The Catbird Seat

The Catbird Seat is Nashville's most critically acclaimed restaurant and one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the American South. Housed above a bar on Division Street in Nashville's Midtown neighbourhood, the restaurant seats just 22 diners at a horseshoe-shaped counter that wraps around an open kitchen. There are no tables — every guest sits at the counter, facing the chefs as they prepare each of the evening's courses. The format is a fully immersive chef's table experience in which the kitchen team interacts directly with diners throughout the meal, explaining technique and sourcing and, frequently, plating dishes directly in front of the guest. The tasting menu runs approximately ten courses and costs around $175 per person exclusive of beverages. The menu changes seasonally and leans heavily on local and foraged ingredients from Tennessee and the surrounding region. The Catbird Seat is BYOB — the restaurant does not hold a liquor licence, meaning diners bring their own wine, beer, or spirits with no corkage fee, an unusually generous policy for a restaurant of this calibre. Tickets release on the first of each month for the following month at 10 AM Central Time; they sell out within minutes. Past tenure at The Catbird Seat has included some of the most celebrated chefs working in the American South, and the restaurant has maintained a reputation for innovation and excellence since its founding. Two seatings run each evening — at 6 PM and 8:30 PM — and each lasts approximately two and a half to three hours. The intimate counter format means no seating is poor, and the conversation with the kitchen team is as much a part of the meal as the food itself.