Drive 20 minutes south of Nashville, and you’ll hit the ever-idyllic city of Franklin. While Main Street’s quaintness may be good for photo ops and Hallmark movie productions, the city itself offers more — namely, a rich culture intertwined with community and hospitality.
For tourists, Franklin is a refreshing daylong getaway from life’s hectic nature. For locals, it’s a place where you should expect to run into at least one person from high school. Regardless of which side of the spectrum you’re on, Franklin’s community will extend itself to you. The city shares its charm through picturesque sidewalks, warm nods from strangers, and perhaps most of all, welcoming and delicious meals.
Fine dining is one of Franklin’s strongest crafts. The city hosts exceptional chefs, managers and servers who prioritize impeccable service and intentionally curated dishes. If you’re searching for your next spot to gather with friends, decompress from a long day or celebrate a milestone, there are plenty of Franklin-based fine dining options to keep on your radar.
Sperry’s Cool Springs
When you pull into the strip mall off Frazier Drive, Sperry’s Cool Springs looks unassuming. Sandwiched between an array of piano and furniture stores, the restaurant — with its double doors and exterior stained-glass windows — beckons you to enter.
And once you do, you’re swiftly plucked out of the bustle of Cool Springs shopping centers and settled into something familiar — a cozy steakhouse with a long history in Middle Tennessee.
Sperry’s Cool Springs opened in 2006, designed as a more spacious replica of the restaurant’s beloved Belle Meade location, which opened its doors over 50 years ago. Since 1974, Sperry’s has uncovered its infectious specialty — keeping things as they’ve been. “We stick pretty similarly to what we were doing 50 years ago,” says general manager Bo Winters. “The philosophy is providing simple but elegant, top-tier, well-prepared fine dining and steakhouse food.”
Sperry’s is known for its classic-style salad bar, quality steaks and attentive service. Most of the food is locally sourced, except for fine Alaskan king crab and delectable seafood hailing from Hawaii. “We’re not trying to go off the rails and see if this works,” Bo says. “We already know it works, and that’s what the clientele comes here for.”
You’ll find the same dark woods, rare antiques and eclectic artwork that give the Belle Meade location its signature cozy feel. This classic, elegant style pays homage to the taste and personality of Burton W. Sperry, owner Al Thomas’ great-grandfather.
You’ll also find servers rolling out Sperry’s infamous bananas Foster carts, fully equipped with banana liqueur, ice cream, butter and brown sugar — all flambéed tableside. “It’s addicting to the entire dining room when [guests] see that first flame go off,” says Bo.
Most Sperry’s diners start their meal by developing a strong rapport with their server and end it knowing them by name. This reliable service has made Sperry’s a go-to place to gather with loved ones and celebrate special moments.
Unsurprisingly, the Sperry’s team doesn’t have to worry much about promoting the restaurant. Word-of-mouth is its most powerful tool. “Our marketing team is our food and the server that comes to the table,” says Bo.
Etch in The Factory at Franklin
Local legend Deb Paquette — the first woman in Tennessee to qualify as a certified executive chef — opened Etch’s lively downtown location in 2012. And last October, the beloved staple found new life in a second location at The Factory at Franklin.
“We’re trying to uphold the same standards that we have downtown and [at] our sister restaurant etc. in Green Hills,” says chef Jess Lambert.
The environment is similar, but distinct. Etch’s Franklin location is embellished with soft jazz music, a colorfully lit bar, and cozy, intimate seating. The most thrilling part is the chef’s bar, where guests can see chefs creating their food in real time. “Most people really enjoy watching the action of the kitchen,” says Jess.
There, the kitchen’s inner workings are exposed to the eye. Choosing a spot at the chef’s bar means witnessing your meal up close — from placing an order, to watching your food be plated and dressed with Deb’s signature dot and squiggle designs. These dishes might include pillowy octopus and shrimp bruschetta, the flavorful trio of mushrooms, and tender venison, followed by Deb’s elevated, seasonally evolving ice cream sundaes.
The eclectic menu reflects lived experiences in Jess and Deb’s favorite global regions. “Deb traveled pretty extensively, and she really enjoyed her time in Spain,” says Jess. “A lot of the food she ate in that region and the wine inspired the menu.”
When the two chefs get together, magic happens.
“I started working for her 10 years ago, and I have more of a Middle Eastern and Asian cooking background, so we’ve combined our styles quite a bit,” says Jess. “When we collab, it’s a pretty great process for us.”
By playing into international influences, the culinary team enjoys plating quality dishes guests wouldn’t normally choose to cook at home. “We like to make sure it’s the kind of food you want to come back and eat more than one time,” says Jess. “We try and do ideas that are a little global so everybody can expand what they’re used to eating.”
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille Cool Springs
A true fine dining experience is all about the details.
Imagine entering a restaurant for your anniversary and seeing your table adorned with rose petals. Or receiving a lavender-scented cloth to wipe your hands with after tearing through deliciously tender pork ribs.
Servers at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille facilitate these memorable experiences daily.
From carefully seasoning dishes to gingerly placing table settings, the staff prioritizes the intricacies that set Perry’s apart from other local steakhouses. “We try to make sure that every detail is noticed,” says chef Dan DeLorensi.
The impeccable service begins the moment you arrive. “When the guest sits down, we’re taking care of their drinks and making sure they’re always full,” Dan says. “The environment is right, the lighting is right. We’re always worried about the temperatures and the climate to make sure [guests are] comfortable throughout their dining experience.”
The Perry family opened its first restaurant, a Houston meat market, in 1979. Later, they branched out, opening Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille locations across the country and cementing their family legacy in fine dining.
At the Cool Springs spot, plush booths and warm candlelight instantly set the mood for an intimate dinner.
The feast begins with lavish appetizers, like soft pan-seared scallops on thick bacon slabs. Entreés, like caramelized prime rib and Perry’s famous pork chop — served with homemade applesauce just like grandma’s — are meant to be savored. “When it comes to the food, we butcher everything in-house ourselves,” says Dan. “We cut that protein as close to service and as fresh as possible before [guests] get there.”
Creamy whipped potatoes and flavorful Brussels sprouts tastefully accent the lead-up to the grand finale — dessert. The chocolate jubilee cake — dressed with tableside tart cherry compote — brings the heat right to the table. Ten layers of decadent, rich cake offer a delectable close to the meal.
“Paying attention to the core ingredients and making sure they’re extremely high-quality, they’re seasoned correctly and they’re cooked correctly is really what sets us apart,” says Dan.
Cork & Cow
Franklin’s culture and tight-knit community are reflected in businesses across Main Street. The town is classic, yet approachable. Even at its finest dining locations, everyone has a seat at the table. This is exactly what Jason McConnell hoped to communicate when he opened Cork & Cow in early 2012.
“Jason wanted to open a steakhouse that was both reflective of his personality and the Downtown Franklin community,” said Sharon Davis, director of operations and development at McConnell Hospitality Group. “To us, that meant elevated but approachable. White tablecloths, delicious steak, interesting cocktails and impressive wine and spirits lists — but unfussy.”
Cork & Cow’s dining experiences take place in a beautiful, accommodating space. Padded green booths line brick walls, and artistic cork arrangements and elaborate chandeliers ornament the room.
Decór aside, the real star of the show is the food.
Hickory- and oak-wood-grilled meats are accompanied by tasty sides, like garlic shrimp, Maine lobster tail, classic bearnaise sauce and housemade pepper jelly. Each plate offers a distinct twist on a classic dish. “For me, it has always been about being simple, seasonal and current,” Jason says. “Following that framework typically serves us well.”
While the menu hosts a variety of fine steaks, Jason takes care to perfect every dish on the menu. “The real distinction as a steakhouse is that we place just as much attention on our composed seasonal dishes as we do our steaks,” says Jason. “By doing this, we are constantly searching for the best proteins and produce, focusing on quality and seasonality and offering a well-balanced menu.”
Jason’s take on steakhouse cuisine is elevated by the Cork & Cow staff’s signature Southern hospitality. “Our hope for Cork & Cow, Red Pony, 55 South — and any concept we are a part of — is that we create concepts where guests will have an exceptional culinary and hospitality experience,” says Sharon.
1799 Kitchen & Cocktails
Talk to any Harpeth Hotel server and you’ll hear this sentence: 1799 Kitchen & Cocktails knows its whiskey and bourbon. The restaurant distinguishes itself by pairing decadent dishes with quality drinks and weaving Franklin’s rich history into the space.
The chef-driven menu, created by chef Thomas Tuggle, changes two to three times a year and adds a seasonal flair to every dish. “From a philosophy standpoint, he tries to keep things familiar enough so it doesn’t really scare anybody away,” says director of food and beverage Jason Francis. “But it’ll also break people out of their comfort zone a little bit and [and invite them to] try something they wouldn’t necessarily try.”
Every bite is an indulgence, beginning with a fluffy bread service and tasty appetizers. The shrimp cocktail is an explosion of flavor, and salt-roasted carrots — adorned with walnuts, coconut yogurt, pomegranate seeds and honey glaze — somehow pack the same punch as an indulgent dessert.
The restaurant serves many delicious entreés, including rich rigatoni Bolognese, flavorful Arctic salmon and tender bison New York strip. Lavish desserts, like classic Italian tiramisu and lush carrot cake, top off the current menu.
Named after the year Franklin was founded, 1799 Kitchen feels like a treasure chest of history.
Though the restaurant was built from the ground up, designers introduced historical elements to qualify the space as one of 100 global establishments included in Hilton’s Curio Collection. Historic shutters accent the windows, and reclaimed barnwood floors sport a painted American flag’s red and blue hues.
A grand whiskey-barrel-wood installation catches the eye the moment you enter the dining room. Curtain-drawn booths feature local art from Gallery 202, emulating the intimate atmosphere of a classic speakeasy.
The space took over nine years to craft, and 1799 Kitchen became a local hot spot in 2019. “Being the community staple is something that we really feel is important to us,” Jason says. “That’s the intrinsic value of why we do what we do. And the fact that the locals keep coming back is telling.”
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