Located in the charming Germantown neighborhood, 5th & Taylor made a big splash when it opened in 2015, and the buzz has not subsided. Housed in a textile warehouse turned restaurant, the creative spot serves Southern American cuisine like onion-bacon tarts with fromage blanc and beer can chicken. The dining room is as well thought out as each dish, featuring sky-high ceilings, a partially open kitchen and a massive sculpture of a man riding a horse in the center of the dining room.

What once was an auto-repair shop in the Gulch is now Adele’s, a chic New American restaurant from chef Jonathan Waxman, a contestant on Top Chef Masters and the owner of Barbuto in New York. Staying true to its roots, the restaurant has an industrial aesthetic, with bare walls, high ceilings and glass garage windows that are opened during nice weather. Named after Waxman’s mother, the restaurant also serves some of its namesake’s best recipes, including the indulgent Adele’s burger, which comes topped with bacon-onion jam and buttermilk cheddar. Additional highlights include the JW chicken and the coconut cake. Dinner is served daily, but lunch is only offered on Fridays and Saturdays and brunch is a Sunday-only affair.

Bar Taco is one of Nashville’s great Mexican joints, serving fresh fish tacos, flavorful guacamole and margaritas with a hefty dose of tequila. The trendy restaurant, which also boasts popular outposts in Connecticut and New York, reaches its buzziest peak around 10 at night.

This East Nashville coffee shop brews excellent java in an eclectic warehouse-style space. They also have a large selection of gourmet chocolate bars and a small food menu of items that pair perfectly with an espresso. The clientele is impossibly hipster, so bring a Jack Kerouac novel if you aim to impress.

Visitors seeking casual Southern fare need to look no further than Biscuit Love, located in the hip Gulch neighborhood. The near-constant line (often wrapped around the block on weekends) is a testament to the food, and the convivial dining room is the perfect place for a lazy brunch. Some favorite menu items are the Nasty Princess breakfast sandwich (Nashville-style hot chicken and cheddar galore), the Bonuts, a biscuit–donut hole mash-up and the Chronic Bacon bloody mary.

Run by Miranda Whitcomb Pontes, the Nashville restaurateur building an empire, Burger Up is a unique little farm-to-table spot in the hip 12 South neighborhood. Wildly successful (they don’t accept reservations and the wait is often an hour), Burger Up emphasizes community and thoughtful consumption, using only locally sourced products.

The rustic dining room features long wooden tables and white-cloth dishtowel napkins and the menu offers something for everyone; vegetarians enjoy the Marathon Burger, a delicious quinoa and black bean patty, while traditionalists indulge in the Woodstock, a juicy burger with Benton's bacon, white cheddar and Jack Daniels maple ketchup. All burgers can be served bunless or on a gluten-free bun, and the salads can be topped with a patty for an extra dose of protein.

Sometimes when a restaurant decides to open a second location, the result is a lesser version of the first. That is not the case for Butcher & Bee, an iconic Charleston sandwich spot that opened an outpost in a former mattress store in East Nashville in late 2015. This new restaurant has its own vibe, primarily because it is a proper restaurant with a full bar. The eatery features an open kitchen with a wood-burning grill, ample indoor and outdoor seating and a unique loft area perfect for private parties. The interior décor is minimalist and elegant, allowing the sole focus to be on the food. The menu stays true to the flagship restaurant’s roots, with creative takes on classics including turnip cacio e pepe and lamb and grits with goat cheese croquettes.

City House is one of those restaurants where most of the ingredients sound foreign but come together to make something magical. In a homey brick building in Germantown, this Goop-approved haunt is a reliable Nashville classic. Chef Tandy Wilson does simple Italian so well that you would be remiss not to order multiple pizzas and pastas for the table.

With interesting preparations of seasonal veggies to complement the main course, City House never misses the mark. The menu switches over to a family-style Sunday Supper every week, and pork is usually the star; scrapple gets an upgrade with pepper sauce and the thin-crust options include a light and flavorful pizza with peppers, corn, ricotta, garlic and oregano.

This casual BBQ joint has been a Nashville favorite since opening its first location in East Nashville (908 Main St; 615-873-4085), but now thanks to a second outpost in the centrally located 12 South neighborhood, the spot is more convenient—and busier—than ever. Edley’s is the perfect place to sample casual southern comfort food and grab a beer. Don’t miss the Tuck Special, a lunchtime-only sandwich with smoked brisket, pimento cheese and a fried egg, or any of the sides, which change regularly.

With five levels of heat—southern (no heat), mild, hot, damn hot and “Shut the Cluck Up”—Hattie B’s fried chicken offers something for everyone, but the iconic spot is known for its hottest variety. The popular joint is low-key and casual, with counter service and a crowd that is always bustling. The line can get long, but locals and visitors who have tasted the flaming-hot chicken can attest that it’s worth the wait.

An entire lifestyle experience, this gem of a boutique stocks several prominent Australian designers, as well as glassware, homegrown loose-leaf teas and botanical skin-care products.

This upscale steakhouse is as much New York City as you can expect to find in Nashville, and the service is top-notch. Cotton candy-topped bacon is the way to start your meal, followed by steak and a side of some of the best macaroni and cheese you will ever have. When ordering, keep in mind entrées are served with light and buttery popovers, but don't let that stop you from getting a side of cream corn brulée. Prepare for a feast, as large portions give way to full bellies and happy diners.

Lockeland Table burst out of the gate in late 2012, becoming a Nashville hot spot when it was a nominated for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. The small dining room in East Nashville is hard to get into, and for good reason: the southern-inspired menu serves upscale comfort food, from wood-fired pizzas to roast chicken with pimento cheese grit cakes. There is also a kids-menu for little ones.

With six Champagne cocktails on offer (the ginger one is superb) and classic bistro fare, this cute eatery is as reliable as it is excellent. The menu changes daily, but all offerings are inspired by Provençal and Tuscan cuisines. The two-story rustic building is always packed, so plan ahead because this is a meal you don’t want to miss.

These pancakes are worth the hour-long wait; at least that's what locals believe. The line starts forming at 6 am and usually lasts until closing at 3 pm, and the friendly owners serve coffee to waiting patrons while the kitchen churns out "uncommonly good pancakes." Pancake Pantry has been a staple in Hillsboro Village since opening in 1961, and despite serving a full breakfast menu, the pancakes, especially the sweet potato variety, are the star.

Lacking any signage out front, this Prohibition-era-inspired speakeasy attempted discretion when it opened in 2009, but any in-the-know Nashvillian is aware that this is hands-down the best cocktail bar in the city. Upon entering visitors are welcomed with a small waiting room lined with bookshelves, a hostess stand and a heavy velvet curtain, behind which the low-lit bar with limited seating is located. Waiters play the part (think suspenders and slicked back hair) and can advise you on the menu or create something special based on your preferences. The menu is divided by spirit, and there is a small but delightful food menu—favorites include tater tots with dill crème fraîche and mini s’mores—so you can nibble as you imbibe.

A pasta-lovers heaven, Rolf & Daughters opened to applause in late 2012, and was ranked third on Bon Appétit’s list of Best New Restaurants of 2013. In a redesigned dining room in Nashville’s Werthan Mills Factory, the eatery has a chic industrial, occasionally noisy, interior and a lovely outdoor patio. On a recent Sunday, I enjoyed their spaghetti carbonara and a glass of wine al fresco, and it was the ideal, comforting Sunday meal. The garganelli verde with pork ragout is another must-order entrée.

Located in Germantown, this is a great spot for a morning cup of coffee or a lazy afternoon latte. Light bites including brioche toast, granola and a variety of sandwiches are also on offer. The interiors are minimalist, and there is a great U-shaped communal bar that creates a welcoming atmosphere. Night owls can swing by in the evening for cocktails and bar snacks.

This culinary experience is in a class of its own in Nashville. Chef Trevor Moran, who previously worked at Copenhagen's Michelin-starred Noma, serves 32 guests per seating, around a u-shaped bar so diners can watch him work. It’s a tough reservation to score, but it is truly the finest dining experience in Nashville. While the seven-to-nine-course tasting menu changes daily, one of the biggest hits is an amuse bouche of crisp chicken skin topped with chile powder, dill salt and a light and fluffy Wonder Bread puree.

The Southern has a lively, fun ambiance and is popular with both locals and visitors thanks to its location in downtown Nashville, close to the bars and tourist sites on Broadway. Dinner draws a crowd (thanks to the aforementioned bars located nearby) and getting a reservation here can be challenging. The Southern’s most popular meal, though, is weekend brunch thanks to upscale comfort dishes like fried chicken and waffles, steak and biscuit benedict and hotcakes with whipped butter.