This place is amazing!! Went for a birthday and every staff member we encountered wished a happy birthday. Our server Brian was knowledgeable and personable, great service!The food was beyond delicious. We ordered the swordfish, schnitzel, hush puppies, oysters, calamari and would recommend all those dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MALLORY BURT
Wow!!! Our evening at The Optimist was unforgettable. We started by grabbing some drinks at the bar. Their bar staff were friendly and fun all the while slinging drinks for the entire restaurant. ? The lovely hostess took us to our seats right near their open kitchen where I spent most of the night watching the heart beat of the restaurant move like a symphony. Perfect spot for me! Our server was fun and guided us through their opportunities and main dishes. Chef’s kiss. I wished we would have had room for dessert. We may go back tomorrow night for dessert-gotta try the pineapple upside down cake.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Ceviche
Sean Smith
I share good reviews too... I've been here multiple times, always busy and usually fine experience. Friday 3/22. Bottom line, if you're gonna charge $40 for 3 Scallops, they better come out at least warm. Also, waited 15 past our res. time to sit and the general wait for ordered things was slow. So y'all are either overbooking yourselves (most likely) or suffering staffing issues (possibly). Clean it up or none of us locals will come back .
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Clinton Kurtz
Great experience from start to finish. The setting is very clean and trendy. The service is friendly and attentive. The food was exceptional from the bread to the appetizers to the entrees to the desert. The libations were almost too good and there was a great bourbon selection. One of my favorite spots in Nashville.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marquita Holt
The flounder is life changing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Flounder
Charlie Runge
Taylor was our waiter and did an outstanding job of answering any and all questions in regards to the menu, wine list and cocktails.We had the whole flounder which was delicious. We also had the halibut. It was decent but over done on one end. It was such a small thin piece that was not worth menu price. We also had the hush puppies which were very salty and would not order again. Also had fennel & apple salad w/blue cheese which was very good. We ordered the special fries but turned out not so special. Dessert we had coconut pie which was so good and cappuccino. Drinks were average priced. FYI- As far as parking goes if you can’t find a spot on the street (very limited) plan on dropping $20-$25 at the public lot.Dietary restrictions: They accommodate food allergies as best as possible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Flounder
David Bruce
5 ***** our best dining experience in Nashville in many years! We went here on our 40th anniversary for the first time and it was amazing.We got there early and Sara served us at the downstairs bar. We then found the upstairs “Le Loo” Parisian lounge and Brianne & Ryan took great care of us - both bars serve food and they have excellent oysters and small plates. Brian was our waiter and was also excellent. Cat is the manager for the entire facility and she stopped by three times to make sure our evening was going well.The food was excellent. We started with The Opportunist and then both the Mahi (excellent…wife said it was the best she’d ever had).The staff was as good as it gets throughout the restaurant. Everyone was personable and delightful to interact with.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Milk Hushpuppies, Tuna Poke, Oysters on Half Shell, Ceviche, The Opportunist, Hush Puppies
Nicholas Rose
Way overpriced!6oz of Mahi Mahi, a la carte = $52Sides ("sharable", maybe between children) = $14Decent drinks, but kill the cocktail with loads of ice.GREAT bread basket though!!Another example of Nashville getting too big for it's britches and restaurants taking advantage...
This has to be the best seafood in the area. The price tag is worth it! Every employee we interacted with last night was so kind and had a great sense of humor, and you can tell they enjoy working with each other. Brian was our waiter and each recommendation he had was spot on! He spoke with us throughout the night and took his time with us, as if we were the only table of his for the night, and we really enjoyed conversing with him not just about The Optimist and the menu, but about Nashville and life in general!We had two cocktails each that were created perfectly. My husband did a sampling of some oysters that he thought was delicious, and the fish dip off the oyster menu was also very tasty. If the chefs were to bottle and sell their housemade hot sauce, put us down for a dozen! We had the shrimp la plancha and dipped our rolls in that beautiful sauce as recommended by Brian. That man is a genius!I had the swordfish (a mini "surf and turf" with the short rib) and my husband had the Mahi Mahi. We traded bites and while I LOVED my swordfish, you really can't go wrong with any entree on the menu. We also did a side of squash to share. What a perfect addition! The whipped feta and the texture of the squash... if you had a dollar for every time I typed or wanted to type "perfect" in this review... so good!!!We definitely will be back for more!Dietary restrictions: Our waiter asked us before going over the menu if we had any dietary or allergy restrictions up front.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Oysters on Half Shell, Smoked Fish Dip
Nikki Davidson
Just ate here tonight at the bar. I’m in town for some surgical training and I absolutely loved it. I had the halibut and hush puppies.
The space feels warm and cozy with exposed brick walls and the perfect soft lighting. Food was fantastic - especially loved the tuna, hamachi and kale salad. Coconut pie with vanilla ice cream was dreamy. Service was outstanding. Beautiful dining experience!
J N
Food was amazing, I think the service could use some improvement, sense of luxury dining.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Smoked Fish, Lobster Roll
Everything about our experience was phenomenal - from the second we walked in and were greeted by the host until the second we walked out. The bartender, EJ, was the friendliest, Nashville native, and had the best wine recommendations for our appetizers. For dinner, Taylor was on point with oysters, tuna poke, and the mahi mahi. Not one thing disappointed. In fact, everything was melt in your mouth fabulous. Kimberly is doing amazing things with The Optimist in Nashville, and we cannot wait to be back soon!
Ernest was amazing! Friendly and knowledgeable and offered fantastic suggestions about the food, drinks and places to go after dinner. The food was incredible and a must to go on a Thurs- Saturday night.
Lauren Pulley
Hands down the best dining experience that we’ve enjoyed in awhile. The service was incredible - shoutout to Ernest who took the time to describe dishes in detail and make solid recommendations. So happy that we chose this spot to celebrate our wedding anniversary and can’t wait to return.
This place is amazing!! Went for a birthday and every staff member we encountered wished a happy birthday. Our server Brian was knowledgeable and personable, great service!The food was beyond delicious. We ordered the swordfish, schnitzel, hush puppies, oysters, calamari and would recommend all those dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow!!! Our evening at The Optimist was unforgettable. We started by grabbing some drinks at the bar. Their bar staff were friendly and fun all the while slinging drinks for the entire restaurant. ? The lovely hostess took us to our seats right near their open kitchen where I spent most of the night watching the heart beat of the restaurant move like a symphony. Perfect spot for me! Our server was fun and guided us through their opportunities and main dishes. Chef’s kiss. I wished we would have had room for dessert. We may go back tomorrow night for dessert-gotta try the pineapple upside down cake.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Ceviche
I share good reviews too... I've been here multiple times, always busy and usually fine experience. Friday 3/22. Bottom line, if you're gonna charge $40 for 3 Scallops, they better come out at least warm. Also, waited 15 past our res. time to sit and the general wait for ordered things was slow. So y'all are either overbooking yourselves (most likely) or suffering staffing issues (possibly). Clean it up or none of us locals will come back .
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Great experience from start to finish. The setting is very clean and trendy. The service is friendly and attentive. The food was exceptional from the bread to the appetizers to the entrees to the desert. The libations were almost too good and there was a great bourbon selection. One of my favorite spots in Nashville.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The flounder is life changing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Flounder
Taylor was our waiter and did an outstanding job of answering any and all questions in regards to the menu, wine list and cocktails.We had the whole flounder which was delicious. We also had the halibut. It was decent but over done on one end. It was such a small thin piece that was not worth menu price. We also had the hush puppies which were very salty and would not order again. Also had fennel & apple salad w/blue cheese which was very good. We ordered the special fries but turned out not so special. Dessert we had coconut pie which was so good and cappuccino. Drinks were average priced. FYI- As far as parking goes if you can’t find a spot on the street (very limited) plan on dropping $20-$25 at the public lot.Dietary restrictions: They accommodate food allergies as best as possible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Whole Flounder
5 ***** our best dining experience in Nashville in many years! We went here on our 40th anniversary for the first time and it was amazing.We got there early and Sara served us at the downstairs bar. We then found the upstairs “Le Loo” Parisian lounge and Brianne & Ryan took great care of us - both bars serve food and they have excellent oysters and small plates. Brian was our waiter and was also excellent. Cat is the manager for the entire facility and she stopped by three times to make sure our evening was going well.The food was excellent. We started with The Opportunist and then both the Mahi (excellent…wife said it was the best she’d ever had).The staff was as good as it gets throughout the restaurant. Everyone was personable and delightful to interact with.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Milk Hushpuppies, Tuna Poke, Oysters on Half Shell, Ceviche, The Opportunist, Hush Puppies
Way overpriced!6oz of Mahi Mahi, a la carte = $52Sides ("sharable", maybe between children) = $14Decent drinks, but kill the cocktail with loads of ice.GREAT bread basket though!!Another example of Nashville getting too big for it's britches and restaurants taking advantage...
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Corn Milk Hushpuppies, Fish, Hush Puppies
This has to be the best seafood in the area. The price tag is worth it! Every employee we interacted with last night was so kind and had a great sense of humor, and you can tell they enjoy working with each other. Brian was our waiter and each recommendation he had was spot on! He spoke with us throughout the night and took his time with us, as if we were the only table of his for the night, and we really enjoyed conversing with him not just about The Optimist and the menu, but about Nashville and life in general!We had two cocktails each that were created perfectly. My husband did a sampling of some oysters that he thought was delicious, and the fish dip off the oyster menu was also very tasty. If the chefs were to bottle and sell their housemade hot sauce, put us down for a dozen! We had the shrimp la plancha and dipped our rolls in that beautiful sauce as recommended by Brian. That man is a genius!I had the swordfish (a mini "surf and turf" with the short rib) and my husband had the Mahi Mahi. We traded bites and while I LOVED my swordfish, you really can't go wrong with any entree on the menu. We also did a side of squash to share. What a perfect addition! The whipped feta and the texture of the squash... if you had a dollar for every time I typed or wanted to type "perfect" in this review... so good!!!We definitely will be back for more!Dietary restrictions: Our waiter asked us before going over the menu if we had any dietary or allergy restrictions up front.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Oysters on Half Shell, Smoked Fish Dip
Just ate here tonight at the bar. I’m in town for some surgical training and I absolutely loved it. I had the halibut and hush puppies.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Corn Milk Hushpuppies
Restaurantji Recommends
The space feels warm and cozy with exposed brick walls and the perfect soft lighting. Food was fantastic - especially loved the tuna, hamachi and kale salad. Coconut pie with vanilla ice cream was dreamy. Service was outstanding. Beautiful dining experience!
Food was amazing, I think the service could use some improvement, sense of luxury dining.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Smoked Fish, Lobster Roll
Everything about our experience was phenomenal - from the second we walked in and were greeted by the host until the second we walked out. The bartender, EJ, was the friendliest, Nashville native, and had the best wine recommendations for our appetizers. For dinner, Taylor was on point with oysters, tuna poke, and the mahi mahi. Not one thing disappointed. In fact, everything was melt in your mouth fabulous. Kimberly is doing amazing things with The Optimist in Nashville, and we cannot wait to be back soon!
Ernest was amazing! Friendly and knowledgeable and offered fantastic suggestions about the food, drinks and places to go after dinner. The food was incredible and a must to go on a Thurs- Saturday night.
Hands down the best dining experience that we’ve enjoyed in awhile. The service was incredible - shoutout to Ernest who took the time to describe dishes in detail and make solid recommendations. So happy that we chose this spot to celebrate our wedding anniversary and can’t wait to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5