Nestled among upscale retail shops — a stone’s throw from Sevier Park — The Henry is the latest Nashville addition from Fox Restaurant Concepts, who in 2021 brought The Twelve Thirty Club to the high-end Fifth + Broadway. Its handsome Bordeaux façade, complemented by a coordinating outside host stand, is hard to miss.
With a coffee shop that morphs into a moody bourbon bar later in the day, an upstairs eatery serving new American cuisine, and a patio overlooking bustling 12South, The Henry might just disprove the old saying, “You can’t be all things to all people.”
“It’s a restaurant that you can come to in your workout clothes with a big group of friends to have brunch,” says Christopher Melly, director of operations. “You could come for coffee and have a business meeting. You could do lunch and sign a deal or a contract. You can have a bridal shower, a baby shower — you can throw a bachelorette party — and then at night, come in and have a $300 bottle of wine and a steak. And in every one of those scenarios, The Henry works.”
Christopher, who oversees all The Henry restaurants, says Nashville is the sixth location for the brand, which started in Phoenix. Other locales include Coronado, Calif.; West Hollywood, Calif.; Miami; and Dallas, with more in the works. And while there are consistent themes in terms of décor and menu, each one is decidedly different, depending on where it is.
The Coronado location, for example, has a light, airy, coastal vibe. The Henry in Nashville leans into Tennessee’s whiskey heritage with the Bourbon Bar. In addition to a full bar with signature craft cocktails, there is an extensive bourbon selection including special editions and collaborations, such as the one between the Bardstown Bourbon Company and Goose Island Beer Co.
When entering from street level, guests will find themselves in the Bourbon Bar’s intimate setting, complete with Bordeaux leather banquettes and color-coordinated walls with wainscoting. Light-oak wide-plank floors and a black-and-white marble bar give the room a relaxed but elegant feel.
Another hallmark of The Henry in Nashville is live music on weekends, made better by a state-of-the-art sound system. “We set the restaurant up and we built it with live music in mind,” says Christopher. “We have three different areas where we can plug into our speaker system. We’ve got really big firepower with our music system … We really haven’t done that anywhere else.”
On the Menu
Another first for The Henry, inspired by its popularity at The Twelve Thirty Club, is sushi — spicy tuna and crispy rice, a rainbow roll and a California roll. Appetizers include truffled brie toast, umami Brussels sprouts and pretzels, which are made in-house and served with provolone fondue. Entrées range from an “all-American” burger to filet mignon. The varied menu also includes Bolognese, shrimp tacos, a vegetarian harvest bowl and sea scallops. A perfect ending could be the key lime tart brûlée or the molten butter cake.
Come, Stay a While
In the main restaurant, the wood floors, wine-colored leather booths and brass pendant lights infuse the space with warmth. The dining room opens into a terrace with its own bar outfitted with rattan furniture and banquettes with striped cushions. With fall upon us, the retractable ceiling and walls assure summer can last a lot longer. Nelsen Partners, with offices in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Austin, Texas, worked with Scottsdale-based Testani Design Troupe to oversee the design. The restaurant seats 150 upstairs and 40 downstairs.
A Little History
Sam Fox, who might be best known to Nashvillians for partnering with Justin Timberlake to open The Twelve Thirty Club on Broadway, also founded the Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts. The group currently has 12 brands with over 60 locations throughout the country, including Nashville’s North Italia. The Henry — which uses the catchphrase, “the greatest neighborhood restaurant” — will try and live up to that impressive claim starting early. Hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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