Present Tense

I hope they read reviews! We LOVE present tense! I took my partner here for her birthday and we had such a beautiful time she brought me back one week later for a thank you. We love Zibby and we love Thayer! This is my first time at such a nice restaurant where they're so thoughtful with their recommendations and even understanding when you order something that didn't meet your expectations. I had the orchid mist drink which is the most delicious cocktail I've ever had. Ever. Of course you read about their squid ink pasta. YUP. SO STELLAR. The tuna toast! We had our first Wagyu steak here and don't even want to think to compare it to anywhere else it was that delicious. I had my first scallop here! Incredible. We've had so much of the menu and only one thing we couldn't continue with. Our waiters felt like friends at the end of each dinner. We are just so appreciative of how well they took care of us. This will be our special moment restaurant forever now. Thank you so much! And see you next time!

Dimly lit upscale restaurant on the edge of greatness. Service at the bar fell off as the restaurant filled, bartenders spending more time lining up shaker or literally scratching their heads. The BCF Pork Belly is thick cut, melt in your mouth with lots of flavors. The Yellowtail is good, but thick cut, and doesn’t melt. There is a full bar, and a well curated European based wine list.

I don’t know why Nashville hasn’t been talking more about this restaurant. The food, the service, the atmosphere, and the music are fantastic. Must orders: 1. Kumamoto Oyster: Very tender and creative, must try if you love oyster 2. Skirt Steak Tataki: perfect steak that’s so easy to chew and just slip into your stomach 3. Koji 1/2 Chicken: pleasssssssss order this one! It’s so good so juicy and so tender. The truffle fries and the koji au poivre sauce is the best combo. I am definitely coming back!

Overall: tasty food, fresh, original dishes Food: we came here for original dishes that we won’t usually prepare at home. They delivered. Squid ink pasta? Yes please. Fresh ingredients. One thing to consider, as with any higher-end restaurant, is that the portion sizes are more like tapas. so if you have a larger appetite, you should consider eating elsewhere unless you want to drop one $150-$200 for 2 people. Ambiance: cool vibe, great music, most importantly, no wait on a Thursday night. Service: very friendly staff who checked on us frequently, but was not annoying.

I really enjoyed my dining experience at Present Tense. The drinks were incredible and every dish was carefully prepared. Each bite was better than the last. My personal standout dishes were the Sweet Potato and the Cod. The environment was warm and inviting and the serving staff did a great job as well. I can't recommend this spot enough.

Such a delicious meal! I loved the vibe of the restaurant, food was great, our waitress was such a treat, and overall I will be visiting again. Plus, what is really fun is that they change their menu to introduce new dishes along with always bringing back those that have been most popular. I was impressed by the stunning hamachi crudo + if the soft serve flavors are white miso sesame and blueberry sake...make sure to get the swirl as it taste just like a PB&J. It's so good!

A favorite of mine in Nashville! Present Tense made for the perfect date night and first anniversary celebration. I didn’t have a single dish or drink that didn’t taste as good as it looked. The flavor combinations were unique and perfectly paired. The moment you walk in you’re encompassed by a calming energy. The layout of the restaurant makes for an overall relaxing experience. I can’t recommend this place enough. I would love to go back for one of their sake tastings!

Absolutely LOVE this new chef and menu. My previous experience at the Hart was extremely lackluster. This new restaurant, - the menu, drinks and chef - absolutely blew me away. Every menu item I ordered was incredible, and fairly priced for the quality and unique experience. I was so excited to give this place a try after its opening in May 2023 and I will absolutely be going again as a regular. I also love the Hippo Bodega next door - great place to walk around and browse while waiting on my party. All in all, so thrilled to have Present Tense in town!

Cannot say enough good things! Great service, cool atmosphere, incredible drinks, food and dessert. Always recommend this spot to those visiting Nashville!!

Dimly lit upscale restaurant on the edge of greatness. Service at the bar fell off as the restaurant filled, bartenders spending more time lining up shaker or literally scratching their heads. The BCF Pork Belly is thick cut, melt in your mouth with lots of flavors. The Yellowtail is good, but thick cut, and doesn't melt. There is a full bar, and a well curated European based wine list.

Present Tense was absolutely solid. Tasty good-quality food, a younger vibe, beautiful drinks, and knowledgeable staff! I would give it a 4.1. Overall I think it's priced a little more than it should be, I think each dish could shave off a $2 or $3 but it's not too far off of where I think it stands in terms of quantity and quality. I think the place is a little too big for the atmosphere it's trying to create (a smaller place would make the place feel more alive and vibey - they have loudish music but I feel it's too big to give it that intimate buzzy busy vibe that I feel this place is going for). I'd definitely go back if I'm in the Wedgewood-Houston area.

We visited Present Tense on a Friday evening with friends not really knowing what to expect. We were seated at a nice table outside where we could easily visit with our friends. The menu is a bit fancy and intimidating, so be sure to ask the staff any questions you may have, even with the drink menu. I tried the Andorra cocktail (bourbon, rye, & vermouth) and was quite pleased. It was a delicious way to start the meal. My wife had the one rose choice on the menu, it she was happy with it. The food here is meant to be shared. It's that simple. But, it everything can easily be shared among four people. Some items come with two pieces, others with five. So please ask your server how each dish is served. We ordered the oyster app (2 pieces) and it was delicious. It definitely left you wanting more. We also sampled the sashimi (5 pieces). It was briny and flavorful, but with the skin still on the fish, it was a bit hard to chew. Everyone loved the pork belly (wait, isn't that always true?). There were 4 pieces of deliciously caramelized and glazed pork belly. This was one of our favorite dishes of the night. The diver scallop dish was super tasty, but very small for $23. Only 2 small scallops. We ordered two entrees to share, and both were delicious. The Squid Ink Pasta was the star of the night. A spicy but super flavorful sauce with tiny squid coated perfectly cooked black bucatini pasta. Everyone loved this dish. The Iberico Pork Katsu was a juicy piece of pork pounded flat and fried, topped with spicy mustard and miso sauces. It was cut into eight pieces and was easy to share. We all enjoyed this dish. The food is special here, but you don't get much of it for the price. Present Tense is a nice place to visit once a year, and we really enjoyed our night.

Nestled in the heart WeHo, this Japanese-inspired fusion restaurant is a true gem that has captured our hearts and palates. From the moment you step through the door, you are enveloped in an atmosphere that is worthy of its own paragraph: The interior is a visual feast, minimalist design elements, soft, ambient lighting, and lush greenery at each corner and even overhead! It's a comfortable balance between nature and modern sophistication. The culinary journey begins with a menu that reflects a masterful fusion of Japanese flavors with international influences. The chefs here have truly mastered the art of blending tradition with innovation, creating a dining experience that is both familiar and yet delightfully surprising. One of the standout features of this establishment is its sake selection. The knowledgeable staff is more than happy to guide you through the curated list, helping you find the perfect pairing for your meal. This feature is expected to grow even more impressive, as the owners' own proprietary sake will be available on the menu soon. Additionally, there is a large list of interesting cocktails. We did not pick a cocktail, but rather stuck to the sake list for our dinner. The wait staff themselves are a testament to the commitment to excellence that defines this establishment. Our server Miranda was very attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about her craft, ensuring that every aspect of our dining experience was seamless. Her recommendations were spot-on, and her presence added an extra layer of warmth to the already inviting ambiance. It appears that the menu changes regularly, thus making specific "knockout" dishes less necessary to mention. Nonetheless, an octopus dish, a plate of shishito peppers and okra, and the dan-dan noodles were standout choices. We also saved room for dessert, which was also a strong move on our part: the sesame seed soft-serve was the perfect closer, paired with a sweeter sake choice. In conclusion, this Japanese-inspired fusion restaurant is a must-try in the culinary scene. From the exquisite dishes to the sake selection, and the impeccable service provided by the skilled wait staff, every aspect of this dining experience is a hit.

Disclaimer: I came here when they had recently opened on May 24th, 2023 so it's a late review, but I did want to write one just to just give some feedback. My friend and I came here on a whim because it had been promoted on Where to Eat in Nashville, which usually we trust. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like it walking in it just fell short in so many ways that maybe eventually they would be able to rectify with some menu changes. ( fyi: just now I did look on their site for the menu and see it's been updated a bit as well!) It just seemed like they missed the mark on food. The up side and reason for the 2 stars is that the service was decent, and it's a cute little place. Unfortunately food wise, it was just mediocre. I feel like they attempt to offer a little bit of what you're familiar with and build on that, but it just comes off as it not being cohesive. The fried chicken was pretty greasy and the sauce just didn't add anything to it. The sweet potato seemed to have no flavor at all really. And my shrimp fried rice (which I no longer see on the menu) seemed almost like it was from a frozen bag. The one thing that I actually really enjoyed was the aged tuna toast. It was good, simple, tasty, and fresh but it didn't save the meal. The prices also just seemed a little high for what we were getting, but considering we didn't really enjoy our experience I do feel that it's normal to feel that way. With such competitive prices around Nashville it hurts when you go out to eat and don't enjoy your meal. So, though overall we left pretty disappointed, I can see the vision. I hope they can maybe tweak some things, add some things and nothing but good experiences follow! Good luck!

2.5 stars. We were really excited to try this place as locals as we are always looking to try new restaurants around town. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy our experience here. As another reviewer mentioned, we too were seated inside but by the outdoor area where everything is open to the outside on a nearly 90 degree day. I felt no AC on whatsoever. This isn't SoCal, it's Nashville. It was insanely unpleasant to dine and eat with that level of heat. I also had the pleasure of sitting next to the tiny walkway smashed by a plant so I was touched every single time anyone went in or out. The drink menu looked cool but we ordered 4 different ones and only thought one was delicious. For the food, some hits, some misses. We loved the pork bao buns and the fish but everything else we found to be mediocre. Even the sweet potato which I was thrilled to try was not great, and not cooked enough. The "ube" soft serve here was downright offensive though. I've been to the Philippines and had legit ube many times over and just love the flavor so much. They put this down and it was neon purple and I was scared already. We tasted it and not only did it not taste like ube but it had the most insane ink-like aftertaste. The amount of food coloring that must be in it.. absolutely crazy. We took two bites each and left it, with our entire mouths dyed purple the rest of the night. The service is what we had the hardest time with though. They have a lot of young kids running the food and nearly every time one of our items was brought out they either couldn't explain what it was or it was missing an ingredient. We waited insane times in between courses. Had to hunt someone down for a refill of water or to order another drink. We got the super expensive bill after asking for it twice, paid and left- hot and bothered. Literally. Not somewhere we'd want to come again.

Definitely now among our favorite restaurants in Nashville. We kept saying: "Wow, this is good!" Exceeded expectations in every way. We'd been here once when the space was called The Hart, and it was good -- as Present Tense, it is *fantastic.* We took the recommendation from our server to pick one dish from each of five columns on the menu, and that was the exact right amount of food for two. We loved all of: the kanpachi, the karaage, the pork belly, and the sweet potato. The matcha soft serve was the perfect ending. All three of the cocktails we tried were really lovely, too -- both visually beautiful and well balanced. Service was friendly and incredibly attentive. Looking forward to returning!

Tonight we headed to Present Tense for the Omakase tasting menu. Oh my! What a lovely inventive meal with excellence in every aspect. First up was a raw oyster in a fabulous sauce topped with caviar. Brought out at the same time was tuna on grilled seaweed sourdough - that bread y'all! Next up was a scallop with jellied blood orange followed by yellowtail with yet another amazing sauce. Yes, we picked up the shells they were served in and drained them of every drop of sauce! Next was a giant prawn in a Japanese hollandaise sauce. Another scallop came next but this time it was grilled. Perhaps the biggest surprise was a sweet potato slice in a miso butter (more upturning of the serving dish to get every drop). Red snapper with baby corn in another incredible sauce was followed by yakitori (chicken) topped with mushroom - both were so tender. Squid ink pasta with a bit of pork topped with a perfectly crunchy squid in tuile. Last savory course was a lamb chop with miso labne and eggplant (never one of my favorite veggies it was beautifully elevated tonight and incredibly yummy). Our 11th course was a chocolate peanut butter soft serve topped with a crunchy waffle cookie. This amazing 11 course meal is $99. Incredible value for a fabulous, inventive meal

Great food. Ambiance is a little strange because it is in a hotel lobby. Valet being $10 when no one is in the restaurant is also an interesting choice. The tuna over bread is delicious. Can't miss out on that! Great service. Not a ton of selection if you are picky. If you like cocktails and seafood, def a place to try!

I was really impressed by my experience at Present Tense! I came in with a group and we were sat at a large table by the door. The lighting and music were vibey and fun with mariachi music playing at one point that oddly worked somehow. Service was a little slow at the beginning with it taking a while to place our drink orders and then receiving drinks, but after that it was fine. My whitecap grey cocktail was interesting and came with blanco tequila and yogert plus a bit of spice from the pepper. It was interesting but very small. I'll probably stick with sake or wine next time. The food came out quickly after ordering and we sampled quite a bit of the menu. The sashimi was fresh and delicious but the tuna hand roll was wonderful! Perfect texture and flavorful. We all sampled the tuna toast, oyster mushroom skewers, grilled sweet potatoes, fried chicken, pork katsu, lamb and squid ink noodles. Everything was well made and tasty but the table favorites were the fried chicken, sweet potatoes, and pork katsu. Honestly you can't go wrong with any of this though, it was all great. The soft serve for dessert was different but also very good. They offer an omakase tasting experience on the weekends and I'll definitely be back to try that soon!

Our dining experience was amazing. The meal was awesome. From the tuna toast to the pork belly to the sake it was an amazing experience. The vibe was cool and refreshing. Our server, Jacob, was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and patient with two new customers. Highly highly recommend!

Food was excellent. Drinks were so tasty. We had an excellent time for a great afternoon lunch.

Food was delicious, service was generous and the atmosphere was great! Loved the tiger shrimp

A unique WeHo restaurant attached to a hotel. I took my sister here for her birthday and she enjoyed it. However; the wait for the food to come out was very long and the food was very expensive and small portions and honestly not all that great. We ended up having to get a second meal afterward.

Fantastic small plates of interesting food in a great atmosphere. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 stars was that the music was so loud it was hard to talk to the people at my table and what's the point of having dinner with friends if you can't hear them? We sat on the patio which was lovely on a nice warm evening and ordered the Japanese sweet potato (my favorite!) okra and shishito Peppers (second favorite), some sashimi and all of the different yakitori options. The serving sizes are very small so either eat beforehand or plan on ordering a lot of $15-$25 plates with one or two meat skewers. . We ordered over 10 dishes for a party of 5, enjoyed each one and then went home and had a second meal because we were still hungry. 20% tip is already included and the bill came to around $200 which included one carafe of sake ($30).

Service and cocktails were great but the food was terrible. I took my mom here for the first time and when everything came out and we were trying each dish we were just looking at each other confused. Our tuna toast came out completely black and burnt which was confusing why they would even bring it out like that. The fried chicken was nothing but skin and fat and had a really awful texture, we were actually scared that it might be undercooked. We cut our dinner short before ordering anything else after being so disappointed. When the bill came there was an automatic 20% gratuity which we would've tipped anyway, just would've been nice to know since the website said nothing about it.

"Impeccable fusion of Japanese flavors with a delightful ambiance! From the moment I stepped in, I was greeted with a serene atmosphere that perfectly complemented the culinary journey ahead. The food was an absolute masterpiece, blending traditional Japanese elements with innovative twists that tantalized my taste buds. Each dish was expertly crafted and bursting with flavor, leaving me craving for more. A definite must-visit for anyone seeking an unforgettable dining experience!"

Sheesh I spent the same amount here as I would in a lower Manhattan hot spot. I say that painfully. They advertise small plates. 50% of the small plates should not be 24$-36$+ in my opinion, $450 for two people with one sake. I've got no problem paying but they need to invest in the interior and make the place nicer all around at that price point. I was given a wrinkled paper menu. I had to pour sake for our table the entire time. Again, these are "fine dining" prices. I expect a greater level of experience.

I rarely find myself eager to revisit a restaurant for more culinary exploration, but Present Tense has reignited my enthusiasm. This gem not only boasts delectable dishes but also provides exceptional service and an inviting atmosphere. The fusion flavors surpassed my expectations, rivaling those of renowned restaurants in Japan. The thoughtful preparation and attention to detail in every dish are commendable. I not only look forward to my next visit but also plan to introduce others to this exceptional dining experience. While it may not hold an official Michelin rating, in my opinion, it easily stands at a par with some 1-2 star Michelin establishments I've had the pleasure of visiting.

We almost skipped this place after reading a few of the 2 star and 3 star reviews. I am so glad we did not because this place is fantastic. Location: It's located in the lobby level of a hotel and the place has a really relaxed vibe. Parking was a little tricky to navigate as they have this odd looking stacked/automated parking garage - but once I figured out what it was it was super easy to park. Food: Each dish was unbelievably good. I had a very tough crowd visiting from Toronto (last time they were here I took them to The Optimist and they thought the food was mediocre) and they enjoyed each dish we ordered - which is very rare. - tofu (it was so good we ordered it twice) - oyster mushrooms were excellent - fried chicken was decent. It tasted better with the sauce in the tofu dish - scallops were good - madai sashimi is highly recommended. Probably the freshest sashimi I've had in town. - aged tuna toast was decent - yakitori set is highly recommended as well Service: Well paced and attentive. The owner came over to help us with the Saki and he was very generous - we couldn't decide on a particular unfiltered and filtered so he served us both in carafes (something that's not on the menu). We will certainly go back several times - this place is a welcome addition to our rotation.

What an amazing and delicious experience! The most interesting cocktails and Japanese inspired food. Loved the vibe too! And the service was great...can't say enough good things.

My husband and I had reservations for Saturday at 5:30. I'll start with the positives We got sat immediately & the ambiance was very cute. We ordered our drinks, which were great, I had the living coral with gin & my husband got a sake. We ordered 3 plates and they came out back to back. The oysters, tuna toast, and pork belly were great! Now for the negatives: Our 4th plate took forever to come out. Our waiter kept saying it's coming, we're up next. But 30 minutes go by, nothing. 45 minutes go by, nothing. Over an hour had passed when it was finally brought out. It was several small chicken skewers. Our waiter never apologized for the long wait, or explained what was taking so long. When we did try it, it was cold. No idea what happened or who dropped the ball, but it was very frustrating. Another con was that they had the doors open when it was 88°, and there wasn't any airflow. It was very hot! Overall, I won't be going back for awhile. I'll most likely wait a year for them to get in the flow of things before I try it again. For what the cost is, I expect a higher level of service.

Extremely well prepared food and cocktails! Whether it is ochre, scallops or oysters the vehicles for his or her sauces are incredible. Assholes stay away. This is a cool place with a great vibe....

PROS: -Food is FANTASTIC. So so so good. Really creative, fresh, seasoned perfectly. -service is great. Personable, knowledgeable, attentive. -The space was very cool. LA/NY warehouse vibes but warm and inviting. CONS: -the playlist SUCKED. It didn't make any sense for the space. Metal mixed with Japanese pop with adult contemporary. It really took away from the experience. -The pacing of the food was WAY off. To be fair, we got there for 530 and were one of the only tables so the kitchen didn't have many ppl to cook for which could've been the issue, but when you spend $180 on dinner, you expect it to be an experience and to take longer than 30 minutes. We were OUT by 6pm. You're not able to enjoy the dish you just ate bc the next one has already arrived at your table. It would've been nice to have at least 10 minutes between each dish but the next one would come out immediately. I'd recommend going later when the place is more full. It's a very expensive 30 minutes.

I had lunch today (Fridays the only day they do lunch), with three extremely discerning palates(as well as my own, of course We ordered so much: delicious salad, raw scallops, raw tuna Squid ink pasta with squid (yum!) Some roasted peppers , a pork dish and a blueberry sesame soft ice cream swirl. So delightful! So satisfying! So tantalizing! Everyone in the party was totally blown away. Thank you Present Tense

Yummy food, coolest vibe, servers were knowledgeable and so helpful when I was trying to decide what to order and wanted to experience something new. I had the Tuna toast on sourdough bread -it was adventurous for me but it was so incredible! I am in town visiting from AZ for business and WILL be back! Present tense is definitely on my list of favorite places to hang out and catch a bite when I come back to Nashville!

We usually order a few plates and share. Everything we have tried thus far is really delicious. Do not sleep on the miso soft serve. I'd go as far to say it's my favorite ice cream in Nashville. If you get the sundae, it tastes like a snickers bar.

Follow up to ongoing business. Have been back several times. Enjoyed the awesome menu but decided to get omakase tonight to surprise the ole lady. Third time doing the omakase seating and definitely won't be the last. Perfect menu paired nicely with a wine/ sake pairing. Don't sleep on this gem if you are in the Nashville area.

I read about Present Tense on a Nashville food blog and wanted to check it out on my recent trip to my favorite city. Really glad I did. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and a staff that clearly cares about your experience, from the food to the drink to making sure you're comfortable and cared for. Drink menu is ecletic and adventurous. I had the Whitecap Grey, because I'm a tequila fan, and it hit me with tons of depth and texture. Or to put it less fancy, yum. Dinner, I started with the crudo, went on to the pork belly. Both perfectly prepared, delicious, really nice presentation. And desert...SAVE ROOM...sweet potato white chocolate ice cream. TRUST ME ON THIS. Really enjoyed it here, will definitely come back on a future trip to Nashville. I rarely repeat restaurants but this was great and there are a so many things on the menu I need to try. Absolutely recommend!

10 out of 10 for everything! I sat at the bar and ordered a Martini it was perfect! Their cocktails are delicious and creative. The service from Bartenders Sam and Cole is top-notch! They're friendly, warm, and attentive. The food was incredible, razor clams, and the pork Katsu was fresh and flavorful. The music and the vibe are upbeat but relaxed. Overall, I had an incredible experience and would definitely come back for date night or with friends. I can't wait to try more from their incredibly curated wine and sake lists.

Beautiful space even though it's in the bottom of an apartment complex and opens into the lobby. Came here with 3 coworkers and we ordered cocktails (everyone was a fan of theirs), hiramasa sashimi, chicken karaage, two pork katsu (we liked it that much), tuna toast, Japanese sweet potato, fluke, squid ink noodles, and swirled matcha and sesame soft serve. This was a lot for 4 people but we basically ate it all. The squid ink noodles are very salty but are reminiscent of dandan noodles. Everything was just really good, but top 3 were the karaage, katsu, and tuna toast. Probably wouldn't order the sashimi again. Service was great as well. Overall, a place worth checking out and returning to, esp if they change up the menu.

Great service very attentive, great ownership and super fun foodie experience. We will be coming again and we suggest you do too!

This is such a unique experience that we were excited to have during our quick trip to Nashville! The atmosphere/vibe is incredible, the food is unlike anything I have had and the service is top notch, very professional!

Fresh seafood, nice atmosphere. They have some of the freshest sushi/sashimi in Nashville with a western twist.

After reading about Present Tense on a few food blogs and instagram, I had the opportunity to go today. There weren't many people when we went at opening, but it was starting to fill up by when we left. Now for the review, do yourself a favor and go and splurge on the food! Our server was super attentive the entire time and had me drooling for the menu after it was explained to us. I really haven't had as good service from a restaurant as I did tonight at Present Tense and when I've been to Yolan. Given these are small plates to share, you should go with a plan to get a variety of plates. It was 2 of us and we got 5 plates plus desert and left feeling a bit more than full of delicious food! Now for the good! I got the Hokkaido scallops to start off and there was a dance of wanting to eat it all and never wanting the flavors to end. While it was a little pricey for 2 scallops, the taste was worth it and had me savoring so much. The karaage chicken was so juicy and full of flavor. It comes with a delicious pasty Japanese condiment called yuzu koso, which complimented the chicken so beautifully with a citrus taste. The Kakuni pork belly was small, but was a fun time. The meat was so flavorful and had such a nice kick with the properly burn ends, you get to make mini baos, but if you're with more than 2 people you may want to order more. Finally the red snapper came along with so much flavor. It came with a side of squash that was just as delicious as the fish. The fish is sitting over miso and I ended up using the miso on the pumpkin which complimented it so well(my mouth is watering as I write this lol). For dessert we got the toasted black sesame soft serve. It was a black colored ice cream and was super unique in appearance. The ice cream was like eating a recess pieces or some sort of peanut butter ice cream that was not overwhelming at all. It was such a nice balance. The one thing I would say wasn't as fabulous were the yams, everyone has their own opinions on yams and while still really good, I definitely was expecting a lot more flavor, regardless it was still a fantastic dish! Cannot recommend this restaurant enough, before we left I was already planning my return and what was coming next! Overall great experience, but be ready to spend a dime as the tab adds up pretty quickly, but again definitely worth every bite. The ambiance was also pretty calm and love the low lighting.

Went with a group of four which allowed us to try many of the dishes and worked out well! The karaage chicken with the dipping sauce was so delicious, highly recommend. We also had the pork collar which came with spicy mustard and bbq sauces, it was a large portion and the pork was lightly breaded and crispy, very good. Also recommend the pork belly bao buns. The pork belly was very tender and the bao buns are made in house which was a plus. Other dishes I recommend are the shishito peppers and okra, oyster mushroom and grilled scallop (pictured). We finished off with Ube/matcha swirl soft serve ice cream which was surprisingly delicious (also pictured). Couple things to be aware of: it's VERY warm in there as I believe it's an open space between inside and outside, today happened to be 90 degrees out and also, they add gratuity to the bill.

WOW WOW WOW! The food is insanely good and the atmosphere is literal perfection. And to top it off service was amazing. Felt like I was ordering from a friend not a stranger.

Awesome spot! Cool atmosphere and the food is spot on! Service was fun too! Great sake list.

Loved the ambiance, not stuffy, but nice enough for date night and your sexy little dress. I'm a big martini fan and at first I just got my usual, then I ventured out with a nightcap called "Andorra" - such a perfect, unique bourbon drink and ending to our yummy meal. I can't wait to go back and get the tuna toast again! Also, I'm not even a vegetarian but sometimes like to eat light, so I ordered the tofu and it was seriously the best I've ever had! Also got an insane salad called Goddess something. It's big enough to share, the rest of the dishes are more for one person. I have to go back and try the more adventurous dishes. Staff was all super cool and knowledgeable.

Been there 4 times. Food is great but they've removed some great menu items (make your own hand rolls!). Tonight waiter was just off, music was too loud but they wouldn't lower it, and when they brought the bill they didn't include the itemized list. When we asked for it we figured out they had included tip. That's cool but we didn't know that until we asked. Didn't feel good.

This was my second visit to Present Tense and I can't wait to go back again! The restaurant itself has such a fun and lively feel to it and the food was amazing. Everything tasted so fresh and the server was quick to make recommendations on food and drinks! Love this new addition to Nashville!!

As someone that lives in nyc and experiences their phenomenal flavors and seafood, Present Tense is doing everything right. Their sashimi and oysters are some of the best tasting I've had, pork belly is also amazing. All of the flavors are excellent and our knowledgeable server recommended the shishito and okra, which was so delicious. Be wary of your cocktail choice and don't be afraid to ask questions as they include unique, but purposeful ingredients. Would come back any day of the week, their playlist was also awesome and very hip.

Don't miss the squid pasta Very tasty I gave it 5 stars because not only was the food excellent but the service was impeccable

Food was amazing! Everything tasted familiar yet exotic. Service was great, staff was knowledgeable and helpful. Has a very cool vibe, the ambiance is hip but not pretentious.

Service was good. The food was mediocre at best. The prices were insanely high for what we received. The drinks were ok. We didn't finish two of them. We were the first ones in the restaurant at 5:30 and they tried to sit us at the table closest to the host stand (why?). We asked to by sat a bit further away. Once we sat down, they sat a family with two kids directly behind us (again, the restaurant was empty). We don't mind kids near us, but we were on a date night, and with all the open tables - it would have been nice if the host recognized there were other options for the kids table. I ordered the sashimi plate. The fish cuts were too thick. It was a little odd. It would have been nice to have some ginger and soy sauce with it. Unfortunately, with all of the restaurant competition in the city, we won't be going back.

Was in from Boston and went here because I heard good things, the compliments did not do it Justice! To the cool atmosphere, the friendly servers, and the food and cocktails were fantastic!!! I need to come back just to come here again!