The 22 Best Restaurants in Nashville

Condé Nast Traveler, July 2023

By MARGARET LITTMAN

“Yes, there will always be good BBQ, hot chicken, and meat ‘n’ threes in Nashville—perhaps the best you've ever tasted. But if you limit your culinary sojourns to those dishes, you’ll be missing out on one of Nashville’s best features—the breadth and depth of its chef-driven restaurants. James Beard-Award nominees and winners are around every corner now, turning out creative spins on classic French dishes, modern Mediterranean, Japanese kakigōri, and, of course, time-honored Southern food. It will be hard to whittle down your must-eat list if you're only in town for a weekend, but these noteworthy spots are a great start. Here are the best restaurants in Nashville…”

Henrietta Red comes from the same group as the Catbird Seat and Bastion. As a result it immediately drew a regular crowd of locals, not to mention recognition (for both the restaurant and chef Julia Sullivan) by the James Beard Foundation in 2018 and 2019 that has kept the foodies coming back again and again. With its raw oyster bar, Henrietta Red offers something different than everywhere else in Nashville. The rest of the small but well-conceived menu includes sharable plates like a sunchoke salad and smoked mackerel toast. If you're in town on a weekend, brunch is a must; start with the monkey bread and a boozy coffee milk punch, then order the baked egg.