Best New Restaurants - Nashville 2026

Three restaurants opened in 2026 worth actually talking about. Here they are.

Early 2026 brought the usual wave — new concepts, soft opens, a lot of noise. Most of it isn't here because most of it isn't ready. Zaytinya is the biggest name on the list and earns it — Jose Andres concepts travel well when the fundamentals are in place, and they are. Lion's Share arrived with a clear point of view and hasn't flinched from it. Bar Mar is doing something specific enough that it either works completely or doesn't work at all — it works. This list will grow if something earns it. Right now, this is what's worth your time.

Zaytinya

The Gulch
$$$
Mediterranean, Greek, Lebanese, Turkish
Damn Good

Zaytinya is Jose Andres doing Eastern Mediterranean in The Gulch. Better than it has any obligation to be.

zaytinya

Lion’s Share

Sylvan Park
Pub, American, Dive Bar
Not Reviewed

Lion's Share is chef Robbie Wilson's Sylvan Park hearth-cooking restaurant, from the team behind Bird Dog and Le Fantastique. Not open yet as of this writing.

lions-share

Bar Mar

The Gulch
Mediterranean, Greek, Lebanese, Turkish
Damn Good

Bar Mar is Jean-Georges doing Spanish coastal in The Gulch. Technically accomplished, genuinely enjoyable.

bar-mar