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Credit: Daniel Brown - Bad Idea, Nashville, TN
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Bad Idea

$50 and over
Wine Bar

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 22 times today

About this restaurant

  • Innovative
  • Great for fine wines
  • Good for special occasions
Bad Idea is East Nashville's buzziest new restaurant from Sommelier Alex Burch and Executive Chef Colby Rasavong. It was honored as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America in 2024 by the New York Times. New York Times food writer Brett Anderson remarks “Bad Idea may well be what many seasoned diners thought when they heard there was a wine bar specializing in envelope-pushing Lao food opening inside an East Nashville church. But given the level of cooking here, the name turned out to be a self-aware joke, rather than a
self-own…[Rasavong] invests the weight of his life experience in food that stretches the boundaries of
Southeast Asian cooking to the edge of Appalachia. And the wine list is wise beyond this restaurant’s
years, mixing tantalizing obscurities, affordable crowd pleasers and connoisseur selections you’ll rarely
find poured by the glass.” Bad Idea was also named a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in the 2025 James
Beard Awards.

Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: Chef Colby Rasavong leans on his Lao heritage at this one-of-a-kind East Nashville wine bar that Bon Appétit dubbed one of its most eagerly anticipated openings in 2023. Sommelier Alex Burch's exciting, global wine list, which includes selections from South Africa, Hungary, and Portugal, sets the stage for Rasavong's ever-changing menu. Expect inventive dishes like a sausage roll with Calabrian chiles and lemongrass, mushroom tartare, and pot pie and noodle soup all served in a spacious bi-level former church with arched windows overlooking the street. The New York Times named Bad Idea one of its 50 favorites around the country in 2024.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Laotian, Farm-to-table
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–12:45 am
  • Phone number
    (629) 729-4332
  • Website
    http://www.badideanashville.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    Enjoy a semi-private experience in our mezzanine.Overlooking our beautiful dining room, our mezzanine can be the perfect gathering place for up to 30 people!Email Events@badideanashville.com
  • Location
    1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206
  • Area
    East Nashville
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 66 people are saying

Bad Idea reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Nashville

    Innovative

  • Nashville

    Great for fine wines

  • Nashville

    Innovative

  • Nashville

    Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bad Idea offers "interesting and delicious food" with a "fantastic wine list" in a "beautiful space." Patrons appreciate the "creative dishes" and "friendly service." While some encountered high prices and a noisy atmosphere, many found the "food phenomenal" and "service next level," making it "a winner all the way around."

66 Reviews

  1. Peace

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It genuinely wasn’t a bad idea at all. 10 out of 10 would recommend trying at least once in your life time.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Katie VIP

    Nashville13 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A little over rated. Good dishes. Bad dishes. Wonderful service

    Is this helpful?

  3. sarah

    Baltimore1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really great food - having just moved from Hong Kong, appreciated the eastern Asian flavors!

    Is this helpful?

  4. OpenTable Diner

    Nashville2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Would have been great if we were in the main dining area!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Debra VIP

    Nashville55 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 7 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was excellent! Shade, the sommelier was fantastic! Our server had great recommendations for dinner!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Cuomoizatwat

    Nashville2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 6 March 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was just eh. Service was great. Drinks were great.

    1 person found this helpful

  7. William VIP

    Nashville21 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I can see why this place has all the hype. I just wish I had room for the lamb, but guess I need to come back! Everything I tried was excellent and I usually don't care for mushrooms, but the mushroom tartare was amazing!!

    Is this helpful?

  8. OpenTable Diner

    Nashville1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was excellent and there were a lot of interesting flavors. We ordered three small plates and a shareable main. We probably could have been fine with just the small plates.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Reanna

    Sacramento53 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nicely curated menu with plenty of unique takes. A miscommunication to the kitchen meant we didn't get to try the barbecued quail, but otherwise the service was truly excellent, the space is beautiful, and it was far from the same old dinner that every nice restaurant is serving.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Sharon VIP

    Nashville41 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 28 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    If you enjoy adventures in dining this is the place for you. Go with friends so you can justify trying all the small plates, especially "Khao Piak Khao" Cocktails and wine list are great. Save room for dessert - we enjoyed the Pavlova and Velveeta ice cream

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bad Idea is rated 4.5 stars by 66 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 22 times today
Google Map for Bad Idea

1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206

Additional information

  • Area
    East Nashville
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–12:45 am
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Laotian, Farm-to-table
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.badideanashville.com/
  • Phone number
    (629) 729-4332
  • Private party facilities
    Enjoy a semi-private experience in our mezzanine.Overlooking our beautiful dining room, our mezzanine can be the perfect gathering place for up to 30 people!Email Events@badideanashville.com
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