Walking into downtown Nashville’s newly opened Sinatra Bar & Lounge, it’s easy to imagine Ol’ Blue Eyes himself seated at the bar, a Jack Daniel's on the rocks in hand.
The decor has both a Palm Springs and a New York vibe — a nod to two of Sinatra’s favorite places, says Bill Miller, CEO of Icon Entertainment Group, which opened the classic Italian restaurant in partnership with Frank Sinatra Enterprises.
As though plucked from a classic Midtown Manhattan night spot, black leather curved-back stools line the bar. An abstract painting by Sinatra himself hangs above brushed brass shelves filled with bottles containing a wide range of alcoholic spirits. There’s a clear art deco influence: geometric tile floors in the entryway, brass dome table lamps with glass shades throughout the restaurant, and brushed brass railings on the staircases and the upper levels overlooking the main dining room.
Sage green banquettes and tables with white linen tablecloths line a wood-paneled wall, dotted with photographs of Sinatra. Most of them are not of him performing but hanging out on set or backstage with fellow Rat Pack members like Sammy Davis Jr., or with legends such as Rocky Marciano and Joe DiMaggio. “This,” says Bill, “brings a sort of personal and human element, which I think is important.”
A restaurant in Nashville isn’t the first place you think of when you think of Frank Sinatra. It took a little convincing to get the family on board, says Bill. But as the owner of the Patsy Cline Museum, Nudie’s Honky Tonk and the Johnny Cash Museum, he knows a thing or two about legends. Clearly pleased with the results, Frank’s youngest daughter, Tina Sinatra, even made an appearance at the opening in April.
Remick Architecture worked in collaboration with Bill and his wife Shannon, restoring the 1891 Southern Turf building at 222 Fourth Ave. N. that Bill purchased in 2017. The Millers oversaw the interior design themselves, saying: “We have to be fully in control of the aesthetic to deliver what we envision.” Bill searches the globe for unique pieces that bring to life what he conceptualizes, finding gems at estate sales, auction houses and online.
“My Way”
New Nashville restaurants seem to open almost daily and Bill, who also owns the popular House of Cards, concedes there’s always a risk when starting a new business. But he says his passion for finding unique and special pieces helps set his establishments apart. “Anybody can build a restaurant,” he says, “and anybody can build a bar; but not many people can hang Nudie Cohn’s Cadillac on the wall, not everybody can have Johnny Cash’s birth certificate, not everybody can have art created by Frank Sinatra himself …”
“The Best Is Yet to Come”
Menu offerings include dry-aged Bolognese, fried eggplant parmesan, veal piccata, walnut-crusted halibut and — of course — steaks, including a 32-ounce porterhouse. Jack Daniel's created Sinatra Century — a limited-edition 100-proof whiskey — to commemorate Frank’s 100th birthday, and Bill says his is the only restaurant in the world offering it by the glass: $250 for a one-ounce pour. More special offerings will be available at the members-only club planned for the building’s fourth floor, while luxury short-term rentals are slated for the third floor.
“You and the Night and the Music”
On a recent evening at the Sinatra Bar & Lounge, already busy at 5:30 p.m., local singer-songwriter and pianist Jeffrey Alfiero belts out the Chairman of the Board’s “Luck Be a Lady.” Singers perform Frank Sinatra classics, Rat Pack standards and music of the time — but no country music is allowed, Bill mentions with a smile. The newly opened lounge is on the second floor of the building, above the legendary Skull’s Rainbow Room, which Bill added to his portfolio of well-known Nashville attractions in 2017.
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