Kisser is a Japanese comfort food restaurant in East Nashville from chefs Leina Horii and Brian Lea — lunch only, no reservations, Michelin Bib Gourmand, and some of the most talked-about Japanese cooking in Nashville.

Peninsula is a tasting menu restaurant in East Nashville helmed by chef Jake Howell — Southern ingredients, global technique, Michelin Recommended, and a structured dining experience that earns every minute of its length.

Redheaded Stranger is a casual Nashville restaurant focused on Tex-Mex–inspired tacos and comfort-driven dishes. The menu emphasizes counter-service dining.

Sho Pizza Bar is a Nashville restaurant focused on Japanese-inspired pizza served in a casual setting. The menu emphasizes a narrow, specialized offering.

SS Gai is Thai fried chicken done at a level that made Michelin pay attention. One of the most exciting things happening in Nashville right now.

St. Vito’s Focacceria is a Nashville restaurant focused on Italian-inspired sandwiches built on house-made focaccia. The menu emphasizes casual dining.

Bastion is a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant and bar in Wedgewood-Houston helmed by chef Josh Habiger — one of Nashville's first fine dining destinations and still one of its best, with a come-as-you-are bar and nachos on one side and a 24-seat hidden dining room on the other.

Locust is a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in 12 South helmed by chef Trevor Moran — Japanese, Irish, and British influences, wood-fired technique, a menu that changes constantly, and some of the most emotionally resonant cooking in Nashville.

The Catbird Seat is a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in The Gulch helmed by chefs Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz — Nashville's most acclaimed restaurant, now in a spectacular new multi-floor space, with 13-16 courses and the most coveted reservation in the city.

Uzbegim is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Uzbek restaurant tucked into a Midtown building, serving Central Asian cooking that Nashville had no right to have this good.