A guide to Nashville: The best things to see, eat and do

Telegraph

20-03-2025

For all of Nashville's big venues, it's intimate clubs like the Bluebird Café that make it Music City. In the Green Hills neighbourhood, this much-loved venue for songwriters was where Taylor Swift was first discovered in 2004 – and she has popped back occasionally for secret gigs.
Being able to experience live music in intimate concert venues is just one of the advantages of having your own wheels in Nashville. Driving in the Tennessee capital – something made easy with British Airways Holidays ' car, hotel and flight booking options and direct British Airways flights from London Heathrow – allows for more flexible itineraries and discovering the neighbourhoods within the easily accessible city.
Exploring beyond the centre also shows that Nashville is about much more than the music – food, sports and the arts play a major part in the city's dynamic character.
Let the music play
This is, however, Music City for a very good reason. Internationally famous venues such as the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium host stars from multiple genres, while singer-songwriters take to smaller stages in jazz clubs, warehouses and even bowling alleys such as Brooklyn Bowl in the Germantown neighbourhood.
Nashville cherishes music heritage, too, with a bigger array of music museums than anywhere else in the world. These include the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the National Museum of African American Music, the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum and specialist museums dedicated to Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.
Music festivals also play a big part in the city's unmistakable energy – the packed calendar includes the AmericanaFest in September and the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in March.
Hot chicken and beyond
That festival calendar isn't all about music, though, with Dine Nashville in February showing off the Tennessee capital's culinary scene, and April's Music City Food and Wine Fest landing in Centennial Park for four days of feasting.
It's a tremendous city to eat in, with the spicy, crunchy Nashville hot chicken the signature dish. Prince's Hot Chicken, with four locations across the city, is regarded as the original, while Bolton's in East Nashville notoriously ramps up the heat for those who seek the spice.
Otherwise, the classic Southern experience is the 'meat and three' where the likes of brisket or fried catfish are paired with three sides, such as cornbread, collard greens or mac and cheese. Top places to go traditional include Arnold's Country Kitchen or Elliston Place Soda Shop and Puckett's Downtown.
But Nashville's menus go in all directions, not just south. Along the Nolensville Pike are restaurants that tap into the flavours of the world – Gojo brings high-quality Ethiopian, while Edessa serve Turkish and Kurdish dishes. Meanwhile, in East Nashville, Bad Idea puts strong focus on the wine while serving up dishes with French and Lao leanings. Chef-led fine-dining include the James Beard Award-winning and Michelin-starred chef Tony Mantuano, who brings exceptional Italian cuisine to the table at Yolan, while world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten heads up the globally inspired menus at Drusie & Darr at The Hermitage Hotel.
Art and about
Occasionally, food overlaps with art in Nashville. Chef Sean Brock's highly creative cuisine mixes his passions and his Appalachian roots at Audrey, reflected in the gallery-standard art collection on the walls.
It's indicative of the city's playful attitude towards art. The Frist Art Museum devotes itself to regularly changing exhibitions, while the full-size replica of the Parthenon in Centennial Park features a collection of American art as well as rotating exhibits.
Elsewhere, the art crawls that take place monthly see galleries in the Downtown and WeHo areas hand out free food and drink while viewing works behind usually-closed doors. The 12 South neighbourhood, meanwhile, is brimming with street art murals.
Passion for fashion
12 South has also become one of the most exciting places to shop in the US. It is dotted with taprooms and coffee shops, but the neighbourhood's driving force is the series of independent boutiques showing off the creations of local designers and makers. Try Emerson Grace for contemporary women's clothing, Judith Bright for jewelry and Made In Tennessee for gifts and trinkets with a sense of place.
To truly shop in style, Beve runs specialist shopping tours that hop between neighbourhoods, stopping at some of the city's most distinctive stores, in a bus that pumps out the playlists and keeps the drinks flowing. The itinerary is shaped to guests' fashion tastes and several boutiques offer discounts.
Stay all night (stay a little longer)
As the great Willie Nelson sang, 'when that ev'nin' sun goes down, yeah, you'll find me hangin' around', and visitors to Nashville should do the same, and take a few nights to acclimatise yourself to livin' it up, country music style.
The Hayes Street Hotel is central and great value, just off Music Row, while Hyatt House Nashville Downtown is perfect if you do want to stay a little longer. Going up a notch, Graduate by Hilton comes with a Dolly Parton theme, a Cross-Eyed Critter speakeasy and a rooftop pool, while the Moxy Nashville is on Broadway, with its own rooftop bar from which to watch and toast the world going by, down on Honky Tonk Row. And who knows, you may get lucky one night and meet someone who'll break your heart. You'll get a song out of it, after all.
Southern comforts with British Airways Holidays
Getting here is easy: British Airways operates multiple weekly flights to Atlanta, Nashville and New Orleans from London Heathrow, which makes getting to the Deep South simple. What's more, when you book your flights and car hire together through British Airways Holidays and their exclusive car hire partner Avis, you're able to experience that authentic Southern charm the best way possible, on a fly-drive holiday. And for a place to rest your head after a day of exploring, British Airways Holidays offer a range of hotel options to suit all budgets, so your trip is well covered.
Booking your flights, hotel and car hire together come with additional benefits, including full Atol protection, competitive rates, roadside assistance and access to a 24-hour holiday helpline for any support you might need while you're away. You will also receive a generous baggage allowance for any goodies you pick up along the way. For added convenience, you can secure your Deep South road trip holiday with a low deposit and pay in as many instalments as you like, to help spread the cost. Alternatively, settle the balance closer to departure should you wish to pay later.*