The Catbird Seat — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

I can no longer recommend the restaurant as of the head chef changing as of August 2024. Please assess reviews on that basis. NEW REVIEW: Sadly, after switching out the head chef, restaurant has become extremely mediocre. The quality and complexity of dishes has declined tremendously.

While there was an earnest effort to incorporate ingredients grown by the chef herself, the issue was the dishes themselves made with these ingredients were subpar. With great frequency the menu featured dishes that made odd choices and seemed to omit savory, umami elements in critical dishes.

For instance, a major plating was a squash and a foie gras butter. It was a lazy plating. Hardly anything had been done to the squash, the foie gras fell apart due to what I assumed was a very heavy butter element, and the whole dish simply didn't work. Really it was calling out for a small filet mignon, a quail breast, something and we got nothing.

In another instance we had a taco, and inside was...a hunk of yam, modestly prepared in an forgetable tortilla. There was a whole opportunity for something elevated and it was just missed.

The crudites plate was similarly lazy. I recognize the concept, but it simply lacked any sort of masterful plating or preparation. Making crudites such a large plate was also a mistake, as it could have been incorporated alongside something more substantial or served in an abbreviated form as something of a between-course palate cleanser. Going through what felt like a dozen different raw vegetables was not some incredible garden romp.

The rainbow pepper sherbet was, fine, but was served by itself. I'm more than familiar with unconventional things being frozen. It was accomplished...and? It should be served on top of a hot dish incorporated into something else. It's not a dessert. It's not so profoundly remarkable to occupy a diner's attention for a whole course.

"You can almost imagine this dish being like Kraft macaroni and cheese" said a sous chef layering on a delightful cheesy foam on top of...a smidgen of caviar. My mouth called for something substantial texture-wise and had...nothing. This would have been the perfect opportunity to use all those yam and pepper fixations to craft an original pasta as a playful elevation of Mac & Cheese, but no.

Shishito pepper crueller was a big "why"? The crueller was very serviceable, but the mere fact that you can incorporate shishito into an apple puree doesn't mean you should.

It got to the point that at first it felt like the menu was attempting to be "plant-based", but there were enough obvious exceptions it felt like it was merely a cheapness. Savory elements, meats were poorly executed and neglected.

The alleged "pork loin" that was supposed to be a sort of main course came out like a mediocre piece of ham accompanied by a nearly as mediocre piece of sausage in an otherwise forgettable preparation.

Beef carpaccio was excellent, oyster was very good, chicken liver + black walnut cookie enjoyable, but these were but side attractions and distractions and slogging through a full menu to get at a couple of small gems is not a worthwhile experience. It is notable as well that the best meat elements were then mostly raw and uncooked- the greater the handling it seems the more they suffered under the chefs!

Soft service additionally declined. Previous visits we had been greeted and recognized, with our previous preferences remembered. We were most recently dumbly greeted by a host that reeked of marijuana which we were forced to endure in our elevator ride up, with no recollection of our past visits. This is not essential to a restaurant experience, but for what is probably the most expensive restaurant in Nashville a major letdown.

When the price and expectations are so high these things are simply unacceptable.

Extraordinary improvement is needed to return to the greatness it experienced...

It is funny how no other guests and reviewers have picked up that this a Japanese fusion restaurant. Connoisseurs well versed in Japanese cuisine might be harder to impress than the average guest. I give full points for the innovative menu and the innovative and well executed blend of new flavours and interpretations of Japanese cuisine. Most servings were delicious and/or interesting. The cooking skills and technique at work here are also impressive. The level is high by any international standard. The price level is about right but wine prices are ridiculously high. $78 for three glasses - come on! That said, despite such fame and hype and when charging such prices, there were some mistakes: First off, the waiter did not know what wines were included in the wine pairing and did not call on the sommelier. The list of Japanese sake is very limited. The chefs’ presentation of the food is so quick and perfunctory that it is almost incomprehensible. Don’t tell me that the average guest knows what kombucha, dashi, nigiri, kabocha, kombu and chawanmushi is without any further explanation! Most people here have no idea what they are eating. Perhaps providing the menu before the night begins instead of after, would be a good idea if they do not have time to take adequate care of the presentation. One chef reluctantly admitted that the flavoured hollandaise sauce with the tempura shrimp had cream. I asked because that sauce had notes of dairy that has gone off, which means it’s many days old, and it’s gross. The eel was overcooked. A shame, and a sin. They do not use Japanese short-grain rice for the sushi and the rice was overcooked. Thus, it lacked both the authentic sticky and firm consistency of sushi rice. It also fell apart when I attempted to eat it. This is startling considering all the seafood and fish they have flown in from around the world! Lastly, though not a mistake, I would have preferred fewer but more substantial dishes rather than 19 servings. Though it gives you a good trip around Japanese cuisine, it felt a little excessive and like kaiseki and omakase gone into overdrive. I am impressed, though, with the amount of work and dedication put into preparing that many servings and with such...

The Catbird Seat is truly something special. Arive on time, with no more than just fifteen minutes to spare. Entry is thoughtfully staggered between groups so that each party is individually escorted inside, at which stage you are greeted warmly by the Chef and staff. You are seated quite comfortably at the bar in the dinning area, which flanks the open, stainless prep-kitchen on three sides. A buffer space tactfully seperates the parties; the light buzz of coversation amongst the guests and with the staff is never enough to be a distraction and you will find that the service is honest and engaging, and perhaps lively at times. In just a short time the staff is able to form a relationship with you that is professional yet genuinely intimate and is reflexive of the very real care and joy that they invest into you're experiance. The Catbird Seat is unquestionably the city of Nashville's culinary-flagship and is testament to Tennessee's continuing progress and development. This restaurant ceartainly leads the forefront of what is the State's new and vibrant food culture that has developed around the greater Nashville area. The quality and execution of Chef's tasting menu a strong contender for the best you will find in the United States, proudly rivaling any culinary experience that can be found in L. A., New York, Chicago,... you get the picture. Now to be clear, I'm not saying that The Catbird Seat is the greatest restaurant that there ever has been, or will be. What I am saying however is this: as the restaurant continues to push itself culinarily and further craft its identity, I would not be surprised if in the next few years The Catbird Seat is considered for a Mechlean Star. Note: I have chosen not to address the eleven items that were served over the course of the meal because of the frequency with which the menu changes. However, I would like to complement the selection and thoughtfulness of the wine pairings with each course. (In my personal opinion, the option to have a set of custom cocktail pairings for the tasting menu could be a welcome addition).

I would like to thoroughly thank Chef Ryan Poli & the entire staff of the The Catbird Seat for a dinning experience that will be fondly remember for...