12 of Nashville's Most Creatively Designed Bars

From the dive-y-est of dive bars to Broadway’s many honky tonks to crafted cocktails and bars without menus, at any given time or day, Nashville’s drinkeries run the gamut. No matter your craving – be it atmosphere or a specific sip – Music City promises it will be quenched. These are the coolest spots with beautiful bars for you to enjoy this weekend. Cheers!

Bastion

434 Houston St Suite 110, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

This Wedgewood-Houston watering hole is a local favorite. Tucked away and unassuming from the outside, Bastion is comfortable and inviting on the inside. Music is the barkeep’s choice, playing tunes from the record player with the selection on display for all to see. The string lights and cozy seating areas, music and hidden-away feeling create an ambiance ideal for a post-dinner drink or nightcap. Challenge your friend to a game of air hockey, order a tequila buck and enjoy!

Don’t forget to order the nachos! Image: Strategic Hospitality

The Fox

2905B Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The dark walls and blue velvet booths at The Fox in East Nashville set a moody scene for cocktails. The rich colors and materials, courtesy of 1767 Designs who helped create the space, lend an Art Deco feel. A fox sits above the bar, and you’ll spot clever foxy details in unexpected spots – down to the imprinted ice cube in your Old Fashioned of the month.

You Are Going to Want to Know About The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club

Subtle yet ever-present, the fox motif can be spotted throughout. Image: Kate Dearman

Gray & Dudley

221 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.

21c Hotel’s Gray & Dudley is home to pieces from the museum’s Menagerie art collection. Inside this hotel bar and restaurant, you’ll see ceramic sculptures by Beth Cavener Stichter who, fascinated by animal and human behavior, creates sculptures that emulate both. Goats and rabbits hang from the ceilings and the walls, and they certainly make for notable — and unrivaled — bar decor!

Get a taste of Nashville’s thriving art scene alongside your cocktail at Gray & Dudley.

The Green Pheasant

215 1st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Above the expansive bar in the center of one of downtown’s hottest restaurants hangs an art installation designed and created by the local firm New Hat. The composition is inspired by The Green Pheasant’s namesake bird, and it is suspended by brass poles above the bar. This floating origami is a focal point in the restaurant, and the bar beckons for drinks and conversation (and a bowl of crab noodles, of course).

The convivial atmosphere of Green Pheasant centers around this beautiful bar. Image: Andrea Behrends

Henley

2023 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight

The eyes of Bette Davis keep watch of the bar at Henley. The sleek bar is clean and classic with its black and white tile floor and marble make-up. Enjoy small batch Tennessee bourbons and crafted cocktails by the head bartender, Benjamin Rouse.

The Henley bar is always calling (and watching!).

L27

807 Clark Pl, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The rooftop lounge L27 sits 27 floors above the ground boasts beautiful views as well as its own gorgeous design. A patterned tile runs from the bar to the ground, and floor-to-ceiling windows ensure you’ll see Nashville’s skyline no matter the temperature or weather conditions. The lounge area is cozy and seating is plenty.

The L27 rooftop is the beautiful spot you’re looking for. Image: Tausha Dickinson

Enjoy a craft cocktail or chilled glass of rosé at this luxurious rooftop. Image: Tausha Dickinson

Liberty Common

207 1st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201
Hours: Bar opens daily at 4 p.m.

Liberty Common came onto the Nashville restaurant scene and onto our Instagram feeds with a bang. The French-inspired brasserie’s sky blue accents and intentional design transport you to Paris, and the long bar anchors the restaurant. Opening also to the front porch of the restaurant, the bar serves happy hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day and offers a serene setting for an Aperol spritz or two.

The stunning design details of Liberty Common will blow you away.

This is the spring spot-to-be.

Marsh House

401 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: Bar opens daily at 10 a.m.

Light-filled and central to Nashville’s happening neighborhood the Gulch, The Thompson’s hotel bar at Marsh House is a pretty little spot to grab a cocktail before a night out. Dark, sleek and shiny, the bar is always buzzing with activity as guests arrive into town, diners leave for their next destination and late-nighters stop in for one last drink.

For bustling atmosphere, visit Marsh House. Image: Marsh House

Pearl Diver

1008 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

A tiki-themed paradise, Pearl Diver takes a stab at the tricky design that is tropical. With just a touch of kitschy-ness, but certainly not too much, the exotic lounge nails it. Design intricacy trickles into every last detail, including palm wallpaper and pink lighting in the bathrooms. Enjoy your cocktail lit on fire, but first, peruse all of the options and their stories.

A trip to East Nashville’s Pearl Diver is about as close as you can get to tropical in Tennessee!

Rambler Cocktail Bar

2600 8th Ave S #109, Nashville, TN 37204
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The underground cocktail bar the Rambler is just downstairs from The Sutler. Recently redesigned and reimagined, the space is dimly let yet filled with punchy, bright colors. The cocktails are meant to be simple and delicious, approachable but inventive. The dance floor beckons in this vibrant hidden bar.

This underground bar’s vibrant design will delight. Image: Rambler Cocktail Bar

The Lounge at Sinema

2600 8th Ave S Suite 102, Nashville, TN 37204
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight

Sinema is located in what was once a movie theater, and it maintains the creative spirit. The Lounge at Sinema is just a walk up the grand staircase, and they are outfitted in one-of-a-kind rock n roll memorabilia. The extensive playlist and movies on the screens upstairs fit the theme of the restaurant and lounge overall, and the cozy seating nooks and community table provide space for visitors to spend their night chatting over delicious drinks.

Enjoy the rock ‘n’ roll-themed Lounge at Sinema.

Urban Cowboy Public House

1603 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Sunday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Urban Cowboy Public House is a bar and kitchen in East Nashville that complements the Urban Cowboy suites next door. The cowboy theme is quintessentially (and tastefully) Nashville, and the bartenders greet you with a congenial grin. The Western theme continues outside to the patio where guests can gather ’round the campfire-esque fire pit.