October 10, 2023

Where to Find Speakeasies & Hidden Bars Around Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee’s a town of many different kinds of watering holes, from those world-famous honky tonks with their nightly live music to numerous ace sports bars ideal for catching the game. But the inventory also includes plenty of establishments that stray away from the noisy and boisterous end of the spectrum—all well and good when you’re in the mood for it—and instead offer a deliciously dark, wonderfully intimate, and head-to-toe classy experience, for when you’re in the mood for that.

There’s no better home base for exploring Music City’s tucked-away lounges, secret bars, and throwback speakeasies than The Union Station Nashville Yards. That’s true not only because of our strategic location along Broadway, but also our own incomparable elegance and Gilded Age ambience—not to mention the fact that we happen to lay claim to our very own exceptional cocktail lounge!

Here’s a look at some of your options when you’re keen on a night out featuring dark leather booths and dressed-to-the-nines bartenders executing some absolutely first-class mixology with a flourish.

Hidden Bars & Speakeasies to Explore on a Music City Getaway at The Union Station Nashville Yards

Rest assured that, below, we’re not lifting the curtain on every top-quality cocktail bar in Nashville. Far from it! There are plenty of hidden gems to track down on your own; that’s part of the fun.

But the following destinations are certainly well worth steering your way to while enjoying our Marriott Autograph Collection hospitality here at The Union Station Nashville Yards.

Red Phone Booth (136 Rosa L. Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN)

Red Phone Booth serves up a mighty authentic-feeling Prohibition-era speakeasy experience right in Downtown Nashville—and only a few blocks away from The Union Station!

And that speakeasy experience includes having to know the “secret” phone number to enter within the authentic vintage red phone booth from London that serves as the bar’s entryway. (Let’s just say it’s not too difficult to obtain said number, so don’t be deterred.)

Within, you’ll swoon over the décor, which incorporates fireplaces, couches of Italian leather, wood floors reclaimed from a tobacco barn, and a honey onyx bar, among other note-perfect flourishes. And the swooning continues when it comes to Red Phone Booth’s expertly made cocktails—not to mention the rather unexpected Neapolitan pizzas and a fine selection of cigars.

The Fable Lounge (114 28th Ave N., Nashville, TN)

Head to the West End to savor sophisticated in-house mixology at the two-tiered Fable Lounge, where you can clink glasses in an inviting dark booth downstairs or around a fire pit on the upper level. Along with the excellent spirits and cocktails on offer, the lounge has a refined menu of small plates and entrees, including the fabled (if you’ll excuse the pun) Fable Burger.

The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club (2205B Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN)

This East Nashville joint—also very easy to reach from The Union Station Nashville Yards—has racked up some big-time accolades, not least being ranked among the 10 best bars in the entire country by Food & Wine. Its warm, stylish ambience evokes a private club, and the sprawling seasonally informed, and regularly changing cocktail list—which includes concoctions such as the Suburban Cowboy, the Honey Bear Espresso Martini, the Werner Herzog, and the Fox Colada—is one of the finest in town, “bar” none. (We’ve really got to get a handle on these puns.)

Throw in a menu of tasty small plates, and you’ve got everything you need for an über-classy night on the town at The Fox…

ERGO: Our Very Own Hidden Gem of a Bar at The Union Station Nashville Lounge

You needn’t wander far at all from your Marriott Autograph Collection guest room or suite (each one bespoke, with a different design) at our Nashville Yards hotel to find an upscale cocktail lounge. Our very own lobby bar, ERGO, fits the bill to a tee!

Relaxing amid the celebrated grandeur of our historic hotel lobby, you’ll have a wide selection of both classic and creative cocktails to choose from, including Dawn Until Dusk, the Brass Collar, and The Azalean. Or perhaps you’re hankering for another sort of libation, in which case ERGO’s local and domestic draft brews or fine wines might be in order.

Those beverages come complemented by ERGO’s menu of delectable small plates, from cheese plates, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, and PEI Mussels to burgers, gourmet flatbreads, and sandwiches.

The wining-and-dining menu and impeccable atmosphere aren’t all that ERGO has to tempt with, either: Here you’ll find live music by local performers goig down on a nightly basis.

(ERGO, of course, is only one of the establishments calling The Union Station Nashville Yards: We also host some of the neighborhood’s finest gastronomy courtesy of Stationairy, our bistro-style restaurant.)

Other Options for Dining & Drinks Near The Union Station Nashville Yards

Besides the above mentioned speakeasies and cocktail lounges—and our own ERGO and Stationairy—you’re spoiled for choices in the very near neighborhood when it comes to standout Nashville cuisine and drinks. From Bar Continental to lou|na (1000 Broadway), get to know some of the great eateries and bars within ready strolling distance of our historic hotel right here.

Bar Hopping & Speakeasy Sneaking in Music City, USA With The Union Station Nashville Yards as Your Home Away From Home

Opened in 1900 as a train terminal for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, The Union Station Nashville Yards stands as one of Music City’s great historical landmarks—and one of its great deliverers of luxury boutique hospitality!

Marvel at our Richardsonian-Romanesque architecture while relishing the private elegance of one of our 125 guest rooms and suites, from our Signature King Room with its 18-foot-high ceilings to a lavish Train Station Suite.

And besides our on-site dining, live music, whiskey tastings, and other amenities, you’ll love our proximity to some of the top districts and attractions in Nashville, including Lower Broadway’s Honky Tonk Highway, The Gulch, Music Row, and Midtown.

Checking out Nashville’s classiest speakeasies and cigar lounges is, after all, only one possible component of a well-rounded Union Station Nashville Yards itinerary. Book a fall escape to The Union Station Nashville Yards and toast the good life in Music City!