When brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg opened a bar in their hometown in 2003, Nashville was more than a decade away from becoming bachelorette-party-central. The bar (now closed) was in The Gulch, then a rundown corner of Downtown without many businesses. “We typically have not gone for what people consider the hot area,” Max says. More than two decades later, The Gulch is an expensive LEED-certified neighborhood whose former warehouses have been turned into loft apartments and creative spaces.
Today, the Goldberg brothers and chef Josh Habiger run Strategic Hospitality, which has 11 bars and restaurants across town. “If we love a space, we’ll fight tooth and nail to make it happen—whether other people think it makes sense or not,” Bejamin says. Beneath the brothers’ passion for food is a serious devotion to their home city. “We’ve never opened a business purely for the financial gain,” Benjamin says. “We opened it because we think it’s something that’s going to make the city of Nashville—the city we grew up in—better.”
Here are five Nashville neighborhoods where visitors can eat well, hear live music, and relive some transformational history.
At City House in Nashville, expect pizzas with toppings like bacon, leek, and scamorza.
Photo courtesy of City House
Germantown
Best for: Minor League baseball
Today, the most German thing about Germantown—settled by immigrants from Deutschland in 1865—is the neighborhood’s annual Oktoberfest, the first weekend in October. Catch a Nashville Sounds minor league baseball game, see a concert and go bowling at Brooklyn Bowl, and take in exhibitions at the Tennessee State Museum covering history from the Ice Age to present day and the state’s musical heritage. The indoor-outdoor Nashville Farmers’ Market combines a traditional fresh food market with a food hall.
Where to eat
Happy hour runs from 5-6 p.m. at seafood spot Henrietta Red, where you can slurp $2 oysters and sip cava and rosé at $7 per glass. Go for dinner at Rolf and Daughters—a favorite of Roman Josi, captain of NHL team the Nashville Predators—and tuck into New American dishes like heirloom tomatoes with prosciutto, yuzu, and Parmesan. Over at City House, it’s Italian-by-way-of-the-South—think a pizza with peaches, jalapeño crema, and buttermilk cheddar.
Where to stay
Book now: Germantown Inn
Each of the ten suites in this 1865 Federal-style home-turned-hotel is named for a historical figure, such as Rosa Parks and Susan B. Anthony. Included in the room rate is a continental breakfast each morning in the bright parlor, or guests can also sit outdoors with a cup of tea on the leafy patio.
The National Museum of African American Music is the world’s only museum showcasing the vast array of music created or influenced by African Americans.
Courtesy of the National Museum of African American Music
Downtown and The Gulch
Best for: Unbeatable live music in the center of the city
Downtown Nashville is positively heaving with things to do, see, and eat, from late night music to one of the most unique museums in the country. Benjamin says Ryman Auditorium is “the best place in town to see live music,” with Max adding that “locals call it ‘the Church,’ because there are pews inside and the acoustics are amazing. Tom Ryman, a steamboat captain, built it as a place of worship in 1885. [...] The space kept evolving, and in 1943, the Grand Ole Opry started hosting its radio show there. It’s still a concert venue where everyone from Bob Dylan to Vampire Weekend has played. It’s a magical place.”
The duo also recommends Robert’s Western World, “where you’ll find the best honky-tonk on Lower Broadway, in our opinion,” Max says. “Robert’s is one of those places where you can stumble in at any moment and hear some of the best music of your life.”
Not to be missed is the National Museum of African American Music, a 56,000-square-foot space whose six galleries celebrate the 50-plus music genres and styles created and inspired by African Americans—from the music of enslaved people through blues, jazz, gospel, and up to contemporary R&B and hip hop.
To learn more about The Gulch and its transformation from 1850s railroad hub to the trendy area it is today, try Nashville Sites’ self-guided walking tour.
Where to eat
For Nashville Hot Chicken, head straight to Party Fowl in The Gulch, which nails both the puns and its fried birds. The heat scale runs from “southern friend” (no heat) to the beyond-tongue-tingling “poultrygeist”, dusted with cayenne, habañero, ghost, scorpion, and Carolina peppers. Barbecue is another must, and two downtown spots are beloved for their wings, pulled pork, and brisket. Martin’s Bar-B-Que, a four-state chain whose downtown branch has a beer garden and live music, and Gulch favorite Peg Leg Porker BBQ, where you can start with loaded nachos before moving on to the main event (barbecue).
Where to stay
Book now: The Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection
Nashville’s former train station was open from 1900 to 1979 and, following a multi-million dollar renovation in 2023, the Romanesque revival building is now the Union Station Nashville Yards. The property has live music nightly in its lobby-level bar, complete with marble floors, large chandeliers, and a stained-glass ceiling that’s 65 feet tall and barrel-vaulted. The 125 guest rooms are minimalist, with contemporary furniture and a neutral palette, and some have patios.
Families with young children can spend hours in the Adventure Science Center’s planetarium and interactive installations.
Photo courtesy Nashville CVC
Wedgewood Houston
Best for: Fewer tourists
Once a heavily industrial area, Wedgewood Houston is now a hub for creatives just a few minutes’ drive from Downtown, with art galleries, creative spaces, and plenty of places to eat. Families with young children can pass hours at the Adventure Science Center with its planetarium, fossil gallery, flight simulator, and a climbing structure that offers lessons on earth science. Spend the afternoon sipping at brewery Diskin Cider, where you can hang on the patio with a glass of seasonal chai cider in hand before walking over to a game at Geodis Park, home to Nashville Soccer Club.
Where to eat
Bastion, run by the Goldbergs and their partner chef Josh Habiger, is within a pair of 1885 buildings known as the Houston Station, formerly a hosiery mill and a syrup company. The space is half boisterous cocktail bar, half 24-seat, reservations-only restaurant; on one side you can sip tipples like Air Tight (tequila, Pimm’s, passion fruit, lime, and almond) and, on the other, pick your way through up to 15 small dishes from a bingo-card style menu. Italian joint Iggy’s has a tight menu of pastas (including house-made gluten-free options) like orecchiette with fermented spring garlic, preserved lemon, and Belper Knolle cheese.
Where to stay
Book now: Soho House Nashville
You don’t need to be a member to stay at Soho House Nashville, a former sock factory housing 47 rooms with original brick walls and parquet floors, headboards in velvet, bouclé, or leather, and warm lighting.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que has an outpost in 12 South where you can feast on its brisket and wings.
Photo courtesy of Nashville CVC
12 South
Best for: Walking everywhere
This micro-neighborhood stretches just half a mile along 12th Avenue South, and you can happily while away an afternoon here popping into boutiques, posing in front of colorful murals, and eating everything from a babka croissant to slabs of barbecued brisket. Stop into jewelry designer Judith Bright’s studio to look at her delicate birthstone necklaces in gold; gift shop Serendipity, which has been selling children’s books, socks, and tote bags for more than 20 years, or fragrance shop Ranger Station for candles in scents like Tennessee tomato.
Where to eat
Edley’s Bar-B-Que has an outpost here where you can go to town on wings or pork tacos. At The Butter Milk Ranch, the scent of fresh pastries like a dark chocolate and dulce de leche cruffin is enough to make you salivate. Located in a former car wash, Urban Grub serves southern-learning seafood (shrimp and grits or gulf oysters) and is also known for its weekend all-you-can-eat seafood and charcuterie bars. James Beard Award-winning chef Jake Howell recommends Locust for its “insanely memorable dishes.” The restaurant is open Fridays-Sundays only and is one of the toughest reservations in town, with a tiny seafood- and meat-focused menu. Book ahead for lunch or dinner, or try your luck for a walk-in seat on the patio (weekends only).
Where to stay
Book now: Caroline House Nashville Historic Inn
A handsomely restored 1921 house on a leafy, quiet street, Caroline House has four queen rooms and one studio (complete with its own billiards table). Ashley Rose and her husband, Michael, are the consummate hosts—you’ll be welcomed with bubbly, encouraged to make yourself at home on the front porch or covered back patio, and offered a locally-baked treat each evening. Breakfast at four nearby restaurants is included in the room rates, so you can munch on biscuits one day and breakfast tacos the next.
East Nashville, across the Cumberland River from Downtown, is buzzing with some of the city’s top places to eat and drink.
Courtesy Nashville CVC
East Nashville
Best for: Bar- and restaurant-hopping
Across the Cumberland River from Downtown is sprawling East Nashville. You’ll eat well in this neighborhood, so consider starting the day by burning some energy while kayaking on the Cumberland with River Queen Voyages or Cumberland Kayak Adventure. Be sure to check the calendar of Riverside Revival, a former church-turned-community-focused events space that hosts concerts, film screenings, other performances, and even barbecues. If you’re in town the second weekend of August and you love tomatoes, you’ll be in heaven at Tomato Fest. Imagine two days of art, concerts, a parade, kids’ activities, and tons of food options, all celebrating one of summer’s most cherished vegetables (or is it a fruit?). For a wearable souvenir, peruse the racks at N.B. Goods for a vintage hat or T-shirt.
Where to eat
Brewery/beer garden East Nashville Beerworks caters to parents who want a pint. Kids can run wild in the full playground while adults sip one of the 25-plus beers on tap and munch on pizza (vegan and cauliflower crust pies are available). Pints and pub grub are also on the menu at Dino’s, which claims to be Nashville’s oldest dive bar. Go for an early happy hour at Lockeland Table, which serves $7 snacks and cocktails (like crab and corn fritters plus gin gimlets), with a portion of proceeds supporting local public schools. Parked outside day-glo tiki bar Chopper is James Beard Award semifinalist Julio Hernandez’s taco truck, Maiz de la Vida, where long lines attest to the allure of their quesabirria.
Where to stay
Book now: Urban Cowboy Nashville
The seven rooms and one free-standing cabin at Urban Cowboy Nashville combine two distinct vibes: Wild West and Victorian. The building itself is an 1800s Queen-Anne-style house, and the rooms have beautiful hardwood floors, clawfoot tubs, and chandeliers, with Pendleton-style blankets and patterns on the ceiling and walls.
This article was originally published in 2017 and most recently updated on August 5, 2025, with current information.
