The Best Bars in Nashville

 

Nashville is a city known for live music and good times, so it should come as no surprise that Music City has a buzzing nightlife scene, with a bar that fits every palette. There’s the honky tonks, beer halls and live music venues that typify the spirit of Nashville, as well as quieter scenes for craft cocktails, speakeasies, and places to kick back. Whatever your fancy, this essential guide has you covered: There’s a cold glass and a great vibe waiting for you at The Best Bars in Nashville.

 

This classic Nashville Bar’s iconic neon sign should speak for itself. For locals and travelers alike, the cheap drinks and 3 floors of live music is a quintessential honky tonk experience, and the bar’s continued popularity have made it a downtown institution.

 

19 floors above the iconic 1 Hotel Nashville sits a rooftop bar that never disappoints. Sip inventive cocktails made from seasonal ingredients, and dig into some delightful Japanese-inspired small plates. You’ll be surrounded by charred wood accents and greenery, and of course, breathtaking views of the Nashville skyline.

 

A Nashville rum bar sounds quirky, but it ends up being a winning combination. Especially when the vibes perfectly capture a Caribbean island, and the skilled bartenders are serving up some truly delicious frozen drinks. Pop in for a piña colada, and make sure to capture some memories in the adorable tropical photo booth.

 

Across the street from First Tennessee Park, Von Elrod’s is putting a Music City spin on a German beer garden. Expect 38 tasty beers on tap, and dozens more by the bottle. Served with delicious food from the in-house butchery, baker, wood grill and smoker, it’s easily one of the hottest spots to have fun with a group.

 

For something a little different, this trendy bar became hugely popular in New York for having no fixed menu. Now, the elite bartenders are treating Nashville to improv’d drinks that always leave customers delightfully surprised. Their technique needs to be experienced to be believed, and for those that are fully impressed, Attaboy offers cocktail classes to help you up your bartending game.

 

Acme Seed & Feed has a really down to earth atmosphere, but boasts something truly special: Three stories of bar and restaurant space, culminating in one of Nashville’s best rooftop bars. Whether you’re boogying down to some live music, or tearing into some BBQ on the roof, there’s always a good time happening at this 2nd avenue hotspot.

 

This new Nashville watering hole makes for a serious photo op. They specialize in hot chicken, boozy slushies, and the pièce de résistance: A bloody mary, topped with two scotch eggs, eight fried okra, a whole avocado, and two cornish game hens. It’s a drink, a meal, and one of the most fun experiences in Nashville nightlife.

 

The cocktails at this quaint little bar are seriously inventive, with ingredient combinations you surely have never tried. That said, it never feels touristy, and the cozy digs are the perfect place to sip your curious libation. Plop down in a plush booth to start your evening with something completely different.