The best restaurants in East Nashville worth the reservation

Asian cuisine meets wood-fire mastery at Noko in East Nashville, where 2025 James Beard semifinalist Chef Dung “Junior” Vo brings precision to every plate. Recognized by OpenTable as one of the Top 100 Restaurants in America and named Eater Nashville’s Best New Restaurant, this Porter Road destination has become one of the city’s most sought-after reservations. Don’t miss the tomahawk ribeye or spam fried rice topped with a soft egg, both showcasing Vo’s technique of balancing traditional and modern wood-fire cooking.

Contemporary American cooking thrives at Cafe Roze on the corner of Porter Road and Greenwood Avenue in East Nashville. Chef Julia Jaksic weaves Croatian, French, Japanese, Italian, and Mexican influences into seasonal Southern ingredients at the restaurant. The pain bagnat sandwich with olive-orange tapenade and herb-marinated tuna exemplifies her boundary-pushing approach, while the paprika chicken and grilled halloumi with spiced peaches showcase unexpected flavor combinations.

Chef Marcio Florez and co-owner Cynthia bring Peru’s rich culinary traditions to Nashville through iconic dishes prepared with the finest ingredients and bold flavors at this spot. The intimate dining room serves everything from fresh and zesty ceviche where lime and Peruvian peppers meet tender seafood to classic lomo saltado featuring stir-fried beef, tomatoes, onions, and crispy fries. No visit is complete without a signature pisco sour, the perfect mix of pisco, lime juice, and bitters.

Contemporary American cooking with Lao influences defines Bad Idea, the East Nashville wine bar housed in a renovated church on Russell Street. Founded by sommelier Alex Burch—recipient of the MICHELIN American South Sommelier Award 2025—and led by chef David Breeden, this James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist earned a spot on the New York Times‘ 50 Best Restaurants in America 2024 list. Burch’s 125+ bottle wine list mixes rare selections with affordable favorites. The scallop crepe and pain perdu—a savory-sweet combination of French toast, kaya jam, and caviar—showcase the kitchen’s inventive spirit. After 10 pm, Bad Idea shifts to a late-night menu featuring golden curry corndogs and fried bologna sandwiches with potato chip aioli.

International tapas with Asian influences define Koré on Chapel Avenue in East Nashville. Co-owned by chefs Nick Rho and Brendan Yun—native South Koreans and longtime friends who also run Mi Kitchen in Franklin—this sophisticated tapas destination opened in 2024 in the former Samurai Sushi space. Koré brings a modern twist to Korean and Asian fusion cuisine through shareable small plates in a moody, intimate setting. The K-Pop chicken and sticky ribs are favorites, while the crispy spicy tuna and truffle mac and cheese showcase the kitchen’s playful creativity.

Modern Middle Eastern cuisine gets the wood-fire treatment at Lyra on West Eastland Avenue in East Nashville. Chef Hrant Arakelian and his wife Elizabeth Endicott transformed the former Holland House space into this intimate neighborhood gem where old world flavors meet contemporary techniques. Arakelian, of Armenian descent and raised in Nashville, developed his Middle Eastern-focused cooking through stints at etch, Butchertown Hall, and Rumours East. At the heart of Lyra sits a wood-burning oven producing pillowy pita served alongside the restaurant’s celebrated hummus. The lamb kefta skewers and sumac-scented half chicken showcase Arakelian’s ability to honor tradition while adding modern polish.

New York-style Italian cooking arrives in East Nashville through Frankies 925 Spuntino on Cherokee Avenue, marking the legendary Brooklyn restaurant’s first expansion beyond New York City. Founded in 2023 by chefs Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli—whose original Frankies 457 Spuntino has been a Carroll Gardens essential since 2004—this destination brings the comforting fare that made the original famous. Hand-rolled pastas made fresh daily anchor the menu alongside vibrant antipasti, the finest cured meats, and the iconic meatballs with pine nuts and raisins. The eggplant marinara and cavatelli showcase seasonally driven Italian-American classics, while the lush back patio overflows with potted herbs and greenery, recreating the beloved Brooklyn backyard dining experience beneath umbrellas and sunshade sails.

Omakase excellence defines Kase x Noko, the intimate 14-seat sushi bar from the team behind Noko Nashville. Founded by 2025 James Beard semifinalist Chef Dung “Junior” Vo alongside Jon Murray and Wilson Brannock, this Porter Road destination has become one of America’s toughest reservations. The tasting features fresh seafood flown in from around the world and handcrafted nigiri. Enjoy it all in interiors that blend wabi-sabi inspiration with modern sophistication through dark natural elements and locally sourced woods.

Detroit-style pizza meets Nashville at Emmy Squared on the corner of South 10th and Main Street in East Nashville. Founded by Emily and Matt in 2014 after a trip to Detroit changed their Brooklyn pizza-making trajectory, Emmy Squared introduced its one-of-a-kind fare to this location in 2022. Their signature square-shaped pizzas feature fluffy focaccia-like dough edged with caramelized crispy cheese known as frico crust, combining New York grandma pie techniques with Detroit style. The Le Big Matt burger—a double-stacked 1/2 lb creation—was named Nashville’s Battle of the Burger winner and recognized among New York’s top burgers by Gothamist and The Infatuation.