Tucked away deep in Belle Meade, Cheekwood is Nashville’s botanic garden. The sprawling estates include fields of flowers, Japanese gardens, and a historic mansion with rotating art exhibits. May will be a beautiful time to visit! J&E Pro Tip: pick up a sandwich or salad from somewhere on this list and bring it with you to enjoy as a picnic at the gardens!
Nashville’s family friendly science museum features interactive exhibits on technology, ecology, and the human body, as well as a planetarium with daily shows and movies. The center is located in the WeHo neighborhood near Fort Neagley, for any interested Civil War history buffs.
If you’ve ever spoken to Elaine and Jacob, you’ve likely heard them extol the wonders of the Nashville Zoo. A kangaroo enclosure where you can walk amongst the Australian marsupials (and pet them, if you’re lucky)! Meerkats! Red pandas! A brand new Africa wing has just opened, featuring big cats, rhinoceros, and giraffes! J&E Pro Tip: Ask a staff member if there are any baby animals you can see at the Veterinary Center located past the Komodo dragon.
Opryland, USA is one-stop shopping if you’re looking for one of the quintessential tourist experiences in Nashville. The resort contains beautiful indoor gardens, waterfalls, and rivers to provide the perfect backdrop for a leisurely indoor stroll or a coffee in one of their cafes. Nearby, you can visit the historic Grand Ole Opry and the Opry Mills Outlet Mall.
We love this cute and friendly bookstore in our East Nashville neighborhood. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in curation; from BookTok fantasy to classic literature to David Foster Wallace, Novelette will have something you like. Grab a book for the flight home!
This beautiful boutique studio is second to none. Whether you’re looking for a restorative workout or something more challenging, you’ll find it in Forza’s small, well-tailored classes. Remember to book your spots early, these classes fill up quickly! J&E Pro Tip: Say hi to our friend Sydney, the founder and owner!
Jacob’s gym is a no-frills weights gym. There are only three rules here: no bags on the floor, don’t break the mirrors, and rerack your weights. Guest pass is $10/day. J&E Fun Fact: Gym 5 recently became the home gym for American strongman Evan “T-Rex” Singleton.
Formerly known as JMAS Burritos, the staff of this food truck recognize us on sight (and frequently by our usual order). This is the best Americanized breakfast burrito in Nashville, and we will die on that hill. The burritos are big and incredibly well-priced; you cannot make a mistake going here. J&E Pro Tip: Snag a coffee from Tabla Rasa while you wait for your burrito. Check out the vinyl store across the street.
This French bakery, coffee shop, and market manages to ride the line between cozy neighborhood spot and upscale boulangerie. It’s a great place to settle down with a book or bring a friend for a little date. J&E Pro Tip: Pastries come out at 8am, bread and lunch-y sandwiches at 10am. We heartily recommend the breakfast sandwich, which is available at any time.
A few blocks off Broadway, this downtown bakery just doesn’t miss. Croissants? Flaky, buttery, laminated. Pastries? Delicious, balanced, and varied. The breakfast sandwiches? Indescribable. If you’re staying downtown, this is the place for breakfast before you check out live music at the honky tonks on Broadway.
Before stumbling onto this diamond hidden in Inglewood, East Nashville, Jacob feared he’d never find a great (or even good) bagel in Nashville. If you, too, have been living in a bagel desert, this is the place to go. (Also on Uber Eats!). Plus, Mr. Aaron is a pillar of the community, providing a food pantry to anyone in need. J&E Pro Tip: You can’t make a mistake ordering anything here, but a bagel with lox, a BEC/SEC, or a jalapeño cheddar bagel are great places to start.
This brunch spot is the Instagram brunch spot. The food is delicious, the pastries are tantalizing, and it’s a great jumping off point for a morning spent walking and shopping on 12 South (similar to Park Ave, for any Central Florida natives). J&E Fun Fact: We had breakfast here before a Barbenheimer-esque double feature: Kung Dune Panda 4.
Jacob ardently maintains that this Tex-Mex spot, famous for making their own delicious tortillas, is actually home to the best burger in Nashville: the Green Chile Cheeseburger. But order anything and enjoy a pleasant East Nashville breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Nashville Hot Chicken is hotly contested. However, in our opinion, this Parthenon-adjacent spot is one of the best. Order your hot chicken at the window (and trust them on the spice levels), then grab a seat in the dive bar next door to wait for your food. Walk off this delicious lunch in Centennial Park and admire the best (and maybe the only) Parthenon on this side of the Aegean.
We don’t recommend salads lightly, but this place is worth it. Your salad will be fresh, locally-sourced, delicious, and fairly-priced. Elaine loves to make her own, while Jacob is a fan of the Kale Caesar. Greenery Co. is located in the middle of the Hillsboro Village shopping area, and is a perfect start or finish to a visit to the Vanderbilt University campus. J&E Pro Tip: If you’re going during the lunch rush, consider placing your order online ahead of time. Otherwise, you will compete with what seems to be every doctor and nurse at Vanderbilt Hospital.
Hey Bill! This East Nashville spot is our favorite place to stop for lunch before a trip to Cheekwood or our couch. Each week, this lunch-only sandwich place creates a new menu of six sandwiches, along with delicious sides and other treats. J&E Pro Tip: If the Rachel Green is on the menu, get it. Get two, even.
A satellite location of the famous New Orleans Turkey and the Wolf, the Icehouse is a great place for a drink and whatever the twisted minds in the kitchen can come up with. Their regular menu contains amazing Italian cold cut sandwiches, a delicious collard green melt, and a fried bologna sandwich. Check out their specials, see if something speaks to you, or if they’re hosting a live music pop up. And look forward to eating from your favorite vintage plates.
A neighborhood spot in the style and cuisine of a Japanese lunch counter, Kisser is always one of our strongest recommendations. It’s only open for lunch, but Kisser has just begun taking reservations! It’s located in a small shopping area, with a brewery and a few boutiques. J&E Pro Tip: Must order all three onigiri, the chirashi bowl, and the beef tartare. Ask for recommendations.
You should eat here. Everyone should. This East Nashville restaurant honors and alters Japanese wood-fired cuisine and is the perfect place for a nice date night. We love the tuna crispy rice, the smoked fish dip, the hamachi crudo, the wagyu tartare, and pretty much everything else.
This is arguably our favorite restaurant in Nashville, and it’s certainly where we go the most. Folk is upscale American with an Italian spin (but doesn’t get super heavy like your usual Italian restaurants). We heartily recommend everything, but we can’t leave without getting the clam pizza (they get the clams fresh from the Gulf daily). Trust us. Also a great wine program! J&E Fun Fact: We go to Folk to celebrate the good days and soften the bad ones. It’s a beautiful place for a patio date night, a great spot to bring parents, or the perfect place to pick up two clam pizzas after a long day.
This is sneakily an incredible pizza (Might be Top 2, and not 2). Smith and Lentz is a very casual brewery and pizza place, and is great for big or small groups. They brew their beer in house, and the pizzas are generously-sized. J&E Pro Tip: We like the white pizza, but they’re all great. The garlic bread is also a constant crowd-pleaser.
This Mediterranean restaurant just a block away from our house is another perfect brunch/lunch spot, especially if you can get seated in the inner courtyard. The whipped feta should be required ordering, but you can’t go wrong here.
If you’re looking for a coursed dinner that is both incredibly affordable and mostly plant-based, Fancypants is the place to go. This restaurant is a relative newcomer to Nashville, but is well worth a trip, especially if you’re here for a long weekend.
Housed inside an old church, Bad Idea is dishing out delicious and beautiful Laotian and French food, and has been awarded multiple times for their wine program. Perfect for a drink and a few quick bites or a real meal, this Five Points-located spot is a great start to a great evening.
We recently tried this James Beard-awarded Iberian restaurant just down the road, and our only complaint was that we didn’t try it sooner. Make a reservation, order anything and everything, and then tell us what you got.
Baja-style tacos, elote, and large margaritas. Mas Tacos is quick, easy, and delicious. It might sound weird, but get the chicken tortilla soup. It’s one of the best soups Jacob has ever had. J&E Pro Tip: If the line at the window is too long, step inside and order drinks and food from the bar. Also, there’s a cool little thrift store next door!
Delicious artisan wood-fired pizza and one of the best Caesar salads you’ve ever had, hands down. Sho is great for light bites and drinks, or get your own pizza for a real meal! J&E Pro Tip: I know we told you to get the Caesar salad only a few words ago, but it’s just that good.
A frequent choice by Jacob and Elaine, Bite a Bit Thai & Sushi is slinging high quality sushi alongside your classic Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and other mainstays. This place has great ambiance and is always busy! J&E Pro Tip: The baby octopus nigiri is exactly what it sounds like. It’s good. But it’s right there on the label.
This is a delicious Atlanta-based seafood restaurant located on the edge of the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville. Cool bar. Good food. Nice people. If you’re looking to explore Germantown, keep this one on your list.
Virago sushi featured prominently in the early part of our relationship (especially on Maki Sake Mondays, where you can get 2-for-1 drinks and half-price rolls). Don’t let the Monday discount fool you, Virago is fancy, but not obnoxious. Half intimate sushi restaurant, half speakeasy bar, this downtown restaurant won’t disappoint. J&E Pro Tip: Get a few rolls, but also order the rock shrimp. Unbelievable.
This is the best cake bakery in the city. You’ll find it, strangely enough, right on 8th Ave. Place an order for pick up or stop in and ask for recommendations. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, satisfy it here. J&E Pro Tip: Elaine is a particular fan of their funfetti cake. Also, if you’re buying a cowboy hat and/or boots while in Nashville (when in Rome, do as the bachelorettes do), there are a few spots nearby that aren’t subject to the hordes on Broadway itself.