Stellar service, the limited menu was well planned and diverse. Food quality was excellent and the place had a pleasant atmosphere. Perfect for our daughter's graduation dinner from TN Tech. We will eat there again read more

Had a lovely dinner last night at the PR. Staff/service was friendly and excellent. Food was good to excellent. Ambiance was very nice for a first date. Only issue is I ordered a 2oz pour of Jack Daniels 10 year. After cracking my own bottle at home today, it was definitely not Jack 10 last night. Price was $8 or $10 an ounce - which would be a great price...but that's not what they poured. read more

Well The Putnum Room is open for Brunch on Sundays now. 11:00-3:00 My husband and I have been a couple times now, but today was Special, our Anniversary. The service was great and our food was absolutely delicious. I had the shrimp and grits, my husband had eggs royal, simply delicious!!!! read more

The Putnam Room - Shrimp and Grits. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

See all

We all ordered the same thing - the "Filet" with the only difference being two of us ordered it medium and one contrarian ordered his medium-well, ha! This filet came with grilled potatoes and crispy Brussels covered with port wine demi glacé ($36.00). To drink we ordered a nice Cabernet - a bottle of Josh. It went really well with our meal. The employees were all very nice, polite, and efficient. Our food came out in a timely manner and our server checked on us throughout our meal. My filet was kind of a "Tale of Two Cities". One half was juicy and tender, but the other half was chewy and not as juicy. Note to kitchen: Might pay a little more attention on the cuts of meat, TYVM. Still, I really enjoyed it. The Brussels were wow, very good! It's a nice relaxing atmosphere and a great place to celebrate a special occasion or just treat yourself and your friends / loved ones to a great meal. We were unable to indulge with dessert, but there's always next time. Check them out, highly recommend! read more

The Putnam Room - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

I've dined at The Putnam Room dozens of times over the three years I've lived in Cookeville -- birthdays, happy hours, family dinners and everything in between. The atmosphere and food were always top notch. Sadly, that has declined in recent months. Tonight we waited 45 minutes for our meal. Our waitress was kind and wanted to be helpful but she was understaffed and seemed to be servicing the entire restaurant, so we had to flag her down to order, to pay, and to politely inquire about our food after we passed the half hour mark. We each ordered the house salad with chicken. The Putnam Room used to have the best salads, but even that has declined. It was a truly disappointing dining experience and, while I do think our waitress did her best, an apology or small price adjustment would have been warranted given the delays and subpar service we experienced. At this point, I would not return. I want better for The Putnam Room and better for Cookeville! read more

Great dinner spot in downtown Cookeville. Had dinner here last night. Great service and a solid drink selection, especially whiskey and bourbon. My server recommended the scallops and carrot cake, and both were outstanding. Her wine recommendations were great as well. I highly recommend if you are looking for a nice, upscale dinner spot. read more

See all

It's okay. Portions are small and items are overpriced. They give fancy names to sides...thank you letting me pommes puree is just a fancy mix of powdered mashed potatoes. Haricot side...just green beens. I would've asked for Heinz 72 to flavor up the duck I order but didn't want to insult the chef. read more

Traveling across Tennessee popped in here for lunch.,A great local find. We split the BLT with fried green tomatoes. It is no more than 5 minutes off of I-40. Great fry's too. Great service from Rebecca! read more

Stopped in for happy hour and was blown away at how good the small plates were. Service was excellent and the food was downright amazing I would recommend everybody come and check this place out with a new owners. It is nothing short of fantastic. Thank you. read more

Top notch low key vibe. Not a hole in the wall, just a solid dinner! My dinner date and I were talking about where we should eat. I think I made a remark about not eating at the same old places. Next thing we know The Putnam Room was close by and we walked in and were seated right away! I had pasta with steak medallions with a glass of red wine, my queen had pork chops, Brussel sprouts (cooked to perfection), and cheese grits. Not sure this couldn't be considered the best meal in town. They definitely gain 2 more customers for date night! Okay we are not big on drinking but the wine with dinner was so so good! read more

Great steak. Strangely inconsistent portions and presentation, but the food is flavorful, the atmosphere is pretty laid back. We looked around and saw people in shorts or athletic wear as well as dresses and long pants. read more

The Putnam Room - Steak and Sides - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

The food was excellent and service from Morgan was the best! I highly recommend Putnam room and Morgan for her exceptional service!

This was an absolutely amazing experience. Excellent food and drinks, great customer service! I had the seafood Mac n cheese! Yum!! Would definitely recommend- the bar was so cute! Great atmosphere. 5 stars!! read more

While on a road trip, stayed in area and ended up here. What a gem instead of dinner we order several appetizers and drinks. The atmosphere, service and food were all excellent. Certainly would recommend. read more

Yummy apps/small plates and a decent wine and bourbon selection. We were in the area just for a day and came across this place. We were glad we did! read more

The Putnam Room - Great beer to try! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Small portions but was priced accordingly. The food was perfect . The service was also amazing .

This was my first time visiting Cookeville and The Putnam Room was recommended by a local and I am glad it was. The entire dinner was fantastic. My friends and I visited on a week night so the restaurant was not very busy which led to us having a practically private dining experience. TJ was out waiter and he was extremely friendly and helpful which really added to our time there. We ordered the King's Queen and the Border Mule cocktails which were both beautiful and delicious. The small plates that we ordered included "Not so Hush" Puppies, Brie Focaccia, Tuna Poke, Truffle Fries, and Low Country Mac and Cheese all of which were done very well. For my entree I had the Pan Seared Scallops which I could not recommend more. I love seafood and I was surprised to have some of the best scallops I've ever had in Tennessee. I would highly recommend visiting The Putnam Room if you're in Cookeville. This is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner, meeting with friends or a family gathering with a wide variety on their menu that will please everyone. read more

See all

Went to brunch today, 9/14/2025. 11:00 reservation. First seated in the dining room. No one else to serve. Our server was kind and lovely. Spent all her time at the bar area. I literally had to take my coffee cup to the bar twice to get a refill. Normally if they were slammed, I'd give them a pass. It was dead. Just poor, lazy service. Terrible customer service. Just bad supervision or management. We enjoy the restaurant and love the happy hour but we were super disappointed in the experience. read more

Went twice first time had the duck it was fantastic. The wine was delicious. The next time we did the Valentine's Day for the price it really wasn't worth it. That was a little disappointing, but I will be back. read more

The good is that we love new owners Taylor and her husband. Bad is ... they are not consistent. I ordered the tuna poke and it was tuna with a nice sauce and sweet potato chips?? No greens. No cucumber salad (as stated on menu). I also had the pork tacos. Unfortunately, the pork tasted like it was sitting in fat/ grease all day. Didn't feel so well today. But last time we were there, was fine. We're going to stay away for a while and see how it goes. We really want this place to do well. read more

This place was pretty neat, me and my girlfriend went for a fun random date. It's a pretty swanky place, $25-$350 bottles of wine and $40 steaks and what not. I got a truffle Alfredo with shrimp for $24, and it was wonderful... Except for the fact that it was about 3 forkfuls of food. There was about 8 shrimp and they tasted very plain, and that was considered a main entree compared to their small plates???? If there was about twice the shrimp and three times the pasta I would have felt better. Our server was a young girl training someone and was very kind to us. read more

I took my girlfriend and my brother out for dinner here Friday night, and in a word...WOW! We started with cocktails from their specialty list, and all of them hit the mark and then some. Excellent bartender! We then ordered appetizers, the carpaccio and ceviche. The carpaccio would make Michael Mina slap his mama! The ceviche was a little disappointing, and I almost subtracted a star for that. Excellent preparation, but just a couple of tablespoons of ceviche on a big bowl of chips. The rest of the meal was so outstanding though, that I decided to give them a pass on that one. My girlfriend had the nightly special of black and blue ribeye, and my brother and I had the cioppino, and all were outstanding! We also added the hot honey focaccia, and it was a great accompaniment to the meal. House made mocha cremes brulee made a perfect finish. This is by far the best fine dining experience Cookeville has ever had! read more

Fantastic place to eat; however, I was disappointed when my last reservation was canceled due to weather so I ended up at Crawdady instead. I was looking forward to the Poutine and following with the Stroganoff and then the Brulé. We may not wait till next date night and drag our kiddos along before then. read more

Absolutely fantastic food. The staff are welcoming and helpful. I had the duck and a nice cocktail and really enjoyed the atmosphere. read more

The Putnam Room - Duck Confit cranberry bbq, pumpkin risotto, grilled zucchini and a Bitter Orange cocktail. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Too awesome Appetizers were top shelf plus. Main course was fresh, tasty and served in timely fashion with the best waitress Ive had pleasure to meet , service with a smile Cheesecake to top everything off and was extre delicious and special Thanks to everyone who worked Saturday evening 8/10. Spectacular read more

First time here was my birthday dinner on 6/28/24 and was not disappointed. I had the pork chop with fried Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. First off the Pork Chop was cooked and seasoned perfectly, so I highly recommend this as entree. The fried brussel sprouts were cooked perfectly with the right amount of crisp and seasoned well. The mashed potatoes were cooked perfectly and paired great with the pork chop. For dessert I had their creme brulee. It was made perfectly with that top crust and tasted great. This place had an amazing environment and the service was top notch too. We highly recommend it! read more

I'm not a confrontational person, so I did not speak with the manager as most people would expect when receiving a less than satisfactory meal, but I still need to express our disappointment and that's the purpose of Yelp!. Prior to making reservations at the Putnam Room for the evening of Friday, 12/13/24, our 16th wedding anniversary, I read the positive reviews and so we were really looking forward to our special day meal at a great place. Granted the ambiance was inviting and comfortable, the hostess was friendly and seated us immediately. Our Server quickly brought cold water and drinks. However, in the end we were disappointed in our experience. After a reasonable time, our Small Plates of Poutine and Quesadilla, were served. Unfortunately, although both looked appetizing, my wife found the beef tenderloin completely tasteless and very chewy and Quesadillas are typically served as a hand-held item, but mine was extremely saturated and fell apart when trying to pick up a slice, therefore, I had to resort to a knife and fork. Shortly afterwards our Entrees were served: my wife ordered the Steak Medallions plate and I ordered the nights Special. Both were served at below room temperature and with under cooked, hard potatoes, The broccoli served on my plate was also cool and very under cooked. That said, we paid Happy Hour prices for the Entrees, and the server/service was excellent. She was friendly and professional - responsive to our drink needs throughout the meal and comp'd us our dessert (Mocha Crème Broulee) for our Anniversary. We left very unimpressed, and considering the Chef may had had an "off" night, we might return to give the Putnam Room another opportunity. read more

The food here is seriously amazing! Like wow! We did the small plates menu which is Monday-Thursday from 4-5:30. The wine and beer is half priced. We got a ton of small plates and split it between the 4 of us. We took our toddler. He enjoyed the truffle fries. The atmosphere is very nice. The service was good. The staff was very friendly. You do have to make sure that you make a reservation, especially on Friday or Saturday. Totally worth every penny! Add it to your must try list. read more

The Putnam Room - Cobbler with ice cream & mocha crème brûlée - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Great atmosphere and really good food. Want to try for dinner with a larger menu. Wait staff friendly and personal.

The tapas was delicious and service was excellent. The venue is cute but minimalist. We were annoyed by a very drunk and loud party nearby, but otherwise it was a terrific experience. Try the sticky shrimp. read more

The Putnam Room - Dirty Martinis - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cookeville, Tennessee

Our first time to the Putnam Room, but not our last. We were warmly greeted and seated at our reservation time. The restaurant is spacious and the tables are not uncomfortably close. Our waiter was intelligent, helpful and informed. We began with the infamous "hush puppies" - they were delicious. We also had the cheese curds- they were perfect and tasty. We enjoyed the Filet for our main entree. It was a large, thick, perfectly prepared pristine filet which was tender and juicy. We also had the Mac and cheese which reminded me of my favorite childhood dish. We are excited to have this exquisite dining option in Cookeville. read more

Being from Atlanta we have more restaurants that most cities. The Putnam Room rivals some of the best in Atlanta, we were so happy to see a restaurant of this caliber in Cookeville. The food was fresh and tasty, the service was spot on. The ambiance was amazing with the dark tone woods and classic lighting. We will definitely visit again next time we're in town. read more

Excellent cocktails & food! Nice atmosphere & great servers/ bartenders, made my cross-country dinner stops very enjoyable.

We went to the Putnam room to try out the half price apps they have M-F, 4:30-5:30. Our favorites were the sticky shrimp (amazing), the Brie focaccia, and the fries!! The others were just okay! But we would totally go back! Especially for the shrimp! The service was amazing! The atmosphere was very nice! read more

See all

Cookeville has began to outdo their sales when it comes to restaurants. This is just one of the restaurants that we've visited while their own business. Everything that we ordered was delicious. read more

See all

First off, the room is very nice. Not elegant, but fancy enough to bring a special date or celebrate an anniversary and yet casual enough to pop in without get too dressed up. It's definitely a place where local workers (doctors, lawyers especially) gather after work. Small but lively little bar. Great spacing between tables. No loud music (or any music I don't think). The menu is varied enough to want to try a bunch of things, but not overwhelming and suspect. The big problem is deciding on an entree-type meal or a small-plates type meal. We did both. The sticky shrimp (6 of them if I remember correctly) were a show stopper. The calamari choice was a nice take and included calamari-'steak' strips, combined with onion rings, a few nice slices of peppers and a wonderful aioli...none of it prepared really traditionally, but a very nice rendition overall. The poutine was also not totally traditional, but I thought it was the best interpretation of it I've ever had. The potatoes were crazy good, super soft and fluffy inside and crispy enough outside to stand up to the cheese/gravy, which was amazing itself. The steak on top couldn't have been better; perfectly cooked with a smoky flavor I can't quite describe. You have to be a focused and dedicated chef to plate something as good as that. Oh and that poutine plate was larger than we expected for a 'small plate' and could have easily fed two as a main dish; very shareable. It is entirely possible however that since it was really ordered by us as a 'main' dish of sorts, they may have provided more. Not sure. The Cioppino, again, was a notch different than traditional with a beautiful tomato/saffron broth and, I believe a bit of swordfish (?) rather than a halibut or a cod. Anyway, it was succulent and there was plenty of it. The adult beverages were fun and mixed perfectly. No dessert 'menu', but they offered carrot cake, crème brûlée and cheesecake. We opted for the first two and weren't disappointed. Interestingly, those two were very traditional in how they were made and presented. Our server was super nice and friendly...and spot-on with everything. This is a very approachable, comfortable place with interesting and delicious food and quality service. I'm glad we finally stopped in and will definitely be back. Good job, Chef! read more

Excellent little place ! Super classy and best happy hour menu with tons of options at a great price !

Best Happy Hour around but I'm surprised it's never busy for Happy Hour. The food selection is amazing and food quality is top notch!! Also, the best drinks. The martini's are fantastic. read more

This was our first time to The Putnam Room and we loved it. Both the food and drinks were as good as we ever had at the top-100 restaurants we used to frequent in Washington DC. The service was a bit haphazard initially, but once we got rolling, we were very pleased. Taylor is an excellent bartender who modified the restaurant's already unique cocktails to better suit our taste. The drink pours were very generous - caution is required to not over imbibe. We shared four small plates: the blue cheese flatbread, the amazing hush puppies, the sausage balls and the macaroni and cheese. All were unique (I've omitted the full menu name which is much more descriptive) and perfectly prepared. Our shared dessert was the mocha crème brûlée, which was just the right touch to finish our meal. We look forward to many more meals and drinks here. read more

This is hidden gem in Cookeville. They have higher end meals with great service and a very nice wine selection. I love the duck breast and the seafood I've had here. Putnam Room is my go to for a nice "date dinner". It's also where I always choose for my birthday. Try the lunch menu too. read more