City Winery Nashville

I had a friend visiting from KC, and we both love live music, so we got VIP tickets to City Winery last night. Wonderful venue, great music, very entertaining, but then there was the service… We were sitting at our table for over 20 minutes before we were approach by our waiter. And that was the one and only time he came to our table. My firend and I had to track him down to get serviced the rest of the evening. And the venue was not sold out, actually is wasn’t crowded at all. When we finshed with dinner, we tracked him down to get coffee and dessert only to be told the kitchen had closed. Bigtime thumbs down on service. Won’t be going back anytime soon.

Visiting from KCMO to hang out with my BFF in Nashville. Heard about City Winery from a friend and the Butch Truck band playing last night. Went online and purchased VIP tickets. When we arrived the hostess said they were having problems with the VIP bar and asked us to choose another table on the floor. She said I would get a refund but not sure that happened. We did have front row seats far left. The John Sutton Band who opened was excellent. Of course Butch Trucks and the Freight Train did a fab job of playing. The server we had at Table 26 did a poor job. We received our bottle of wine and waited and waited for our server. Finally, could not find him on the floor so went to a hostess to send someone over to take our food order. The Hummus small plate was very salty so returned it to kitchen, the burger was very good. Our server at the end of the meal never asked us if we wanted coffee or dessert and when I finally tracked him down again the kitchen closed. If the place had been packed I might have understood the lousy service but it was not. The other waiters serving other patrons seemed to be more attentive to their customers,
The Venue for listening to live music was excellent. Food pricey and just so so. Had been warned about Valet parking so we took Über to and from.
I would go back to listen to live music but would dine somewhere else beforehand.

Very nice music venue! Not a bad seat in the house! I love being able to pick my seat when ordering! The food is equally good! Service great as well!

While the location is nice and adds a little class to Nashville the training of the wait staff is underwhelming.
If you use wine in your name your people had better be the best they can be when it comes to wine and this is not the case.
The staff were very nice, however, it is just that they have not been given the tools to be as aware and knowledgable as they should be.
The night was very quiet and the overall service was suspect.
Food quality was mediocre and not to the quality expected.
This is not the place to eat or drink until they learn to step up their game.
Too bad, we were initially excited and were let down on our first dinner in Nashville for NHL All Star weekend.

Ok I still love seeing shows here. Seriously. It’s a great listening room, and still a great place for intimate shows. But wow has the service gone downhill.
I’ve had odd experiences with the valet service the last several times I’ve been to City Winery.
At a show in December, the valet left a phone charger in my car. Why were they in my car long enough to charge a phone? Or if they weren’t in my car while the phone was charging, why were they using my car as a mobile charging station?
At another show in December, I got the, what I’ve now learned is common, speech about tipping. It’s insulting and unprofessional to ask for tips, especially at the beginning of the evening, when the service hasn’t been completed. The valets are the first people we encounter at City Winery, so to start the evening with a lecture about the importance of tipping is off putting to say the least. I’ve always tipped, so it’s just weird to start the night with such an accusatory speech.
At a show this month, I again got the terrible, off-​putting tipping speech. Tips (which I have always, always given) are optional based on service — they shouldn’t be requested at the beginning of the evening.
Lastly, what is wrong with the plumbing at this place? Two out of the last three times I’ve been there, the women’s restroom was closed because of plumbing issues. Get it together, City Winery.

Just WOW! From the moment we arrived, everything was perfect. The décor is modern, but homey. The venue has wonderful sound and allows for the most intimate feeling. The food is… ahhh, simply delectable. They have a wide variety. Ask about the specials. I bet you change your mind five times trying to pick the best item.
I have nothing but praise for every aspect of City Winery. Don’t miss a chance to dine here, and if at all possible, take in a show.

I can’t say enough about this place. We came here for New Years Eve and saw Marty Stuart. We had a table in the VIP balcony area. Upon checking in we were immediately escorted to our table and then greeted by our waiter. We were seated at one of the bar top tables, which are not nearest the railing. Our view was slightly obstructed and when I mentioned it to our waiter, Patrick, he moved us to a closer table and our view was fantastic.
We ordered the cheese plate appetizer, a bottle of champagne. I had the trout and my girl a steak; everything was delicious. The show was phenomenal and the crowd respectful.
Overall, the whole experience was tops and was the highlight of our trip.

First off, our server was great, that’s it. Let me start off by saying, I have always wanted to try this place. I am a huge foodie and eat out a few nights a week, City Winery has been on my list of places to try out and is a convenient drive from my house.
A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to go to a great brunch to bring in the New Year. I looked around at all my options and decided on City Winery because of their menu. I made a reservation and my boyfriend and I were so excited to check it out.
When you walk in, it’s a nice environment, what made our ⁴⁄₅ star experience into less of that was the buffet. The $ 30 per person hotel breakfast buffet… it was decent and mayyybbbe worth $ 15…
The thing that really got me though, was that I had no idea it was a buffet until we sat down. No where online did it say it, nor when I made the reservation… or even when they called to confirm the reservation the day before!!! They only had the buffet option and no actual menu.
I came here to try the menu, not a buffet and am very upset I was not told beforehand. Every single person in the place was just as upset as me and it ruined the way I think and will talk about this place… and my first day of 2016!
UPDATE — A manager contacted me today and issued me a refund for the buffet. I will go back & review this place again when I am able to have a true experience there.

This revue is for the concert venue only.
I like City Winery as a concept and venue. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. However, show tickets are pricy for Nashville and the menu is also inflated. I have no problem paying a premium for excellent cuisine, but I’ve been there three times, and the entrees just aren’t exceptional, nor are the wines (and they will add TN liquor tax to your bill instead of including it in the menu price, so that glass you ordered went from marginally reasonable to rather pricy). Expect 25% by the glass tax (between TN liquor tax and regular state and local taxes). The next time I go to a show at City Winery, I’ll eat first and have a glass of wine when I get there instead of dining in. Parking is VALET ONLY at night; be prepared. Make sure you understand the time on your ticket; it may be when the concert venue opens for dinner, and you could have an hour or an hour and a half before the actual show.
Bottom line: as a local, I wouldn’t go to City Winery except for a show, and the performer would need to be someone exceptional.

I had a TOTAL blast at a special event at City Winery last Friday! As far as I know, the restaurant was closed to the public that night. We had the entire front area bar, as well as the large venue room.
There were at least 4 bars placed around the room, which was really convenient, and there was never a long wait in line to get drinks. I enjoyed the cab that they offered that night for the party, as well as one of the «holiday martinis» which was reminiscent of an upscale bushwhacker ;).
The food was SO impressive. I sampled a little of everything, and found myself saying «mmmmm» on every single item. My favorites were the cheesy grits topped with a shrimp gravy (omg), and there was also a mushroom option which I sampled from my sister’s plate that was delicious. The shallot dip with the homemade potato chips was crave-​worthy, and the strawberries and cream crème brule hadh me «mmmm’ing» at every bite.
I can’t wait to go back for another show and for another delicious dinner!

This review is for their front dining room experience.
Wooden walls and dim lighting provide for a romantic ambience, ideal for date night and good conversations around the table. However, if it’s the weekend forget about it. The place gets extremely loud when it’s packed. Recently, I was with a group of six and we were practically shouting at each other all through out dinner. Soft speakers beware.
Considering how packed the restaurant was, the service was still attentive and the food came out relatively fast.
I’ve had the prefix meal here before which I didn’t think was bad for the price ($ 55 for five courses). The tasting includes the wagyu beef tartare, a beet and brocolli salad, baked ricotta, trout, and a chocolate stout cake. All of the selections were good and the portions were decent sized. This past time I made a meal out of three small plates. The risotto balls are a solid appetizer choice. They taste good on their own, but they do come with two sauces that don’t really do anything for them. The salads here are fairly large. I had the kale salad with the buttermilk tarragon vinaigrette which was delicious as well. I was however disappointed with their pumpkin gnocchi. By no means am I gnocchi connoisseur, but their gnocchi was rubbery in my opinion and left much to be desired. .
Parking can be an issue here. Valet is not complimentary ($ 5). If you chose to not valet you’ll have to find street parking and well… good luck with that.
Overall I’d say the food here is between a 3.5 and a 4. I would like to come back and check out a show here. They also have a cute patio that looks ideal for brunch, so I’ll try that next time I have City Winery in mind.

Very cool venue. You can have the full menu in the dining room or in the actual concert venue itself. They have select wines that are on «tap» which are prepared especially for the winery, as well as a decent selection of bottles as well.
We split a couple small plates, which were tasty (went with the arancini balls our server recommended, as well as the brown butter pumpkin gnocchi). Our server in the dining area was great, but the server in the concert venue was a bit frazzled and hard to track down.
Be aware that the concert time that’s advertised is actually when the doors open, not when the concert begins, and there may be an opening act. Our show was advertised as 7pm, but we had to leave at 9 to get to a show at the Opry, and the main act hadn’t even come on yet.

I really loved this place — it was my first time at a City Winery! I’m a music teacher and love attending live concerts but not so much the types where I have to stand the whole time, or deal with screaming crowds, jumping up and down to get a glimpse of the performed. PLUS — I love wine!
This was the perfect setting for me: delicious wine, cheese boards and flatbreads, and an intimate concert. We saw Josh Kelley, who I was obsessed with in college, so it was a nostalgic night for me. Great venue and inexpensive. I love that they have a decent wine list, too. I wasn’t a fan of their own wines, but opted for a much nicer bottle that was totally worth it.

First, this venue has promise. I came for a multi-​day corporate team event, so I haven’t been for the nightlife or a la cart dinner yet. It has a large bar on both floors, ample space for patrons and/​or large groups, and a nice looking interior.
A few of cons:
1) After parking my car in one of several available parking spots on the lot, a valet ran out to tell me I had to valet my car — which meant I had to give him the keys for my car to sit in the same spot all day. Huh?
2) The upstairs area is open to the entryway and multiple times in our meetings we were interrupted by loud groups of women squealing, something like «Like oh mah gawwwd!!»
3) The food was mediocre and healthy options were extremely limited. Fried chicken fingers aren’t for everyone at breakfast, for example.
Some promise:
1) The main dining and concert areas are nice.
2) Wine on tap.

They had me at wine on tap. I came in on a Monday night for dinner and was excited to find that parking was free. This is usually not the case although valet is $ 5 – 8. There was no wait and we were quickly seated and quickly wined. Our server was fantastic and knowledgable about wine. I ordered the lamb shank osso bucco with vegetable root hash. It was perfectly fall off the bone. My partner in crime had the trout on a bed of raisin couscous that was good but not quite to the level of the osso bucco. Im excited to learn that City Winery allows you to buy the wine on tap in a growler type (but clearly not) fashion. I recommend trying the Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv on tap.

This place gets 2 thumbs up in my book! I’m in Nashville for a Nutrition Conference and after a long day of learning, our group needed some delicious wine. We stumbled in during happy hour which was legit – 7 dollar glasses and 7 dollar apps. Worked out great! The wine was top notch and the apps were delish – especially the fried risotto balls (every dietitian deserves a treat!).
We hung out at the bar because there were not enough tables for us but after enjoying happy hour for over an hour, a table opened up and we enjoyed some more wine and apps.
It is a little pricy but the quality of the wine and food, in addition to the cozy ambiance and wooden walls, would make me come back if I was local to Nashville.

I went to the City Winery during my one day Nashville whirlwind. I went into town for the glaad concert for Love and Acceptance to see Meghan Linsey.
As others have said parking is pretty impossible unless you do valet — which is $ 5. Don’t try to park in the adjacent lot unless you want to be stopped by security in a golf cart.
Since I had a ViP ticket, I was escorted to my seat. I don’t know if the tables are always that close together, but I am on the lower end of a «normal» weight range and I felt like it was a tight squeeze. Not just on each side but even scooting my chair out. The person at the table behind me could not have pulled his chair out simultaneously with me. We were that close.
The bathrooms were okay. They ran out of paper towels and they stayed out through the evening.
The wine list is not as impressive as the name would lead you to believe. No Moscato anywhere on the list if you can believe that… Not even available by the bottle. I am such a Moscato fanatic (my dog is named after it if that gives you any indication), I would have bought a whole bottle despite being a two drink max girl. But alas it was not meant to be.
I wound up getting a burger with those truffle fingerlings with some Chardonnay (sweet, but moscato you were not).
The food was… Ok.
I hadn’t eaten all day. All I had had was caffeine. Caffeine and adrenaline. And somehow I didn’t even manage to eat half the burger. I don’t know…
And I love truffle oil. Truly do. On fries. Tater tots. Grilled cheese. You name it. But, I found these needed salt and some (gasp!) ketchup to go with as they lacked seasoning.
Service during the show was good. And quiet. She literally managed to get me my bill without me noticing she had placed it down.
I also love the water at the table — reminds me of Bailey’s Chocolate Bar in St Louis. It also saves the waiters time.
But after the concert, the service was not so nice. A hostess came up to me to ask me where I got where I was wearing. She said another hostess absolutely loved it. I told her it wasn’t a dress but a top and skirt but that only the petticoat was still available. She huffed off. Told the other hostess and not so nice commentary ensued after as if they didn’t believe me when I said it was no longer available — it sold out circa 2013… Not making it up.
The same girl didn’t recognize Jamie O Neal later and it wasn’t until someone informed her of who it was that she let them up the stairs… Whoopsies!
They were quick getting my car out from the valet too.

I had bought concert tickets here and decided to eat dinner here last minute, as well. First impression walking in: gorgeous ambiance. The lounge area is very open with lots of wood finishings and a round staircase surrounded by wine bottles. Very pretty.
Our dinner included: fried risotto balls, chicken fricasse, pork belly, lemon olive oil cake, and a few glasses of wine. Overall, I was pretty pleased with the meal, especially the pork belly which was crisp and succulent. The risotto balls were also good and reminded me of falafel. The sweet jam that comes with the lemon olive oil cake was the best part of the dish, but next time I’ll probably order the chocolate stout cake which I couldn’t stop drooling over from looking at it from the table next to me.
Dinner here is definitely not cheap. Our meal (for 2) came out to be $ 140 without tip. Plus, they charge an exorbitant amount of tax since they charge you liquor tax as well. Why the establishment (a «winery») doesn’t pay it itself is kind of strange. Also, valet parking is $ 5. Good luck finding parking elsewhere.
The concert itself was pretty good, although considering that this establishment hosts many musicians and artists, the acoustics weren’t the best. Maybe it was an off night.
Overall, I’m glad I was able to have the full dining experience here although next time there’s a show, I’ll probably eat dinner elsewhere first; It’s hard to justify the price.

Let’s talk parking: valet cost $ 5. The only free parking is located to the left of the valet lines. There are about 4 spots that don’t have «no parking — tow zone» signs above them along the chain link fence. The other spots clearly state you will be towed. The valet told my friend it was okay to park there despite the signs and she wasn’t towed, but it’s rather confusing on your first visit.
F&B: pricy. Drinks & appetizers run about $ 10 a price. Entrees are $ 15+. For ballers on a budget, this won’t be a regular stop.
I went with the cocktail described by the waiter as the strongest available: Tri-​Spritz. It did not disappoint in flavor or alcohol %.
I also couldn’t resist the truffle fries that were of course über delicious.
3 stars for lame parking; food was 4 stars.

I went to City Winery with 6 other girls for brunch today. After reading all the other negative reviews on Unilocal,I was a bit apprehensive, especially about the valet parking and the liquor tax, but I promised myself I would keep an open mind. I’m happy to report that I was able to park my own car in the parking lot. (Apparently they don’t have valet parking at brunch so I was able to save $ 5-​$ 8 there, according to varying other reviews.) I also did not order an alcoholic beverage, but the girls who did had double the tax on their bill. City Winery, paying your liquor taxes is a cost of doing business. Shame on you for passing that onto your customers!
I got the huevos rancheros. They were okay. Not impressive. Please note that they put hot sauce on several of their brunch items although it is not listed on the menu. Several of the girls had to send their items back because they can’t eat spicy food.
Once everyone was done with their meals, it took an hour for us to receive our checks. Yes, an HOUR. I’m not exaggerating. I timed it. The other girls were caught up in conversation so I didn’t say anything but had I been alone or with my husband, I would not have let that fly.
The ambience here is nice. I love the décor and atmosphere, so I’m going to give it another shot. Probably for dinner next time.