Blue Aster — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

Lackluster and uninspiring.

I made reservations for the afternoon tea to celebrate my mom’s birthday and to write about the themed experience.

We were met by a smug host “N” who seamed displeased by our arrival. We waited some time then were eventually seated. As the tea arrived, our waitress “G” noticed a tea cup had food residue and replaced it.

The sandwiches comprised of stale bread, limp cucumber, and a very suspect salmon that had clearly begun its descent into spoilage. They included lobster—I had informed concierge of a shellfish allergy when making the reservation. The scones could be used as paperweights.

To add insult to injury, our waitress “G” seemed confused and flustered from the beginning. She clearly hadn’t been trained on the menu. Each time we had to wait around then beg for a description of what was served (a standard in most afternoon teas), she seemed irritated, offering vague answers and her go-to “chocolate ganache”. It felt less like hospitality and more like an inconvenience for her to be there at all. Other times she stood around chatting with coworkers.

We watched as other tables—some that arrived after us—were welcomed warmly, offered detailed walkthroughs of each course, and attended to with care. It didn’t go unnoticed.

The most jarring moment came when the staff paraded over to a nearby table with celebratory candles for a dog—yes, an actual dog.

I initially tipped but after the canine celebration, I crossed it out. After some time, “G” returned and demanded I resigned with gratuity, despite offering what can only be described as disinterest bordering on contempt. I kept my composure, described my displeasure to a manager. He offered to comp but that was not the concern. I eventually signed with gratuity. No apology for the shellfish slip-up, no birthday acknowledgment, and absolutely no reason to reward the service. It is also difficult to overlook the impression that our treatment may have been influenced more by our appearance than by...

This was a surprise dinner, planned by my spouse - and she hit a home run by taking me to the Blue Aster. Situated on the ground floor of the relatively new Conrad Hotel, the Blue Aster reflects a casual approach to elegant dining. From our congenial and attentive server, Michael, and General Manager, Nik Baxter, to the entire staff, the Blue Aster's focus is clearly on their customers' experience.

We received a plate of wonderfully fresh focaccia coupled with a creamy tapenade butter to start. Our dinner included Maitake Croquettes, which we split for an appetizer, followed by Scallop Risotto and Charcoal Grilled Denver Cut Wagyu for our main courses. We finished by sharing a Peach Blondie Sundae - a perfect ending. Everything was absolutely delicious!

We started with cocktails from the Blue Aster's list of in-house specialties. Wish I'd remembered what we had, but be confident that your server will steer you right, just like Michael did for us. Michael's choice of a glass of wine for each of us (we asked him to choose for us) was spot-on.

A very nice bar lies between the hotel lobby and the dining area. We had the good fortune to hear an excellent vocalist and piano player throughout our time there. Where else but Nashville?!!!

As to parking, there are paid lots and a garage within a 1-2 block stroll of the hotel. There is valet parking, which I recommend. The restaurant can validate your ticket for a half-off rate. There is an app (Metropolis) that you can use for...

First time visiting Blue Aster for dinner. The atmosphere is nice. We had a reservation and got seated right away. Our waitress Mariam greeted us right away but after that the service from her was very poor. We ordered the Duck and Octopus for appetizers, both were very good. We had to wait an extended amount of time for our waitress to come back and take our order for the main course. I ordered the El Secreto which was a pork and it was surprisingly good. My wife ordered the lobster risotto and it was undercooked. She would’ve sent it back but no one came and checked on us after our food was brought out. For dessert we ordered the chocolate cake and it was good. The biggest complaint is the service. The whole time we were there our waitress never once came and checked on us and asked how our food was during any of the courses. After waiting for an extended amount of time after we ordered our dessert we had to ask the hostess to check on it and she was kind enough to take it off our bill for the extended wait. The manager that brought out our food provided a more hospitable brief service than our waitress did. For a fine dining restaurant I would have expected to have much better service. With all the options to choose from in Nashville, I would not recommend nor...