Hunter S.

Fancypants blew me away. I don't say that often. I do give a lot of five star reviews because I adjust for expectations and situation, but Fancypants is so amazing I would rate it 10/5 if I could. The vibe is immaculate. Red velvet, gold streamers, a fancy chinatown vibe. You get a welcome cocktail for free, just for walking in the door. We sat on the patio, though a number of seating options are available. The patio was warm and breezy, lit with Christmas lights, and well separated from the street (though every now and then obnoxious street hotrods might make some noise). We started with the jammy ramen egg. And it's exactly as described. Jammy, not too runny, rich, savory, and a little spicy. Six bucks. After that, things start to get a little more pricey, but it's worth every penny. We also tried the ruffell's potato chips, sour cream, and caviar. I'm not even a caviar person, but I ordered it because where else am I gonna get the chance to try this combo?! It was salty and tangy and such an unexpected tastebud explosion. You can tell someone put a lot of thought into this menu. We shared an entree, the "roasted nubby farms chicken." My friend wanted this dish, so I acquiesced. I normally find chicken boring. But this dish was made with peach mostarda, mustard jus, spring onion mousseline . . . and the staff painstakingly explained each dish to us, but our senses were overwhelmed . . . but they served two different parts of the chicken and one was like this crazy almost bacon like flavor bomb and the other was this sexy, silky, moist, tantalizing wing and breast. I took more photos of my meal, but I was so excited that they were mostly blurry, so what you see is what you get, and you have to rely on my raving review. There are so many dishes I'm interested in here . . . including their BBQ mushroom, their vodka shells, the roasted cauliflower, Italian sausage. If we had been more hungry (we'd had a big day with small appetites), we would have gone for the chef's special or chef's big night out, where the kitchen chooses for you. They also had a giant steak available. The fun thing about this place is that it's kinda mysterious. The only menu you can find online are photos of menus, like mine, and it seems to change all the time. I don't know what you'd call this place aside from "fusion." Fusion of what? I have no idea. Japanese? American? Something else? NO IDEA. But it's amazing. For drinks, they have an interesting cocktail menu, but I am privileged enough that I could try their "roulette whiskey" game, where they bring a roulette wheel to the table and you might end up with a standard whiskey/bourbon or something that's usually 160 dollars a glass, like a rare Pappy Van Winkle. The game is truly random and fair and not fixed at all. And I broke even essentially, though honestly, the cheaper bourbon tasted better to me. The bartender brought it out personally, with the bottle, and explained what it was, the flavor profile, and why he made the particular cocktail he made (I requested a cocktail, you can also have it straight or on the rocks). The service is unmatched. I've been to a lot of Michelin star restaurants, and this service just . . . floored me. Every single person made it their mission to make sure this was the best dining experience I ever had. In addition to perfect dinner service, I asked where the bathroom was, in the back of the restaurant mind you, and the person led me all the way to the bathroom personally. Even though, "take a right and it's right next to the front door" would have easily done the job. These people have PRIDE in their work. The food is phenomenal. I am trying to come up with a reason to come here again soon. Like, who can I ask to go out with me? Who is adventurous? Who else can I share this fantastical place with?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

Rhea V.

Had a really fun dinner at Fancypants. Hospitality was stellar- you are offered a welcome cocktail/mocktail as soon as you enter. It's definitely has a scenester vibe but not in an off-putting way. The restaurant is smaller inside than it looks from outside making it feel intimate and cozy which is part of the appeal. The decor is whimsical and colorful. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. Most of our group opted for the Chef Tasting menu as we wanted to try a lot of dishes. Standouts to me were the amuse bouche, a carrot mochi tart, the jammy egg, the tuna shiso bite, the vodka sauce macaroni and cheese and the steak course. There were a lot of other courses that had interesting flavors/textures but not exactly my taste. All of the plating was beautiful. I personally think that for some of the mid-service courses, the portion size could be reduced. It was tough to make it through to the steak course due to the size of some of the portions. The steak course is generous and served with a broccolini that evening. Also, a dessert course could definitely have replaced one of the middle courses. That being said, the Chef's tasting menu was well worth it and a fun culinary adventure. I highly recommend dining at Fancypants if you have a chance.

Ryan W.

Fancypants is in East Nashville on Dickerson Pike, leans into a playful "fine dining that's fun" identity, comes from the team behind Butcher & Bee/Redheaded Stranger, and is known for a prix-fixe, vegetable-forward approach in a bold, circus-inspired, moody interior. My buddy and I were in Nashville doing what two grown men on a trip are supposed to do: make questionable decisions with confidence and eat somewhere with a name like Fancy Pants. And let me say this first: the people here are absolute stars. The host, waitress, and staff were all incredibly kind, warm, attentive, and genuinely cared. Top-tier hospitality. The kind of team that makes you want to succeed on their behalf. If Yelp had a category for emotional intelligence, these folks are running a solid 10/10. Now, the restaurant itself? Super cool space. Very stylish, very theatrical, very "someone here definitely owns velvet." It has that playful, moody, creative East Nashville energy where you walk in and immediately think, "Ohhh, this place has a personality." And it does. A lot of it. Then the food arrived. My buddy and I ordered the steak, and unfortunately... it was not giving off "fancy." Visually, everything looked creative and promising. But flavor-wise? I've had more exciting bites out of a Costco shipping box. The food, sadly, was about a 5/10 for us. Not offensive. Not unforgettable. Just... confusingly bland. Like the menu went to art school and the taste buds stayed home. What makes this review hard to write is that the service was so good. Truly. These are good people. Great people, even. The kind of staff that makes you want to say, "No, no, it's not you, it's... whatever happened in that kitchen." And finally, now my buddy and I know why it's called Fancy Pants. Because the next morning? Let's just say the pants were no longer fancy. They were emergency-response pants. They were "cancel the morning plans and stay close to the hotel bathroom" pants. They were "one cowboy, one porcelain rodeo" pants. So in summary: Amazing staff. Cool space. Great vibe. But the steak tasted like cardboard wearing a tuxedo, and the next morning my stomach filed a formal complaint. Would I come back? Maybe for a drink and to hang out with the lovely staff. Would I order the steak again? Absolutely not.

Shasta S.

Loved the welcome cocktail at arrival! The place is decorated in a very fun, eclectic way, which definitely matches the name of the place. We decided to get three courses for each of us, and it was plenty of food! We left stuffed. We had to order their cheesecake because it looks iconic, but had to have it to go. We asked if they had any plastic forks for it, and the server came back with a tiny metal spoon and say we could take it. So nice! Will definitely be returning!

Taylor C.

Absolutely blown away by this fresh spot ! Everything was phenomenal from the moment we walked in the door to the moment we left. Things got started with a complimentary cocktail at the host stand. Our server Max gave us phenomenal recs and was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. Jaccob recommended some fantastic cocktails and really made the experience one of a kind. The restaurant itself is absolutely stunning and feels very approachable while still being fine dining. Such a unique and fun experience!!

Teri T.

Fancypants impressed me, and I have too many good things to say about it. But I will try my best with this review. Fancy Pants was a great choice for my birthday dinner. It's been bookmarked on my "to try" list for a while. It's fine dining, but it doesn't feel stuffy at all. More like a fun East Nashville bar where you can relax and still get food that tastes like someone in the kitchen is showing off. I went with three friends, and we had the chef's steak dinner. It's a porterhouse plus whatever dishes the kitchen wants to send out for $125 a person. I hesitated at the price for a second, but by the end, I was so full I couldn't imagine eating anything else. For what you get, the value is solid. They ended up bringing nine dishes before the steak even came out of the kitchen. The house focaccia (which is free) was everything you want in bread service. The deviled eggs were soaked in soy and had this rich, salty flavor with a yolk that was runny. The chicken was great and came with a sauce I kept dragging bites through. The Hiramasa crudo was clean and bright. I could have eaten a whole plate of the honey squash. And the off-menu mushroom dish was one of my favorites from the entire meal. Service was warm and easy; everyone we talked to had great energy. We sat on the patio, which was heated, and the blanket on the chair was more than enough to keep me comfortable on a late November evening in Nashville. We ended with the birthday cheesecake (of course), which is as festive as you might imagine. Their menu changes with the seasons, which means it's fresh. I look forward to going back and trying new things, plus any old favorites if they stick around. It made for a great birthday dinner, but I'd happily go back on a random weeknight too. Plus, I'm told you can go on Sunday's and everything is al-la carte. So if the higher price point is keeping you away, you can control more of your destiny with that experience.

Dana G.

I love that Fancypants offers fine dining in a non-pretentious environment! My husband and I came here for a date night, and we had the best time. We did the three course tasting menu and were impressed with all of the options. The presentation was so fun and creative, and there were surprises throughout the meal. My husband's cocktail looked delicious, and I really enjoyed my mocktail! We sat at the bar and had wonderful service. The parking lot was full, but we were able to find street parking behind the building.

John B.

This was one of the most disappointing meals I've had in a long time, especially considering the price point. To give credit where it's due, the staff and service were attentive and consistently on point throughout the night. The atmosphere was fun, vibrant, and clearly designed to create an exciting dining experience. The cocktails were genuinely good and ended up being the best part of the meal. The beef tartare was also solid. Unfortunately, everything after that fell apart. They started us with a ramen-style jammy egg split between two people, which already felt ridiculous for a restaurant positioning itself as fine dining. Even worse, the egg itself was almost completely void of flavor, like it had barely spent any time marinating. We ordered the steak medium rare and received it rare. That honestly would have been fine if the overall execution had been there, but it wasn't. The cut itself was decent, but the preparation and balance of the dish felt off. The sauce served alongside it sadly did nothing to elevate the meat and ended up feeling flat and forgettable. The asparagus was undercooked, the yellow beans barely seemed cooked at all, and while the broccolini was mostly done, that was about the only positive among the sides. The pasta shells were still filled with pasta water, which made the dish feel rushed and poorly executed. Nearly everything lacked flavor, seasoning, or any real attention to detail. The plating was visually pretty in most cases, though at one point I was genuinely concerned the frozen ice bowl may have been reused because of visible pink staining along the side. In the end, the entire experience felt more focused on aesthetics and photos than on taste or execution. The food itself came across as pale and dull, almost like the restaurant lost sight of the fact that the point of a restaurant is ultimately the food. I left feeling full but somehow still hungry because nothing was actually satisfying to eat. For a meal that ended up being around $400 for two people, this felt nowhere near worth it. Honestly, I've had far better meals at places in East Nashville that cost a fraction of the price and aren't even trying to market themselves as fine dining.

Lyna M.

Fancy Pants in Nashville is truly a vibe. From the moment you walk in, the ambience is absolutely beautiful--stylish, warm, and perfectly set for a fun yet elevated dining experience. The staff is incredibly attentive and welcoming, making sure every detail is taken care of without ever feeling overbearing. The food is where Fancy Pants really shines. Each dish is elevated, creative, and a little eccentric in the best way possible--bold flavors, thoughtful presentation, and clearly made with care. You can tell a lot of intention goes into every plate. Add in great music and an effortlessly good vibe throughout the space, and it's the kind of place you want to linger, enjoy every moment, and already plan your next visit. Fancy Pants is the perfect spot for great food, great energy, and an overall memorable experience.

Veronica C.

Mind blown!!! The food is amazing. We did the steak dinner for 2, that comes with about 6 other dishes. The flavors, the combination of ingredients from other parts of the world - wow. Adding pictures to all we ordered, one dish was better than the other. All memorable. We got lucky given that we didn't have a reservation, we were welcomed with a fantastic Homemade punch and Tiernan was our server. He was phenomenal, so knowledgeable of the food, drinks and his recommendations were spot on. The restaurant has lots of Christmas decor, and it made it for a nice and cozy atmosphere. We will def go back next time we visit Nashville.

Kasturi S.

This place has my heart! From service to food to drinks to ambience, everything was so thought through and they deliver what they are aiming for - a fun, nonchalant yet fine dine experience. The result, we got out smiling from our dinner with our heart and stomach full. The welcome drink, the small surprises in between the courses were not gimmicky but actually helped to enhance the whole experience. Our server was a chef and few what he was saying and the food was delicious - talk about the onion pasta, the pumpkin salad, the green leaf salad, the chicken entree. I want come back here soon!

Elizabeth B.

I'm a bit delayed in posting this, but a few months ago my friends and I had the most incredible experience at Fancypants. I arrived early and had no trouble parking (they offer a 3-hour validation, which made everything easy from the start). Walking in, the vibe immediately stood out as elegant, slightly royal, and eclectic in the best way. We were warmly greeted and handed a cozy brandy drink while we waited for our full party to arrive, which set the tone for the entire evening. From start to finish, the staff made everything feel effortless and relaxed. Once seated, we were served their house focaccia with oil which was simple, but genuinely heavenly. I ordered the "Tuxedo Pants," their take on a dirty martini, and it was unreal, especially with the whipped feta olive. We all opted for the $125 chef's steak dinner (there's also a $78 option), and it turned into one of those meals where you lose track of time because every course is something new and unexpected. We were treated to the most unique goldfish with a dipping sauce (still hard to describe, but unforgettable), and I found myself fully immersed getting to try things for the first time like: sea urchin, surf clams, razor clams, and even a caviar bump!! The finale: a savory vodka pasta and a massive 32oz porterhouse steak with an incredible Korean sauce and fingerling potatoes. We were also celebrating and were treated to a delightful birthday cheesecake, which was the perfect ending. Every single bite was layered, complex, and genuinely pleasurable. Hands down one of the top five dining experiences of my life and I cannot wait to go back.

Jake G.

The SERVICE The FOOD the EXPERIENCE!! every single person on staff was amazing. they each brought courses out and explained in detail each of them. We did the full steak dinner, where they curate your meal for you and it was awesome. The ambience was fancy but also chill and fun! The lights were very pretty and they were playing music that was actually good and not too loud and not too quiet. Once again, I would like to say the service was impeccable.