What Are the Best Restaurants in The Gulch?

February 19, 2026

The Gulch has a restaurant density that punches well above its size. In a neighborhood of fewer than 100 acres, there are at least a dozen places worth seeking out. Here is the honest ranking, not the tourist brochure version.

Sushi Bar is the single highest-rated restaurant in the Gulch according to The Infatuation, which calls it the best raw fish in Nashville. It is an omakase format, meaning a fixed chef’s sequence. This is not a casual drop-in meal. Make a reservation.

Catbird recently moved to the Gulch and upgraded its space in the process. This is Nashville’s most acclaimed tasting-menu experience, using hyperlocal ingredients with serious technical cooking. The Infatuation describes the new space as “warm with a soft glow” compared to the previous stark room. If you are spending money on one meal in Nashville, Catbird is the answer.

Marsh House, on the ground floor of the Thompson Hotel, is the Gulch’s best seafood restaurant and one of the best in the whole city. The raw bar is excellent, the sustainable-sourcing commitment is genuine, and the brunch is one of the better arguments for waking up with a craving for oysters and hollandaise.

The 404 Kitchen has been a neighborhood anchor for years. The Southern-meets-modern-European menu is consistent. The terrace is one of the better casual outdoor seating experiences in the neighborhood. This is the low-key version of a Gulch dinner.

Maiz de la Vida started as a food truck and earned a devoted following with quesabirria tacos, guacamole, and quesadillas. The full restaurant keeps the food truck favorites and adds dishes like chicken milanesa and tres leches. The dining room, decorated with warm walls, Mexican pottery, and a mural made of 250,000 corn kernels, is the most visually interesting room in the Gulch.

Emmy Squared makes Nashville’s best Detroit-style pizza. The dough is airy, the cheese crust is properly crisped, and the toppings include Nashville hot chicken variations for those who want to combine genres.

Kisser earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in November 2025. Created by chefs Brian Lea and Leina Horii, it is modeled on the Japanese kissaten concept: a cozy spot for comfort food and drinks. This is the neighborhood’s most interesting new arrival.

Peg Leg Porker is the Gulch’s BBQ option. The Infatuation calls it “touristy-but-worth-it.” The pulled pork is the order.

Adele’s is the neighborhood restaurant for people who live in the Gulch. Approachable upscale dishes in a setting that does not feel like a special occasion is required.

Sources

  • The Infatuation, “The 18 Best Restaurants in The Gulch,” theinfatuation.com/nashville/guides/best-gulch-restaurants-nashville
  • StyleBlueprint, “Your Guide to The Gulch Nashville,” styleblueprint.com
  • OpenTable, “Best Casual Restaurants in The Gulch,” opentable.com

Related posts:

  1. What is the vibe of Germantown? Germantown is what Nashville looks like when it is not trying to perform Nashville. There are no bachelorette sashes here, no pedal taverns, no cover bands playing Florida Georgia Line......
  2. How Has East Nashville’s Walkability Changed as the Neighborhood Has Grown? East Nashville's walkability got better in the places that were already somewhat walkable and worse in the places that weren't, which is roughly what happens to every gentrifying urban neighborhood.......
  3. What Is the Vibe of 12 South? 12 South has a split personality depending on when you show up. On a Tuesday morning, it's a quiet residential neighborhood of 1900s bungalows where people walk their dogs and......
  4. Why Is Nashville Considered the Capital of Meat-and-Three Dining? The answer starts in 1930s Nashville, inside the employee cafeteria of the May Hosiery Mill. Workers lined up and paid 25 cents for a choice of meat, three vegetables, and......
  5. What Is the Most Expensive Restaurant in Nashville? The Catbird Seat at $165 per person before beverages, tax, and gratuity is Nashville's most prestigious and most expensive tasting menu experience. Including a beverage pairing and mandatory 20% gratuity,......
  6. What Are Nashville’s James Beard Nominated Restaurants? Nashville's James Beard history splits into two eras: the long-running American Classics recognition for places like Arnold's Country Kitchen, and the post-2018 wave of chef-driven restaurants that have put Nashville......
  7. Is There Good Vegan and Vegetarian Food in Nashville? The honest answer changed around 2015 and has continued improving every year since. Nashville was not an easy city for plant-based eating in 2010. It is a reasonably good one......
  8. What Is the Best Steakhouse in Nashville? Nashville's steakhouse scene is crowded with options ranging from national chains operating inside hotel lobbies to chef-driven rooms that treat beef like a fine dining ingredient. The answer to which......
  9. Which Nashville Neighborhood Is Most Expensive? Belle Meade is the most expensive neighborhood in Nashville by median home value, and it isn't particularly close. But the relevant answer depends on whether you're buying, renting, or just......
  10. What Is the Best Time to Visit Broadway? The best time to visit Broadway is a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. from October through April. This answer is not designed to be......
  11. What Is The Gulch in Nashville? The Gulch is a 91-acre mixed-use neighborhood on the southwest fringe of downtown Nashville, bounded by Interstate 40 and Interstate 65 to the south and west, Broadway to the northwest,......
  12. Where Is The Gulch in Nashville? The Gulch sits on the southwest edge of downtown Nashville, about 1 mile from Lower Broadway and roughly a 20-minute walk from the honky-tonks. It is bordered by Interstate 40......
  13. How Did The Gulch Get Its Name? The Gulch gets its name from the land itself. Nashville is a hilly city, and this southwest corner of downtown sits in a literal low-lying depression, a natural gulch formed......
  14. What Is The Gulch Known For? The Gulch is known for four things: upscale dining, the wings mural, rooftop bars, and being the most intentionally designed neighborhood in Nashville. Each of these deserves a straight description......

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *