Nashville’s Twelve Thirty Club opened this past week and it’s easily the city’s swankiest music and dining experience—a multi-sensory venue unlike anything Nashville has ever seen.
Forbes | By Katie Kelly Bell | October 1, 2021
Located at Fifth and Broadway, the two-story destination offers up an entire evening’s worth of options with four experiences on three levels (all of which have their own menus and offerings): The Honky Tonk, Honorary Member, The Supper Club and The Rooftop Bar. If you only have one night in Nashville, the Supper Club is where you need to go. Where else can you order a wagyu Tomahawk ribeye, sip a glass of Veuve Clicquot, listen to live music, and finish the night with fresh air and skyline views on the rooftop patio? It’s a complete evening in three acts: dinner, music and a nightcap.
The Supper Club bar—centered in the main dining room | SETH PARKER
The Club is the brainchild of award-winning hospitality entrepreneur Sam Fox and his partner in the project, singer, songwriter and actor Justin Timberlake. Together the two conceived of a destination that is both stylish and sophisticated, but adds Timberlake, “it still has an unmistakable energy driven by music. We wanted to set the tone for what Upper Broadway is and what it has the potential to be.
It has energy in spades. The top floor supper club consumes a single city block and is divided into three spaces that flow effortlessly into each other—restaurant, lounge and rooftop. Start in the dining room where you’ll be hard-pressed to make decisions. A platter of fresh oysters? Or, one of the inventive sushi selections? Grammy-winning musician Zac Brown, who performed on the opening night, proclaimed the spicy tuna and crispy rice pressed sushi roll to be “the jam.” He’s spot on with that one, ditto the pressed yellowtail and avocado roll. But, there’s more. Main course temptations such as English cut prime rib, lobster spaghetti, and Ora king salmon come with sides that veer into pure decadence—butcher cut steak frites with herb butter, caramelized wild mushrooms or the crunchy thick hash brown with maple-glazed bacon topped with a soft fried egg—which is a religious experience.
Honorary Member lounge at the Twelve Thirty Clun | JASON BIHLER
Moving past the meal, you might wander into the sumptuous lounge with its low-slung barrel shaped chairs and speakeasy vibe. Fox and Timberlake were clever with the seating here—it’s a subtle amphitheater with main floor seats that transition into a series of tufted-leather booths, each row of booths a bit higher than the other, making the views throughout the room more or less equal. And, when the music stops, take a break on the landscaped rooftop patio, order a craft cocktail and soak up the views of lower Broadway, Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame.
Rooftop Bar at the Twelve Thirty Club | SETH PARKER
If you are really pressed for time, consider a meal at the main level restaurant and live music venue—something Fox describes as “an elevated version of a honky tonk.” With nightly live music and a menu that features dishes such as an Anson Mills grain bowl or an all-day egg sandwich, it’s a solid option. One floor up, on a mezzanine level with windows that look down into the honky tonk, is the Twelve Thirty Club’s Honorary Member, an intimate 50-person cocktail lounge that offers light bites and craft cocktails.
What’s Nearby: Country Music Hall of Fame, The Ryman Auditorium,Bridgestone Arena and all the action on Upper and Lower Broadway.
Where to Stay: Holston House: Make things easy on yourself and book a stay at Holston House from Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. It’s the closest, hippest, most luxurious offering to the Twelve Thirty Club, just a short 3 minute walk from the club and the rest of the action on Upper and Lower Broadway.
