Tennessee · best-of list
The 15 Best Bars & Cafés in Tennessee
All 15 bars & cafés our route editors picked in Tennessee, across 8 destinations, gathered in one list. 14 come with an insider tip.
Our curated picks
15 bars & cafés in Tennessee, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
East Nashville 4 picks
The 5 Spot
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route + 1 more
Five Points dive with live music most nights and a Monday swing dance tradition.
Tip: Cheap cover; check the calendar for themed nights.
Photo: Erika McCullough · Google
Attaboy
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Menu-free cocktail bar where bartenders make drinks to your taste.
Tip: Small room; expect a wait after 9 pm.
Photo: Sam Walden · Google
Barista Parlor
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Coffee bar in a converted auto shop on Gallatin Avenue, the original location.
Tip: Pour-overs take time; order a biscuit sandwich with it.
Photo: Barista Parlor - East Nashville · Google
The Basement East
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Mid-size rock and Americana venue, rebuilt after the 2020 tornado.
Tip: Buy tickets ahead for touring acts.
Photo: Clark Cantrell · Google
The Gulch 3 picks
The Bluebird Cafe
The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Small songwriter room where hit writers play in the round.
Tip: Tickets release online about a week ahead and go fast.
Photo: venessa coates · Google
The Patterson House
The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Speakeasy-style cocktail bar on Division Street with a seasonal menu.
Tip: No reservations; give your name and wait at a nearby bar.
Photo: The Patterson House · Google
The Station Inn
The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Nashville's bluegrass institution since 1974, a no-frills room with top pickers.
Tip: Sunday night bluegrass jam is free; arrive early for seats.
Photo: Doug Judd · Google
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis 2 picks
B.B. King's Blues Club
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
The flagship blues club on Beale, with a house band, Southern food and a packed New Year's Eve stage.
Tip: Reserve a table package for Dec 31; walk-ins wait outside.
Photo: Bjoertvedt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rum Boogie Cafe
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
Long-running Beale Street blues bar at the corner of B.B. King Boulevard, with live bands nightly.
Tip: Its corner spot puts you right by the midnight stage.
Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D. · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lower Broadway 2 picks
Skull's Rainbow Room
Lower Broadway · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Printers Alley supper club from 1948 with jazz and blues, a quieter break from Broadway.
Tip: Reserve for dinner shows; cover charge applies.
Photo: 박수정 · Google
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge
Lower Broadway · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Purple-fronted honky-tonk with three stages and a back door to the Ryman.
Tip: Upstairs stage is often less packed than the street level.
Photo: Kathleen Conklin from Falls Church, USA · CC BY 2.0
Downtown Nashville 1 pick
Robert's Western World
Downtown Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route
Lower Broadway honky-tonk with traditional country bands from late morning to late night and no cover.
Tip: Order the fried bologna sandwich, the house classic.
Photo: Mx. Granger · CC0
Franklin 1 pick
Arrington Vineyards
Franklin · On our Nashville & Franklin route
Hillside winery in the countryside east of Franklin, with tastings and wine by the glass on its wooded slopes.
Knoxville 1 pick
Pretentious Beer Co.
Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route
Old City brewery and glassblowing studio pouring beer in its own glassware.
Tip: Look at the glass studio before you order.
Photo: Pretentious Beer Co · Google
Townsend 1 pick
Peaceful Side Social
Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route
Brewery and food hall with a big lawn and mountain views.
Tip: Live music on weekends; kid- and dog-friendly.
Photo: Peaceful Side Social | Townsend · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the bars & cafés in Tennessee?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 15 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Tennessee has the most bars & cafés on this list?
East Nashville has the most (4 of 15), followed by The Gulch (3) and Beale Street & Downtown Memphis (2).
More lists for Tennessee
Best bars & cafés nearby
Destinations on this list
- East Nashville 4 on this list
- The Gulch 3 on this list
- Beale Street & Downtown Memphis 2 on this list
- Lower Broadway 2 on this list
- Downtown Nashville 1 on this list
- Franklin 1 on this list
- Knoxville 1 on this list
- Townsend 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.