Once Upon A Time In France
French restaurant · East Nashville ·
Classic French fare: steak frites, escargot, fine wines
Classic French fare: steak frites, escargot, fine wines
"I was shocked when I heard that Pastis, synonymous with Manhattan dining, was coming to Nashville." - Daniel Maurer
"If an impromptu flight to Paris is out of the cards, Once Upon a Time in France is the quickest way to transport yourself from Music City to the City of Lights. Straight out of the 1920s Parisian bistro playbook, this small restaurant is owned by a local French family who prides themselves on serving unfussy French classics - think escargot, steak tartare, and duck confit. Reservations aren’t accepted here, so arrive early, grab a chilled glass of Sancerre, and take in some quality people-watching." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
"Opened in late 2019 in East Nashville, Once Upon a Time in France was Melvil Arnt’s first French restaurant and has become wildly popular among locals for date night." - Delia Jo Ramsey
"In East Nashville I was pleasantly surprised by the transformation of a humble space into a gorgeous evocation of a 1920s French bistro: a black-and-white checkerboard floor, warm-hued stained-glass light fixtures, a small marble-topped bar, thrift-market mementos on the walls, a tiny art-deco side room with gilt-patterned wallpaper and brass lamps, and tin ceiling tiles pressed in a deco design make the whole effect flat-out adorable. The menu of French-style comfort food impressed me as well: a French onion soup built on the owners' family recipe with port wine and an egg yolk, and a Steak Frites that — unlike at other local French spots — comes with choices like anchovy butter, roquefort sauce and sauce au poivre vert. The wine list is solidly European, and the prices are a standout (the steak is the most expensive item at about $20). It's a marvelous place to hang out and recharge, though it can be hard to get in since it doesn't take reservations and offers only a small waiting room." - Audrey Carleton
"I discovered a chic 1920s-inspired French bistro on Gallatin Avenue that opened this week at 1102 Gallatin Avenue, replacing the former Steak & Pizza; the cozy, no-reservations, 45-seat East Nashville spot is run by father-and-son team Laurent Champonnois and Melvil Arnt, who combined the father's chef expertise with Melvil's background as a Parisian musician and sound engineer to recreate the food they missed from home. The classic menu features escargot, steak tartare, and boeuf bourguignon, and the drink list offers more than 75 French wines along with European beers, aperitifs and digestifs, plus some well-priced cocktails. They are open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 4:30 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 9:40 p.m., and closed Monday and Tuesday." - Delia Jo Ramsey