The best bars in Nashville

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What is it? The bar that helped launch Nashville’s modern cocktail movement entered a sleek new era in 2025, relocating from its longtime Midtown home to the Gulch. The new Patterson House keeps the speakeasy vibe intact—dim lighting, velvet curtains, meticulous bartenders—but has a polished new lease on life thanks to soaring windows, rich wood interiors, glowing chandeliers and a hidden private bar room. Cocktails are still as phenomenal as they've always been, with rotating original creations alongside more than 150 classics pulled from the bar’s legendary archive.

Why we love it: Perched atop the Bill Voorhees Building, The Patterson House's new digs are sleek, sexy, and very old Hollywood glamour—we can almost picture Dean Martin lighting up a cigarette for Marilyn Monroe in here. The cocktail list remains one of the city’s deepest and smartest, whether you’re ordering a beautifully restrained martini or one of the rotating modern signatures, like the Pastis cocktail with apple eau de vie and anisette. 

Time Out tip: Right next door is one of the best dining experiences in the city: The Catbird Seat. Make dinner reservations ahead of time and grab a round of cocktails at Patterson beforehand.

Address: 700 8th Ave S, 5th Floor, Nashville, TN 37203

Opening hours: Daily 4pm–1am

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What is it? Small and intimate, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club feels like you've landed in the stylish drinking den of an Art Deco aficionado. It's situated in East Nashville, dimly lit, with a few high-tops and plush blue circular booths that host neighborhood regulars. The bartenders are some of the best in the city, deeply knowledgeable about their mixers, booze and sustainability program. Expect clarified punches, inventive house infusions and beautifully restrained classics. It's a spot that feels equally suited for first dates, a solid catch-up with a good friend or lingering solo with a Thai mule at the bar.

Why we love it: This intimate cocktail bar will have you dreaming of its beverages for weeks on end. They do things very, very differently here. It only takes one look at their beautifully illustrated menu to figure that out. Take the daiquri, for example, which is flavored with pineapple skins, lime stock and sea salt. The cocktails here are inventive, delicious and totally unique, and the snacks—like the miso deviled eggs and fries served with a malt vinegar atomizer—are pretty great, too. 

Time Out tip: Book one of the tasting classes online—like the tiki and tropics experience—for a personalized session with the talented bartenders here and score a take-home cocktail glass. 

Address: 2905B Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–midnight

What is it? Robert's Western World is an iconic Lower Broadway honky-tonk where fried bologna sandwiches, neon beer signs and impossibly talented country performers collide in glorious harmony. Inside, expect live music all day, line dancing tourists and bartenders slinging cheap beer and whiskey without ceremony. Unlike some Broadway bars that feel overrun by bachelorette parties, Robert’s retains a genuine soul—equal parts working musician clubhouse and old-school country time capsule.

Why we love it: Because it still feels real. Robert’s isn’t trying to reinvent Nashville nightlife or impress you with a big, fancy celebrity name in neon lights. It knows exactly what it is: one of the greatest live-music bars in the U.S. The musicianship here borders on absurd, with bands ripping through classic country sets like they’re headlining arenas. Add affordable drinks, friendly chaos and a wonderfully unpretentious atmosphere, and you’ve got the perfect antidote to over-curated nightlife. 

Time Out tip: Order the famous Recession Special: a fried bologna sandwich, chips, MoonPie and a PBR for a whopping $6.

Address: 416 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

Opening hours: Daily 10am–3am

What is it? The Coral Club is the bar you never saw coming—literally. It's hidden away on the second floor of a nondescript strip mall in East Nashville, an unassuming location for what's inside. Open the doors, and it's like a Turkish grotto joined forces with a candle-lit monastery, and everyone from the neighborhood's pilates instructor to B-list country singers is jockeying to have one of the bartenders do a straight pour from the bottle directly into their mouth. A sweeping stone bar and open-air rooftop set the scene for the crowd, who tote around white port coolers and rum-splashed Pool Boy cocktails, only stopping briefly to pop a handful of the bar's black truffle popcorn into their mouth. 

Why we love it: Nothing in the city looks or feels like The Coral Club. It fully commits to its world, and the result is genuinely special instead of gimmicky. The cocktails are easy-breezy and balanced, going down way too quickly for anyone's good—especially during humid Tennessee summers. The room buzzes in a way that practically demands ordering another round and staying longer than intended. 

Time Out tip: Pizza Lolo, one of the city's best pie purveyors, occasionally stops in for a pizza pop-up. Check Coral Club's socials for their next visit. 

Address: 604 Gallatin Ave, No. 217, Nashville, TN 37206

Opening hours: Daily 4pm–1am

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What is it? Martha My Dear is, unofficially, East Nashville's favorite hang. The space feels like the faded ghost of a once-opulent 1920s speakeasy—it's well-worn and comfortable, but the red leather booths and carved-wood bar lend a touch of glamour. The house cocktails are reliably excellent, like Martha's riff on the espresso martini with Angostura cream or the tropical Bigger Boat with pandan notes. 

Why we love it: Martha's is the Cheers of Nashville—it's the bar where everyone knows your name, and what you like to drink. There's nothing like settling into Martha's on a random weeknight, knocking back a few expertly made cocktails, and knocking a few balls into their respective pockets on the billiards table. 

Time Out tip: Take advantage of happy hour—any cocktail on the menu is just $10 from 5-7pm every day.

Address: 2503 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–1am

What is it? A beloved East Nashville dive bar where burgers sizzle late into the night and absolutely nobody cares what you’re wearing. Dino’s is gloriously scruffy, with dim red lights, graffiti-covered bathrooms and sticky bar stools. The beer is cold, the cocktails are strong and the crowd ranges from musicians finishing gigs to locals settling into their regular stools. It’s equal parts dive bar, neighborhood institution and late-night refuge.

Why we love it: Dino’s represents the best version of dive-bar culture: welcoming, weird and wonderfully unpretentious. The cheeseburger alone is reason enough to visit, especially around midnight after a few rounds. Who might you find at Dino's? Everyone. Tourists, artists, bartenders and longtime locals all coexist without anyone trying too hard. Nashville can sometimes lean performative; Dino’s remains beautifully rough around the edges.

Time Out tip: During the summer months, head to Dino's patio for their annual unveiling of Dolly's Lemonade Stand, a giant lemon-shaped booth with Dolly's likeness on top, doling out frozen cocktails.

Address: 411 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-3am; Sat-Sun noon–3am

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What is it? Tiger Bar leans hard into a theme, and in this case, it's all about circus life. Fashioned after a 1930s gin joint that might've been owned by P.T. Barnum, this East Nashville haunt isn't all just for show—the cocktails are seriously good. A well-heeled crowd convenes in the booths designed to look like circus caravans, and sip their house martinis and gin-and-apricot forward Hair of the Dog-Faced Boy amongst velvet, fringe and vintage portraits of sideshow greats.

Why we love it: Life can feel like a circus sometimes, but Tiger Bar turns that idiom on its head in the best way. Not only are the cocktails gimmicky (in the best way possible) and fun to drink—you'll find the random tarot card on some while others are served in proper tea cups—but the whole room feels like a legit sideshow full of funky acts, putting life's spectacles in the backseat for just a moment in time. 

Time Out tip: Staying up late pays off—Tiger Bar does a champagne toast for everybody at midnight, which further fuels the party vibes.

Address: 2909 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–1am

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What is it? Housed inside a former boiler room beneath an old dry-cleaning facility, Old Glory might be one of Nashville’s coolest cocktail settings. Guests descend through an unmarked entrance into a cavernous subterranean space anchored by a towering copper still and cathedral-like ceilings. The drinks program favors spirit-forward cocktails and thoughtful classics, while DJs and live music push the energy higher as the night unfolds.

Why we love it: Even after years of hype, Old Glory still feels genuinely transportive. The architecture alone is jaw-dropping, but thankfully the cocktails—like the frothy Emily Says or the large-format Lucky Dog—back it up. Bartenders know their stuff, and the menu walks the line between approachable and ambitious. There’s also a sense of occasion built into every visit—walking through that hidden entrance never stops feeling cool. It’s Nashville nightlife at its most cinematic.

Time Out tip: There's no clear signage for Old Glory. To find the right door, look for the painted gold triangle in front of a pitch-black door.

Address: 1200 Villa Pl, Nashville, TN 37212

Opening hours: Daily 5pm–1am

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What is it? Not only does Nashville have its very own sake brewery, Proper Sake, but it's also home to a fantastic bar: Rice Vice. There's a certain tinge of late-70s decor influencing the space—wood-paneled walls, sun-baked framed photos and prints, vintage vinyl—but it still feels like you've landed in a cozy drinking den in Japan. The housemade sakes are, of course, the real draw, but you'll also find special select bottles from all around the world, koji beer, shochu, and fun side experiments like a sake coquito or a Tennessee sorghum cream soda.  

Why we love it: Rice Vice is so utterly unpretentious and down to Earth—even if you're a sake noob, you'll feel right at home sipping the day away with the dressed down, laid back crowd and bartenders. On a dusky summer night, you can sit out on the covered patio with an icy highball and a savory snack, and literally feel every ounce of the week's pent-up stress drip off of you. 

Time Out tip: If you're really feeling a particular pour of one of Proper Sake's creations, you can snag a bottle to take home with you and keep the party going.

Address: 3109 Ambrose Ave, Nashville, TN 37207

Opening hours: Wed-Thu 4-10pm, Fri 4-11pm, Sat 1-11pm, Sun 1-8pm

What is it? A cash-only karaoke bar inside a double-wide trailer decorated with year-round Christmas décor, Santa’s Pub is one of Nashville’s most legendary dives. Twinkling lights, cheap beer and delightfully unhinged karaoke performances define the experience. It’s gloriously weird, deeply local and absolutely unforgettable.

Why we love it: Santa’s strips nightlife down to its most joyful essentials: singing loudly, drinking cheaply and embracing total chaos. The crowd ranges wildly—from the rowdy "woo girls" on a bachelorette trip to aspiring songwriters moonlighting as servers—which only adds to the fun. One moment you’re watching a heartbreaking country ballad; the next, someone’s scream-singing Britney Spears beside a blinking plastic reindeer. It's pretty perfect. 

Time Out tip: Partying at this double-wide trailer requires some cash on hand—cards and Apple cash aren't accepted.

Address: 2225 Bransford Ave, Nashville, TN 37204

Opening hours: Wed-Sun 4pm–3am

What is it? Tucked away inside the second floor of The Joseph hotel in downtown, the lack of wayfinding and signage to get to Four Walls truly makes it feel like a modern-day speakeasy. It's a bit tricky to find, but after passing through its beaded curtain entrance, you'll be rewarded with a sleek, sexy oxblood marble bar, sumptuous leather seats, elevated bar snacks like an exceptional beef jerky, and what could easily be some of the most expertly made cocktails in town.  

Why we love it: In a city where cowboy boots and denim are the norm, Four Walls is an occasion to get dressed up for. Sure, you might find the occasional boot, but it's usually buried underneath a designer dress or sleek pair of slacks. Besides, the level of craft that goes into the cocktails—like a cream cheese-washed bourbon with a bruleed banana on top—deserves that level of respect. 

Time Out tip: Four Walls often hosts guest bartenders from around the globe for a menu takeover—check their socials for the next collab.

Address: 401 Korean Veterans Blvd, Nashville, TN 37203

Opening hours: Wed-Sat 5pm-midnight

What is it? Open since 1944 and outlasting a few floods from its basement level perch, Melrose Billiard Parlor is a beloved sprawling old-school pool hall and dive bar and Nashville institution. It mixes cheap drinks, late-night food and a generous sprinkling of pool, ping pong and shuffleboard tables with a refreshingly unpolished atmosphere. Neon beer signs glow overhead while regulars and newcomers crowd around games deep into the night.

Why we love it: The Melrose is timeless. It's not about having the trendiest cocktails or the most cutting-edge sound system—it's about being who it is and delivering exactly what people want from a great neighborhood bar. Drinks are affordable, the pool tables stay busy and the energy remains reliably lively without tipping into total chaos. It’s one of those places where “just one drink” leads to a long night, besting your opponents on a billiards table.

Time Out tip: The rubber ducky claw machine is a favorite with bar patrons—mostly because it always guarantees a win.

Address: 2600 8th Ave S #108, Nashville, TN 37204

Opening hours: Daily 4pm–2am