FOLK

The Verdict

FOLK is the Italian restaurant Nashville needs more of: a wood-fired, pasta-forward operation on Meridian Street that has earned a Michelin Plate and climbed to #161 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in 2025, up from #254 the year before. Chef Philip Krajeck runs a focused dinner-only room, open five nights a week, and the demand consistently outpaces the seats. If you want a reservation on a Friday or Saturday, plan ahead — but booking here is still considerably easier than securing a table at The Catbird Seat or Bastion. Book it.

About FOLK

FOLK sits at 823 Meridian St in East Nashville, a neighbourhood that has shifted steadily from overlooked to genuinely sought-after. The room itself is the first thing that registers: an open kitchen with visible fire, natural wood surfaces, and a dining space that reads as spare rather than stark. The visual tone is intentional — this is not a dressed-up special-occasion room, but it is clearly a serious one.

Krajeck's cooking is Italian in its architecture , wood-fired heat, hand-made pasta, vegetable-driven plates , but it is not museum-piece Italian. The approach draws on the same depth of technique you find at well-regarded Italian-rooted restaurants internationally, from 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong to cenci in Kyoto, but the register here is casual and the prices reflect that. FOLK's trajectory on the OAD list , recommended in 2023, #254 in 2024, #161 in 2025 , tracks a kitchen that is getting sharper, not resting.

The drinks program is worth separate attention. FOLK's bar is not an afterthought appended to the dinner menu. The natural wine list is edited and opinionated, oriented toward small producers and lower-intervention bottles that complement rather than compete with fire-cooked food. Cocktails are available but the room skews wine-forward; if you are a guest who orders by the glass rather than the bottle, ask the staff directly , the list changes and the team knows it. For Nashville's wider bar scene, see our full Nashville bars guide.

Wednesday closures mean Thursday is FOLK's effective Monday. If you are flexible, a Thursday booking in the early part of the week is your leading path to a table without pressure. The kitchen runs 5–10 pm Tuesday through Sunday (closed Wednesday), so there is no lunch service to consider , dinner is the only option, and the room fills on weekends by mid-evening.

For context on how FOLK fits the Nashville dining picture, see our full Nashville restaurants guide. Those building a longer trip can also reference our Nashville hotels guide, Nashville wineries, and Nashville experiences.

Ratings & Recognition

• Michelin Plate (2025)
• Pearl Recommended Restaurant (2025)
• Opinionated About Dining Casual North America #161 (2025)
• Opinionated About Dining Casual North America #254 (2024)
• Opinionated About Dining Casual North America Recommended (2023)
• Google rating: 4.6 from 560 reviews

Booking & Practical Details

Booking difficulty at FOLK is rated Easy by Pearl. Weekday tables are available with reasonable notice; weekend slots move faster but this is not a venue requiring weeks of advance planning the way Rolf & Daughters or Locust can require. The address is 823 Meridian St, Nashville, TN 37207. Hours run 5–10 pm Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday; FOLK is closed Wednesday and Monday. No price range is listed in our data , expect mid-range casual Italian pricing consistent with the OAD Casual category.

For a broader view of the Italian dining category across the US, it is useful to know that FOLK sits in a different tier from destination tasting-menu operations like Le Bernardin, Alinea, or The French Laundry , it is a neighbourhood-scale, fire-driven room that punches above that weight class in terms of critical recognition.

Quick reference: 823 Meridian St, East Nashville · Dinner only, Tue & Thu–Sun 5–10 pm · Closed Mon & Wed · Easy to book · Michelin Plate 2025 · OAD Casual NA #161 (2025)

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