The bar at Bastion is not for completists. It doesn’t have the most beers (although it has a lot) or the most cocktails (although it has a lot of those, too). It doesn’t have the biggest food menu or a stunning interior (their decor could charitably be described as “painted” with a hint of Donnie Darko). No, the most remarkable thing about the Big Bar at Bastion is just how comfortable it feels. Want an Old Fashioned or some delicious spiked punch? Have a seat. Do your beer tastes run the gamut between old-school High Life ponies and small-batch local IPAs? You’re in the right place. Located in one of Nashville’s hottest areas, Wedgewood-Houston, and attached to one of the best spots to eat in town (chef Josh Habiger does wonders in Bastion’s restaurant side), the Big Bar at Bastion should be full of pretentious, preening patrons and unbearably hip drinks, but it’s not. You have to love a place whose one meal offering is a nacho plate that’s better than any other nachos in a 100-mile radius. A great bar attracts all manner of people: transients having a drink on their way to food; stool-dwellers set up for the night; friends gathered to shoot the shit and maybe play a game; couples locked in deep conversation. At Bastion, they’ve all got a place to call their own. STEVE CAVENDISH
Best Bar
Bastion
Photo: Daniel Meigs
