I think the most asked question I got from people about our trip to Nashville was, why Nashville?
Well… why not Nashville? Haven’t you heard, Nashville is the place to be RN (100 people moving to Nashville a day!). Plus, not sure if you guys know this, but I am actually from Nashville.
I lived in Nashville till I was 7 years old & the last time I had been was when I was around 14-15 years old… so, it’d definitely been a hot minute since I visited my stomping grounds & I wanted to check things out.
It was a FABULOUS trip & I could 100% move back to Nashville. I love love love everything about it there. The people, the food (holy sh*t… the food), the energy (so much HYGGE), & something about the smell in the air… it just smells sweeter in Nashville.
Anyways, we took 9000 photos… ate at 9000 places… & did a whole bunch of cool sh*t that I obviously want to share with you guys. I do TONS of intense research before going on trips to find the best of the best places… so that in the end, I can create a killer city guide post to make planning your next trip that much more relaxing for you guys. Ya feel me?
Check it out below, & if you’ve got anything to add… please share in the comments section!!
Where We Stayed
OKAY- so I am definitely not one of those people who can just sleep anywhere on vacay. I like to feel at home… & that’s why we opted for Urban Cowboy.
It’s the absolute coolest little bed and breakfast ever! All of the rooms are designed differently and each one cooler than the next. They have a music room w/ tons of rad instruments, clawfoot tubs in every room, a cat named Nugget who relocated from their Brooklyn location, a ‘director of vibe’ who made sure our trip was great everyday… & it’s connected to the Urban Cowboy Public House that has a fire pit, good food, music, & a bomb ass brunch w/ the most insane corn cake of your life.
Also, we opted to stay in East Nashville cause we heard that was the hip part of town these days. Way back when I lived in Nashville, East Nashville was somewhere you wouldn’t really venture too… my parents lived in Nashville their whole lives & have never even been to East Nashville! Honestly, they were worried about us staying there because it used to not be the safest part of town… but now they can’t wait to go back & check it out.
Where We Ate
Holy food… Nashville killed it on the food front. Not the best place to go right before Summer hits… but every pound gained (def. more than one) was worth it, because the food was just that good in Nashville.
Okay, don’t judge, we did A LOT of eating…
+ The Soda Parlor: cause it isn’t a trip to the south w/o a float of some sort. Right? The Soda Parlor has the most insane drinks & is actually owned by a YouTube influencer (Olan Roger’s), plus they have free arcade games + a room upstairs w/ Nintendo. I am nerdy, but this is my vibe.
+ Proper Bagel: If you know me, you know I live for a proper bagel, & the bagel game is so strong at Proper Bagel that we ate their twice. I got the traditional lox & bagel sandwich, but definitely tasted some of their insane cream cheese creations (lavender honey + birthday cake were next level). Please, someone in SD, open a Proper Bagel. My life will be complete.
+ Pinewood Social: if you are head to Nashville, someone has probably told you about Pinewood Social. It’s the coolest restaurant, with an amazing bowling alley in the back. We went for a late lunch & I had an amazing kale caesar salad… but I think it’d be better for brunch. Just be sure to make a reservation & book a bowling lane prior to your trip/in advance (sadly, we couldn’t get a last minute brunch or bowling spot… but lunch was def. yum!)
+ Sun Diner: our first night in, we needed a late night meal, & Sun Diner was such a fun experience! It’s right in downtown, so in the middle of all the music, & was such a classic little diner. Pictures of Elvis & Johnny Cash covered the walls (a tribute to Sun Records) & the chicken and waffle meal w/ a cold cup of lemonade was the perfect midnight meal.
+ Five Daughters Bakery: if you are looking for the cutest bakery and the best donut of your life, head to Five Daughters Bakery. It’s right in 12 south, which we will talk about in a minute, but you will def. be in this area, so find the bakery & get something sweet (the orange cinnamon roll was life changing).
+ Adele’s: if you are looking for a romantic date night spot, Adele’s was the cutest & SO freaking delicious. I got the pistachio pesto pasta & it was actually the best pasta of my life (**note to self: make pistachio pesto someday).
+ Bar Taco: leave it to two Californian’s to find a taco place in the south. Ya know? Really though… Bar Taco was so hip & so good (we even ate their twice!). The skinny margarita, street corn on the cob, pork belly taco, & cucumber salad were our faves!!
+ Little Octopus: for small bites, you have got to check out Little Octopus. It SO delicious (loved the beets & ceviche!) & had marble counters + pink velvet booth seating… which just makes for a real cute Instagram.
What We Did
+ 12 South: definitely go spend a day or two in 12 south. We did two days, because there was so much good food we wanted to try & just so much cute shopping to be had. We loved Amelia’s Flower truck, White’s Mercantile, & Imogene & Willie (amazing denim selection!).
Also, a lot of the food we mentioned above is in 12 south as well… so you could def. do some damage their with a whole day of eating & shopping!!!
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge: okay… so we aren’t the biggest party people so I can’t tell you all the cool bars in Nashville- but I will tell you, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge was one of the top highlights of the trip for me. It was a total tourist attraction, but SO fun. My parents used to come here in their hayday to listen to live music, & so we had to check it out. There were three live bands playing, each better than the next, & I personally loved all of the country music covers. Parking was a bitch, so take an uber, but definitely head downtown atleast once!
Printer’s Alley: Printer’s Alley is a bloggers dream- the best alley for taking photos, but also just a fun thing to see for anyone. We went in the day, but heard it really get’s popping at night as well.
+ Grimey’s: if you’re looking for more of a local Nashville hangout + free live music, go to Grimey’s. We were lucky enough to pop in to this little record store just around the time the live music started & it was just so Nashville! They gave us yummy craft beers while we listened to the music & even went home with some rad records to add to our collection.
+ The Gulch: we spent a few hours walking around the Gulch before dinner at Adele’s (same neighborhood) & really enjoyed popping into the cute stores! If you’re looking to do some more shopping, you will enjoy walking around this area!
+ LA Jackson: a swanky rooftop bar w/ killer views of downtown Nashville. It’s on top of the Thompson Hotel & a total must see/do. It’s right around the corner from Little Octopus, so you can grab a drink on the roof of the hotel & then head over to the restaurant after (atleast that’s what we did).
+ The Parthenon: you can’t go to Nashville & not see the Parthenon. It’s an exact replica of the Parthenon in Greece & inside they have the most amazing statue of Athena. I am not a history buff, but this was definitely worth checking out!
