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Bad Idea

$50 and over

Wine Bar

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 15, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 21 times today

Innovative
Great for fine wines
Good for special occasions

Bad Idea is East Nashville's buzziest new restaurant from Sommelier Alex Burch and Executive Chef Colby Rasavong. It was honored as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America in 2024 by the New York Times. New York Times food writer Brett Anderson remarks “Bad Idea may well be what many seasoned diners thought when they heard there was a wine bar specializing in envelope-pushing Lao food opening inside an East Nashville church. But given the level of cooking here, the name turned out to be a self-aware joke, rather than a
self-own…[Rasavong] invests the weight of his life experience in food that stretches the boundaries of
Southeast Asian cooking to the edge of Appalachia. And the wine list is wise beyond this restaurant’s
years, mixing tantalizing obscurities, affordable crowd pleasers and connoisseur selections you’ll rarely
find poured by the glass.” Bad Idea was also named a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in the 2025 James
Beard Awards.

Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: Chef Colby Rasavong leans on his Lao heritage at this one-of-a-kind East Nashville wine bar that Bon Appétit dubbed one of its most eagerly anticipated openings in 2023. Sommelier Alex Burch's exciting, global wine list, which includes selections from South Africa, Hungary, and Portugal, sets the stage for Rasavong's ever-changing menu. Expect inventive dishes like a sausage roll with Calabrian chiles and lemongrass, mushroom tartare, and pot pie and noodle soup all served in a spacious bi-level former church with arched windows overlooking the street. The New York Times named Bad Idea one of its 50 favorites around the country in 2024.

Additional information

Location
1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206
Phone number
(629) 729-4332
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Wine Bar, Laotian, Farm-to-table
Hours of operation
Daily 5:00 pm–12:45 am
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

What 67 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Nashville
Innovative
Nashville
Great for fine wines
Nashville
Innovative
Nashville
Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Bad Idea offers "interesting and delicious food" with a "fantastic wine list" in a "beautiful space." Patrons appreciate the "creative dishes" and "friendly service." While some encountered high prices and a noisy atmosphere, many found the "food phenomenal" and "service next level," making it "a winner all the way around."

67 Reviews

A
Allen
Louisville3 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great wine selection and tasty bites. Perfect place for a quiet and relaxing dinner.
Is this helpful?
P
Peace
Chicago1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It genuinely wasn’t a bad idea at all. 10 out of 10 would recommend trying at least once in your life time.
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K
Katie VIP
Nashville13 reviews
3.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A little over rated. Good dishes. Bad dishes. Wonderful service
Is this helpful?
s
sarah
Baltimore1 review
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really great food - having just moved from Hong Kong, appreciated the eastern Asian flavors!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville2 reviews
4.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Would have been great if we were in the main dining area!
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D
Debra VIP
Nashville55 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was excellent! Shade, the sommelier was fantastic! Our server had great recommendations for dinner!
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C
Cuomoizatwat
Nashville2 reviews
3.0
Dined on March 6, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was just eh. Service was great. Drinks were great.
1 person found this helpful
W
William VIP
Nashville21 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I can see why this place has all the hype. I just wish I had room for the lamb, but guess I need to come back! Everything I tried was excellent and I usually don't care for mushrooms, but the mushroom tartare was amazing!!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville1 review
5.0
Dined on March 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was excellent and there were a lot of interesting flavors. We ordered three small plates and a shareable main. We probably could have been fine with just the small plates.
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R
Reanna
Sacramento53 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Nicely curated menu with plenty of unique takes. A miscommunication to the kitchen meant we didn't get to try the barbecued quail, but otherwise the service was truly excellent, the space is beautiful, and it was far from the same old dinner that every nice restaurant is serving.
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FAQs

Bad Idea is rated 4.5 stars by 67 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 15, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 21 times today

1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206

Additional information

Phone number
(629) 729-4332
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Wine Bar, Laotian, Farm-to-table
Hours of operation
Daily 5:00 pm–12:45 am
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa

Bad Idea

Make a reservation

Why they're an Icon

Additional information

Menu

What 67 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Bad Idea restaurant rated?

Is Bad Idea currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information