Nashville. What a fun city! We spent an entire week in Nashville celebrating my birthday. I could not have asked for a better birthday trip. We did everything! 

It was so amazing to come back rejuvenated by all the sights and energy we experienced there. From diving into fun nights on Whiskey Row, enjoying live music, hiking trails in the woods, sipping wine on a gorgeous blooming hillside, to noshing on hot chicken - I have the scoop on the best things to do in Nashville! We did not have one bad experience. Nashville is filled with the most friendly, caring people, and it was the perfect long adventure I needed after what we endured through 2020. 

These recommendations are great whether you’re going for a weekend, or visiting for an entire week. They are in no particular order, just simply based on the neighborhood. 

So here are the best places to go in Nashville:

Downtown ON Broadway

Acme Feed and Seed - The perfect place to start an evening in Downtown Nashville. Located at the eastern most point of Broadway, grab a drink on the second floor and head on up to the roof to experience sweeping views of the Cumberland River. Nissan Stadium sits just beyond it, and the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge shines brightly against the cumulus clouds.

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row - This may have been our favorite place on Broadway! Whiskey Row is bound to have the vibe you’re looking for, because there are three options to choose from once you arrive. The first floor is where artists sing well-known songs like “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. On the second floor, a young man can be found singing country love songs and the roof is where the DJ brings the beats. Whiskey Row is so much fun whether it's day or night. I will always have moments saved in my photographic memory of Marcus and I dancing and singing, and laughing the night away! 

FGL House - Looking for a massive dance floor? Hit FGL House. This spot was cranking the tunes and the floor was packed with people gettin’ down. 

Robert’s Western World - Home of traditional country music, you’ll be greeted here by the tallest and kindest of cowboys. And if you find yourself hungry, don’t worry, they’ll fry you up bologna sandwich. Not kidding. We couldn’t bring ourselves to order one, but Marcus is still in disbelief that they actually asked how we would like our burgers cooked! 

The Hampton Social - Lay out your Brunch outfit the night before, because this is the place to be! The cutest Hampton’s East Coast vibe, meets Nashville. There are countless Instagram worthy shots throughout. The vibe is bright and airy, and the most perfect spot for a cutie Bachelorette Party Brunch. We happened to order a smoked eggplant starter they just put on the menu, and I think the micro greens really sealed the deal for us. It’s a wonder what flavor and crunch such a little green plant can bring to a dish. 

Downtown

Skull’s Rainbow Room - I cannot say enough about this spot!! “Skull’s Rainbow Room is one of the most celebrated and acclaimed dining experiences in Music City.” Having been in Printer’s Alley since 1948, artists from Johnny Cash to Paul McCartney have graced the checkerboard stage. We enjoyed an elegant, yet fun-loving evening, listening to live jazz music. We enjoyed a few cocktails and a delicious pork chop dinner, and even made friends with the couple next to us! This brought my heart so much joy! I’ve missed chatting with random people in life, and it was such a delight to connect with them so deeply. Our dinner turned into a 4 hour extravaganza! I won’t ever forget the cute concentration Marcus had while portioning out my part of the pork chop. One of the best dinner’s we had in Nashville. 

Elixir Coffee - Located at the Fifth and Broadway mall, this caffeinated spot has a delicious homemade butterscotch latte with a sprinkling of pink peppercorns for a pop! A sweet and salty pick-me-up, after a long night out. 

Mike’s Ice Cream - This had to have been the largest cone I’ve had since 2005. Big yikes! Sooo many interesting southern flavors and of course, they have all your favorites too. There is just pure delight in standing on a street corner, ice cream melting down your fingers, trying as fast as you can to clean up the mess with your tongue. 

Downtown - SoBro 

The Listening Room - The Listening Room Cafe is a MUST. There cannot be a bad show here. There is no better way to spend $10-$20 bucks than on a ticket to listen to five separate music artists sing down the line and play songs they wrote themselves. Each unique artist had a different angle and a different life story they brought to the room. Lauren Weintraub, a native Bostonian, sang about breaking up before a game at Fenway Park, while Dillon James sang about his journey with sobriety. The evening reached the gamut of emotions. 

And while I’m not a wing eater, the dry rub wings were to die for. Something reeeeally must’ve happened to me with fried chicken this week (stay tuned to hear why, later on in the post). 

Be sure to make your reservations online and early. It’s an unmatched experience sitting in the front row enjoying two hours of live music.

Ole Smoky Distillery - This spot is great to enjoy the outdoors with a little corn hole, basketball and if you’re not into that, just get in line for Prince’s Hot Chicken! The man in the food truck tried to persuade us not to order “hot” on such a hot day, but Marcus knew I would be so disappointed if “medium” was lackluster. So the afternoon turned into Marcus’ mouth on fire and the most theatrical moments of reactions to the heat! Who needs a gym, when you’re sweating out hot chicken and your abs hurt so much from laughing?! We just watered it down with some moonshine. Ole Smoky has so many different moonshine and whiskey flavors. I happened to order a drink that didn’t come with a moonshine soaked cherry, and when I requested one, the bartender responded with, “Ain’t no thang, chicken wang!”. I mean, c’mon. It’s impossible not to love the place. I’d have to say that the apple pie moonshine was one of my favorites. 

The Gulch

While I don’t have many recommendations for The Gulch, this area was one of my favorites. Just walking around the area, there were great vibes all around and plenty of bars and restaurants to hop into. Not to mention tons of rad murals!

L.A. Jackson Rooftop - Located in the posh Thompson Hotel, the rooftop provides a 360 view of Downtown Nashville. This was my favorite rooftop we went to. We went during the middle of the week, when some groups were off work enjoying happy hour, and others were just enjoying the nice evening air. I highly recommend this spot if you’re a sucker for a good city view. 

Midtown / Music Row / Demonbreun Street

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken  - Ummmm, hi. I am officially the new spokeswoman for Hattie B’s. Who knew a girl born and raised in Southern California would diiiiie for double dredged FRIED hot chicken!!! Here are some Hot Tips (literally) before you go -

• Heat Level: If you can TAKE THE HEAT (like me) get “DAMN HOT”. I was hooked instantly. Every single bite was deliciously spicy. But if you’re a little afraid of what damn hot might be like, but still want it spicy, go with “hot”. I know a few people that regretted going with “medium”, because it just wasn’t as kickin’ as they expected. I recommend sharing different spice levels with whoever you’re going with. 

• Location: Skip the location on Broadway - slammed, and too touristy. This Midtown location has plenty of seating. Warning: If it’s a thousand degrees outside, be prepared to melt in the sun while waiting in line. The largest and best location is in Melrose. The line goes quick!

• Sides: Skip the coleslaw. You can get that anywhere! Go for the black eyed pea salad, baked beans and pimento mac & cheese. Delicious flavors to cut the heat. 

Tin Roof (on Demonbreun) - The moment we walked into this bar, vibes were high! Everyone was singing and dancing and ordering drinks and even requesting songs from the DJ (can’t remember when that stopped being a thing..)! Mind you, it’s near Vanderbilt, so there are lots of college kids, but I did find that there were plenty of other age groups represented. If you want to get away from the touristy bars and enjoy the locals, this is the spot! 

The Parthenon - We decided to walk Centennial Park before catching our flight, and enjoyed seeing the beauty and life happening around. The way the clouds were so white and puffy up against the Parthenon was absolutely stunning. I felt like I was transported back to Italy for a hot second.

Germantown

The Optimist Restaurant - What a stunning evening at The Optimist. The other best dinner we had in Nashville. We arrived a bit early for our reservation to enjoy a cocktail at The Jacqueline, an adorable patio bar connected to the restaurant. The feel of it transported me to Puerto Rico. There were plenty of Island vibe options, from hurricanes to Cuba Libra’s. 

For starters, we went with the Charred Avocado. The sauce in combination with the char on the smooth avocado was delicious, and a much better combo that I had originally envisioned. Our main courses were diverse, and just what each of us wanted. Chicken and dumplings for him, and swordfish for me. Marcus talked me into a side of corn milk hushpuppies beignet style, and of course I said yes, because why not have something else fried? To pair with my fish and sweet tooth, I had the most delicious dry dry white white. It was a 2019 Polaris Muscadet and tasted like a crisp, green apple. I will definitely be on the lookout for a bottle for a fine summer evening. Out of everything though, my favorite part was just watching Marcus’ face as he studied the excitement in the kitchen and explained what he could to me. All in all, The Optimist was a wonderful experience, and I’m sure we will be back one day. 

East Nashville 

Attaboy - A fantastic speakeasy! All you have to do is knock on the door and someone will greet you to bring you inside. The nicest of guys will be behind the bar, mixing up delicious concoctions. When you sit down, be prepared that they may ask you whether you’re looking for something more refreshing or boozy. If you enjoy a specific spirit, tell them that, and they’ll bring you something you’re bound to love. 

Smith & Lentz - If you’re searching for pizza withhhh your pepperoni.

Outside of Nashville:

Arrington Vineyards - This winery is located atop rolling green hills in Arrington, Tennessee. I felt like Anne of Green Gables, whisked away to a high ridge on Prince Edward Island during the summer. The wind whistled through the leaves on the trees, and the high green grass. We sat on a wooden swing fastened into a tree, looking out over the rolling green hills while the clouds moved and spoke of the heat in the air. It was all suddenly so picturesque, and the most perfect day for a glass of chilled rosé. I sat there looking at my life overwhelmed with gratitude. 

Percy Warner Park - Since we enjoy the great outdoors in Southern California all year round, we were eager to experience the Tennessee terrain in the Springtime. We took the Mossy Ridge Trail in Percy Warner Park to experience the Tennessee woods. It’s the perfect trail for a walk or a run, as it is paved throughout. During our 1.5 hour hike, we saw a few smiling faces and everyone always said hello. Some beautiful golden retrievers joined the jaunt, and I admired their obedience without leashes. 

Nashville really does have something for everyone. 

At-a-Glance Top 10 Places to go in Nashville: 

• Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

• The Listening Room Cafe

• The Optimist Restaurant

• Skull’s Rainbow Room 

• Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row

• Tin Roof on Demonbreun  

• Attaboy

• Ole Smoky Distillery 

• L.A. Jackson Rooftop 

• The Hampton Social

Places on our list for our next visit:

• Bolton’s Hot Chicken (our 70-year-old native Nashville uber driver told us this is the best hot chicken in all of Nashville)

• Sid Gold’s Request Room

• Wanna B’s

• Tootsie’s 

• Patterson House 

• Pinewood Social

• Loser’s 

• Red Phone Booth

• The Pharmacy

Shop the post here:

Photography by myself and Marcus Tomlin