Nashville
Polished, precise, civilised. Nashville's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
Downtown · $$$
Rooftop Lounge at Bobby Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
SoBro · $$$$
Rare Bird Rooftop at The Joseph draws a steady local crowd in SoBro. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
Book your seat at The Patterson House via OpenTable or walk in and take your chances.
Green Hills · $$$
The Bluebird Cafe draws a steady local crowd in Green Hills. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown · $$$
FGL House draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown · $$$
L27 Rooftop at Westin draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown · $$$
Sky Blu Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown · $$$
Stillwater Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Midtown · $$$$
The Catbird Seat Bar draws a steady local crowd in Midtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
East Nashville · $$$
The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club draws a steady local crowd in East Nashville. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the eve
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond Nashville? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.