Nashville’s reputation as a top-flight music destination is well-deserved: Not only can you find live music somewhere in the city 365 days a year, but honky-tonks that line Broadway in downtown Nashville launched the careers of Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Blake Shelton, and even Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.

These days, though, music aficionados aren’t the only ones flocking to Nashville. Thanks to a spate of creative chefs whose offerings go well beyond barbecue and Nashville hot chicken, the city attracts adventuresome food lovers from all over the world.

PHOTO: © MICK JACOB

Head to boho-chic East Nashville to find some of the most innovative cooking in the city. From the open kitchen that dominates the dining room at Audrey, star chef Sean Brock coaxes unimaginable flavors out of Southern ingredients that, on the surface, seem almost simple. At some restaurants, empanadas, red Thai curry mussels, mac and cheese, and a big steak on the same menu spells disaster. Not at Lockeland Table, where Chef Hal Holden-Bache’s deft touch allows you to mix up a meal that will satisfy all your cravings. Big flavors abound at Noko, and whether you choose the kimchi-infused Caesar salad, sesame oil-dressed Brussels sprouts, or burrata with wood- fired peaches and pesto, you’ll find a remarkable degree of balance.

Downtown Nashville has always boasted a few stars — Sean Brock launched his career at The Hermitage Hotel; the dining room now falls under the direction of Jean-Georges Vongerichten — but today, the neighborhood brims with options. Sleek, light-filled and high-ceilinged, Yolan doesn’t reveal it’s one of the city’s best Italian restaurants until you take your first bite of perfectly sauced pasta. After a fun night at the honky-tonks, pop into Black Rabbit, where the kitchen stays open late to deliver satisfying small plates like okra and chorizo and pork tacos as well as rack of elk with smoked blueberry, dry-aged New York strip and other elegant mains. You’ll want to get to Bourbon Steak Nashville a bit early. Located on the 32nd floor of JW Marriott Nashville, the restaurant offers one of the best views of the city without the typical rooftop bar crowds. The food is sublime, as well.