Best of The Hit List Nashville
The 10 Restaurants That Defined Nashville Dining in 2024
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We asked our contributors to the Resy Hit List to share their top dining experiences in their cities this year — to choose 10 restaurants that define the state of great dining right now. Welcome back our Best of The Hit List for 2024.
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From the elegance of Margot, a cornerstone of the Five Points neighborhood for over two decades, to the bold flavors of East Nashville newcomer Bad Idea, Nashville has a rare continuity of a city where dining is defined by innovation, tradition, and community. It’s not simply that our restaurants offer an astounding variety of cuisines; it’s that so many have a unique story to tell. So we were here for Husk’s uncompromising commitment to Southern ingredients and Butcher & Bee’s creative fusion of Southern and Middle Eastern.
We were also here for not just omakase but also to Kisser’s charm in emulating Japanese cafés. Whether you were savoring handmade pasta at Iggy’s or taking a culinary journey through Chef Sean Brock’s Appalachian heritage at Audrey, Nashville kept delivering on its rich food culture, one that felt more self-assured than ever in 2024.
With that, here are the 10 restaurants that spent the year defining — or redefining — what it means to dine in Music City today.
1. Margot Café & Bar East Nashville
Chef Margot McCormack’s eponymous East Nashville restaurant has been a cornerstone for the neighborhood since opening in 2001. More than that, it has been a rite of passage for some of the city’s best chefs before they stretched their wings with new restaurants like City House and TKO. After more than two decades, McCormack and her team still craft new menus nightly to feature the freshest seasonal ingredients from local purveyors prepared through a French prism. This remains the sort of spot where people maintain standing reservations weekly to catch up with friends, which is why, when a tornado ripped through the neighborhood in early 2020, the community instinctually gathered in Margot’s parking lot for a spontaneous block party to check in on each other. It’s where everyone knew they would find safe haven.
2. Audrey McFerrin Park
Although chef Sean Brock at least temporarily closed June, his experimental tasting menu concept upstairs from Audrey, the cuisine at his downstairs ode to Appalachia remains stunning. The serene Japanese vibe of the dining room is a lovely contrast to the reconceived versions of rustic food that Brock uses as an exploration of the ingredients and flavors of his native region. He continues to innovate in pursuit of a Platonic ideal of many dishes, ranging from a soufflé-style omelet cooked over embers for brunch to a hickory-grilled cheeseburger served at Bar Audrey where patrons can listen to deep cuts spun by the chef himself on Vinyl Nights.
3. Kisser East Nashville
In a town with so many great dining options, the fact that people are willing to queue up for lunch at Kisser is a testament to what husband-and-wife team Brian Lea and Leina Horii are accomplishing in their tiny East Nashville kitchen. The inspiration here is the kissaten, those neighborhood cafés in Japan. And the couple glides effortlessly around the small space to pull off their interpretation of down-home Japanese cuisine. “Sandōs” topped with kewpie-kissed egg salad or shatteringly crisp katsu fried chicken cutlets are popular for good reason, alongside grilled fish or curry rice bowls. Horii’s version of a traditional Japanese breakfast on weekends features miso-marinated fish, three vegetable sides, a rolled omelet, soup, and rice. It may be the best reason in town to wake up early on a Sunday.
No reservations. Find more info here.
4. Husk Nashville Rutledge Hill
Nashville has been a Southern farm-to-table pioneer, in part because the surrounding region is so fertile. No restaurant has been more adamant on this point than Husk, where the kitchen literally refuses to use ingredients that don’t come from the South, including eschewing the use of olive oil until they discovered a quality producer from the region. Even with these voluntary handcuffs, chef Ben Norton and his crew continue to innovate, changing menus on a nightly basis. For diners seeking a true connection to the local land and its offerings, Husk’s ever-evolving specials provide an deep-rooted taste of every season.
5. Butcher & Bee – Nashville East Nashville
What do you get when you cross Middle Eastern-inspired flavors with the freshest regional Southern ingredients? You get Butcher & Bee, which continues to uphold the joy of small plates. The starter of whipped feta with black pepper, spicy fermented honey, and pita points is both familiar and well-nigh-on mandatory. And it’s not just an open kitchen here, with cooks tinkering in front of diners; everyone on the staff is encouraged to experiment with new creations that might someday make the menu. That attitude of experimentation and creative growth is what continues to make Butcher & Bee one of the most exciting and important restaurants in town.
6. Rolf and Daughters Germantown
This Germantown gem never wavers in either its timelessness or its evolution. Chef Philip Krajeck has earned devoted fans with staples like sourdough bread with seaweed butter and his heritage pork ragu pasta, dishes so iconic they never leave the menu. But Krajeck is always pushing the envelope, combining Mediterranean flavors and Southern traditions. (Where else would you find beets, albacore, horseradish and spruce tips brought together in harmony?) Unique fermentations are among the secret weapons to introduce depth and complexity to what could otherwise be simple dishes. And Rolf’s thoughtful cocktail and wine menus have introduced Nashville diners to brilliant new approaches to pairing food and drink. The city is better for it.
7. Present Tense Wedgewood-Houston
Omakase has blown up in Nashville this year, with several new restaurants encouraging diners to place themselves in the hands of chefs. And with FedEx planes ensuring that seafood can travel here in a day or so, exceptionally fresh seafood is now a part of life in Nashville. What sets Present Tense apart, though, is a daily specials list that shows how you transform that freshness into brilliance. So whether you order off the á la carte menu or go omakase, expect beautiful minimalist plates that allow the ingredients to shine. And because its owners also operate a sake company, there’s a remarkable selection to pair with your meal.
8. Bad Idea East Nashville
When Bad Idea first announced its name and concept, the jokes flew around about how apt a moniker it might be for a wine bar in East Nashville featuring Laotian cuisine made with French flair. But, yes, owner Alex Burch and chef Colby Rasavong have gotten the last laugh, with the restaurant becoming a mainstay of many “Best Of” lists (including this one) in their first year. Burch’s wine program is deep and wide, which suits the menu of small plates and shareable mains that Rasavong injects with unexpected flourishes — think the crèpe filled with scallops and punched up with nam prik. And for late-night diners, there’s an abbreviated version of the menu with extra added treats until 12:30 every night. No surprise plenty of local chefs drop in for impromptu collaborations.
Call 629-729-4332 for reservations.
9. iggy’s Wedgewood-Houston
Chef Ryan Poli and beverage director Matthew Poli share their brotherly love with Nashville at their neighborhood Italian restaurant and pasta shop, and local diners have been more than happy to reciprocate. The menu revolves around Ryan’s always-changing handmade pastas. Local pork and beef from Bear Creek Farm make frequent appearances on plates of slow-cooked ragus and as fillings, so always look for those dishes first. Matthew also churns the wine and cocktail list frequently to great effect. The chef’s counter is a must if you can grab a spot, doubly so if it’s for the popular “No Decision Sundays.” Think of it as pasta omakase.
Call 615-645-9949 for reservations.
10. Drusie & Darr by Jean-Georges Downtown
When renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten announced that he would be bringing a restaurant to Nashville as one of his first forays into a smaller market, it caused quite a stir and put a stamp on the city as a place to watch. What no one predicted was that it would be a chance for Vongerichten to get playful. Tucked into the rathskeller below the opulent Hermitage Hotel, Drusie & Darr feels just elegant enough without being stuffy. The kitchen depends on locally-sourced ingredients, including some produce tended by hotel staff as part of a collaboration with The Land Trust for Tennessee at nearby Glen Leven Farm. And yes, you might see the man himself working a turn tending the pizza oven during his visits. Don’t forget that as a hotel restaurant, Drusie & Darr also serves breakfast and lunch, so it’s a secret spot for a luxe morning.
Explore our picks from coast to coast:
Chris Chamberlain is a food, drink, and travel writer who has lived his entire life in Nashville — except for four years when he attended college in California to study liberal arts at Stanford and learn how to manipulate chopsticks. One of those courses of study has become very important in his life. He’s a fan of beer, bourbon, and bacon, but he’s not obsessive about any of them. Follow him on Twitter. Follow Resy, too.
