Geist Bar + Restaurant — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

Wow, just wow. First of all, saw their Christmas decor pop up on Instagram - was so impressed we made a reservation the same day! It was beyond worth it . This may be the longest review I've ever written. In a nutshell, it's worth every penny, go and try everything.

We tried pork belly, scallops, carrots, marble potatoes, and all three desserts. Don't get the bread pudding - everything else amazing. Full breakdown below :)

Started off with a lovely glass of champagne that was perfect and set the tone. Our reservation was at 9pm and we were seated withing five minutes of that. Our server Zachary was pleasant attentive and made excellent recommendations. The decor went above and beyond- whoever staged this, can I hire you for my home! Each section was unique, eye-catching and Instagramable. Delivered all the Christmas feels I needed. SMAll PLATES We ordered small plates as soon as we Sat down and they arrived very promptly and presented beautifully: pork belly and scallops. O.M.G. I have never had pork belly cooked to the level of perfection as that dish. The flavors and textures were out of this world. A light crust with a tender center and I literally scraped every last bit of the sauce and sprouts off the plate. The scallops followed and absolutely blew my mind. Hands down the best scallops I've ever had. Perfect crust with melt perfection in each bite, again the sauce and flavor pallette was exceptional. Scraped the plate ;). ADDITIONAL SMALL PLATES These were so good we couldn't even look at entrees. We ordered another pork belly, the carrots, and the marble potatoes. The carrots had a tahini yogurt glaze that was to die for. I am personally not a big potato person but these smelled amazing and had a great crunchy skin and soft inside , very tasty. I ate a couple of them ( which is saying a lot for me ;)! All plates were cleaned .

DESSERT We finished with dessert because, you must! Zachary gave an excellent rundown of each dessert that was spot on. I hate chocolate so I was between the sweet potato bread pudding and the apple pie cheesecake. We ordered the cheesecake, when it arrived, Zachary surprised us with the other desserts to try and absolutely made my night! Because every dish had been so spectacular I tried the hazelnut chocolate torte.... I was impressed with the layers and quality ( still not a chocolate fan but literally have not willingly tasted a chocolate dessert in over a decade so kudos chef!) For the record, it blew my partners mind! I watched the expression as he tasted each layer- he was so sho ked how decadent it was. Gold star. Sweet potato Bread pudding is the only item I would not recommend. The taste was fairly bland , especially against all the other amazing dishes. Texture was good- like a moist cornbread, but it was bland overall and had sweet potato chips garnished on top that didn't blend with the flavor of the dish. I was missing a stronger sweet potato flavor or maybe a sweet glaze/ maple or cinnamon perhaps? Apple pie cheesecake was excellent sweet but not a fake sweet. The cheesecake was almost heavy mousse like- a perfect texture! The shortcake crust was the perfect amount of crumble and sweet . The apple spices were infused into the cheesecake not just the apple pie filling . And spices were warm and fall vibes- more than just cinnamon which I really appreciated. Perfect sweet but not too sweet option. RECAP Beyond impressed from start to finish, ambiance,decor, menu, flavors, service. This checks all the boxes and immediately made me want to schedule our next meal - I have to see how the chef interprets brunch !! Plus I need to try the pastas and entree options. Hands down my favorite restaurant. You gave me more than an amazing meal, this was an immersive experience that left me...

Decided to go here due to the smaller business aspect and a recommendation from a friend. Made a reservation for 6 in advance. We were very excited for a Friday night on the town. Our night did not start so great after coming here.

Our food was wonderful and the atmosphere was perfect, as well.

The positive stops there…Our waitress was extremely rushed and dropped a steak knife and a cup of sauce on one of our girls with a quick “oh sorry”. She continued to roll her eyes on several occasions and act as though we were below her level. Also stating no substitutions could be made with sides, no questions asked. She waited on us just like she was getting a pre-added 20% gratuity, even though we were unaware of this. The menu in person, nor online stated this. Just like any other restaurants in town, it is always stated and the customer is aware prior to dining. But no, a 20% gratuity was added to our combined bill at the end of our meal and the waitress refused to split the bill, even though this was not stated anywhere or mentioned at the beginning of our meal.

We asked to speak to the manager (Molly) and she continued to explain she was sorry for none of this being mentioned prior but she could only remove things off of the bill, not take off the gratuity or completely split the bill. She stated she could take up to 4 cards and to write everything down. She then began to be rude and definitely not represent the restaurant as a manager should. She made a scene and spoke loudly to us at our table, very unprofessionally.

Again, if these rules were stated previously and the staff (and manager) would have been professional about the situation, it would have been different but they were the farthest thing from that. The solution in their opinion was to take two things off of our bill but charge the gratuity for the full bill and when questioned, the manager stated that the full gratuity would be charged based off the original total, which I have never before heard in my life and I have been to restaurants all around the country. It is clear that the customer is not the focus of the dining experience at this establishment.

This experience was not something I would ever want to have again. I do not...

SUMMARY. In a word: fabulous. Food was unbelievable, location is prime, parking was easy, service was great, and the price didn't break the bank. I'll 100% be back.

RESERVATION. We called and made a reservation beforehand. It wasn't terribly crowded, but I imagine it can fill up—especially during the evening rush on weekends! I've heard of people walking in, but I would definitely opt for a reservation if you know you want to go ahead of time!

AMBIENCE. The ambience is cool and inviting—not somber, like many quality restaurants. The atmosphere was lively, but still calm and quiet enough to feel like you could engage in a conversation without extra effort. Elegant vibes without the over-the-top, bougie decadence.

LOCATION. The location is perfect. It's located in the heart of Germantown right next to First Horizon Park where the Sounds play. I'm admittedly a bit biased, as Germantown is my favorite neighborhood in Nashville, but you won't be disappointed. Take a walk around after dinner and grab drinks at Neighbors, Jonathan's, Von Elrod's, or any of the other local establishments Germantown offers in that area. Or, just head to Brooklyn Bowl, and catch a show or go bowling! Parking wasn't bad either...I usually find parking pretty easily at that location a couple blocks down on 4th or 5th.

QUALITY. The quality was very good. I got a steak that was was cooked to perfection. We had ordered a cold (shrimp) appetizer and a dessert as well, both of which were perfect. I can't speak highly enough about the food here!!

SERVICE. Service was impeccable. Zero complaints. One of the female staff members who helped us is a French national, which gave me an opportunity to practice my French with a native speaker! She indulged, which was very nice of her, and it definitely was not something she had to do! Merci beaucoup!

VALUE. Geist isn't cheap, but the location, ambience, and quality of the food far outweighs the price paid. As such, I think the value is great!

TAKEAWAYS. I'll be back for sure. Great location, ambience, staff, and food (most of all!). Highly...