Nashville, Tennessee, has transformed from country music bumpkin to cosmopolitan darling in a blink of an eye. Here’s where to stay, eat, drink, and visit during your next trip to this exciting destination.
TO STAY:
The Joseph
This refined five-star from the esteemed art-collecting Pizzuti family debuted in Summer 2020 in SoBro. More than 1,000 original artworks adorn this sleek 297-room hotel, featuring fine Italian (Yolan) and a rooftop lounge by James Beard Award-winning Chicago transplant Tony Mantuano.
Noelle
This hip & historic Nashville hotel is one of the city’s best boutique stays. Rooms are kitted out in whites, blues, greys, and browns, collating a masculine color palette that spawns a handsome aesthetic. In addition to five restaurants & bars, the hotel’s store, Keep Shop, is chock full of cool Nashville-oriented clothes, accessories, and home décor, all sourced from local designers.
TO DINE:
Tailor Nashville
You’ve never had an Indian meal quite like this. First-generation American chef Vivek Surti greets each guest for a unique, supper club-inspired meal of elevated South Asian cuisine. Expect phenomenal flavors, storytelling, and staff that’ll make you feel like family.
Prince’s Hot Chicken
Many vye for the crown as “King of Hot Chicken,” but nothing beats the original creator of Nashville’s iconic dish. There’s a range of spice levels to choose from, from Plain to XXX Hot—but Medium is often enough for a flavorful, fiery bite. (📷: @hungryempire)
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken
This Nashville staple serves killer fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, southern iced tea, and banana pudding, among other mouthwatering Southern delights. You can’t go to Nashville and not eat here at least once.
Monell’s
Located in up-and-coming Germantown, this restaurant is family-style, meaning you and your peers will be seated at a communal table next to total strangers. If you enjoy meeting new people, chatting away, and eating ambrosial Southern food — you’ll get four meats, four vegetables, three salads, a drink, biscuits, and dessert — then this is the place for you.
TO DRINK:
White Limozeen
This all-pink rooftop bar at Graduate Hotel Nashville — a Dolly Parton-themed boutique stay — is a must-visit all around, from its upbeat atmosphere to its unrivaled views, and creative cocktails.
TO VISIT:
The National Museum of African American Music
New for 2021, this landmark Downtown museum tells the 400+ year story of Black Americans’ legacy and contribution to American culture through short films and state-of-the-art exhibits.
Frist Art Museum
Nashville’s premier visual arts museum — housed in a former Art Deco-style U.S. post office — showcases everything from vivid portraits of the 19th Century American West to Picasso’s masterworks.
Cheekwood Botanical Gardens
Leave the city center and wander around 55 acres of world-class gardens, and take in the opulence of the Cheek family’s Georgian-style mansion estate.
See Live Music on Broadway
This enlivening street is replete with live music venues hosting rock & country bands. Neon signs illuminate this thoroughfare, which is best known for its honkytonk. Head to Acme Feed & Seed, an 1800s-built renovated building with multiple levels and nightly live music; each floor features a different genre.
Walk Around 12 South
This adorable neighborhood’s main street has a medley of independent boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops. Grab lunch at The Butter Milk Ranch and a donut at Five Daughter’s Bakery. Shop vintage at Savant Vintage, upscale clothes at Reese Witherspoon’s store Draper James, and high-quality denim at Imogene + Willie.
