Nashville is a city famous for its country music and as the ultimate bachelorette getaway. But the Music City is also a seriously underrated foodie city.
I’ve never considered myself a foodie traveler. While I always sample the local cuisine and seek out food halls and markets on trips, I’m not a foodie. Until my trip to Nashville, I had never intentionally gone on a food-focused trip. Yet, when presented with the opportunity to essentially eat my way through Nashville on a girls’ weekend, I couldn’t turn that down.
The restaurants highlighted in this foodie guide to Nashville have seriously turned me on to making food a bigger part of my travels. Just because I haven’t been a foodie in the past doesn’t mean I couldn’t start somewhere.
So there we were, driving along the highway to Nashville from Atlanta with a food-focused itinerary ready to tackle some of the best places to eat in the city.
Of course, we found time for some sightseeing and finding the best photo spots in Nashville, but mostly we spent the weekend eating, and honestly, it made me realize how fun it would be to explore the city through a guided Nashville food tour next time.
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What to Eat in Nashville
Before delving into this foodie guide for Nashville, here are the top things to eat in the music city. There are endless restaurants in Nashville, but you will want to focus your culinary exploration on these quintessential Nashville foods.
- Hot Chicken
- Biscuits
- Brunch
- Donuts
- Meat and Three
- Tennessee Whisky
Short on time? Take a Nashville food tour
One of the best ways to experience Nashville’s food scene is by joining a guided food tour that takes you to multiple local spots in one outing.
👉🏼 Browse Nashville food tours & availability
Where to Eat in Nashville
Over the course of three food-filled days in Nashville, we had some of the best meals; each meal was distinctly delicious.
My mouth is watering thinking back to these dishes from these top Nashville restaurants. I seriously do not understand why more people aren’t talking about how amazing the food in Nashville is!
From the most Instagrammable cafes (with good food) to life-changing hot chicken (seriously, I still dream about Nashville hot chicken to this day), this food-filled weekend just may have converted me into a foodie traveler.
Cafe Roze
The name is very fitting for this pastel pink cafe. At Cafe Roze, everything is pink! The tables, the bar, and even the coffee are pink.
Be sure to order the rose latte while you’re here. The rose latte is decorated with actual petals and has a pinkish hue. It’s very Instagrammable, and most importantly, it was a good cup of coffee with a unique flavor.
The food you’ll find here isn’t your typical southern homestyle cooking, but it’s trendy yet equally delicious dishes. The yogurt bowl was an absolute must for breakfast; it was a nice light meal to start the day of copious food. And the waffles are a delight if you have a sweet tooth.
No matter what you order for breakfast, you must order the chocolate croissant. The chocolate croissant at Roze Cafe is one of the flakiest, best croissants I’ve ever had.
Parson’s Chicken and Fish
During my trip to Nashville, I ate at Parson’s Chicken and Fish and had the most amazing hot chicken sandwich. Probably one of my favorite restaurants that I visited in the city for amazing food, a great patio, and atmosphere.
I ordered the hot chicken sandwich, and the savory, crunchy fried chicken was dripping with flavor. The service was quick, and the food was delicious. One of my favorite meals I’ve ever had.
Unfortunately, it seems that Parsons’ Chicken and Fish is permanently closed. Another option is to visit Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, which is a Nashville staple!
SILO
This upscale Southern bistro has a fantastic menu, including a list of small shareable plates. I would consider SILO as elevated Southern comfort food. The small plates were perfect for the often heavy Southern dishes like cornbread.
These small plates are also perfect for sharing with a group of friends, as they allow you to try a little of everything. SILO has a sophisticated ambiance and an affordable menu, so you can have a nice night out without blowing your budget.
Five Daughters Bakery
Prepare yourself for some of the best donuts you’ve ever had at Five Daughters Bakery. And set your alarm to get here early, a line starts forming at Five Daughters Bakery before it even opens.
This is one of the most visited spots in this foodie guide to Nashville. The donuts are that good! Five Daughters Bakery is so iconic that it’s often a featured stop on Nashville food tours.
Five Daughters Bakery is located in the trendy 12th South neighborhood of Nashville. After indulging in these decadent donuts, you can walk them off by checking out the murals in this trendy neighborhood.
Nashville Farmers’ Market
The Nashville Farmers’ Market is the ultimate foodie heaven. Inside the Market House are 20 locally owned shops and restaurants, making it the ideal place to sample the city’s food.
There is plenty of seating and a variety of restaurants, ranging from Mexican and Southern to coffee shops and crepes.
Already full from lunch, I opted for a vanilla bourbon latte from Farm City Coffee. I couldn’t think of a more “Nashville” latte than that!
Five Points Pizza
When I say I’m not typically a foodie, when it comes to pizza, I know my stuff! And I am usually adamant that the South just doesn’t have good pizza (if you’re southern and have a good pizza place to recommend, comment below!).
However, Five Points Pizza proved me wrong. The New York-style pizza at Five Points Pizza was so good that I think every New Yorker would be impressed.
Liberty Common
Liberty Common is best described as a French bistro with a Southern flair. The interior is stunning, the French design details make you feel like you’re in Paris, yet the food reminds you that you are, in fact, in Nashville.
I had one of the best coffees of my life at Liberty Common and had my first chicken-and-waffles experience. Liberty Common is a great spot for brunch and one of those places that is a see-and-be-seen type of place.
Want to Try Multiple Restaurants? Consider a Food Tour
Nashville is such a good foodie city! We ended up planning our entire itinerary around our food stops. Yet, if you want to experience the best of Nashville’s food scene without planning every stop, a guided food tour is one of the easiest ways to do it.
These tours include multiple stops, local favorites, and insights you might miss exploring on your own.
Where to Stay in Nashville for a Foodie Weekend
If you’re planning a foodie weekend in Nashville, staying in a central neighborhood like Downtown, The Gulch, or 12 South will make it easy to explore restaurants and cafes. Here are some of my top recommendations:
- The Graduate Nashville: A fun, boutique hotel with a colorful, Instagram-worthy design located near Midtown.
- Thompson Nashville: A stylish, upscale hotel in one of Nashville’s trendiest neighborhoods with great dining nearby.
- Noelle Nashville: A chic, centrally located hotel perfect for walking to restaurants and bars.