my partner & i went here for valentine’s day & could not have been happier with the entire experience. the valentine’s set menu had all the restaurants staples, along with some fantastic seasonal items. ingredients were authentic & unique to japanese cuisine, but the food was beyond creative & non traditional in the best way. the service was amazing, everyone was so on top of keeping our table clean & well cleared & were quite swift about it too, our waitress described all of the items perfectly, & we were so pleased with all of her suggestions. the dim lit (but not too dark) atmosphere & attention to detail added so much to how romantic & special this date was for us. some of our favorites were the miso radicchio caesar, the hokkaido scallops, the seaweed gnocchi & the living coral cocktail with gin! the blood orange yuzu soft serve sake float was also to die for — this is such a creative & beautifully curated spot in nashville, & we will definitely be back!

Wow wow wow! What a hidden gem! My fiance & I had a perfect date night at Present Tense!! The food was amazing, the atmosphere is unmatched, and the service was fantastic. We learned near the end of our dinner that one of the servers was sick, so the person who served us was actually the owner, Rick! He was phenomenal & extremely kind! Cannot recommend this place enough! It’s a must-try!

Amazing dinner experience. We tried an assortment of tapas dishes, of which the kanpachi and scallops were our favorite. The chef and owner came out to greet us personally, and gave us salmon with caviar and matcha/miso ice cream on the house. Would definitely come back next time I visit Nashville!

I went to Present Tense with a friend for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I was blown away at the quality and presentation of everything we ordered as well as the service! We enjoyed: Karaage Fried Chicken, Yellowtail Hand Roll, Chicken Thigh Yakitori, A5 Wagyu Strip Skewer, Squid Ink Pasta, Orchid Mist (cocktail), Habanero Gold (cocktail), Blood Orange Soft Serve and Japanese Chocolate Mousse. Plus, they greet you with complimentary popcorn which I thought was so fun! I'm not exaggerating when I say I absolutely loved everything we tried, but if I had to narrow it down to "must-try" items, I would choose the Karaage Fried Chicken & Japanese Chocolate Mousse. I think about those dishes often haha! Thanks for a lovely experience Present Tense team, I can't wait to come back!

Amazing Japanese fusion! The grilled chicken was perfectly juicy, the duck meatballs were rich and flavorful, and the squid noodles were a unique delight. Every bite was impressive. Excellent service and ambiance made it even better. Definitely coming back!

So delicious! We sampled almost all of the cold dishes, and each one had fantastic blendings of delicious flavors. I just love when there are multiple ingredients in a dish, and you can taste every one. The highlight was the tuna toast - the char on the sourdough accentuated al the other flavors, along with the contrasting textures in a bite, making this a fantastic unique dish. The oyster mushrooms were so "meaty", and with lip smacking great blend of sauces. On the uni tostada, the lightness and crisp of the tostada contrasted beautifully with the soft creamy toppings. Service was super friendly and fast. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Chef Ryan, and hearing his description of various dishes he delivered to the table. We'll definitely be returning for the Omikase dinner. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- New review on Jan. 18, 2025 We did get back for the Omakase experience at the 6 seat bar, and we've never been so stuffed from a tasting menu(!), and we've enjoyed dozens all over the world. All 24 dishes were excellent (bar the matcha soft serve - not my flavor profile). I was most partial to those dishes that I think are seen sometimes on the a la carte menu - tuna toast, seaweed gnocchi with maitake dashi, and tempura shiso with beef tartare. If they're not a la carte, they should be! The sake pairing was so great to try different types, as well as unusual ones we'd never heard of. The music was too loud, as we had difficulty hearing the description of the dishes.

Stopped by for a quick snack on a Thursday night. Kenneth behind the bar was our server. The food and drinks were excellent. We recommend the fish collar, snap peas, and house pickles.

So often I go out to eat and it’s just not worth the money anymore, but I felt like it was here. The food was delicious and the staff was so friendly. I sat outside with my dog and they had a nice covered patio looking out to the street. The hamburger was one of the best I’ve had in town. I’d also recommend the sweet potatoe!