickets ($25–$57) well in advance, particularly during CMA Music Festival week in June.

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Honky Tonk Central

Downtown

From the owner of Tootsie's, the balconies of this three-story club teem with revelers enjoying great live music, food, and beverages.

Kimbro's Pickin' Parlor

Broken jukeboxes, dusty lamps, countless hand-scribbled mementos thumbtacked to the walls—and, of course, some of the best live music in Nashville, which is saying something. This legendary restaurant, bar, and music venue puts on a show every night of the week, and Sundays are open-stage. Just bring an instrument, and they’ll rotate the players. For great food, local beer, and a genuine everybody-knows-your-name vibe, Kimbro’s is one of a kind.
Live Music
214 S. Margin St., Franklin, Tennessee, 37064, USA
615-599–2946
www.legendarykimbros.com
nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Expect to pay a cover to watch the band

Layla's Honky Tonk

Downtown
A stronghold in the row of classic honky-tonks on Broadway, Layla’s offers an intimate dance floor and live music, often with a bluegrass twist. The best pairing to your beer can be found at the Chicago-style hot dog cart outside the front door.

Legends Corner

Downtown
This no-frills, all-fun honky-tonk is a Broadway watering hole with plenty of live country music and room to dance. Don’t miss the star-studded mural on the outside wall featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, and Merle Haggard, among others.

Lonnie's Western Room

Downtown
If you want to sing karaoke in downtown Nashville, this is the place to do it. It’s a smoke-filled, carpeted time warp that will make you feel like you've gone back to the ’70s. With an extensive catalog of songs to sing, Jell-O shots behind the bar, and an always unpredictable and wild crowd, you’re guaranteed to make some kind of memories here.

Marathon Music Works

Marathon Village

This 14,000-square-foot open venue in the former automobile factory now known as the Marathon Village complex hosts mid-level artists in its standing-room-only, 1,500-person-capacity space.

Nudie's Honky Tonk

Downtown
Inspired by the glitz and glamour of rhinestone-loving Western clothier Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors, Nudie’s Honky Tonk is home to Nashville’s longest bar. This multilevel space features a rooftop bar and is decorated with historic stage costumes designed by Nudie Cohn and worn by artists like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers, and more.

Rudy's Jazz Room

The Gulch
Looking for an intimate listening room experience, but not a country music fan? Head to Rudy's for incredible local and traveling jazz musicians, Prohibition-style cocktails, a full dinner menu filled with New Orleans cuisine, and cozy mood lighting. Catch an all-ages jazz jam every Sunday night.

The Basement

Wedgewood-Houston
This small venue seating 100 people is one of two venues under the "Basement" umbrella (their other venue is the Basement East in East Nashville close to Little Five Points). Indie acts like Lucy Dacus and Dilly Dally are some of the artists you'll see perform at this intimate spot, in addition to storytelling and holiday events. Tickets are generally affordable, ranging from free to $15.

The End

Elliston Place
The End is a small venue with a big reputation: it’s a rock-and-roll dive bar that also doubles as a private event space, and is a known site for breakout performances by some of today’s most famous bands. Check out their upcoming events, or visit their website to reserve the space for a listening session with 200 or so close friends.

The Listening Room Cafe

Downtown
One of Nashville’s greatest musical traditions is the “writer’s round”: a group of songwriters performing their compositions one after the other in a round, creating an intimate environment focused on the music. The Listening Room Cafe is one of the premiere places to experience a writer’s round in Nashville, and its high-quality, straight-ahead Southern food brunch, lunch, and dinner menus paired with its bar add a tasty twist to the music.

The Stage on Broadway

Downtown
The backdrop for many a movie and music video, The Stage is classic lower Broadway in both looks and entertainment. With live music starting in the early afternoon and its convenient location across from Bridgestone Arena, it's a great stop before or after a game or concert.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

Downtown
Tootsie’s gets its name from its purple walls and exterior, which also features one of the more famous downtown murals of ’80s country stars. A multilevel honky-tonk playground, you can see live music on all of its four floors, including the rooftop. Take note of the neon sign in the back alley for the famous Tootsie’s Upstairs, a novelty relic of the ’60s and ’70s when country legends would go sit in the private room and drink after shows at the Ryman.