Nashville

The Best Neighborhoods in Nashville to Spend the Weekend

Make the most of Music City.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

There are myriad reasons why Nashville has become a mecca for tourists, drawing 350,000 people downtown for July 4th fireworks and planeloads of revelers just about every weekend of the year. Certainly a lot of those visitors spend much of their time and money in the country music celebrity-themed bars of Lower Broad, and it’s cool if that’s what you’re looking for. But if you want to discover more of what Music City has to offer with a much slimmer chance of unfortunately showing up on this Twitter feed, venture out into some of the city’s older and more authentic neighborhoods. Don’t worry, those roving parties rarely stray far from the Bachelorette Industrial Complex.

6th and Peabody
6th and Peabody
6th and Peabody

SoBro

This former warehouse district wouldn’t have drawn any visitor’s attention 20 years ago unless they were looking to store some hardware products or needed some repair work done on their lawnmower. But once the Bridgestone Arena was constructed, followed by the gigantic convention center and accompanying hotels and restaurants, SoBro property is too valuable to support single-story buildings anymore. Take a visit to Nashville’s urban forest.

Where to stay: SoBro is now the site of some massive hotel construction with national chains growing new properties out of the ground like steel stalagmites reaching for the sky. You can earn or use your hotel points at multiple Marriott, Hilton, Omni, and Westin locations or party with the Parrotheads at the new Margaritaville Hotel, but we’re partial to Bode. This unique property combines the best of the hotel experience with a more apartment-like scene. A variety of room types offer full kitchens, multiple bedrooms, common entertainment space around fire pits and a small outdoor stage, and a little bodega to provide you with snack foods and drinks for the room. It’s all just a short walk from Lower Broad, but you’ll feel like you’re living like a local.

Things to do: Whether you’re a fan of country music or not, the Country Music Hall of Fame is a mandatory destination if you really want to understand what makes the city tick. With displays ranging from the birth of mountain music to modern stars (there’s a Taylor Swift wing), the museum explains how integral the story of country and Americana is to the fabric of the US. Just around the corner are two smaller museums honoring icons of country, the Johnny Cash Museum and the Patsy Cline Museum, upstairs from the shrine to the Man in Black. The Cash Museum is filled with artifacts that come directly from his family, so you know they’re legit.

Restaurants to hit: Two fantastic restaurants are located right next door to each other on the ground floor of the Encore condo building, the first residential complex in SoBro that made it cool to live downtown. It also boasted one of the best pool decks in town before Bridgestone built their corporate headquarters right next door, blocking out the sun from all but a little sliver of the deck. Etch was the first restaurant to move into the Encore, and chef Deb Paquette is beloved by local diners for her deeply layered and flavorful international cuisine. Her roasted cauliflower with pea puree and feta crema is a must-order appetizer. Next door to Etch is The Farm House, an amiable farm-to-table restaurant serving creative Southern food with the occasional Italianate influence. Tony and Cathy Mantuano earned Michelin stars for their work at Chicago’s Spiaggia and have brought their talents to the remarkable Yolan Italian ristorante at the luxe SoBro hotel property, The Joseph.

Bars & nightlife: Even most locals don’t know about Bar Sovereign, a quirky little cocktail spot marked only by a tiny sign by the front door of the building in an unremarkable industrial strip. Once you find it, you’ll be amused by the playful drinks and riotous decor featuring mod art and what appears to be parts from an exploded piano hanging on the wall behind the bar. For a more traditional drinking experience, the massive 6th & Peabody complex is home to sister companies Ole Smoky Mountain and Yee Haw Brewing. Both entities actually have manufacturing facilities on-site and offer the opportunity to taste through their product lines. Or you can just grab a beer or some food from White Duck Taco Shop or the Daddy’s Dogs food truck and watch sports on huge screens while enjoying a game of cornhole in the festive outdoor beer garden.

Nashville Farmers' Market
Nashville Farmers’ Market
Nashville Farmers’ Market

Germantown

When Nashville became the state capitol in 1843, laborers were immediately needed to construct the new government buildings that came along with that designation. Many of the builders were German immigrants imported from the area around Cincinnati, and they immediately started building their own houses in this first suburb of Nashville, just a short walk north of downtown. Some of the original cottages are still there alongside larger brick buildings that were the homes of the city’s first suburban elites.

Where to stay: Germantown has managed to maintain its residential character with walkable sidewalks connecting commercial strips of restaurants, boutiques, and salons. For an authentic experience, short-term rentals are the way to go, whether you choose an adorable little cottage or an apartment with a sweeping view of the city’s ever-changing skyline from the rooftop deck. The Germantown Inn offers slightly more conventional lodging options with ten suites in a boutique hotel created from a renovated historic antebellum Federal-style home.

Things to do: Tennessee boasts a rich variety of produce, and walking the stalls of the Nashville Farmers’ Market is a great way to discover what’s in season so you can order it off the menu at the restaurant you visit later. The Market Hall also features a food hall filled with impressive local eateries and vendors of arts, crafts, and other local products. Sharing a parking lot with the NFM is the Tennessee State Museum, a free attraction that tells the story of the state culturally, geologically, musically, and politically. Rotating exhibits accompany the permanent collection, so there’s always something new to learn. If the AAA minor league Nashville Sounds are playing in town, a night at their Germantown ballpark is always entertaining.

Restaurants to hit: For a neighborhood with only a couple thousand residents, Germantown boasts some of Nashville’s best restaurants. From the ingenious rustic European dishes at Rolf & Daughters and City House to the sleek modern seafood emporium Henrietta Red, the dining is exceedingly fine. More casual options also draw visitors from around the city and across the country to fun spots like Butchertown Hall, Tailor Nashville, 5th & Taylor, Zeppelin, and Von Elrod’s Beer Hall & Kitchen. For some authentic soulful breakfast and lunch food, check out hidden gems Big Al’s Deli or Silver Sands Cafe.

Bars & nightlife: Geist is a cozy restaurant and bar located in a former blacksmith shop where now something other than horseshoes get hammered. Mother’s Ruin managed to weather the difficulties of opening just a few months before a tornado, pandemic and Christmas Day bombing turned 2020 into Nashville’s annus horribilis, and this outpost of the popular NYC bar has quickly become a favorite late-night destination thanks to their delicious menu of upscale bar food and bartenders who still free-pour their drinks with a minimum of “shaker show” pretentiousness.

Vandyke Bed and Beverage
Vandyke Bed and Beverage
Vandyke Bed and Beverage

Five Points

The heart and soul of Nashville’s more bohemian side of the river in East Nashville, Five Points is an easily walkable neighborhood filled with bars, restaurants, shops, and galleries. For live music that stretches beyond the twang of downtown, the clubs surrounding Five Points are the places to hang.

Where to stay: Outside of AirBNBs, the lodging options of Five Points are limited, but those that exist are excellent. Van Dyke’s Bed & Beverage is conveniently crawling distance from the heart of the neighborhood, and this boutique hotel is more of an extension of those bars anyway. The 10 rooms are beverage-themed from whiskey to wine to tequila with appropriate decor to match. You’ll be checked in by your bartender who will keep you sufficiently lubricated for the extent of your stay. 

Things to do: The Five Points neighborhood is often late to rouse, so take an afternoon stroll around and admire the varied architecture of the houses lining the residential streets. Check out the Five Points Alley Shops for a collection of eclectic galleries and shops or drop into The Hip Zipper, a favorite destination for the best in vintage clothing, because nobody would be caught dead walking around Five Points wearing new jeans. The Shoppes on Fatherland are tiny but packed with crafts, clothing, antiques, and specialty food items.

Restaurants to hit: Chef Margot McCormack could run for mayor of East Nashville if such an office existed, and her two Five Points restaurants represent the soul of the community. Margot Cafe & Bar is the prime nighttime stop for French-inspired dishes artfully crafted using fresh seasonal local ingredients. Five Points Pizza has saved many a partier’s life thanks to their walk-up slice window that serves up much-needed sustenance until late at night. To see where the locals gather, visit Lockeland Table during their “Community Hour” when proceeds from the special menu of drinks and snacks go to benefit neighborhood charities.

Bars & nightlife: Treehouse is where industry folks like to meet up after their cooking/serving/bartending shifts are over, so you know they know what’s up. Butcher & Bee has three bars, two for drinking and one for eating that offers a view into the kitchen with the talented chefs at work whipping up small plates of Mediterranean-inspired food. Any one of those three bars is a solid choice. For crafty cocktails, knock on the door at Attaboy and hope you gain admission to sit across from their mixologists that will read your mind and give you the drink you didn’t know you needed. The drinks are cheaper and the atmosphere is a little more laid back around the corner at The Crying Wolf, so you can choose your own adventure.

Biscuit Love
Biscuit Love
Biscuit Love

Belmont/Hillsboro

Tucked between two universities, Vanderbilt and Belmont, this primarily residential enclave grew up around the old streetcar line that spoked out from downtown in the first half of the 20th century. The Hillsboro Village strip of shops and restaurants has seen many changes through the years, but it still exhibits much of the character of the past along with a few more modern and flashier restaurants and boutiques. For a cheap and quick ride downtown, hop the No. 7 bus for just $2. Nashville’s public transit doesn’t run very late at night, so you might need to arrange alternate transportation home.

Where to stay: Historic zoning regulations limit new construction in Belmont/Hillsboro, so Airbnbs are a popular choice to feel like you’re really in the heart of the neighborhood. Whether you need your own private villa or just a well-appointed apartment above a garage, there are a myriad of private options. The Moxy Nashville Vanderbilt at Hillsboro Village adds some stylish honest-to-goodness hotel rooms to the neighborhood, including 200 parking spots that are at a premium elsewhere. The inviting lobby at this boutique features a check-in desk/bar where each guest is welcomed with a signature cocktail, a pool table, board games, and plenty of comfy spots with USB ports to do a little work. Cleverly designed rooms are minimalist in the Moxy style, but with all the amenities guests need for a comfortable stay. You can even order a bedtime story from the phone in the room, with content ranging from sweet to slightly salacious.

Things to do: The campuses at Belmont and Vandy are both excellent locales for a stroll through the green spaces and attractive academic buildings. Known worldwide for its excellent music business program, Belmont features a small gallery of iconic guitars, appropriately named The GIG, and Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Student Center houses a small art gallery with rotating exhibits. The main strip through Hillsboro Village offers fun shopping at stores like Posh, Tribe Kelley, and UAL.

Restaurants to hit: For coffee or a delicious meal, check out Fido, a neighborhood hang in the location of a former pet store. Popular breakfast options include Biscuit Love, a slightly less crowded outpost of the famous biscuit sandwich joint in the Gulch, Pancake Pantry where there’s usually a line out the door to scarf down some flapjacks and the New Orleans-inspired Ruby Sunshine, where day drinking is always encouraged. Double Dogs is a casual sports bar with a dizzying array of televisions, and Hopdoddy is a mod burger joint.

Bars & nightlife: E3 Chophouse is best known for the grass-fed beef that they raise on their own ranch, but the top floor bar is also worth a visit thanks to inventive cocktails and a rooftop aerie with firepits and comfy couches for lounging. The Villager Tavern remains unchanged from decades ago with walls covered with old photos of patrons plus dart boards and foosball. On your birthday they’ll “let” you drink your beer out of a dog bowl. Happy birthday, indeed. For a quick slice and a craft beer, it’s tough to beat ‘za with their wood-fired pizza oven and amiable staff.

Martin's BBQ Joint
Martin’s BBQ Joint
Martin’s BBQ Joint

Midtown

This commercial district along the northern edge of Vanderbilt’s campus is often overlooked by tourists, but its proximity to downtown and multitude of lodging and entertainment options make it worth considering.

Where to stay: Loews Vanderbilt has been a neighborhood mainstay for decades, but it still feels modern and updated with high-end amenities and a real focus on local products in its drinking and dining options. The happy hour at Mason Bar features local craft beers and cocktails made using spirits from Nashville distilleries, and it runs every night of the week, so that’s a real bonus. Loews is an extremely pet-friendly hotel and even offers a special room service menu for your pooch. The new Graduate Hotel is intentionally quirky with decor meant to be reminiscent of a Southern grandma’s house and a crazy karaoke bar complete with an animatronic backup band called “The Cross-eyed Critters.” It’s like Chuck E. Cheese on a serious moonshine buzz. (Which doesn’t necessarily sound like a bad idea.) Even more popular is the Graduate’s rooftop bar, White Limozeen, a precious pink indoor/outdoor space that hosts bevies of bachelorettes every weekend.

Things to do: The large and bucolic Centennial Park is home to a full-scale model of the Parthenon, an homage to Nashville’s reputation as a center of education, hence its nickname as “The Athens of the South.” A mile-long walking trail rings the park with plenty of benches to stop and sit a spell. 

Restaurants to hit: The original location of Hattie B’s is where many folks were first introduced to Nashville hot chicken. The queue to get in for fiery fowl is almost always long, but here’s a pro user tip: order by phone or online and walk straight up to the counter for your order. We promise it tastes the same in your hotel room, and you’ll be closer to the facilities if the need arises. Of all the popular locations of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joints around town, the one in Midtown offers the best parking situation and most manageable crowds. Tavern is a popular gastropub destination for a boozy brunch, and Midtown Cafe is a smart bet for a power lunch or an intimate dinner. As a bonus, Midtown Cafe offers shuttle service to and from events at many entertainment venues downtown.

Bars & nightlife: The Hutton Hotel converted two stories of their parking garage into a fantastic hidden nightclub called Analog. They don’t feature shows every night, but when they do, the atmosphere is unmatched anywhere else in Midtown. The Patterson House brought classic cocktail culture to Nashville, and there are still lines to get in most nights. The reason you have to wait is they limit the crowds to ensure every guest receives personal service from their bartenders and servers.

Josephine
Josephine
Josephine

12 South

This mile-long strip of restaurants, bars, and shops has become ground zero for daytime field trips away from downtown for hordes of bubbly bachelorettes and tippling tourists, but that’s fine. They’re generally better behaved outside of the debaucherous downtown. Stroll the sidewalks and enjoy this compact entertainment and shopping district.

Where to stay: Outside of the actual 12th Avenue corridor, 12 South is almost entirely residential, so Airbnb is the way to go if you want to stay here. Available accommodations range from lovely guesthouses to attractive little lofts to entire houses. Just remember to be kind to the neighbors living next door and watch that you don’t block their driveways with your car.

Things to do: Sevier Park represents the border of 12 South furthest from downtown and offers a community center with a small gym to sweat off last night’s sins. Or just walk the trails around the small park and admire the babbling brook that flows through the center. For retail therapy, 12 South has a dense collection of fun boutiques. Nashville native Reese Witherspoon opened her Draper James Southern lifestyle store in 2015, and it’s been the site of thousands of selfies since then. White’s Mercantile is a fun little upscale general store filled with health and beauty items, clothing, home goods, and gift ideas. 

Restaurants to hit: The finest dining in 12 South is at Josephine, where Chef Andy Little creates a menu of seasonal food inspired by Pennsylvania Dutch sensibilities, Southern soul, and French cooking techniques. Trust us, it works! Epice brings Mediterranean flair to the neighborhood with an exotic menu of Lebanese cuisine served in an attractive bistro setting. Urban Grub serves a wide variety of cuisine from Tex-Mex to seafood to steaks, and it does them all well. Casual drinking and dining options include Frothy Monkey, and the typographically challenged bartaco and MAFIAoZA’s Pizzeria. Locust serves some of the best elevated dumplings you’ll taste outside of Canton, and Edley’s Bar-B-Q, Burger Up, and Taqueria del Sol serve more-than-respectable barbecue and tacos, respectively.

Bars & nightlife: Embers Ski Lodge is an unexpected treat in Nashville, where you wouldn’t ordinarily discover an après-ski ambiance in this town where the mercury frequently tops a hundred in the summer. But there it is, complete with its woodsy decor and roaring fire plus fantastic cocktails. 12 South Taproom was an early neighborhood pioneer and locals still gather there for craft beer and great sandwiches.

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Chris Chamberlain is a contributor for Thrillist. 

Nashville

How to Get into Nashville’s Best Speakeasies and Secret Bars

Nashville's speakeasies have impeccable cocktails and even better vibes.

One More Cocktail Club
One More Cocktail Club
One More Cocktail Club

It’s not like it’s difficult to find a spot for a proper cocktail in Nashville, except when it’s intentionally hard. Some of Nashville’s finest bars are a little more hidden away, to create a sense of exclusivity and limit crowds so that talented bartenders can offer the sort of individualized attention that their inventive drinks deserve. Besides, it’s nice to have a conversation at a bar where you don’t have to yell to be heard. Here are some of our favourite places to chill.

The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club
The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club
The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club

The Fox Bar and Cocktail Club

South InglewoodThe talented mixologists at The Fox are a big part of the attraction, and some of their novel takes on classic cocktails have actually won national awards in recipe contests. But even if all you want is a proper gin and tonic, you’ll be delighted by the cozy library vibe of the East Nashville emporium. The bar staff insists on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, so the drink menu changes frequently. Don’t worry if your favourite rolls off, because there’s sure to be something new to delight you.

Danielle B. Atkins
Danielle B. Atkins
Danielle B. Atkins

Attaboy

East NashvilleAn outpost of the James Beard Award-nominated NYC cocktail bar, Nashville’s version of Attaboy is no slouch either. Well, the building is kindy slouchy, a cinderblock edifice hidden away in an alley where guests are invited to “knock gently” to gain entry. If the bar is full, you’ll have to wait outside, but once you gain entrance, the fun really begins. Bartenders interview patrons about their drink preferences and then compose cocktails on the fly to fulfil their wildest dreams. Sit at the bar or settle into a blue velvet booth to enjoy a completely crafty cocktail or two.

Hidden Bar
Hidden Bar
Hidden Bar

Hidden Bar

DowntownThis subterranean lair in the Noelle hotel downtown is intentionally difficult to find. The entrance is through a door you’d probably never pass through unless you work for the hotel cleaning staff, but it’s a passage to something wonderful. Hidden Bar often stages thematic pop-ups that extend to both the riotous decor and the drink list, and large-format drinks are designed for sharing, so bring a few friends.

Skull's Rainbow Room
Skull’s Rainbow Room
Skull’s Rainbow Room

Skull’s Rainbow Room

Printer’s AlleySkull’s has been a Printers Alley institution since the middle of the last century, except for the few years it was closed when notorious club owner David “Skull” Schulman was murdered, reportedly by someone that knew he always kept the evening’s cash receipts in the top pocket of his trademark overalls. Since reopening, the showroom has revived the old-school vibe with nightly jazz and burlesque shows, classic cocktails served from an elaborate wooden bar and a restaurant that features an excellent chophouse menu. It’s easy to forget the time during an evening at Skulls. Heck, it’s easy to forget what decade it is.

Bar Sovereign
Bar Sovereign
Bar Sovereign

Bar Sovereign

SoBroTucked away in a nondescript strip mall among the towering hotel buildings of SoBro, Bar Sovereign’s entrance is marked only by a small golden plaque that is fortunately close to eye level. Inside is a wonderland of bold artwork covering the walls, a sculpture created from a disassembled piano behind the bar and a menu of interesting and affordable cocktails that is rare to find amongst the nearby tourist destinations. The atmosphere gets a little wilder late at night when DJs spin tunes for the party people and industry folks looking to blow off a little steam at the end of a shift.

Bay 6
Bay 6
Bay 6

Bay 6

East NashvilleThis microbar has a double punny name. First of all, it is, indeed, crammed into the sixth bay of what used to be a self-service car wash before the building was converted into an elevated food and drink court with international carryout restaurants occupying the other quintet of stalls. Secondly, the menu is intentionally basic, with simple, well-made cocktails designed to be served quickly so that guests can enjoy them in one of the very few seats in Bay 6 or carry them out to the lively outdoor patio where patrons enjoy their food from one of the options at The Wash.

Green Hour
Green Hour
Green Hour

Green Hour

GermantownBy day, Tempered Fine Chocolates occupies this space, but on Thursday through Saturday evenings, they unpack the bottles, build a bar and flick on the green light that lets tipplers know that Green Hour is now in session. Dedicated to the exotic “Green Fairy,” absinthe, the bar offers pours of more than a dozen versions of the anise-flavoured spirit. Enjoy a classic absinthe service with drops of water to open up the aromas and flavours or order a flight of three for comparison. The bartenders also employ absinthe in an array of exotic cocktails, but if you don’t like licorice, you might want to pass.

Never Never
Never Never
Never Never

Never Never

Wedgewood-HoustonIt’s not like they’re trying to hide Never Never. It’s just that the former welding shop is so non-descript and hidden away next to the railroad tracks, you might need someone to show you the way to the front door. It’s worth the hunt, though, because the cocktails are both clever and cheap. Enjoy small bites, beer, wine and cocktails at the amiable dimly-lit bar or discover the patio oasis out back that feels like being a guest at a friend’s house party.

Minerva Avenue
Minerva Avenue
Minerva Avenue

Minerva Ave

North NashvilleDress to impress at this Tennessee State University neighbourhood cocktail lounge. A tall fence surrounds the compound to provide privacy, but once you knock for admission, you’ll encounter an expansive outdoor deck with cabanas, fire pits and an outdoor bar. Inside, it’s a little more vibey with plush booths, dramatic lighting accents as well as nostalgic music and artwork. Smokers can enjoy hookah service and cigars, and bottle service is available for high rollers.

One More Cocktail Club
One More Cocktail Club
One More Cocktail Club

One More Cocktail Club

DowntownTucked away in the hallway outside of Level 3 South at the Assembly Food Hall, One More Cocktail Club feels like worlds away from the tourist throngs below. There’s only room for a couple of dozen guests in the chic lounge, so everyone is treated like a VIP. The menu is a mix of new craft cocktails and classics, with special attention paid to creating beautiful works of art including appropriate garnishes. A tight menu of red, white and bubbly wines is also available for those in the know.

Pushing Daisies Underground Margaritas
Pushing Daisies Underground Margaritas
Pushing Daisies Underground Margaritas

Pushing Daisies

DowntownIf you park on the top deck of the garage below the Fifth + Broad retail/dining/entertainment complex across from the Bridgestone Arena, you’ll actually have to walk down to get to Pushing Daisies, home of “underground margaritas.” Named after the class of cocktails that feature citrus, sweet and sour, this hot new lounge concentrates on the tequila version of the whiskey sour or daiquiri. Margaritas are crafted using luxury ingredients and quaffed by a hip crowd of guests enjoying pumping music and dramatic lighting. It’s definitely a scene to be seen.

The Late Great
The Late Great
The Late Great

The Late Great

Demonbreun/Music RowFor the first year this cocktail lounge at the Virgin Nashville was open, it wasn’t really open. Instead, it was a private membership club with an entrance hidden away even from hotel guests. Now, we civilians can make reservations for a three-cocktail “experience” in this shrine to music and creativity, decorated like the writers’ lounge outside the legendary recording studios on nearby Music Row. Private memberships are still available if you’re so inclined and still flush with those songwriter royalty checks.

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Sarah Carter is a writer and country music lover living in Lebanon, Tennessee. Follow her (mostly southern) regional exploits and stories on Instagram.

Chris Chamberlain is a food, drink, and travel writer based out of his hometown of Nashville. Find him on Twitter @CeeElCee.

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