The Resy Hit List: Where In Nashville You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

One of the first tenants of the revitalized Neuhoff District that has converted a former meat processing facility into some of the hottest dining destinations in Nashville, Fishmonger kicked off restaurant offerings with a bang. A spin-off from a popular Atlanta seafood restaurant, Fishmonger combines the vibe of a casual seaside fish shack with stylish industrial decor that could be home to a tech startup. The menu changes frequently, but you’ll always find market oysters and smoked fish dip on offer. The dish everyone raves about is the blackened grouper sandwich, a delicate filet of fish with a spicy crust courtesy of the grill. It’s served with Fishmonger’s signature “Florida sauce,” a creamy umami-rich condiment that pairs perfectly with the fish.

Tucked away in Edgehill Village between the tourist corridors of Midtown, 12 South, and Music Row, Sadie’s is popular with both local diners and informed visitors. The quirky details of the interior design include mismatched light fixtures and tables set close together to create a homey vibe. Small mezze plates of Mediterranean classics are easy to combine into a grazing lunch or as appetizers to complement a large-format dinner dish like braised lamb shank or whole roasted chicken. The popular weekend brunch augments Sadie’s usual Middle Eastern lunch offerings with classic breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and egg dishes. A full bar adds a little extra festivity to the meal thanks to creative cocktails and thoughtfully crafted mocktails.

Food is theatre at Philippe Chow, the latest outpost of the NYC-based, Beijing-inspired restaurant. From the iconic Peking duck carved tableside with pancakes and plum sauce to the grand presentation of a torched baked Alaska, dinner here is a feast for your senses. Guests dress to impress, lest they be overshadowed by the opulent interior of the architecturally stunning dining space. The private dining room is particularly impressive, and if it’s not booked on busy nights, management opens it up for overflow seating. Known for superior service and hospitality, this is an excellent option for celebratory dining or any occasion you want to make a little more special.

In addition to being one of the best ramen spots in town, Two Ten Jack is notable for introducing the Japanese izakaya pub experience to Nashville. The word literally translates to “stay-drink-place,” and the menu is designed to lead diners through leisurely enjoyment of beers, highball cocktails, wine, and sake paired with small bites like blistered shishito peppers or dumplings followed by bento boxes built around kushiyaki skewers cooked over infernally-hot Binchōtan charcoal, or poke over steamed rice. A bowl of savory steaming ramen is the natural conclusion to the menu progression, but carb lovers can opt instead for a chasu donburi finale with crispy pork belly over steamed rice.

Butcher & the Bee sits at a fascinating crossroads between time-honored Southern food and Middle Eastern cuisine, emphasizing locally-sourced seasonal ingredients accented with deeply flavorful international spices. Drawing on ancient traditions of many cultures, “The Bee” (as many fans call it) manages to create something entirely modern. A seat at the large chef’s bar offers a peek behind the curtain to see talented staff members carefully prepping and cooking individual dishes, and it’s a more entertaining show than most sporting events in Nashville lately. The whipped feta and fermented honey dip is a creamy, tangy, sweet, and savory masterpiece of an appetizer that is a non-negotiable must-try. In fact, clever diners sometimes craft an entire meal out of nothing but the dips and small plates. And we salute them.

Scrupulously adhering to a freshness rule demanding a 48-hour limit from the ocean to the plate, Halls Catch changes up the menu frequently based on the availability of the best ingredients. The vast variety of seafood presentations represents a global reach by the kitchen, from elegant sushi and crudo raw dishes to a Southern fish sandwich and shrimp & grits, to a classic New England butter-poached lobster roll. Inspired by their landlubber neighbors and corporate cousins at Halls Chophouse, the restaurant also features A5 Japanese wagyu, tender filets, and a massive cowboy rib eye. Based out of Charleston, both Halls restaurants are steeped in Southern hospitality and high-touch service. Live music in the lounge every night (except Sundays) augments the ambiance during dinner service.

What happens when a Californian with Mexican heritage meets a Nashvillian while they’re both working in the kitchen of one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country? In the case of Ana Aguilar and Josh Cook, they combined the dedication to local ingredients they learned from their time at Husk with their passion for Latin flavors to create Tantísimo. Aguilar’s family recipes are the basis for many dishes on the menu, accented by influences from across Latin America. The restaurant sources from local farmers and purveyors to create four seasonal menus per year. The self-proclaimed “Mexicana-owned Spanglish Shop” operates as a cafe for breakfast and lunch before transforming into a sultry spot for shared plates and creative cocktails in the evening. 

Forget your preconceived notions of “Southern food” when you enter the front door of this popular SoBro steak and seafood restaurant. The menu hops borders to showcase the commonalities and differences between regions that fit within the restaurant’s motto of “South of Somewhere.” Texas barbecue and steaks are cooked over hickory on a live fire wood grill. A different sort of barbecue makes an appearance in the form of a Worcestershire and butter sauce served over New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp. Other regional cuisines featured on the menu include Latin American, Lowcountry, and Gulf Coast seafood dishes. A rotating selection of “shucked-to-order” oysters from ports around the South ensure the freshest possible options for slurping.

There must be something really special for a humble Tex-Mex taqueria to earn Bib Gourmand recognition from Michelin, but the almost constant line of people waiting on the sidewalk to get into the Stranger suggests there is definitely magic happening inside the diminutive diner. The vibrant dining room buzzes with guests enjoying creative crunchwraps, tacos with housemade flour tortillas, and delightfuly messy green chile cheeseburgers courtesy of chef/owner Bryan Lee Weaver, the culinary mind behind Nashville fine-dining faves Butcher & Bee and Fancypants. The cozy outdoor patio adorned with strings of hanging red pepper lights completes the vibe and makes for an ideal spot to share some well-crafted margaritas and an order of tater tot nachos with friends. 

No reservations. Find more info here. 

Few restaurants capture the soul of their neighborhood like Lockeland Table. Always a popular gathering spot for Lockeland Springs residents, the restaurant especially comes alive during “Community Hour,” where locals catch up and a portion of the proceeds supports area schools. Those staying for dinner are treated to Southern staples with international accents like a NY strip steak finished with chimichurri or crispy pork belly paired with soy-chile green beans. After years of mastering wood-fired pizzas, the kitchen has decided to mix things up a little bit by pausing their pies while they play with new dishes in the oven, offering a kiss of smoke and fire to new options like chicken wings, scampi-style oysters, and even French onion soup.

Since first opening in 2013, Husk has been home to a procession of several executive chefs who each have put their own spin on the restaurant’s philosophy of farm-to-table evangelism. The fact that the food has remained uniformly excellent through all those years and leadership changes stems from the consistent overarching commitment to Southern ingredients and an imaginative mash-up of Lowcountry cuisine and down-home country cooking. The constantly changing “Plate of Southern Vegetables” menu item is often the highlight of the menu, featuring produce at the absolute peak of freshness and ripeness. Whether as a shareable set of side dishes for the table or a standalone entree to keep for yourself, that particular order represents Husk’s soul on a platter.

The famous barbecue traditions of the Hill Country region of Texas arose from German roots as part of a large migration of immigrants seeking refuge from political unrest and religious persecution during the middle of the 1800s. Some of these new Texans were former butchers, and the best Hill Country joints still sell spicy smoked sausages and smoked meats on grease-stained sheets of butcher paper. Butchertown Hall combines the influences of European beer halls with Texas smokehouses to great effect. Proper smoked brisket is a rare find in Middle Tennessee, but they do it right at Butchertown Hall, and it appears as a nacho topping, stuffed into housemade tortillas as tacos, or sold by the pound.

From the team behind Nashville favorites Butchertown Hall and Liberty Common, Mercado draws influences from its sister restaurants in the best of ways. The “Texas meets Baja” gestalt of Butchertown appears here in the form of homemade tortillas, craveworthy queso, small-batch guacamole, and entrees grilled over live fire ranging from 30-day aged rib eye fajitas to salmón asado. The 12-hour oak-smoked beef brisket is a particular standout. The casual elegance of Liberty Common is evident in the vibe of Mercado’s fourth-floor oyster bar, Ramone’s. The open deck perched high above the burgeoning Wedgewood-Houston area offers sweeping vistas of the neighborhood stretching all the way to the downtown skyline. Now enclosed for comfort during the winter, it’s always oyster season at Ramone’s.

January, the signature restaurant at Southall Farm & Inn, is the epitome of “seed-to-fork” philosophy in Middle Tennessee. The kitchen ensures resort guests and visiting diners feel the connection to the surrounding 325-acre estate that contributes ingredients to the daily-changing menu. Chefs consult weekly harvest logs to create new dishes based on the freshest ingredients from Southall’s gardens, greenhouses, and orchards. What the Michelin Green Star-winning kitchen can’t produce on site, they source as locally as possible, including honey, heritage vegetables, and proteins purchased from within a short drive away. Diners can experience this seasonal focus through a refined multi-course tasting menu or curated à la carte options, often served within view of the fields and gardens where the ingredients originated.

Book now on Tock.

After the departure of founding chef Sean Brock, many wondered whether Audrey would maintain his previous focus on rustic Appalachian-inspired food. With the naming of long-time Brock kitchen lieutenant Sam Jett to the role of executive chef, the East Nashville restaurant remains in steady hands. Jett’s culinary interests are rooted in Appalachia, as are those of new general manager Hannah LaFary, who focused on the region as part of her rural sociology studies. Audrey’s menu continues to evolve seasonally and intentionally at brunch, lunch, and dinner to ensure that frequent diners can find new discoveries on every visit. The menu of ingredient-driven dishes specifically calls out the farmers and purveyors who are integral to Audrey’s success, and the kitchen shows great respect for their beloved suppliers.

Waits of up to an hour are a testament to the popularity of Kisser, a tiny Japanese newcomer in Cleveland Park. Hungry diners happily line up before the restaurant’s lunch-only service begins, eager for a taste of its celebrated cuisine. Husband-and-wife chef team Brian Lea and Leina Horii work with masterful precision in the kitchen, elevating Japanese comfort food to a whole new level. Rice dishes, salads, noodles, and a chicken katsu sandwich on toasted milk bread are all standouts, but the spectacular Japanese Breakfast is the perfect showcase of the chefs’ talents. This dish features miso-marinated fish, three different vegetables, a rolled omelet, soup, and furikake rice, and is only available on the weekend. 

 No reservations. Find more information here.