Dining

Budget

 • Hermitage Cafe. Open from 10pm till 1pm, this diner-coffee shop is divey, friendly, cheap, greasy, and as southern as white gravy on fried chicken. Perfect if you're drunk or a night owl, which most of the other customers here are (except at breakfast, which draws a mix of polite older couples and hungover kids). An ancient cigarette machine and a well-stocked jukebox. Just south of downtown on Hermitage Ave.
 • Jersey Mike's. Get a really good sub-sandwich (think Subway with a little more flavor) meal here for under seven bucks. Three locations, including White Bridge Road.
 • Bobby's Dairy Dip. An endearingly dingy 50s ice cream stand on Charlotte Ave., recently revived into a popular summer mainstay that's popular with every demographic. Their hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries are some of Nashville's favorites, and the strawberry shortcake's great.
 • Las Palmas. A pretty good Mexican place on Charlotte Ave. (between White Bridge and 42nd), you can get a nice filling meal here for under ten bucks. There's another location off Broadway at 19th Ave. and one at Nipper's Corner in Brentwood.
 • Las Paletas. Save room after your Mexican meal for Las Paletas' delicious homemade popsicles in exotic flavors! The Paz sisters ate them often when growing up in Mexico and have now brought us their own take on the treats. Hibiscus, basil, chocolate jalapeno, and rose petal are all delicious; so are the tamer versions, like mango, raspberry, chai tea, chocolate chip cookie, and Mexican caramel. This popular little shop is located on 12th Ave. S. at Kirkwood in the Cypress Building.
 • Taste of India. If you're in midtown in midday, check out this little Indian place on Church Street near 18th. Its $6 lunch buffet is cheaper than that at Sitar down the block, plus its food is far better and more varied.
 • Maggie Moo's. Reigns as Nashville's premier ice cream shop, and is conveniently located next to the Green Hills location of Basante's.
 • La Hacienda Tacqueria. With two outposts along the largely Hispanic strip of Nolensville Road, this popular restaurant serves some of Nashville's most authentic Mexican food. The tacos and shrimp cocktails are very popular.
 • Bongo Java. The first and most relaxed in a very successful local mini-chain of quirky coffeehouses, Bongo Java is a meeting place for the young, the arty, and the students at Belmont University just across the street. Linger for hours on the huge porch over several cups of their incredibly strong, flavorful coffee, and take advantage of the free computer, wifi, and chess set use. On Belmont Blvd. across from the school; nearby sister coffeehouse Fido in Hillsboro Village attracts a more yuppie/Vandy crowd.
 • Rotier's. An old, friendly neighborhood joint whose hamburger and milkshake are consistently voted the best in Nashville. Get the grilled version of the cheeseburger - basically a grilled cheese with a hamburger in it. On Elliston near Tower Records.
 • Pizza Perfect. Fabulous pizza, quite simply. Nashville isn't much of a town for pizza, but this place more than makes up for it. The plain slices are great, but even the fancier ones (like the Fantasy) don't gild the lily. Free liva jazz Thursday nights at the 21st Ave. location (between Vandy and Hillsboro Village); there's another smaller shop on Granny White/12th Ave. across from Lipscomb.

Mid-range

 • Sole Mio. Long considered Nashville's best Italian restaurants, this place excels even in its new, viewless location on 3rd Ave. downtown - and, impressively, manages to keep its prices low. Subtle variations on traditional dishes keep things interesting, and the service is great. Seafood dishes and homemade ravioli are great.
 • Cafe Nonna. Another well-liked Italian restaurant, this intimate neighborhood place keeps its menu small and its dishes impeccably prepared. With the fresh ingredients and simple preparation, you might as easily be in some Tuscan hill town. On Murphy Road in Sylvan Park.
 • Alabama Grill. Associated with the country band Alabama, this is a good place to eat, located inside Opry Mills Mall.
 • Goldie's Deli. One of Nashville's best (and only) Jewish delis, located in one of Nashville's WASPiest neighborhoods. Similar to Jersey Mike's, though a bit more expensive. Next to the Belle Meade Kroger on Harding Road.
 • Rosepepper Grille and Cantina. A neighborhood favorite for several years now, this popular and upbeat nouveau Mexican place is on Eastland Street in East Nashville, a bit off the tourist's beaten path.
 • Jack's Barbeque. Don't miss this authentic Tennessee (actually, it is primarily "Texas-style") barbecue joint right beside the Ryman Auditorium. Located on Lower Broadway -- just look for the neon sign featuring flying pigs!
 • Pancake Pantry. A Nashville landmark and basically the best place in town for breakfast, anytime before 3pm. The frosted haired waitresses will call you "honey," and the pancakes will be better than you'd ever realized pancakes could be. Don't be daunted by the line snaking around the block on weekends; it moves quickly, and you get free coffee while you wait.
 • San Antonio Taco Company, or SATCO. Always a favorite with Vandy kids, offering reliable Tex-Mex food and cheap buckets of beer. Right off the Vanderbilt campus. Stop by Ben & Jerry's next door for dessert. Caveat: Towing in this area can be ruthless. Check the signs wherever you park.

Splurge

 • Basante's. Considered by many to be one of the best Italian restaurants in Nashville, with decent pricing. Located across from the Green Hills Mall; the West End location has closed.
 • Mario's. A five star restaurant located off of Music Row (18th Ave S.).
 • Sunset Grille. Consistently voted one of Nashville's best restaurants, this friendly place in Hillsboro Village has an excellent, inexpensive late-night menu.
 • F. Scott's. Usually ranked as one of Nashville's best restaurants. If you go after 9pm on any night, all entrees are half price, which makes it quite affordable - not to mention atmospheric, as by that time there's a jazz band playing in the other room. Occasionally the chefs get overambitious and fall short, but most dishes - especially appetizers, vegetables, fowl, and beef - are fantastic.
 • Saffire. Relaxed, upscale, and well worth the fifteen minutes on I-65 South, this restaurant in the Factory shopping center in Franklin has a reputation for excellent food. It's not too expensive, either, and often has live music.

Drink

 • Station Inn is a bit of a time warp, especially located in the middle of the now trendy Gulch area of 12th Ave. Its excellent bluegrass and old-time Americana shows have drawn loyal patrons for decades.
 • Tootsie's Orchid Lounge is one of the few denizens of lower Broad that looks like it's been there for half a century - and it has. An old honkytonk where many major country stars got their starts.
 • Windows on the Cumberland has a good beer selection, a great view of the river, and even better live bands, especially jazz.
 • Mercy Lounge is a welcome new addition to the bar scene. Its many red pool tables, large deck, friendly vibe, and live band karaoke nights add to its charm. Somewhat hard to find, on Cannery Row off 8th Ave. downtown.
 • The Basement, on 8th Ave. S., is intimate but not cramped; owner and man-around-town Mike Grimes books everything from country singer-songwriters to young noise bands. Above the venue is Grimey's, his record store that consistently is voted best independent record store in Nashville.
 • Springwater, next to Centennial Park, is one of Nashville's most reliable dive bars and often hosts underground and noisy local and touring bands. Once a speakeasy, later a hangout for Jimmy Hoffa, now host to a strange mix of local drunks, slumming Vandy kids, and musicians. Pool table, arcade games, good jukebox, good booker, a cheap beer-only bar, and a large screened-in cement block porch. Don't miss its regular Working Stiffs Jamboree.
 • Lipstick Lounge in East Nashville is the city's sole lesbian bar but welcomes everyone. Laidback, neighborhoody atmosphere. Karaoke on Tuesdays.
 • Exit/In on Elliston Place has been a standby for mid-level touring bands of all varieties for decades. Check out the names of past performers over the bar.
 • The End, located just across from Exit/In on Elliston, regularly books reliable indie rock bands, both local and nationally known.
 • Bluebird Cafe, with its unlikely location in a strip mall in Green Hills, has long been the destination of choice for local and national songwriters, fans of songwriters, and label scouts. Expect schmoozing, sets in-the-round, and lines around the block.
 • Douglas Corner Cafe on 8th Ave. is another major venue for songwriters hoping to be discovered as well as established songwriters revisiting their old haunts. Open mic nights every week.
 • Wild Horse Saloon, on 2nd Ave. downtown, offers line-dancing lessons during the day. It is conveniently located near quite a few other bars and clubs aimed at country music fans and tourists downtown, most of which tend to be bustling on weekends.
 • Graham Central Station is a complex of a dance club downtown.
 • The Beer Sellar downtown is a fun place; it sometimes has all-you-can-drink evenings for around $20.
 • 3rd and Lindsley, just south of downtown and a little hard to find at the intersection of those two streets, offers loud country- and blues-rock from local and touring performers.
 • Cafe Coco isn't a bar, per se, but it does serve beer and remains open 24 hours every day. Expect to find studious Vandy kids, scene-making hipsters, and drunk everybody at night. Located just off Elliston behind the Exit/In.
 • Radio Cafe, located on Woodland in East Nashville just next to the Lipstick Lounge, is a relaxed and pleasant neighborhood bar that often features local bands and songwriters on its small stage.
 • Bar 23 in the Gulch is where you'll go to be seen and to feel like you're, well, not in Nashville. Usually populated by girls in designer jeans and lots of young professionals trying to loosen their ties.
 • Three Crow Bar in the Five Points area of East Nashville is the linchpin in a cluster of bars all within a stone's throw of one another: Red Door Saloon, which also has an outpost in midtown; The 5 Spot, a pleasant nonsmoking spot that often books local bands; Beyond the Edge, a large sports bar; the Alley Cat, a popular neighborhood hangout with good food selection; and more.