As a food writer, some meals inspire careful note-taking, while others pull you in completely. Dinner at The Catbird Seat in Nashville, a Michelin-starred restaurant, was in the latter category.
Seated at the counter and facing the kitchen, the evening moved quickly. Plates arrived in steady succession as the cooks worked with calm focus. After a few courses, I stopped documenting every detail and enjoyed the meal as it unfolded.
I can't recall every ingredient, but I remember how the meal flowed and how flavors evolved from course to course: smoke and sweetness, balance and richness, familiar Southern touches.
I'm looking forward to sharing the tasting menu I experienced and showing why this dinner stood out as one of my best meals of 2025. First, it helps to understand how The Catbird Seat began and why it stands out in Nashville's dining scene.
Table of Contents
About the Catbird Seat
The Catbird Seat opened in 2011 in Nashville's Midtown neighborhood, originally tucked behind the cocktail bar The Patterson House. From the beginning, it stood apart from Music City's dining scene.
Counter-only seating, seasonal tasting menus, and an open kitchen put guests in front of the cooks, creating an intimate experience.
National attention followed quickly. The restaurant's chef-driven approach and evolving menus drew praise from food media. It appeared on television, including Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, where it was featured as part of Nashville's emerging food scene.
For many diners, myself included, that episode was the first introduction to The Catbird Seat, well before it earned a Michelin star.
In 2025, the restaurant entered a new chapter, relocating to the fifth floor of the Bill Voorhees Building. The move refined the original concept, preserved its identity, and reunited it with The Patterson House on the same floor.
My tasting menu took place in this new space, which felt like an extension of the restaurant's story and a fresh beginning under husband-and-wife Executive Chefs Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz.
Dinner
Arrival and Seating at the Counter
After checking in, I was led into the dining room and seated at the U-shaped Tennessee pink marble counter that wraps around the open kitchen, the defining feature of The Catbird Seat.
From this vantage, the kitchen was the focal point of the evening, with every course finished just feet away before being served.
My seat was near a structural column to my right, which slightly limited the view in that direction. I didn't mind. The column created extra space between me and the diners beside me, giving a small sense of separation while still feeling connected to the room and kitchen.
The setup reminded me of other counter-focused meals I've written about, including Pasta|Bar Austin and Florilège.
Before the first course arrived, the beverage options were explained. Guests could choose from three pairings or order à la carte from a list that included cocktails, wine by the glass, sake, and zero-proof drinks.
- Beverage Pairing (six wines plus one cocktail) for $140
- Petite Pairing (four wines) for $95
- Non-alcoholic Pairing for $85
I started the evening with a Papaya Spritz, a non-alcoholic cocktail made with NA gin, lemon tea, papaya "champagne," and meadowsweet over a large ice cube.
Later in the meal, I ordered a glass of 2025 Aligoté from Björnson Vineyard in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Bright and clean, with the freshness often associated with Chardonnay-adjacent varieties, it paired well with the savory courses that followed.
Opening Courses
A warm clover tea opened the tasting menu, served in a mug custom-made by former Pastry Chef Erika Chan.
It was followed by a hay-smoked oyster on the half shell and a small custard dish with shiitake, saffron, Osetra caviar, and cardamom.
Taken together, the opening trio made for a fun but focused start. Each dish was compact and composed, setting expectations for a meal that would build gradually.
The Middle Stretch
If the opening courses set the mood, the middle stretch is where the meal leans in. The dishes became richer, smokier, and more assertive.
A soup course arrived next, served tableside. An aromatic broth was poured from a teapot over turnip, radish, potato, and razor clam.
Made from apples, potato skins, roasted barley, and kombu, the broth was light but layered. As the heat settled in, the vegetables softened, bringing all the elements together.
Crab Omelette
The crab omelette with Kaluga caviar was one of my favorite dishes of the night. It looked simple when it arrived, but it carried a surprising amount of intention.
Filled with Jonah crab and chermoula, the omelette was rich without being heavy, the eggs soft and almost custardy. The caviar added salinity and texture, while the chermoula added warmth and herbaceousness.
I later learned the kitchen had devoted weeks to developing the dish. I heard a cook tell diners nearby that it was one of the most technically demanding plates on the menu that evening.
After an eggplant, pistachio, and unicorn grits dish, I received four courses at once.
Four Courses, All at Once
The foie gras pie with seeds, citrus, and candied seaweed cream in a potato croustade was another of my favorite bites of the night. It's impressive how much flavor and texture fit into a single bite.
The other courses at this stage of the menu included:
- Chicken liver, apple, and smoked garlic
- Beef, potato, magnolia, and nightshade
- Pork pastelle, preserved pepper, and olive
I enjoyed the chicken liver and beef dishes. The pork pastelle, a traditional Caribbean Christmas dish with seasoned pork wrapped in dough, was my least favorite of the night.
Late Savory
The late savory stretch opened with one of The Catbird Seat's signature dishes: a chicken wing finished with Bagnoli truffle. It looked straightforward when it arrived, but the execution told a different story.
The wing was fully deboned and filled with a light, savory mousse before being air-dried and smoked over cypress and juniper, giving it crisp skin and layered flavor. Finished with raw macadamia, spices, and a truffle-forward sauce, the dish was rich and aromatic.
I was encouraged to pick it up by the wing to eat and was provided a hot towel to wipe my hands afterward.
The final savory courses arrived together: pork belly on a skewer and pork loin with turnip, mizuna, and pine nut. Between the two, the juicy loin served with a sauce was my favorite.
Desserts
The first dessert, honeynut sherbet with tomato leaf, embraced vegetal sweetness. I loved the presentation in a glass bowl, and it served as a bridge between the savory courses and the last dessert.
The final course of mesquite fruit, squash, mochi, and apple felt like fall on a plate. Together, the desserts closed the meal on a light note.
Final Takeaway
Dinner at The Catbird Seat felt thoughtful and well-paced from start to finish. The counter seating kept the experience engaging, and watching the kitchen work added to the enjoyment, especially as I was dining solo.
Looking back, what stood out most wasn't a single dish, but how cohesive the whole night felt. It was an easy meal to settle into and a hard one to forget, and for me, one of the most satisfying dinners I had in 2025.
The wine lounge at The Catbird Seat's new location.
Know Before You Go
- Reservations: Required. Seats are released in advance and must be booked online.
- Format: Counter-only, multi-course tasting menu served to the group. Expect a paced experience lasting several hours.
- Menu: Seasonal tasting menu that changes regularly.
- Beverages: Wine pairing, petite pairing, non-alcoholic pairing, or à la carte cocktails, wine, and sake.
- Dietary Needs: Some restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice at the time of booking.
- Location: Downtown Nashville, at the restaurant's new location. The same floor also houses The Patterson House, a classic option for a drink before or after dinner.
- Good to Know: Best suited for diners who enjoy tasting menus, chef's counters, and watching a kitchen at work.
