Music City? How about Food City? 3 Nashville restaurants that show why the Tennessee capital is a top dining destination

‘Music City’ Nashville, Tennessee, is packed with great restaurants that benefit from great local produce and combine local and international influences

From Chauhan Ale and Masala House’s Indian fusion to XiaoBao’s Sichuan treats and Aubrey’s decadent dishes, we try three of the city’s best restaurants

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Nashville, Tennessee, famous for music, is making a name for itself among foodies. We look at three restaurants: Chauhan Ale and Masala House, XiaoBao and Aubrey. Above: chicken tikka poutine from Chauhan Ale and Masala House. Photo: Chris Dwyer

Published: 7:15pm, 21 Apr 2024Updated: 7:38am, 22 Apr 2024

It may be known to millions of annual visitors as “Music City”, but Nashville, in Tennessee, could just as easily be called “Food City”, thanks to its burgeoning reputation as one of the most thrilling places in the United States in which to eat.

With a young and dynamic population, global influences at every turn and impeccable local produce, dining out is both a joy and a challenge. So how to choose where to eat first?

For many, an entry point is Assembly Food Hall (5055 Broadway, Nashville) one of the largest food halls in the country, where dozens of vendors vie for your dollar, promising “The best of Nashville under one roof”.

In the heart of downtown, it serves up everything from stuffed banh mi sandwiches and pan-seared bao to tacos and Prince’s Hot Chicken – a dish that has been a local hero for more than a century. Just be warned that its XXX Hot option is well named.

Duolan Li, who was born in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, moved to Beijing and then to the United States at the age of six. She opened XiaoBao in Nashville, 2022. Photo: Libby Callaway

Once you’ve dipped your toe in the culinary waters, three restaurants run by three charismatic figures from China, the US and India offer excellent eating and perfectly reflect Nashville’s cultural diversity.

Duolan Li was born Hohhot in China’s Inner Mongolia, moved to Beijing and then to the US aged six. In 2012 she opened her first restaurant, in Charleston, South Carolina, which she called Xiao Bao Biscuit in homage to the food cultures of China and the US South. Her second restaurant opened in 2022 in East Nashville at 830 Meridian Street, this one called XiaoBao.