What Are the Best Restaurants in East Nashville?
- 2 sections
- 1 table
- 1 source cited
A good current list to start from is The Infatuation’s guide titled “The 27 Best East Nashville Restaurants” (updated October 5, 2026) (The Infatuation). For a special occasion, it tags Peninsula, a Spanish restaurant at 1035 W Eastland Ave, Kase x Noko for sushi, and Lockeland Table, which it lists for fine dining and dinner with parents. For a casual meal, it points to spots such as S.S. Gai for Thai, East Side Banh Mi, and Bolton’s Famous Hot Chicken & Fish. Which is best depends on the occasion, so the table sorts a selection that way.
Picks by Occasion
| You want | Restaurant | Address | Cuisine and tags, per The Infatuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a special occasion | Peninsula | 1035 W Eastland Ave | Spanish; special occasions, date nights |
| sushi | Kase x Noko | 707 Porter Rd | sushi; date nights, dining solo, special occasions |
| fine dining | Lockeland Table | 1520 Woodland St | American; date nights, dinner with the parents, fine dining |
| Italian and wine | Folk | 823 Meridian St | Italian; date nights, great wine, happy hours |
| a solo meal | Kisser | 747 Douglas Ave | Japanese; impressing out-of-towners, walk-ins, dining solo |
| cheap Thai | S.S. Gai | 1101 McKennie Ave, Bay 3 | Thai; sitting outside, cheap eats, takeout |
| a sandwich | East Side Banh Mi | 1000 Gallatin Ave | Vietnamese; walk-ins, cheap eats |
| lunch with kids | Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse | 800 Meridian St | sandwiches; lunch, sitting outside, kids |
| Tex-Mex outside | Redheaded Stranger | 305 Arrington St | Tex-Mex; sitting outside, walk-ins |
| hot chicken | Bolton's Famous Hot Chicken & Fish | 624 Main St | fried chicken; classic establishment, cheap eats |
| breakfast or a deli lunch | Fatbelly Pretzel Bakery & Deli | 921 Gallatin Ave | deli; breakfast, lunch |
| a vegetarian-friendly dinner | Fancypants | 921 Dickerson Pike | American; date nights, vegetarians |
| coffee, a bite, or a cocktail | Cafe Roze | 1115 Porter Rd | American; coffee and a light bite, eating at the bar |
Before You Book
- Reserve the special-occasion spots ahead, and walk in where the guide tags walk-ins.
- Check the street. The guide’s picks spread across Gallatin Avenue, Porter Road, Meridian Street, Main Street, Dickerson Pike, and McGavock Pike, so plan by area.
- Go early with children to the spots tagged for kids, such as Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse and Limo Peruvian Eatery.
What else the area is known for is in what East Nashville is known for, and where to drink after dinner is in the best bars in East Nashville.