Nightlife
Nashville offers a wealth of options for nighttime fun. In fact, there are probably more after-dark diversions and destinations than you ever imagined. You can dance the night away at a techno or country dance club, catch a game with the gang at the neighborhood sports bar, contemplate a poem during a coffeehouse poetry reading, watch a movie at a unique theater or drive-in, or relax with friends in a cozy pub or bistro. We’ve compiled a list of some of the places you can go for a night on the town. The nightlife scene is ever-changing, with new venues coming and going regularly, so we recommend that you check out the Nashville Scene or Rage for an up-to-the-minute rundown of clubs, bars, and restaurants.
Nightlife - Music City
They don’t call it Music City for nothing. Nashville is truly the place to be if you are a lover of music, whatever the style. Whether you’re an aspiring singer or songwriter, an aficionado of live music in intimate settings, a student of country music history, or a starstruck fan eager to discover more about the lifestyle of your favorite artist, you can find plenty in Nashville to meet your desires. By the way, for insight into Nashville’s development as a music capital, check out our History chapter. If you’re a tourist in Nashville, you’ve probably been keeping your eyes peeled for a glimpse of a country music star as you stroll down Music Row. You might spot someone ducking into a studio or driving by, but you’re probably more likely to bump into your favorite star in an ordinary place like the post office, the mall, or the grocery store. Running into a music star is just about an everyday occurrence here in Music City. We’ve rubbed elbows with Lorrie Morgan at a Green Hills cosmetics counter, bumped into Steve Earle at the Acklen Station post office, spotted Steven Curtis Chapman at the Nippers Corner movie theater, mingled with visiting rockers R.E.M. on Elliston Place, shopped for greeting cards next to members of Petra at CoolSprings mall, sat next to Emmylou Harris at the Bluebird Cafe . . . you get the picture. In this chapter you’ll find a plethora of attractions, venues, and services related to popular music. If your tastes tend toward more highbrow entertainment like opera and classical music, check out our Arts chapter. Or if you’re into dancing to discs spun by DJs, you’ll find establishments offering that kind of entertainment in the Nightlife chapter.
Overview
The main sections of this chapter are as follows:
1. The Beer Sellar
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 254-9464
Address: 107 Church St.
Description: This casual beer and cigar bar has a huge selection of—you guessed it—beer: 50 draft beers and about 150 bottled brands, including many imports. They pour a lot of flavored brews, too, including cider, vanilla, and cherry. The 175-capacity room is frequented by an eclectic bunch, including college students and the over-60 crowd. The 3 to 7 p.m. happy hour, featuring pints, brings the after-work crowd. Some come just for the tasty sandwiches or to watch a game on one of the four TVs. Darts, a pool table, and foosball also provide amusement. There’s live entertainment every Thursday, and drinks are 2-for-1. As for cigars, The Beer Sellar has a variety, and you can buy and smoke them here.
2. The Bound’Ry
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 321-3043
Insider Pick:
Description: Just a few blocks from Music Row, the Bound’ry’s bar is a popular gathering place, usually crowded with the young and single. A cozy yet lively atmosphere, well-made cocktails, and an extensive selection of beer and wine make this a good place to gather before dinner or for a night on the town. The Bound’ry is also a good place for dinner. Weekends are especially busy. When the weather’s nice, you can sit outside.
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Address: 4109 Hillsboro Rd.
4. Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Description: Nashville’s Flying Saucer, located behind the Union Station Hotel, is a good choice for beer connoisseurs. If your beer experiences have been limited to the occasional can of Budweiser, or a Corona when you’re feeling adventurous, Flying Saucer will wow you with its selection of more than 200 brews from around the globe, dozens of which are on tap. Check the blackboard for the new arrivals. The spacious establishment offers samplers, featuring a selection of 5-ounce servings. The black and gold plates on the wall are tributes to patrons who have tried every beer on the menu at least once. Even if you don’t like beer, you can enjoy the casual ambience, tasty bar food, and the covered outdoor patio. Flying Saucer is open daily.
5. Mcfadden’S
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 256-9140
Address: 134 Second Ave. N.
Description: A sprawling modern Irish pub, McFadden’s offers a full-service dining room and bar. Folks actually come here to eat because the food is so good. Try the Dublin fish and chips, featuring beer-battered cod and McFadden’s tasty shallot-and-dill tartar sauce. For a filling Irish meal, choose the shepherd’s pie, a hearty mix of ground meat and vegetables topped and baked with cheddar mashed potatoes. Along with the customary beer, McFadden’s offers some intriguing cosmos—the County Cork cosmo, McFadden’s McDreamsicle, and the Dirty Irishman. McFadden’s has a 100-foot mahogany bar, a dance floor, and a private party room. The bustling nightlife includes live DJs every Thurs through Sat.
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Address: 2535 Franklin Pike
7. The Merchants
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 254-1892
Address: 401 Broadway
Description: The Merchants offers not only a superb dining experience but also a cozy bar that’s a great spot to hook up with friends before a night on the town. The first floor includes a horseshoe-shaped bar, tile and hardwood floors, and lots of exposed brick. It comfortably accommodates about 180 people. Booths with windows are an excellent vantage point from which to watch all the action at Fourth and Broadway. The Merchants, which is housed in a renovated turn-of-the-20th-century hotel, is known for its wine selection and attracts an upscale crowd of people in their late 20s to early 50s.
8. Mercy Lounge
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 251-3020
Address: 1 Cannery Row
Description: Located in the historic 1860s Cannery building off Eighth Avenue S., Mercy Lounge opened in 2003 and quickly became one of the nighttime hot spots with one of the coolest vibes in town. Hardwood floors, comfy padded couches and chairs, and funky old lamps and tables create a fun and welcoming feel. The spacious bar is also known for presenting top-notch musical talent, leaning toward rock (artists who’ve played here include Steve Earle, John Hiatt, Rodney Crowell, and Buddy Miller). There’s lots of room to wander about: In addition to a music room and a bar area, Mercy Lounge has pool tables in the back room and an outdoor deck.
9. Mulligan’S Irish Pub & Restaurant
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 242-8010
Address: 117 Second Ave. N.
Description: This cozy Dublin-style pub in the heart of the District features live traditional and contemporary Irish folk music as well as American music from the ’60s to the present. We’ve seen it so packed here that you can barely squeeze in. Starting at 5 p.m., Mulligan’s has a full menu, featuring such favorites as corned beef and fish-and-chips. Mulligan’s serves a variety of whiskeys, ales, and domestic and imported beers.
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Address: 1711 Division St.
11. Virago
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 320-5149
Address: 1811 Division St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Virago is a favorite among Nashville’s fashionably dressed, young, late-night club-hopping crowd. The swanky, high-tech restaurant/bar—complete with a sunken lounge with a huge flat-screen TV and a DJ booth—is known for its fusion cuisine, large sushi rolls, and exotic drinks. Order a martini and step into Virago’s dark, submarine-style lounge to mix and mingle with some of Music City’s trendiest scenesters who want to see and be seen. A separate dining room with a nice sushi bar is a plus for those who aren’t in the mood for the bar scene.
12. Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 327-9969
Address: 1918 West End Ave.
Description: A comfortable, relaxed place to dine and drink, Blackstone offers 6 ales, brewed at the on-site brewery. With a variety of reasonably priced lunch and dinner items, it has a busy lunchtime business. It is a convenient spot for Music Row, West End, and downtown workers to stop after work. Take a tour of the brewery if you like.
13. Bosco’S Nashville Brewing Co.
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 385-0050
Description: Delicious food, great beer, and a fun environment make Bosco’s a good pick among Nashville’s brewpub selection. The original Bosco’s opened in Germantown in 1992 and was the first brewpub licensed in the state and one of the first in the Southeast. Bosco’s has been at its 21st Avenue S. address in Hillsboro Village since early 1996. The best-selling beer is Bosco’s trademark Famous Flaming Stone Beer. Bosco’s also has a variety of special, seasonal, and cask-conditioned beers. Visit the website to preview the upcoming weekly selections.
14. Mai
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (615) 251-1889
Description: A new upscale lounge located in the Gulch, Mai promotes itself as “Nightlife Redefined” and features a dance floor and exclusive VIP area complete with its own restrooms. A top-notch sound system and lighting add to the club vibe. Mai has a strict dress code that guests seem to appreciate. Most nights there is a cover after 11 p.m. but free valet parking is available all night. The plush place hosts a weekly “Industry Night” each Wednesday. The Mai menu offers flatbreads and tapas.
City: Nashville, TN
Category: Nightlife
Address: 120 Second Ave. N.