Nashville Recommendations

It’s only taken me three years to pull our Nashville recommendations together. I love that so many of you reach out about places to visit when you are here. We absolutely love Nashville and the surrounding areas and are more than happy to share our favorites. These are places we love to go and share with our friends and family. I hope this makes planning your next trip much easier. You’ll find a one page cheat sheet at the bottom of the post which I hope you will find useful.

WHERE TO STAY

The Hermitage Hotel is the only hotel in Tennessee to hold the distinction of National Historic Landmark. It is absolutely beautiful and a must to walk through. Tea at Christmas time is very special. The Pink Hermit is located in the Hermitage. It’s fun to check out the beautiful hotel and then grab coffee or lunch there. It evolves into a spot for a glass of wine or cocktail in the afternoon.

Downtown Nashville:

• Thompson
• 1 Hotel – new and lovely
• The Hermitage Hotel
• Noelle – boutique style, we have stayed here and loved
• The Graduate – great for girls’ trips
• Bobby
• W Hotel
• Gaylord Opryland Resort – not downtown

If you are staying outside of Nashville and want to be spoiled, Southall Farm and Inn in Leiper’s Fork is a luxury spa resort on a beautiful property.

If you are wanting to stay in Downtown Franklin, we recommend The Harpeth Hotel. Live music most nights and a very comfortable and quaint setting. Walkable to all of the shops and restaurants.

COFFEE SHOPS + BREAKFAST

Franklin:

• Coffee House Franklin – great place to meet friends, darling inside
• Hanks Coffee Station – curtains made by grandma, family affair
• Frothy Monkey – also in Nashville

Nashville:

• d’Andrews Bakery and Cafe – great local spot for a breakfast sandwich
• The Mockingbird Cafe – Taco the Town is so yummy
• Milk and Honey – in The Gulch
• Josephine
• Biscuit Love – The Gulch and Franklin
• The Butter Milk Ranch – 12 South and scrumptious
• Frothy Monky
• The Pink Hermit – in the Hermitage hotel
• Monell’s – went here on my first every girls’ trip to Nashville

WHERE TO SHOP

• Main Street Downtown Franklin
• The Gultch in Nashville
• L & L Market
• 12 South – great restaurants too, a favorite area of ours
• Patina Home and Garden – Leiper’s Fork
• Storehouse No. 9 – for the decor lover, located in Franklin

WHERE TO EAT

The hard part is narrowing down the list. We love to try new places. While some are outstanding menus, others offer a great vibe which is always fun when you are on vacation. We have so many more to explore!

There’s no shortage of Instagram worthy spots and The Hampton Social is one for sure. This is a cute spot for lunch if you are on a girls’ trip.

American

• Pelican & Pig
• Twelve Thirty Club
• Urban Grub – we love
• Butter Milk Ranch
• Bartaco – gluten free
• Martin’s BBQ
• Fonda on 12th – Mexican
• 5th & Taylor
• Drusie & Darr
• Husk
• Butcher & Bee
• Cork & Cow – Franklin
• Culaccino – Italian, Franklin
• Culamar – seafood meets Italian, Franklin
• Greenery Co.
• Adele’s
• Hampton Social – feminine, IG worthy
• Flour and Forge Food Truck – great pizza
• Hogwood BBQ
• Sadie’s Nashville – Mediterranean
• Assembly Food Hall – great choices, wonderful with kids or before a show

Sushi/Seafood

• Virago
• O-Ku Nashvillle
• Henrietta Red
• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
• Blue Sushi Sake Grill

Steakhouse

• Kayne Prime
• E3 Chophouse
• The Optimist
• Perry’s Steakhouse – Franklin

ROOFTOP BARS

• LA Jackson
• White Limozeen – pictured, part of The Graduate
• Twelve Thirty Club
• The Bobby
• Rare Bird (Noelle Hotel)
• Ramone’s Citrus Club
• Skydeck (music venue)
• Plenty of rooftop bars on Broadway to check out

We love The Twelve Thirty Club. You can book either the Supper Club (also a rooftop attached) or The Honky Tonk. The Honky Tonk (photo above) is far more casual and always has live music. The Supper Club (photo with velvet chairs) is more upscale and a great place to take in the vibe of Broadway without being submerged in it. Reservations required.

OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE – LEIPER’S FORK

I think it’s so important to venture outside of downtown Nashville if time permits. It’s a different world and there is so much to see. We adore Leiper’s Fork. It’s like stepping back in time and it just feels great. The town is a handful of shops and restaurants. If you are lucky and hit it at the right time, you’ll be treated to incredible live music at Fox and Locke. Be sure to head into Wines in the Fork and then walk down to the creek to enjoy music by the water. It’s a slower pace of life and very special.

FRANKLIN

A little further from downtown Franklin, you’ll find Herban Market. Farm to table and a favorite of ours. Very casual, oder at the counter type of spot. We love to sit outside. They also have a small store with fresh produce and healthier brands.

LIVE MUSIC

One of the huge reasons we love living near Nashville is because live music is everywhere. We truly love it and take advantage if it as much as we can. This was when we saw Ed Sheeran at The Ryman. It’s an old church and our favorite venue because of how intimate it is. Be sure to check their show schedule when planning a trip.

The Listening Room Cafe is where you will hear from talented song writers. We go as much as we can because it’s fascinating to hear the stories behind the songs and how they came to fruition with each artist. You don’t go here for the food, but I promise you’ll love the show. Be sure to buy tickets ahead of time (typically between $10-$20). Shows are usually 6:00 and 8:30 pm. Schedule of shows here. We have even walked to it from Broadway (a hike but doable).

Nothing like the Grand Ole Opry. If you have the chance to go, I highly recommend it.

• Grand Ole Opry
• Listening Room Cafe
• The Ryman Auditorium
• Bridgestone Arena – take in a hockey game or concert
• Nissan Stadium – outdoor venue for concerts
• Foxe and Locke (Leiper’s Fork)
• The Station Inn
• Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor – downtown Franklin
• Bluebird Cafe
• Twelve Thirty Club
• 3rd & Lindsley

Of course almost every bar on Broadway has live music around the clock. There is so much talent in Nashville so you really can’t go wrong.

THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS

While Nashville seems to be known for Broadway and the bars, there is so much to do with kids. Or if that isn’t your scene, we have you covered. These are great for all ages.

DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE

• Buy tickets to live shows (Ryman, Grand Ole Opry, Bridgestone)
• Adventure Science Center
• Pins Mechanical Co. – bowling, arcade, etc. Food truck and drinks served
• Puttshack – upscale mini golf
• Tee Line Nashville – curling with friends and grab dinner
• Escape Game right on Broadway
• Centennial Park – historic, take a picnic
• Cheekwood Botanical Gardens- incredible during October, Christmas and tulip season
• Tour The Ryman Auditorium
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Frist Museum – kids are free
• Grand Ole Opry Tour
• Nashville Zoo
• Opryland Resort
• Sevier Park – play structure for kids

DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN

• Rent electric bikes in Downtown Franklin from Pedego – we have done this with friends and loved, they give you a great route to go
• The Franklin Hop Tour
• Sticks and Stones Axe Co.
• Catch a move at the historic Franklin theater
• Shops and restaurants on Main street Franklin

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

We love to hike and Percy Warner park is great for that. Really pretty spot.

Radnor Lake is another great outing. We love walking around this lake and try to do it anytime friends are in town. A full lap around the lake will take about an hour. The trail around the lake (seen above) is gorgeous in fall.

WATERFALL ADVENTURE

Of course depending on how long you are visiting, you may or may not have time to venture out to a waterfall. Machine Falls Loop is beautiful and everything you need to know is in this post. A great way to spend the day.

*Definitely make reservations. It’s not easy to just pop into a place for dinner. The 5th and Broadway Food Hall Assembly is ideal if you can’t get in to a restaurant on short notice. They have live music, too.

If you’ve stuck through this exhaustive list, I am impressed. Will update/tweak as we discover more places. I hope this serves you well the next time you head this way.

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