The Optimist
New American restaurant · East Germantown
1400 Adams St, Nashville, TN 37208
Highlights
Oysters, seafood plates, cocktails, and a robust wine list.
Oysters, seafood plates, cocktails, and a robust wine list.
"Located on bustling Howell Mill Road, this seafood restaurant from Ford Fry includes a designated oyster and raw bar and a full dining room serving everything from tuna crudo, smoked fish dip, and PEI mussels to whole roasted fish, a Maine lobster roll, and Spanish octopus. Pair dinner here with cocktails or a bottle of seafood-friendly wine. For a more relaxed restaurant vibe, head over to Beetlecat, Fry’s oyster and seafood bar and cocktail lounge in Inman Park." - Molly Harris
"At Jacqueline, the seasonal walk-up patio bar attached to The Optimist, you’ll find a mix of people in polos and cocktail dresses waiting on their dinner reservations, as well as neighbors in graphic tees drinking Ranch Waters and watching their kids play on the astroturf courtyard. This fancy tiki closet works well to start your night, end your night, or make it your whole night (they do great oysters, fish dip, and burgers). It’s also a pretty sweet silver lining to the restaurant’s 90-minute wait—their frozen painkillers don’t hurt, either." - adam sloan
"Paging New England: you’ve left a whitewashed seafood shanty in the middle of Germantown. And like any northeastern beach shack worth its weight in shellfish, you’ll find oysters, ceviche, and fruity cocktails at this outdoor summertime pop-up from The Optimist. Just know the bocce court gets brutally competitive." - ann walczak, jackie gutierrez jones 2
"One of Nashville’s tried and true seafood staples is The Optimist from Atlanta-based Rocket Farm Restaurants. Tucked inside the former TD&W Handle Company, the historic property has been brought into the modern age through a dining room that emulates the interior of a ship. Settle into a tufted booth to enjoy fresh oysters or a crudo before moving onto mains like mahi mahi, lump crab-topped halibut, a whole flounder, or duck fat poached swordfish served with sides ranging from butternut squash to sunchoke puree. During the summer, you can head outside for a frozen nightcap at the patio bar, Jacqueline." - Kellie Walton
"The Optimist is part of a mini-complex in the neighborhood that includes the option for moody pre- or post-dinner drinks at Le Loup, live music at Star Rover Sound, and summertime tiki drinks and bocce at Jacqueline. Anchoring the whole thing is The Optimist, a seafood-centric spot that’s a great place to bring those friends from Boston who throw shade when they hear “Nashville and “seafood” in the same sentence. The whole place feels like an ancient luxury liner that’s started to exhibit some signs of waterlogged decay in the best way possible—it’s elegant, rustic, and exactly where you want to consume icy platters of oysters, shrimp, tuna, and lobster from a fully-stocked raw bar. Obviously, you’re here for the seafood (the scallops and redfish are solid choices), but the juicy roast chicken served with dates, lemon, and greens also holds its own. Save some of the criminally delicious dinner rolls that kick off the meal for sopping up all of the buttery and saucy marinades left on your plate." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
