The Catbird Seat

I’m sad to say our experience here was lackluster at best. We showed up for our reservation on time, at 9:15, and were taken upstairs to the restaurant where customers had already started their meals. I felt as though I was being rushed through the first courses to try and catch up with the others. Unfortunately, the music was so loud that you could barely hear what they were trying to serve you and that continued throughout the time we spent there. The first courses of chips and butter were good, but tasted like a well seasoned Lay’s sour cream and onion chip (which I haven’t eaten since I was a kid) and the bread and «uni» butter was ok. Our next course was blue fin tuna that was unseasoned, but served with an over powering sauce adjacent to it. They did not pair well together in my, or my wife’s opinion. The next plate was a «risotto» made with sunflower seeds topped with black truffles from Australia… the truffles tasted like cardboard and the dish was underwhelming at best. We tried one more course of «spaghetti», but again, the music was so loud we had a hard time hearing how it was made. This was so under seasoned that I was done with our «experience» here and we left. That being said, we talked with one of the waitresses, and the chef, they were very nice and apologetic for everything. Bottom line, if your trying to serve unusual dishes, don’t overwhelm your customers with loud music and explain to them in detail what they’re eating! I know I sound like an old man, but we are in our 30’s and the atmosphere was obnoxious, given the price we were ready to pay for this meal.

I honestly have NO IDEA how I managed to not post this review sooner! Now, I am am going to have to write it with a caveat. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED everything about my meal at The Catbird seat. My sister brought me here as a birthday trip and it was worth every minute, including the four hour drive from Atlanta. That being said, a new chef is in place as of January 20, so I honestly don’t know the experience is going to change as a result, but I would definitely expect a completely reworked menu.
Anyway, this was an EPIC meal! From the effervescent elderflower drink that greeted us to the creatively packaged éclair at the end. This was an experience well worth remembering.
On this night, the menu consisted of14 or 15 amazing courses! I am a gastric bypass patient so I don’t eat much, but I sat there long enough to enjoy every single course and they were extremely accommodating about pacing. You get to sit right at the bar surrounding an open kitchen and watch the chefs work their magic! Everything was delicious and amazing!
My sister returned under the new chef and said that it hasn’t suffered from the change.
I would definitely recommend this place, over and over again! It is so worth it!!!

My wife and I ate here a couple of days ago. As the courses are small, I wasn’t surprised that I was still a little hungry afterwards. That being said, the food was amazing. If you enjoy challenging your taste buds, this is a must do. My only complaint is that I felt a little rushed at times. We both added the wine pairing. The wine for the next course kept being poured while we were still enjoying the last course’s wine. We both drink wine at a reasonable pace. The ambiance was intimate where you felt close but not in the least bit cramped. If you have the money, I would recommend checking it out at least once.

We visited Nashville last week for the first time and were lucky enough to get a seat at the Catbird Seat. What an amazing experience all around. The staff were welcoming, the food was out of this world and the other diners were a blast. If you go to Nashville and miss out at the Catbird Seat, you will regret it.

It has been almost year since our first trip to Catbird Seat. This is what was served by Chef Trevor Moran and his staff (see picture of menu posted). A truly gastronomic culinary experience.
Would have loved to experience Chef Trevor Moroan’s tasting menu again, however, since he is back at his original abode, Noma in Copenhagen, that will have to wait. Can’t say I am surprised Noma wanted him back.
Excited to experience the tasting menu under the new chef Ryan Poli. I am sure food will be different. Wonder if the logistics aspect of preparation and service delivery has changed.
Will know soon enough…

We had the joy of attempting Catbird Seat last weekend. Wow a true «foodie» encounter. We elected for the booze pairings and that was amazing too. The food and the beverages complimented each other. The ambience was quite fundamental and gave us the chance to to notice the groundwork in procedure. It was really cozy and not pretentious. The staff was friendly and educational. Not for people who have closed minds. Expect to return some day.

Wow! Absolutely fantastic! Ryan Poli and team are outstanding! What an experience! Fantastic food, orchestration and teamwork — Colby, Katie and the rest of the team were phenomenal — such a personal touch with each guest from your entrance to the restaurant until your departure! The food was phenomenal, wine pairings were awesome and the cookie jars at the end were a great touch! Thank you Ryan and team I will look for any reason to come back!

If I’m being totally honest, I’ve had quite a few better tasting meals…
BUT, I can’t recall a dining EXPERIENCE that I enjoyed any more than this one…
anytime. anywhere.
Fantastic team, amazing service, the attention to detail left no room for improvement.
Ryan and the whole crew were great and it’s definitely a spot to take the girl/​guy you’re trying to impress, or just go have a super time.
Stop reading and get make a reservation already!

Totally worth the price of admission. The food was wonderful, the service was fantastic, the pre-​dinner drinks at Patterson house were awesome too. Loved the whole experience.

This is probably the most fabulous dinner experience I have had. Begins with the service, chefs and ends with a five course plus gourmet meal and ambience. Thank you!

Absolutely the most amazing dinner we have had since B.O.S. Chef Ryan and the whole team were so engaging and fun. The art they presented to us is incredible!!!
Menu:
Chips & Dip — Homemade pork rinds, veggie chips and cultured cream
Hamahama Oyter with Mushroom Broth & Pine Nuts
Duck Egg Chawanmushi Style with Grilled Shiitake & Roe
Risotto of Sunflower Seeds, Fermented Sun Roots and Sprouted Seeds
Fluke Sashimi with Miso, Citrus and Garlic
Seaweed Spaghetti with Yuzo and Shaved Dried Scallops
Sake Grilled Cauliflower with Turnips and Cashews
Umami Crusted Beef with Shiso and Eggplant
Panna Cotta with Lemony Olive Oil
Bitter Chocolate with Roasted Kelp Ice Cream Topped with Orange and Matcha Crisps
EVERYTHING was AMAZING! Best birthday dinner ever for my bf. Catbird Seat is a must when in Nashville. We certainly cannot wait until we are back! Thank you Chefs!!!

Goes without saying this is a 5 star restaurant. Chef Ryan Poli is a boss and all the staff at Catbird Seat exude awesomeness. I would say most fine dining experiences can be pretty straight forward. Catbird is a unique experience though, at least in its current state, in that it has a distinctly japanese influence. Whether it is a wakame bucatini or an umami crusted steak with shiso, everything has some distinctly Asian inspirations which I find totally rad.
I would highly recommend the experience and food to anyone looking for a truly unique experience. Not many restaurants have dishes that you will think about a few days or even weeks later, but Catbird has a lasting impact.

I was so excited to finally make my trip to Nashville and eat at Catbird. Thankfully knowing people in the industry it was relatively easy getting a reservation and accommodating our group.
This season the menu is very oceanic based and did not disappoint. However, with all the wine pairings I don’t think our group remembered much by the end of the 12 – 13 courses. Our favorite dishes were definitely the pasta, fish, and sunflower risotto. I will want to come back again when the menu changes (and the chef — he wasn’t the most personable guy).
If you know you’re going to be in Nashville, definitely try and get a reservation because it’s an awesome and one of a kind experience.

Want a very unique dining experience with an awesome series of bites, look no further. BUT
If you have made the choice in your life to be a vegan, or not eat red meat, or not like fish or raw stuff, or not arrive at a reservation a bit early, or grill the waitperson about items on the menu even at Waffle House, or just not able to go with the flow in a dining situation, go elsewhere. If you have the very unfortunate affliction of food allergy, shellfish in particular, you should also pass. I pray God will deal you a better hand in your next incarnation.
It’s dinner around a bar with no menu or choices. Many small courses, all super-​duper. I won’t describe the food, that’s above my skill level.
Hot tips — If you like to drink, go sober and order the wine accompaniment. There are several wines served with the meal that are very interesting and exciting. They also serve a cocktail of some sort to begin with. You will get your money’s worth and will probably need to take Über home.
Don’t go to meet up with long lost old friends. This is like going to a show and you are part of the performance. Take your Honey, partner or old rugby mate so you can really dig in and eat.
Be on time, this ain’t like the movies where you can dawdle because you know there will be 30 minutes of previews. If you are like me and approaching senior status, get the first seating. This is a 2.5 hour feast and you don’t want your face in the plate. That sounds long but the hits just keep rolling off the cook-​top.
There is discussion about the chef leaving and having a new one. I have been there just once and it was with the new chef. It was a damn fine dinner and he, like the others on the groovy staff, was very attentive.
Lastly, it is expensive. With the wine accompaniment and gratis included, a shade above $ 400.00. For that you could get the best seats in the house for the Barry Manilow concert at Bridgestone, burgers, beer and parking. I’m glad my girlfriend chose Catbird for her birthday instead.

Having lived in the NYC area for many years, I have eaten is some great restaurants including Le Bernardin, Union Square Café, and several of David Bouley’s and Jean-​Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants.
The Catbird Seat was really an experience.
Of the 16 or so dishes, not all were to my taste, but the range, preparation, presentation, and pairing with drinks was truly impressive.
However, when all was said and done, I spent over $ 500 for two people, and I am not sure it delivered the value for the experience.
Don’t get me wrong. This was an impressive meal, for Nashville. But, for the price, there are many better fine dining choices in other cities.
I do not regret my visit to The Catbird Seat, but I probably will not be a repeat customer.

I had the pleasure of dining here last Thursday. My wife surprised me with reservations and said she’d researched and this was an absolute must try.
As I’d not researched, I had no idea what to expect.
I’m privileged to have dined at many fine restaurants around the nation, especially Chicago. So privileged, I’ve become jaded and avoid the super high end to avoid the crowd of fussy waiters delivering plates of fussy food while hovering to make sure you ooh and ah over the precious and complicated morsels.
Catbird serves small plates of food, but in an environment and service that is not fussy or precious. The food thrives on the simplicity and quality of the ingredients. The potato is clearly a potato, same with a tomato. If anything, the restaurant is all about the preparation and delivery of each ingredient.
Being able to chat with the sous chefs during prep and service, combined with the excellent food, made this the best dining experience I’ve ever enjoyed.

Fantastic meal, great service and unique experience.
I managed to snag a reservation for a Saturday evening at 9 PM a couple weeks in advance, and the service from start to finish, beginning from the champagne at the entrance and with the explanation of dishes throughout, is extremely polished and pleasant. It might be a bit overkill to go through all of the dishes from the meal, but the emphasis on fresh ingredients and creativity is very clear. A few of the highlights for me included: the fat on bread dish, which was unique and very tasty, the roasted duck, the potato soup and bread, the liquid shortbread and fresh blueberries, and especially the lemon verbena ice cream with candied pecans on the sorrel. The mix of flavor and textures on that dish in particular I found to be superb, as well as the preparation of eating it on the leaves.
The wine pairings were nice but not the highlight of the meal for me. Overall, it’s a fantastic experience, and I would highly recommend it if you are able to find a spot.

After months of trying to get a reservation I finally snagged one! Catbird seat has very limited seating so if you have a specific night you want to get a reservation for, make sure you get onto the website 30 days before because that’s when the reservations open.
We grabbed pre dinner cocktails at Patterson House downstairs before going next door to Catbird seat.
We luckily sat at the bar seats around the kitchen. It was great to talk to our sous chef and the actual chef! Even though they were working hard, they made time to talk to us and tell us about the menu!
The menu was a seafood potato menu. Since my typical drink, red wine, does not go perfect with fish we opted to do the drink pairing. This is a must because you get the full experience and menu the chef came up with. My favorite dish was the grilled lettuce and caviar. I would highly recommend having dinner at Catbird seat!

Long ranking on my American dining bucket list it was almost serendipity that The Catbird Seat returned from a team vacation to noma during my final day in Nashville, and having contacted the restaurant directly when the online reservation system continued to show no seats for the whole week prior it was a true measure of generosity that saw a seat offered even before books opened for my coveted first seating, a 5:30 arrival finding just one other couple present as we watched the team work diligently preparing canapés while completing last minute mis en place.
Reported by some to have slipped a notch since the departure of Chef Erik Anderson and promotion of Trevor Moran to top toque, it was immediately on downstairs entry that the experience began and treated to the a glass of bubbly verjus the quick ascent in an elevator soon saw me seated with a head-​on view of the kitchen, potentially the best seat in the house with a beef tendon puffed like a chicharron ready in wait.
Assuring the team of no allergies or intolerances, and opting for the $ 35 non-​alcoholic pairing that generally lacked inspiration with not only redundant flavors but also a repeat of the floral soda at dessert, it was with great rapidity that the next four bites arrived and although the ham amidst aromatics and light smoke was truly delicious both the oyster and razor clam seemed strangely out of place, the herbal tea a clever enough concept when used to reinvigorate the grilled seaweed oil, but mostly just filler and a sign flavors to come.
Undoubtedly taking on some of the terroir as plates progressed, the first proper course of the meal was perhaps the most intriguing of all, and although the pairing with sweetened grapefruit did not really do much to improve the silky beef topped in snail eggs and puffed rice both the flavors and textures were more than enough to tantalize the palate while also showing the kitchen’s ability to do more than just accent everything with smoke.
At this point joined by several other diners, many regulars that saw gifted plates from the kitchen extend out their tasting while the rest of us stood by, it was with more smoke in hand that the next plate arrived, the purée of pommes not particularly photogenic but creamy and almost ethereal beneath foam from local brewer’s yeast and yet another top note of smoke.
Settling in for what seemed destined to be a long meal of dynamic, if not entirely unique, bites it was next in almost comically smoked caviar that we indulged and although the dollop of eggs was quite generous I almost couldn’t believe my ears when the follow-​up of crispy pork tail was presented as the ‘final savory’ — a mere sixty-​five minutes passed as the hibiscus tea accented with dill proved a challenge to stomach, let alone understand.
Sure enough transitioning here from savory to sweet without so much as cheese, sorbet, or even a new drink it was to an elegantly decorated cake of textures beneath light tang that the first few diners were treated and receiving another glass of the verjus just a few minutes later the pairing unfortunately proved a bit too floral when melding with pearls of hibiscus, a far better sip found in the blend of herbs and apples with which the last two courses would be had.
At this point hoping that the menu had not entirely morphed from earlier days I was thankful that the penultimate plate was Catbird Seat’s famous «Ice Cream Salad,» and utilizing the gentle sweetness of sorrel with chilly citrus and southern staples of bourbon and pecan the flavor was as dynamic as the texture, a similar compliment paid to the potato shaped Toppel that spilled forth cream to create a sort dip-​and-​bite experience with ‘dirt’ that balanced out the sugar with careful bitterness, a final bit of whimsy that left me with a good taste in my mouth and a smile on my face despite walking out a mere 2-​hours after entry still feeling hungry, perplexed by the hype, and wondering how, exactly, a place like this survives in Nashville at greater than $ 200 a head after tax and tip.

There’s a photo going around my circle of friends. One of the people I came here with managed to time it just right. It was after I had the duck heart jerky and it looks like I had been told that I just got into Harvard tuition free or just won my first trial as a lawyer. Shocked and amazed that I actually had to take a moment to compose myself. The rest of the night just… I mean don’t get me wrong the courses after and before were delicious and amazing and I can look at the menu and photos and tell you every little detail.
We almost didn’t go, not because we had better things to do but they had canceled service during our original reservation time. A friend of mine was supposed to come in two days prior and instead of canceling he came in the day of our reservation just to come here. He was definitely a little on the livid side when I told him the bad news when I picked him up. Fortunately, we got seated the next day when they opened.
I could tell you how it was fun to watch in semi-​slack jawed wonder watching everyone in the kitchen be both focused and relaxed and so detail oriented-​food grade tweezers people! I don’t think the four of us really said much besides comment on the food. We ended up eating about 15 courses that evening and we sat there for hours, but the time passed by both slowly and quickly. I could do that but instead what I’m going to do is post the picture of me eating the duck and of the chef in charge of the meats as he dropped off grilled sausages. He stopped to smile and wave while I took a picture of him.
The experience itself is great and the food phenomenal.