With all of the new places constantly cropping up in East Nashville, there seems to be something different to try every time you visit. Today, we wanted to share our guide to the most alternative area of Music City. We didn’t have enough bandwidth to cover all of the great places in East, so today, we’re highlighting our favorite options to eat, shop, & drink. (Don’t worry, we’ll be covering our favorite music venues in a future post.)
East Nashville is one of the city’s geographically largest areas, and is broken down into smaller neighborhoods like Lockeland Springs, Five Points, and Inglewood. For the purpose of this article, we will be referring to all pockets of the area with the umbrella term ‘East Nashville,’ or ‘East,’ for simplicity.
Eat
Two Ten Jack
Patrons revere Two Ten Jack as one of the best ramen providers around. Their menu has some unusual unique pairings, but is also somehow pleasantly authentic. As we venture into the colder months, we want nothing more than to curl up in a booth with one of their bowls of piping hot ramen.
Cafe Roze
For your next Instagram, Cafe Roze is decorated in a dream of millennial pink and marble. For your next delicious meal, Cafe Roze has you covered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Visit them here and learn more on their featured article here!
Peninsula
One of East’s newest eats, Peninsula is a take on Iberian cuisine with pairings of unusual flavors in small plates that can be washed down with amazing Spanish wines. It’s a small space, so we recommend going there with a friend or partner and an adventurous spirit.
The Treehouse
One may see the treehouse of The Treehouse situated in Five Points, constructed by mismatched wood and decorated with lights. Parties of eight can dine in the treehouse while enjoying the restaurant’s intimate, ever-changing, farm-to-table local cuisine. (We’ll call it farm-to-tree in this case.)
Drink
Barista Parlor
This coffee shop has multiple locations all over Nashville, but their East location is the largest and features an indoor-outdoor layout.
The Crying Wolf
The Crying Wolf is unapologetically grunge, with dive-bar priced drinks and food. They have a patio, pool table, and back room for shows, making this a great group destination. However, the best part about The Crying Wolf is, without a doubt, the display of taxidermy wolves decorating the bar.
Rosemary
Rosemary’s building is a house converted into an upscale cocktail bar, so one can sit in the backyard-turned-patio for warmer months, and lounge in what once was a living room while listening to that night’s DJ set in the winter.
Urban Cowboy
This bed & breakfast has each room painstakingly decorated under a different theme, with an overarching homey, modern rustic vibe. Many of the rooms feature installations from local woodwork artist 1767 Designs. Fortunately, one does not need a reservation to enjoy all of the intricate styling – their bar, Public House, is the perfect place to stop in for a cozy drink.
Shop
FLWR Shop
Not your typical florist. FLWR Shop will have all the modern floral arrangements your inner fashion blogger aesthetic desires, with a shop cool enough you’ll want to spend the afternoon in.
The Shops at Porter East
There are too many wonderful shops at Porter East, so we recommend just walking down the strip on Porter Road to see them all. Among them include women’s apparel boutiques, home goods, and various sustenance.
Olive & Sinclair
Olive & Sinclair is an unpretentious yet decadent chocolatier. Their sometimes unusual selections (like duck fat caramels) make great gifts, or you can stop in their charming vintage store to take a tour of their factory.
