Exactly a year ago I went to Nashville for four days of eating, drinking, shopping, dancing, and memory-making with my very best friend Meliss. ? Nashville had always been super high on my “to visit list”, so when the two of us started kicking ideas around for a long weekend girls trip, it seemed like the perfect spot! Ever since then, a ton of family and friends have asked me for travel recommendations. It seems like everyone I know is heading there lately, which totally makes sense because it’s a super easy drive from Wisconsin! Or so I’ve heard… Melissa and I definitely flew because road trips are not my jam #CarSick ? Anyways, after getting a couple of requests for a travel guide, I decided to throw one together a year later. I hadn’t started Thirty Four-Seven yet while we were there, so I definitely was not in the mindset of photographing everything we did like I would now. I didn’t have Blogger Brain yet ? Regardless, I still have a decent amount of photos to include that show you what a good time we had. ☺️ Nashville really was one of the best cities I’ve been to; the vibe is sort of Midwestern and Southern all at the same time, which I loved. You HAVE to check it out for yourself ❤️
FOOD:
The Flipside– Head here for brunch…the most important meal of the day! This is where you’ll find the bloody mary (pictured above) that literally has an entire meal in it. TWO crab legs people! Also, their signature “Jack’s Best” pounded chicken breast creations were crazy good. The interior has an adorable 1950s-diner-vibe and the staff was one of the best we met on our trip.
Le Sel– We went here for a fancier dinner one night and it was SO gorgeous. They call themselves a French Brasserie in the heart of Nashville, offering both traditional French dishes and more modern twists. The interior made me swoon- pastel pink velvet booths, neon signs, and gorgeous artwork. Everything about this place just felt chic. I ordered “Moules Frites” (mussels and fries) and it brought me back to sitting at a little place in Nice, France 6 months earlier with the same meal in front of me ??❤️ I will admit that this is not the most traditional Nashville experience, but still one that I would absolutely recommend!
Local Taco– This was a quick, cheap, and really good lunch option! We stopped here in between stores while shopping in East Nashville, and ended up staying to have two-for-one margaritas during their happy hour. A lot of the tacos were Nashville influenced (the Hot Chicken one… OMG), which made it a little more interesting than I was expecting. Also, the salsa verde was bomb! ?
The Treehouse– An awesome place for late-night-eats. You could also come here during normal dinner hours, but while researching before our trip I fell in love with the late night menu. There is a huge treehouse in the back of the restaurant (hence the name), but you have to have a group of 6+ to reserve so we weren’t able to check it out. The menu is a mix of food and drinks that you would view as both “fancy” and “not fancy”. Like, Melissa ordered two legs of fried chicken and a pretty looking cocktail, while I ordered beef tartare and a tall boy PBR. I dug the variety, and the interior just had a really cool, laid-back vibe.
Five Daughters Bakery– The cutest little sweet tooth spot! Stop here for a donut and just admire the décor because the building is freakin’ adorable. ?
DRINKS:
The Patterson House– (!!!!!!) You guys, this is my top takeaway from Nashville. It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good craft cocktail, and I think this may be the best cocktail bar I’ve ever been to. The bar only holds about 80 people, and the rule is first come, first served. You sit in the waiting room until other parties leave to make room. I know it seems like I’m not selling this… why would you want to wait in line to sit in an empty bar? I promise, SO worth it. The second you get past the waiting room curtain, you feel like you stepped back in time 100 years. The bartenders are polite and knowledgeable- wearing bowties, suspenders, and some even sporting handlebar mustaches. The inside of the bar is super luxurious and dimly lit. The overall vibe is very intimate and comfortable and cocktail menu is just SO well done. It offers some ridiculously creative drinks and there’s literally something for everyone. This will be my first, middle, and last stop the next time I’m in town. PLEASE try it ?
Tootsies– I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but if you’re looking for a crazy night out, head over to Broadway. Some people will be all “it’s a tourist trap!”, but in this case my answer would be “so what?” ??♀️ Amongst other things, we all go to Nashville to get a little wild, and if that’s what you’re goin for, head over to Tootsies (or really any other bar on Broadway), shove your way through the crowd, and party on the rooftop ?
NO. 308– This was another awesome craft cocktail bar we hit up in East Nashville. We stopped in on a Monday night at like 9pm so it was pretty dead, but I’ve seen on their website that they host events and dance parties on the weekend that look really fun ??
Rumors East– This is actually a restaurant, but we happened to walk by while exploring East Nashville at night and spotted the dreamy back patio. We stopped in for a couple of cocktails, and the backyard filled with string lights was soo pretty at night. I’m all about a place with an enjoyable outdoor seating situation, so this was a win in my book!
Barista Parlor– These guys are serious about their coffee. The space is so cool, and the amount of options is almost overwhelming. If you need a pick me up on your trip, this is the place to get it. ☕️
ACTIVITIES:
Sprocket Rocket Pedal Tavern– I feel like this was also a “touristy” thing to do, and once again, don’t care ?? We had so much fun!! Melissa actually got scolded for doing too much dancing and not enough pedaling LOL. We had originally planned to grab dinner and have a “chill night” after we were done, but were so pumped up that we went straight to Broadway and danced at a dueling piano bar all night! ?
Pinewood Social– This really could fall under food/drinks/or activities… which is the coolest part about it! Pinewood Social is a bar/restaurant/coffee shop that also has a bowling alley and swimming pool onsite. Whoa! Am I right? We brunched here and our food was great, then changed into swimsuits and relaxed by the pool for a couple of hours. It’s such a smart concept; you seriously could stay here all day! ☀️
SHOPPING:
12 South– There are soo many stores in this neighborhood that it just wouldn’t make sense for me to list them individually. You need to spend a day exploring! Shopping, restaurants…WALL MURALS. You know that “I believe in Nashville” wall that you’re all itching to instagram? 12 South. You’re welcome ?
The Hip Zipper– There are also a ton of places to shop in East Nashville, but the one that really stuck out to me was The Hip Zipper. This vintage shop was a dream to browse through. Perfectly curated and decently priced.
OTHER RECS:
Even though we squeezed a TON into our time in Nashville, there were still some things that I really hoped to eat or see and didn’t get to. There are only so many hours (and meals ?) available in one trip. Here are the places that are on my list for next time:
Marche
Biscuit Love
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor
The Bluebird Cafe
Olde Made Good
Skull’s Rainbow Room
Greenhouse Bar
Alright ya’ll now that I’m getting super nostalgic, I think it’s time to wrap this up. I’m really happy that I finally made time to throw this resource together for anyone traveling to Nashville soon! As I’ve mentioned I WILL be back. What’s your favorite Nashville hangout? Leave it in the comments below! I’m not the only one who has had a good time in this city, so you might as well keep on adding to the suggestions ☺️
If you hit up any of my recommendations on your trip, or just travel anywhere cool in general, be sure to hashtag #347Travels ✈️ I love to see where your adventures take you ?
Xo Amanda