Tayst Restaurant

great food. My partner and I went last night for a small celebration. We did the couples tasting which is two apps, entree, and dessert with wine pairings. The food was amazing...stunning to be honest. I would have given them 5 stars but the wine pairings were a bit off. Everything was incredibly sweet and didn't quite fit with the meal.…

Pretty Disappointing. My husband and I have lived here since 2006 and have always been curious to try Tayst. We aren't "green" or "organic," so maybe we aren't this place's target audience. The ambiance is pretty bland - it didn't feel lively or energetic, though it's in a good part of town and parking is a breeze.

I ordered the crab cake appetizer and my husband had the special veal app. My crab cake was pretty fishy-tasting and not very creative - it was laid on some normal hollandaise and had a few slices of apple on top. My husband really liked his app but I'm not a veal fan so I don't know. Note, the portion sizes are pretty small, but we are used to that so that isn't really a problem. If you want huge portions for cheap you go to Outback or something. :) We want quality and creativity more than gorging ourselves.

The entrees were pretty terrible. I ordered the lamb which was chewy, though cooked to the appropriate temp by appearance, and accompanied by uncreative rice, sliced carrots, and two big chunks of goat cheese that looked like they came right out of a package. My husband ordered the pork shoulder, which when I tried it was like eating a salt lick, but he said it was ok, though he liked mine better.

The server was perfectly nice, but not very knowledgeable and seemed to be sort of out of it the whole time (P.S. we still tipped 20%, as we normally do). We both commented that he was a little "off."

Overall, we were just really disappointed. I spent ten years waiting tables at many restaurants and my husband is a chef so we are both extremely tolerant and view things in the most favorable light (everyone has a bad night, for sure). This place just really missed the mark. We will not return nor recommend it.

We ordered a $42 bottle of wine, two apps, two entrees, and a dessert to share and the total was $131.00 plus the $26 tip. Maybe there is something I am missing about the difference in "green" or "organic" but if that is the case, I'm not sorry to miss it.…

Oystynding!. Went to Tayst for the first time last night. What and outstanding experience! The food was excellent and the staff could not have been more attentive. It was our anniversary and we were both made to feel very special.

The dishes were original and the flavors well balanced. I had escargot for my starter which you don't see very often in Nashville and these were prepared to an exceptionally high standard. I also had the lamb which was cooked to perfection. The portion sizes were pleasant. However, I would not recommend trying to fit in more than three courses, despite the encouragement to have more.

Can't say enough good things about the service. If you want to take someone out and know that they will feel well treated, this is your place. Our server seemed earnest and to genuinely care that we had an excellent evening. In this regard, it was one of the best experiences I have ever had in Nashville.

In the interests of balance, let me also mention something I thought could be improved. Compared to other restaurants in Nashville that aspire to the same level of cuisine as this one, I think it lets itself down with the decor. The entrance is uninviting. As you approach, the front doors from outside, you see a line of dusty old books through the window, some of which the spines are facing the window and some not. This makes you wonder if you are entering a restaurant or a second-hand bookshop. Inside, everything changes for the better with interesting pieces of modern art and paintings adorning the walls. Having said that, other restaurants in Nashville at the same price point have put more work into the decor and feel warmer and more inviting when you look around.

Bottom line: if you're going to spend the evening enjoying beautiful food and your company, who cares about what's on the walls, right!…