After living in Nashville for 6 years I still love it like I did when I first visited. I can understand why so many people love this city because it’s still small enough that you run into friends, but give enough to have great food, activities, and shopping.

I’ve heard people grumble about all the new transplants moving to Nashville, but then a friend said, “It really just means more restaurants.” Which I LOVED because it’s true, but also it’s a great way to embrace the growth of our special (music) city.

So here’s my ultimate guide to Nashville. I’ll be updating it whenever I come across anything wonderful in the city, so check back frequently.

Music Venues in Nashville

Green Hills

Bluebird Cafe

West End

Commodore Grille

The Local

Hillsboro Village

Belcourt Taps

Midtown

Frisky Frogs

8th Ave

The Sutler

Douglas Corner

Downtown

Alley Taps

Food in Nashville

*If we have a favorite dish or item I’ll include it with the restaurant ** Some places I enjoy the food, but I LOVE the atmosphere, so if the places is a favorite for ambience and atmosphere I’ll add that to the recommendation

Desserts

East Nashville

Soda Parlor – the cookie monster sundae

West End

No Baked Cookie Dough – classic chocolate chip or cookie monster

Green Hills

Shake Shack – seasonal shakes; I haven’t had one I didn’t like

Midtown

Gigi’s Cupcakes – classic red velvet

Delivery

Tiff’s Treats (Cookie Delivery)

Mexican   

12 South

Bar Taco – What we order – Plantains, specialty taco (ask your server), street corn 

Taqueria Del Sol – What we order – Queso, Red Salsa, Fried Chicken Tacos, chowder   

8th Ave

Las Palmas – What we order – Shrimp Fajitas   

Franklin

Mojos Tacos – What we order – Queso, Hot chicken tacos

Southern and BBQ   

12 South

Edleys – What we order –pulled chicken

Urban Grub –What we order – aged meats   

8th Ave

Hattie B – What we order –hot chicken – medium and mac and cheese   

Loveless – What we order –fried chicken    

Downtown

The Southern – What we order – shrimp and grits    

The Stillery – What we order – Hot chicken cavatappi mac and cheese

Oak Steakhouse – What we order –brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, and Waygu beef

Brunch   

8th Ave

Fenwicks 300 – What we order –Monte Cristo (my husbands favorite) and Fenwicks basic and teddy graham latte   

12 South

Five Daughters – What we order –  King Kong  (but the seasonal donuts are also amazing! My favorite of all time is Birthday Cake, but it’s seasonal!) 

Hillsboro Village

Pancake Pantry – What we order – Apple Pancakes    *be there when they open, or go after 1pm, because on weekends this place is BUSY.

The Gulch

Biscuit Love – What we order – Bonuts   

Milk and Honey – atmosphere

East Nashville

Cafe Roze – atmosphere

Brentwood

First Watch – What we order – Biscuits and Turkey Gravy   

Puffy Muffin – What we order –Apple Cinnamon hot drink, gluten free toast, turkey sausage   

Japanese/Thai/Fusion

The Gulch

Otaku – What we order – The bao bun appetizer and Tonkatsu ramen

Coffee Shops in Nashville   

Edgehill

The Jam – What we order – Valentine, Peppermint Patty, PB and the Jam   

12 South

Frothy Monkey – atmosphere  

Wedgewood-Houston

Humphreys Coffee – What we order – Milky Oolong Tea

Downtown

Crema – What we order – the hot chocolate – best I’ve had in Nashville

Italian/American  

West End

Brick tops – skillet cookie, and millionaire’s bacon (while I don’t eat bacon I’ve been here with multiple people who love this bacon

The Gulch

Del frisco – ahi tacos

East Nashville

Five Points Pizza  What we order – Classic cheese or pepperoni  

Brentwood

Blaze Pizza    

Juice/Smoothie/Healthy

Berry Hill

Juice Bar – smoothies/juices – What we order – Orange You Smooth or Mint To Be

12 South

Franklin Juice Co. – What we order – Bom bom, or the seasonal peach smoothie bowl

Activities In, Around, or Near Nashville   

Hour drive from Nashville

• Arrington Vineyards  – a winery where you can have a picnic with a bottle of wine, they also have a barn with live music and tables 

• Jack Daniels Distillery – they offer multiple tours, that vary in length, but the distillery is in a dry county, so while they sell bottles they can only offer samples, there is no bar

Within Nashville but requires transportation from downtown

• Cheekwood Botanical Gardens – beautiful gardens with seasonal displays and topiaries   

• Grand Ole Opry – Outside Nashville adjacent to the Gaylord Opryland Resort 

• Belle Meade Plantation
• Centennial Park – Where the Parthenon of Nashville is located that has been a filming location for several movies

Within Downtown Nashville

• Pedal Tavern – a ridable bar that stops at different bars around downtown Nashville

• The Ryman Auditorium – Tours available as well as live music shows almost nightly

• Country Music Hall of Fame – a museum behind Bridgestone Arena with permanent displays and artifacts of country music history and also rotational displays and installations

Bars – *Nashville obviously has a downtown core that can be party central on the weekends. I’m going to list the more unique libation venues that are outside the typical tourist area

Midtown

Two Bits – a bar with fun drinks and vintage video games and arcade machines

Wedgewood Houston

Hemingway’s Hideaway – very unique drink menu, and great atmosphere

East Nashville

Pearl Diver – like being in a bar on a Hawaiian Island in the late 1960s

Edgehill

Old Glory – like a speak easy

Yoga Studios

Green Hills

CorePower Yoga – I love the classes here and the way they are structured. I also like that the lockers have actual locks not confusing key code systems

Brentwood

Epic Yoga – this yoga studio doesn’t have big fancy changing rooms, but it has great instructors

12 South

Fahrenheit Yoga – Fahrenheit recently moved to this location so I haven’t been here yet, but there old location was a rented space and it was great, so I can only imagine how great this studio will be. I love the large space, and that the classes only have so many slots so you’re not on top of other yogis.

Music Row

Shakti Yoga – Very cool location in an old house. This yoga studio is very vibe-y and is in such a cool neighborhood of Nashville. However, sometimes the classes are so packed that the mats are almost touching, that’s not my preference so I try to stick to the less busy times.

Hotels

Downtown

Omni Nashville – The brunch here on the weekends is wonderful, and the location if you want to be downtown is perfect. It’s very close to Broadway but also just far enough away that it’s not on Broadway.

The Gulch

Thompson Nashville – very hip. The Killebrew coffee shop inside is so chic, and the entire hotel is very well designed. The rooftop bar is amazing for taking in the views, but be warned it can be very loud on Friday/Saturday nights.

We decided to take a quick trip to Miami…specifically to South Beach!

We were taking the dogs for a walk in South Beach and we came upon a large Tuscan looking villa.  After some debate I decided to google it.  We turned out to be the mansion of the late Gianni Versace.  As fans of architecture, fashion, and style, we were of course transfixed for a moment taking it in.  After another delving search into google (thank goodness for google!), we discovered it was a boutique hotel and restaurant!  We were able to get a lunch reservation and it was kismet.

Inside the mansion is stunning.  To think of it as a private home is so indulgent.  There is a large open courtyard right in the center with the ascending floors having an open hallway to look over into the courtyard.  Although the courtyard is in the center, the centerpiece of this home is the pool and garden area.  

We sat overlooking this spot as we enjoyed a classic Italian meal.  The food was fresh and so satisfying and paired perfectly with the view.  Considering the fact that we were sitting just a few yards from the Atlantic ocean only made the experience all the more thrilling.

My advice if you are venturing to the Versace Mansion for your own opulent experience is to soak it in as much as you can.  The grand exterior foyer, the pool area, the library bar, the courtyard, and the ideas that must have followed through that space while Gianna Versace lived there.

I’ve been to Savannah once before, but only for lunch.  

So as we drove from South Carolina into downtown Savannah I was so looking forward to having the opportunity to take in more of a city I’ve heard so much about.  

Old Town

We first visited a cafe that was recommended to me, but it wasn’t really what we were looking for. We left the cafe and explored a bit of old town Savannah right on the water.  There is a great deal of Savannah that is historic and pre-Civil War because it was one of the very few cities spared from being irreparably burned during the Civil War.  

The Olde Pink House

We were planning on having lunch at the Olde Pink House, which is a historical beauty. Unfortunately this beautiful house recently had an interior fire and is now under repair.  However, when we stopped by we met the historian who was unbelievably knowledgable about Savannah. For that reason The Olde Pink House, is definitely on my list of recommendations, if for nothing else than to speak with the historian and learn about Savannah!

Alex Raskin Antiques

This was a discovery.  We happen to love antiques. Due to that, I was looking at various blogs online, reviews, and websites about the best antique stores to visit in Savannah. This is how I learned about Alex Raskin antiques.  What makes this shop INCREDIBLE is that fact that the home hasn’t been restored, but it hasn’t fallen into ruin either.  The house is a marvel of craftsmanship and would reminded me of the forbidden west wing in Beauty and the Beast.  The 5 story home (including the basement) has pieces of it’s history hidden in every room.  If you love history, romantic, macabre, imagination igniting spaces this is a must see.  The antiques inside aren’t just vintage paraphernalia either, some of them date back hundreds of years and come from far off lands.

Lady and Sons

This will always be a favorite of mine in Savannah and will always remind of this city. That’s because this was my first experience on our very short first trip to this southern gem!  This is the restaurant Paula Dean started with her two sons.  The food is truly southern food. Meaning massive portions of rich and decadent dishes. It’s a great stop for lunch or early dinner because the building is in a great neighborhood for walking to shops.  

The Southern Square

Because of Savannah escaped the fate of being burned to the ground, many of the square parks in the city remain.  What this means is the classic homes face onto a beautiful square park. It’s shared green space right in the heart of the city.  The largest park in Savannah is a right in the heart of the city, and is perfect for walking.  It’s very close to Alex Raskin antiques, so if you’re interested in both plan to see them around the same time.