This post is sponsored by the Noelle hotel, but all text, images, and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Thou Swell running!
Two weekends ago I paid a visit to my good friend who just moved to Nashville, and had such a great time getting to know her new city! I’ve only visited Nashville once before, but this time I got more familiar with this approachable city’s cute neighborhoods. Music City is full of interesting history, friendly people, and incredible nightlife! I stayed in the Noelle, a boutique hotel part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, and part of the MakeReady Experience group. This historic hotel was built in the 1930’s and has such amazing historical details. The hotel is completely renovated and I loved how the modern additions blend with the Art Deco architectural influences.
I didn’t have to go far for a local experience – the hotel has a speakeasy-style hidden bar, rooftop bar, lobby bar, full-service restaurant, and the cutest cafe for a quick coffee or bite to eat. I absolutely loved being steps away from historic Printers Alley, and just a few blocks from Broadway (the center of nightlife in Nashville). See more of my favorite neighborhoods and hotspots in my Nashville city guide below!
Shop the Look
Here’s how my weekend went:
Day One
Arrive at the Noelle hotel
Head down the block to Stateside Kitchen for dinner
Stop into Hidden Bar for a drink
Day Two
The Mockingbird for brunch
Visit Boot Barn to find cowboy boots
Tour the Country Music Museum
Head to Rare Bird rooftop to enjoy the sunset
Josephine for dinner
Hit the bars on Broadway
Day Three
Breakfast in bed at the Noelle
Shop in The Gulch
Lunch at Adele’s
Head back to Atlanta
(Adele’s)
Cute Neighborhoods
12 South
This cute residential neighborhood is home to some great fine dining and local boutiques like Reese Witherspoon’s flagship Draper James store and Imogene + Willie. It’s also where you can find the iconic “I believe in Nashville” mural.
Downtown
Downtown includes everything on Broadway, so this is where you’re going to find Honky Tonk Central and all of the flashing neon signs of NashVegas, plus stores like Boot Barn where you can find the perfect pair of cowboy boots to take home with you.
Printers Alley
A subsection of downtown, this historic pocket of old alleyways is home to bars and nightclubs dating back to the 40’s, old jazz clubs, and beautiful boutique hotels nearby like the Noelle with great rooftop bars and restaurants.
The Gulch
The Gulch is an upscale neighborhood where you can find fashion boutiques, great new restaurants, and is home to the Frisk Art Museum and the famous angel wings mural. It’s a large-scale redevelopment project that’s LEED-certified and full of activity.
(Brunch Favorites
Adele’s
seasonal, accessible comfort food sourced from local farms and purveyors
Biscuit Love
Southern biscuits, breakfast and lunch served daily in the heart of Nashville (be prepared for a line)
The Goat
elevated pub fare & creative cocktails, frequent live music & leagues for games
Josephine
the Pennsylvania Dutch roots of chef Andy Little’s upbringing meets Southern hospitality
The Mockingbird
a chic diner serving classic American comfort food with a global spin
Liberty Common
Southern comfort food meets French classics in this stylish brasserie
(RH Café)
Great for Dinner
Etch
a globally-inspired restaurant by award-winning chef Deb Paquette
Butcher & Bee
Hip sequel to the Charleston original with creative New American fare
Husk
regional ingredients cooked on an ember-fired grill create inventive meals
MakeReady
industrial spot for seasonal tavern grub & rotisserie fired meats
RH Café
chic, design-forward café and wine bar located in the center courtyard of the RH store
5th & Taylor
refined American fare served in lofty, rustic-industrial surrounds
(Grab a Drink
Mother’s Ruin
a second home for the popular Manhattan watering hole
Earnest Bar
your spot for craft cocktails in a setting inspired by Earnest Hemingway
Skull’s Rainbow Room
circa-1948 speakeasy lounge in Printers Alley with live music and burlesque
Rare Bird
the Noelle’s chic, loungey rooftop bar with views of the downtown skyline
White Limozeen
a fun, over-the-top, rooftop bar inspired by Dolly Parton
Fable Lounge
steampunk-inspired cocktail and cigar bar
Hidden Bar
a secret speak-easy bar located behind a “storage” door in the bottom of the Noelle hotel
L.A. Jackson
swanky rooftop bar on top of a luxury hotel at the center of The Gulch
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(I can’t wait to go back to Nashville and get to know the city even more! It’s only about a four-hour drive from Atlanta, so it makes the perfect weekend trip. I hope this Nashville city guide gives you some ideas for your next trip.
