Newroz is a restaurant in Nashville serving Kurdish and Middle Eastern cuisine in a casual, sit-down format. The menu emphasizes traditional preparations.

Newroz hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — Kurdish cuisine in Nashville is a category almost nobody is covering, and we should be.

Matryoshka is a restaurant in Nashville serving Eastern European and Russian-influenced cuisine. The menu emphasizes traditional dishes in a sit-down format.

Matryoshka hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — Eastern European cooking in Nashville is rare enough to be automatically interesting.

Herban Market is a café and market in Nashville offering prepared foods, smoothies, and grab-and-go items. The menu emphasizes daytime service and convenience.

Herban Market is Nashville's best plant-based market and cafe — the kind of place that makes vegan and vegetarian eating feel like a genuine choice rather than a concession.

Caffe Nonna is an Italian restaurant in Nashville focused on traditional pasta dishes and regional Italian cooking. The menu emphasizes classic preparations in a full-service format.

Caffe Nonna is a Sylvan Park Italian institution — handmade pasta, honest regional cooking, and the kind of neighborhood warmth that makes it feel like dinner at someone's grandmother's house.

Smiling Elephant is a Nashville restaurant serving Thai cuisine in a casual, sit-down format. The menu emphasizes traditional dishes and familiar flavors.

Smiling Elephant is a Nashville Thai staple that time has passed — once a reliable option, now outpaced by the city's improved Thai landscape.

The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club is a Nashville cocktail destination in a beautifully preserved vintage space — a serious bar program housed in a room that makes the experience feel like an event without being precious about it.

We haven't officially reviewed The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club yet — serious cocktails in a great room deserve the proper treatment.

Sushi Bar Nashville is a chef-driven restaurant offering an omakase-style sushi experience. The format emphasizes reservation-based, structured dining.

Sushi Bar Nashville is an omakase-style counter experience that takes its fish quality seriously and delivers an intimate, chef-driven meal that's among the best Japanese dining in the city.

Rosepepper Cantina is a long-running Nashville restaurant serving Mexican food in a casual, sit-down setting. The menu emphasizes familiar dishes and a lively atmosphere.

Rosepepper Cantina hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — East Nashville's longest-running Mexican spot has a story worth telling.

Lola Nashville is a restaurant in Nashville offering globally influenced dishes in a full-service format. The menu emphasizes composed plates and sit-down dining.

Lola Nashville is a solid globally-influenced spot that earns its place as a reliable dinner option without breaking much new ground.

Crieve Hall Bagel Co. is a Nashville neighborhood bagel shop doing hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels — the kind the city sorely needed and now can't imagine living without. Small operation, big results.

We haven't officially reviewed Crieve Hall Bagel Co. yet — the bagels speak for themselves.

Carne Mare is a steakhouse in Nashville focused on beef and seafood served in a formal dining environment. The menu blends classic steakhouse elements with Italian influences.

Carne Mare is Andrew Carmellini's steakhouse and Italian concept in the Nashville Yards — polished, expensive, and good enough to justify both.

Ny Pie is a casual Nashville pizzeria focused on New York–style pizza. The menu emphasizes counter-service dining and takeout.

NY Pie is doing New York-style pizza in Nashville correctly — wide, foldable slices, a crust that has actual structure, and a by-the-slice counter that's become essential for the neighborhood.

Blue Aster is a contemporary restaurant in Nashville offering Mediterranean-influenced dishes in a full-service format. The menu blends regional inspirations with modern presentation.

Blue Aster is a hotel restaurant that hasn't figured out what it wants to be — ambitious concept, inconsistent execution, and prices that assume the room is doing more work than it is.

Secret Bodega is a casual Nashville restaurant focused on sandwiches inspired by Cuban and Latin flavors. The menu emphasizes counter-service dining.

Secret Bodega hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — anything calling itself a secret bodega in Nashville has our attention.

Culamar is an Italian coastal seafood restaurant and rooftop bar in downtown Franklin, Tennessee — the sister concept to Culaccino — from chef Frank Pullara, with a focus on fresh oysters, crudo, pasta, and seafood preparations inspired by the Italian coast.

Culamar is the Italian coastal seafood destination that Franklin has been waiting for — a rooftop with real cocktails, a raw bar worth trusting, and pasta that makes the drive from Nashville easy to justify.

The Electric Jane is a Nashville venue combining dining, drinks, and live entertainment. The experience blends restaurant service with performance.

The Electric Jane hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — the concept has generated real buzz and it's on the short list.

Martha My Dear is a café in Nashville offering breakfast, lunch, and baked goods. The menu emphasizes daytime dining in a casual setting.

Martha My Dear hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — the name suggests a place with personality, and personality is exactly what we're interested in.

Degthai is a restaurant in Nashville serving Thai-inspired street food and noodle dishes. The menu blends traditional flavors with a casual dining format.

Degthai is a Thai restaurant in Nashville that's doing the basics but not doing them well enough to stand out in a city where the Thai options have gotten meaningfully better.

Harper's is a Nashville restaurant and rooftop bar with views that justify the trip and a cocktail and kitchen program that make sure you're not just there for the skyline. It's one of the city's more complete elevated dining experiences done right.

We haven't officially reviewed Harper's yet — rooftop dining in Nashville is crowded, and this one stands above most of it.

Brave Idiot is a casual Nashville restaurant focused on hot chicken served in a fast-casual format. The menu centers on chicken sandwiches and plates with varying heat levels.

Brave Idiot hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — the name alone earned it a spot on the list.

The Dive Motel is a bar and lodging concept in Nashville offering cocktails and a pool-focused social environment. The experience is bar-driven rather than dining-focused.

The Dive Motel hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — Nashville's poolside bar revival is one of the more interesting developments of recent years.

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is a steak-focused restaurant in Nashville offering prime beef, seafood, and classic steakhouse service. The menu follows a formal dining structure.

Jeff Ruby's is an upscale steakhouse that brings Cincinnati's finest to Nashville — white tablecloths, prime beef, and the kind of old-school service that makes a big dinner feel like an event.

Franklin Mercantile is a café and market in Nashville offering sandwiches, baked goods, and retail items. The menu supports casual, daytime dining.

Franklin Mercantile is a Williamson County destination worth knowing — a well-stocked market and cafe doing breakfast and lunch with the kind of care that makes it more than a grocery stop.

Peters Sushi Thai is a Nashville restaurant offering a combined menu of sushi and Thai dishes in a casual, full-service setting. The menu emphasizes familiarity and range.

Peters Sushi Thai is trying to do two cuisines at once and not fully succeeding at either.

Baked On 8th is a bakery in Nashville specializing in cookies and dessert-focused baked goods. The operation emphasizes small-batch production and counter-service ordering.

Baked On 8th hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — but good cookies in Nashville are always worth investigating.

Barcelona Wine Bar is a Spanish-inspired restaurant and wine bar offering tapas-style dishes and an extensive wine list. The menu emphasizes shared plates and communal dining.

Barcelona Wine Bar delivers on the Spanish wine and small plates format — a genuinely strong sherry and wine list, solid tapas, and a buzzy room that makes it one of the better group spots in Nashville.

Black Rabbit is a bar and restaurant in Nashville offering globally influenced small plates alongside a cocktail-forward drinks program. The menu is designed for sharing in a low-lit setting.

Black Rabbit is the cocktail bar that remembered to make the food worth eating — a low-lit, globally-influenced small plates spot that earns a second visit.

Milk & Honey is a casual restaurant in Nashville focused on breakfast and brunch. The menu emphasizes daytime dining in a relaxed setting.

Milk & Honey hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — Nashville's daytime cafe scene has grown up considerably and this one helped lead the charge.

Husk is a restaurant in Nashville focused on Southern cuisine built around regional sourcing. The menu emphasizes seasonal ingredients and composed dishes.

Husk Nashville is Sean Brock's Southern cooking landmark — ingredients-first, heritage-obsessed, and still one of the best arguments for what the South's culinary tradition can be.

Nicky’s Coal Fired is a Nashville pizzeria focused on coal-fired pizza and Italian-inspired dishes. The menu emphasizes sit-down dining in a casual setting.

Nicky's coal-fired pies have the right bones — great char, solid crust — but the execution can be inconsistent. A good neighborhood pizza option when it's on, a frustrating one when it's not.

Lyra is a restaurant in East Nashville focused on Middle Eastern–influenced cooking with a modern approach. The menu emphasizes shared plates and full-service dining.

Lyra is a Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant with a beautiful room and a menu that sounds better on paper than it eats.

La Hacienda Taqueria is a family-owned authentic Mexican restaurant on Nolensville Pike that has been feeding Nashville since 1993, with a connected tortilleria producing the fresh flour and corn tortillas served in the restaurant.

La Hacienda Taqueria hasn't made it into our review yet — good tacos in Nashville never stay off the list for long.

Butchertown Hall is a restaurant in Germantown serving Texan- and Southern-influenced dishes with a focus on smoked meats. The menu blends barbecue traditions with full-service dining.

Butchertown Hall is a Germantown beer hall that got the Texas BBQ and craft beer combination right — a sprawling, loud, entirely enjoyable place to spend an afternoon that turns into an evening.

Once Upon a Time in France is a Nashville restaurant focused on French-inspired cuisine. The menu emphasizes composed dishes served in a full-service setting.

Once Upon a Time in France is a 12 South French bistro that earns its whimsy — solid bistro classics, a welcoming room, and wine that makes a Tuesday dinner feel cinematic.

Santo is a restaurant in Nashville offering globally influenced cooking with Latin American roots. The menu emphasizes composed dishes in a full-service setting.

Santo hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — Spanish and Latin flavors in Nashville always have our attention.

Pelican & Pig is a restaurant in Nashville offering wood-fired American cooking in a full-service setting. The menu emphasizes seasonal ingredients and shared dining.

Pelican & Pig is a neighborhood restaurant in East Nashville that punches well above its weight class — locally-sourced, seasonally-driven cooking in a room that feels like it's been there forever even though it hasn't.

Edley’s Bar-B-Que is a Nashville barbecue restaurant serving smoked meats and Southern sides in a casual format. The menu centers on traditional barbecue plates, sandwiches, and counter-service ordering.

Edley's Bar-B-Que has built a Nashville BBQ mini-empire, and while it doesn't hit the heights of the city's best pitmasters, it's the most reliable option when you need good smoked meat without making it a whole project.

Geist is a restaurant and bar in Nashville offering contemporary American dishes in a full-service setting. The menu blends seasonal ingredients with composed plates.

Geist hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — intimate fine dining in Nashville is a category we're always interested in covering properly.

Biscuit Love is a casual restaurant in Nashville focused on Southern breakfast and brunch built around biscuit-based dishes. The menu emphasizes daytime dining in a counter-service format.

Biscuit Love built a brand around one transcendent biscuit, and that biscuit still delivers. The rest of the brunch menu is solid but secondary — the bonuts are the whole point, and they justify the line.

Maru Sushi & Grill is a Nashville restaurant serving sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes in a casual, full-service setting. The menu blends traditional sushi offerings with cooked items.

Maru Sushi & Grill covers the Japanese standards competently — a solid neighborhood option when the sushi craving hits and you don't want to drive downtown.

Etch is Deb Paquette's downtown flagship — a globally-influenced fine dining restaurant that's been one of Nashville's most consistently excellent tables for over a decade. Serious cooking, warm room, no unnecessary ceremony.

Deb Paquette's flagship is one of Nashville's most dependable fine dining experiences — inventive without veering into precious territory, polished without the starch. This is what serious cooking looks like.

The Iberian Pig is a Nashville restaurant focused on Spanish-inspired cuisine, particularly tapas. The menu emphasizes shared plates and full-service dining.

The Iberian Pig brings Spanish charcuterie, pintxos, and Iberian wine culture to Nashville — executed well enough that you'd be happy ordering your way through the menu on a slow Friday night.

Peninsula is a chef-driven restaurant in Nashville offering a tasting-menu-style experience influenced by Iberian and European cooking. The format emphasizes structured dining.

Peninsula is one of the best restaurants in Nashville — a modern Southern and global tasting menu experience that delivers the kind of meal you'll talk about for weeks.

Five Points Pizza is a Nashville pizzeria focused on New York–style pizza sold by the slice or pie. The menu emphasizes casual dining and takeout.

Five Points Pizza is the standard-setter for Nashville pizza — proper dough, quality toppings, and the kind of consistency that turns first-timers into regulars. This is just genuinely great pizza.

Il Forno is a Neapolitan wood-fired pizzeria in Nashville's Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, founded by Naples-born chef-owner Egidio Franciosa. The restaurant's centerpiece is a 900-degree wood-burning oven hand-built in Naples by third-generation craftsman Stefano Ferrara.

Il Forno hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — traditional Italian done with care is always worth investigating.

Limo Peruvian Eatery is a restaurant in Nashville serving Peruvian cuisine in a full-service setting. The menu emphasizes traditional dishes and familiar preparations.

Limo Peruvian Eatery is bringing one of the world's most interesting cuisines to Nashville — the ceviche is excellent, and everything else rewards the curious diner.

Yolan is a fine-dining Italian restaurant in Nashville offering a chef-driven, tasting-menu-forward experience alongside an à la carte program. The restaurant emphasizes precision, sourcing, and formal service.

Yolan is Tony Galzin's fine dining Italian concept in the Joseph Hotel — technically precise cooking, a wine program with depth, and a room that makes a special dinner feel properly special.

Saint Anejo is a Nashville restaurant and tequila bar focused on Mexican-inspired cuisine. The menu emphasizes tacos, small plates, and a bar-driven atmosphere.

Saint Anejo sells a rooftop experience as much as a meal, and that rooftop delivers. The food and drinks are solid enough to keep you seated — which is all they really need to do in this setting.

Folk is a restaurant in East Nashville focused on seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking with Italian influences. The menu emphasizes shared plates and full-service dining.

Folk is the pizza restaurant Nashville deserved — naturally leavened crusts, seasonal toppings, and a kitchen run by one of the city's most talented young chefs.

Pinewood Social is a restaurant and social space in Nashville offering American cuisine alongside bowling and communal activities. The menu supports all-day dining in a full-service format.

Pinewood Social hasn't made it into our review rotation yet — the East Nashville entertainment complex has been part of the neighborhood's fabric since it opened.