Belle Meade, Tennessee

Draped in Blue-blooded History, the Belle Meade neighborhood is Nashville’s Most Exclusive Address, a Woodsy of Broad Lawns and Mansions.

History

John Harding founded Belle Meade Plantation in 1807. From his initial 250-acre purchase on the “Old Natchez Road,” seven miles from Nashville, Harding built Belle Meade into a twelve-hundred-acre plantation. By the 1850s he was one of Tennessee’s wealthiest men and larger landowners. Belle Meade’s greatest fame came after the Civil War, when it developed into one of the best-known thoroughbred breeding farms in the world. It is now a non-profit designated historic site.

Belle Meade Plantation

Visit the Belle Meade Plantation to experience over two centuries of legendary hospitality! Your visit will include a tour led by a trained guide through the plantation’s beautiful Greek-Revival mansion. The tour also includes access to Belle Meade’s 8 historic outbuildings. Relive the history of when bourbon was king here and experience the South’s most unique tasting room in the renovated 1820s icehouse. Sit back in leather chair comfort while handcrafted cocktails are sipped and stories are told for an authentic and unique experience! After you’ve completed your tour of the house, a free wine tasting at the winery awaits. And don’t forget to visit the new ice cream and fudge shop, as well as their impressive gift shop.

Radnor Lake

Belle Meade means “Beautiful Meadow,” and it would be hard to find a more beautiful, peaceful, and scenic retreat than nearby Radnor Lake State Natural Area, also known as Radnor Lake State Park. Its 1,300+ acres include five miles of unpaved trails through the woods surrounding the lake along with fishing, canoeing, and a recently opened aviary that is the current residence of two bald eagles and one golden eagle.

Located in the northeast quadrant of the Park, the Ganier Ridge Trail is perfect for a “moderate” level loop hike. Beautiful wildlife abounds throughout this area. A 200-foot climb gets the heart pumping, but quickly subside once you gain the ridge. A few spots along this ascent will challenge novice hikers, but otherwise, it's just a beautiful climb with beautiful views.

For those who prefer an “easy” level hike, try the Radnor Lake South Lake Trail, a 2.4-mile loop trail that flows around the lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is accessible year-round.

Restaurants

It’s not just history and nature in Belle Meade. This area of Nashville is home to a variety of barbecue joints, and each one has its own special way of cooking and seasoning the meat. Since it would be sacrilegious to use bottled barbecue sauces, local restaurants offer up their house-made specialties. And when you've had your fill of barbecued meats, Belle Meade also has a variety of restaurants and cafes that range from French to Vietnamese to Spanish tapas. You can enjoy everything from patisserie-style pastries to pho noodle soup!

Sperry’s Restaurant

Connecting the dots between Old English heritage and the Old South, Sperry’s Restaurant offers a warm, and comforting ambiance. Sperry’s kitchen offers a variety to satisfy any taste, including aged heavily marbled Western beef, the finest fresh seafood available, premium dairy products, oils and spices. All of their dressings, soups and sauces are made from scratch and several are available for purchase at Sperry’s Mercantile located behind the restaurant.

Giovanni Ristorante

Giovanni moved to Nashville in 2008 after 27 years in Manhattan. It has become Nashville’s best Italian restaurant (as rated by Open Table), serving outstanding homemade pastas, exquisite risotto, seasonal black and white truffles, imported cheeses, veal, prime beef, fresh seafood and delicious homemade Italian bread, breadsticks, desserts and gelato. At two locations: Belle Meade and midtown Nashville.

Whitt’s Barbecue

For a taste of authentic Nashville barbecue—slow smoked the old-fashioned way over smoldering hickory wood—Whitt’s Barbecue has been a family-run Nashville tradition for over 40 years and has now grown to over 20 locations. As they put it: “You won’t find anything fancy at Whitt’s. But you will find affordable Nashville barbecue that’s just plain good.”

Paul GravetteDecember 27, 2019