Union Station’s Restaurant Offers a New Vantage Point on Broadway

I’ve eaten at the Union Station Hotel for decades, at many different iterations of restaurants. My first experience was in college when I got dressed up because a friend’s father took three of us to Arthur’s Restaurant for a “fancy” night out. Those eateries had different views of the century-plus-old hotel and its high Tiffany ceilings and ornate lobby. But never have I sat in the northernmost room, looking through big arched windows onto Broadway watching the golden sunset lights play with the texture of granite stone walls in the room.

Until now. Stationairy is the new restaurant at what is now being called the Union Station Nashville Yards. It has a new name, a new spot in the hotel and a new chef in Sean Foley, who previously was the executive chef at 5th & Taylor.

The restaurant is in what would have been the original entrance of the former Louisville and Nashville Railroad station (you still enter the restaurant through the hotel from Ninth Avenue South), which was built in 1900. I’ve long said Union Station is an underappreciated oasis. It is on Broadway, close to all the Lower Broad action, an easy walk to the Ryman or Bridgestone, but it is also siloed from some of the chaos. The new room designed for the new restaurant offers the best of both worlds: the oasis, with relative calm, but also a fun vantage point from which you feel people’s excitement about being in Nashville. The room features 22-foot-high ceilings, tall arched windows and a number of different seating configurations to accommodate large parties and solo diners. Some seating has built-in outlets (USB and standard), so you can work through lunch if you prefer.

That’s a lot of details about the room. But Stationairy it isn’t just about the architecture. The food’s good, too. 

Stationairy opened in November with Foley in the kitchen. He recently unveiled a new spring menu. “It’s been an absolute joy to play with classic recipes and bring new elements to Nashville’s exploding food scene,” he says. “Using a fusion of techniques with regionally sourced ingredients, we’ve created flavor combinations that match the richness of the historic space while also avoiding pretentiousness.” 

I was a fan of the 48-hour brined chicken which was a standout with its simple charred lemon on top. The beet salad was truly a salad, with fennel and greens balancing the beets, rather than the beet-centric options many places serve. While it sounds basic, don’t skip the bread and butter. That was some creamy goodness to spread on a fresh-baked loaf. Other options include steamed mussels, ribeye with potato fondant and duck fat beignets. The wine list includes European and California wine. There’s a full bar with a cocktail list and nonalcoholic options, too.

Stationairy is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel offers two hours of complimentary valet parking, but dining here is a good excuse to explore downtown and environs on foot.