The Top New Restaurants & Bars of 2018 (So Far)

September 22, 2020 | Advertising Disclosure | Our Partners may be mentioned in this article.

Drive down any of Nashville’s streets and you know development is booming in Music City. It can be difficult to keep up with the changes, so here is Nashville Guru’s list of the top new restaurants and bars of 2018, plus what’s coming later this year. Check ’em out below!

THE TOP NEW RESTAURANTS AND BARS OF 2018 (SO FAR)

Some of these hot spots serve incredible dishes, while others offer an atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else in town. If you haven’t been to these new bars and restaurants yet, put them on your must-try list.

IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Lyra

Photo Credit: Lyra

  • Neighborhood: East Nashville
  • Reason to go: Modern Middle Eastern cuisine from long-time Nashville chef Hrant Arakelia
  • When it opened: June 2018

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Flamingo Cocktail Club

  • Neighborhood: Wedgewood-Houston
  • Reason to go: Seasonal cocktails and all-night dancing in a flamingo-pink former church
  • When it opened: May 2018

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Five Points Pizza – West

  • Neighborhood: Sylvan Park
  • Reason to go: Those perfectly crispy crusts from this joint’s East Nashville post, plus more seating and parking options
  • When it opened: May 2018

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Folk

  • Neighborhood: East Nashville
  • Reason to go: Great pizza and neighborhood hangs courtesy of Rolf and Daughters mastermind Philip Krajeck
  • When it opened: April 2018

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Sunda

  • Neighborhood: The Gulch
  • Reason to go: Upscale Asian fusion (including sake flights!) by way of Chicago
  • When it opened: April 2018

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House of Cards

Photo Credit: House of Cards

  • Neighborhood: SoBro
  • Reason to go: A mesmerizing evening complete with live magic, a dress code, and delicious food
  • When it opened: April 2018

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Rare Bird

  • Neighborhood: Downtown
  • Reason to go: Fabulous drinks, nibbles, and Instagram ops while perched atop Noelle hotel
  • When it opened: March 2018

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Emmy Squared

  • Neighborhood: The Gulch
  • Reason to go: Detroit-style pizzas—which are cut into the restaurant’s namesake “squares”—plus sandwiches and alcoholic beverages
  • When it opened: March 2018

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Geist

  • Neighborhood: Germantown
  • Reason to go: This beautifully restored blacksmith shop now features a winning menu and a lively champagne garden
  • When it opened: March 2018

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Walden

  • Neighborhood: East Nashville
  • Reason to go: Trendy-yet-affordable cocktails and bites in industrial-chic quarters
  • When it opened: March 2018

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Nada

  • Neighborhood: Midtown
  • Reason to go: Creative tacos, an assortment of tequilas, ample seating—”nada” to complain about here
  • When it opened: January 2018

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Woolworth on 5th

  • Neighborhood: Downtown
  • Reason to go: The Southern-flair dishes come second to the off-menu history lessons served at this former site of Civil Rights–era lunch-counter sit-ins
  • When it opened: February 2018

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COMING IN 2018

The Most Anticipated New Restaurants & Bars Opening Soon in Nashville

These are some of the most buzz-worthy bars, restaurants, and fast-casual places slated to open during the second half of 2018.

Pearl Diver

  • Neighborhood: East Nashville
  • What to expect: Tropical food and drinks that have made their way to East Nashville
  • When to expect it: Summer 2018

Get more details. 

Liberty Common

  • Neighborhood: SoBro
  • What to expect: A Southern brasserie with cafe vibes
  • When to expect it: Summer 2018

Get more details. 

Chopper Tiki Bar

  • Neighborhood: East Nashville
  • What to expect: Frozen cocktails of the South Seas in true tiki fashion
  • When to expect it: August 2018

Get more details.

Shake Shack

  • Neighborhood: Green Hills
  • What to expect: It’s the popular burger chain’s first location in Tennessee, so…pandemonium?
  • When to expect it: Mid-2018

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True Food Kitchen

  • Neighborhood: Green Hills
  • What to expect: Fresh, seasonal fare made with healthy, regional ingredients
  • When to expect it: Fall 2018

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Red Headed Stranger

  • Neighborhood: East Nashville
  • What to expect: Tacos, etc. from the team behind neighborhood favorite Butcher & Bee
  • When to expect it: TBA

Get more details. 

Gino’s East

  • Neighborhood: SoBro
  • What to expect: Piping hot pies from the noted Chicago deep dish purveyor
  • When to expect it: TBA

Get more details.

Watermark

  • Neighborhood: SoBro
  • What to expect: The long-awaited new digs for this upscale American restaurant
  • When to expect it: TBA

Get more details.

Excited about other new spots in Nashville? Let us know in the comments!

Written by Nashville Guru
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