While the exterior and the neighborhood may suggest otherwise, we found Junior to be OUTSTANDING. Once you're inside, you see that this is a super cool, intimate room supported by a top tier professional, knowledgeable team...and in for a really cool meal. After interrogating both the woman who seated us and the server, we took them up on their recommendations and started with the tuna tartalette and the barbajuan. The former was perhaps the only thing in the meal that was just "ok" -- the latter was as delicious as it was unexpected and unique. N.B. these opening "bites" are just that -- one serving each -- so best NOT to plan to share these. For the main event we split two sides and a main. Both the kabocha squash and the chou farci were wonderful, and they were excellent complements to the chicken, which seems to be their signature dish, and deservedly so. Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and perfectly presented. Didn't have room to tackle the cheeses or desserts (another N.B., and they'll tell you this, that the chocolate soufflé requires 20 minutes prep, so order ahead if that floats your boat). Nice list of wines by the bottle and by the glass. Expensive, but not inappropriate for the quality of the meal. This bigger city restaurant snob would totally be back and recommends a visit very highly. read more

I came here for a weekday reservation which was relatively easy to get. Their parking was also pretty straightforward given they validated and I very much appreciated that. The space itself was nice as well and felt very cozy. I ordered some wine for my meal and my friend had a cocktail from their limited cocktail menu. Our server was pleasant, but didn't offer to walk us through the menu, which would have been super helpful since they had a lot of unique dishes on their menu that I would have had to look up without an explanation. We ultimately asked her to walk us through it but the rundown was pretty flat. Nothing was really described in a way that got us excited about the dishes which was disappointing for a restaurant of this caliber. We ultimately started with the Porridge Bread with Amish Butter, Yellowfin Tuna Tartelette, and the Celeriac and Black Truffle Barbajuan. The tartelette was my favorite of these dishes. It had a delicate crispy cup, fresh and clean tuna, and toppings that rounded out the bite well. The bread was also good, but not anything too special, and the barbajuan was decent as well. For mains, we went with the Grouper and Golden Chicking. The group was my least favorite of the dishes. The components all seemed good on paper, but somehow the dish fell flat, lacking in salt and real flavor. The Golden Chicken, on the other hand, was a completely different story. It was incredibly juicy and well-seasoned with crispy skin that added great texture to the dish. It was one of the better chicken dishes I've had in a while and I wish I had had more. Overall, this experience was sort of a mixed bag. The chicken almost makes it worth coming back, but I'm not sure that I will. read more

See all

We scored a "waitlist" res for Junior; it's a small room and a hard res get. It's in the same strip mall on Dickerson Pike as FancyPants; blink and you'll miss it. It seems to share a lot of DNA with FancyPants; more on that later. We sat at the bar while our table was being cleared; the somm struck up a convo and offered to hold our wine (readers know we always bring our own fine bottles that are never on the resto list) as we waited. Once our friends arrived, we were promptly seated. At that point, the nice somm reappeared and let us know that they have a $50 corkage fee (on the high side, but ok with us if the wine is properly handled) and, regrettably, a 2 bottle limit. Junior loses 1/2 of a star for that; I took a good look at the wine list and $50 is more than their margin on the cheapest bottle on their list, so they should have been happy to make $50 opening the wines we brought. The glassware was wonderful and the server handled our bottles well; still, the limit seemed arbitrary at best. The menu is small, and divided into amuses (one bite each), small courses, and large courses. I'm ok with a market priced entree, but when the market price is $185 (for the 32 oz porterhouse we ordered), I think that they should let you know in advance. They didn't, and assuming that the price was a little more down to earth, we didn't ask. Deducting 1/2 of a star for that. From the a amuse menu, we ordered the oysters with citrus mignonette and brunoise turnips (fabulous textural and flavor contrasts), bay scallops (strange presentation, but tasty), bluefin tuna tostadas (epic; super fish and a solid portion for an amuse), and the squash fritter. We also ordered the smoked chicken pate en croute; really nicely done. We then moved onto the roasted chicken (one of the moistest and most tender roasted pieces of fowl I've ever had) and the aforementioned pricey steak (cooked perfectly and super delicious, not withstanding the cost), served with fabulous plank-style fries and aioli. We had espressos and cappuccinos for dessert, and tried the seasonal apple meringue sweet dish. Interesting, but a bit over the top in terms of sugar for some of us. The room, the vibe, and the big steak all echoed FancyPants; it was an interesting coincidence seeing as both places are across the parking lot from each other. We loved the service and most of the food. We'd consider giving it another try, but we'd really like them to rethink the 2-bottle corkage limit (especially when we dine with a larger group). Worth giving it a try with those caveats, especially since the quality and taste of the food is spot on. read more

See all

Really wanted to love this place but just couldn't. We walked in and loved the ambiance. Small but cozy with a lively feel. Started strong with a great martini that came with an extra side on ice. Loved it. The first starter was a sweet corn barbajuan that we all really liked. Then the crab tostada came. Came with a thin radish layer on top. Didn't have any flavor, just kind of a Wet texture on a chip. The pate came next which was done well, but not usually my fav on any menu. I ordered the shrimp spaghetti which never came and I had to order again at the end of the meal. Everyone at the table heard me order it and the waitress confirm, but she kinda put the blame on me and said I never ordered it when I asked if it was still coming, which I didn't particularly appreciate. She also would disappear for 10-15 minutes at a time which was really confusing because the restaurant is small... where did she go? lol. When it did come, it was actually the worst part of our meal. The Raw shrimp on top was very fishy and didn't smell fresh at all. That fishy taste overwhelmed the dish and we didn't eat it. I feel like we got a bad shrimp in ours. We were surprised cause it's the same owners as Rolf and daughters and we've never had a pasta we don't like there. The tenderloin steak was good quality meat but nothing interesting. No sauce option or additions available. Just a tenderloin on a plate. halibut was done very well same as the chicken. We liked the green salad. Fresh greens and a nice dressing. The espresso at the end of the night was sour and bitter - it was clear to me that they either have the wrong type of beans for an espresso (probably a light roast when it should be medium or dark) and it likely wasn't tamped properly because it just came out sooo sour. Check came to $550 with tip for a normal amount of drinks and food for three people. Overall I don't regret going to try it out but I probably won't be going back despite being so close to it. read more

See all

A great neighborhood sister to Rolf and Daughters and Folk. Easy to get into, even in a Friday night. With almost no exterior markings, no apparent handicap parking, this small bistro style restaurant has excellent food, a full bar, and a diverse wine list. This is a full service restaurant; service at the bar was very good. They have wonderful amuse bouche, the Mookiemoto Oyster and the Bluefin Tuna Tartelette with in it's tiny thin, crispy cup. The mains are small plates. The Grouper is excellent. The Tagliatelle Lamb Ragú is served al dente, and is a little salty. The shareable side Glazed Thumbelina Carrots is fantastic; it could be a main. And desert? Preorder the Chocolate Soufflé, it is not to be missed, final assembly at your table. read more

See all

Newest restaurant from powerhouse Philip Krajeck (Rolf & Daughters, Folk), Junior met my expectations and then some. Located at the edge of Mcferrin Park, Junior is wedged in a bit of an up-and-coming neighborhood for food. There is a small, free private parking lot, and I was lucky to snag a spot when someone pulled out, but beware: parking options can be a bit limited here if you come at a prime time. Junior promises Southern and French flavors in an elevated setting. The mood is romantic, with a curtained entryway, low lighting, and comfortable, retro modern furniture in beiges, creams, browns, and reds. This is a restaurant for celebrating a special occasion or having a fancy meal. I made a reservation but on a Friday night at 6:45 pm there was no wait to sit at the bar. The bar is a fantastic place to enjoy dinner, with excellent service from the bartender and a view of the kitchen preparing food. The menu is designed into four sections: light, opening bites; more substantial appetizers, mains; and cheese/desserts. Ideally, you are ordering off of each of these four sections but because I came solo and wanted to try as many things as possible, I primarily stuck to opening light bites and heavy appetizers, skipping the mains altogether. To start I ordered the tuna tostada, the squash barbajuan, and the oyster with passion fruit and turmeric. All three bites were excellent but the squash barbajuan was simply outstanding - sweet from the squash with a bite of salinity from an olive tapenade and slice of cheese on top - I loved this so much, I ordered another to end my meal with! The tuna tostada tasted clean and light, and the oyster had an incredible passion fruit topping (not quite a mignonette, just very fresh tasting.) For my heavier appetizers, I got the bay scallop with winter citrus and cream (another favorite bite with a mix of incredible flavors); the kabocha squash dish which was sweet, warming, surprisingly large and hearty; and the sunchoke, pine nut, and maitake mushroom dish (good, not great, would skip this next time). For dessert, on the bartender's recommendation I got the apples with stewed and fresh apples, chamomile cream, and praline, which truly tasted like a deconstructed apple pie. Favorite of the night and a great demonstration of what Junior does so well through all of their dishes: take familiar flavors delivered with elevated techniques in a new and compelling way. I do think the price point is sometimes a bit inflated for the light bites and appetizers and wish they had a tasting menu option so you could get the best of the full menu without having to order so many thing individually. Stellar drink menu focusing on simplicity: really strong wine menu (primarily French and American wines) and a limited classic cocktail menu. I started with a martini and followed up with a few glasses of wine to pair with my food and it was all delightful, but that was probably one of my favorite martinis I've had in town! Drinks range $16-20ish, aside from a few glasses of wine which could go up to $27. This is a very underrated new restaurant opening and is delivering more unique food than I've gotten at Rolf or Folk, two restaurants I do still love. Junior is on its way to paving a new legacy showing greater range, more sophistication than we've seen of the other Philip Krajeck spots. A very welcome addition to the Nashville fancier dining scene! read more

See all

What an incredible addition to the Nashville food scene. Expectations were high given that this is the same team as the exceptional Rolf & Daughters and Folk. Happy to say expectations were met, if not exceeded. Loved everything about Junior - from the atmosphere, to the service, and most importantly the food. We tried quite a few things and everything was delicious. The menu changes frequently, but from what we experienced, you can't go wrong with anything. read more

My friends and I had an amazing experience at Junior for a birthday dinner! The staff here is truly incredible- and I recommend talking through the menu with them as much as you can! It changes fairly often but everything that we tried was absolutely amazing. We got a lot of great advice from our server - including that the top items are considered "just a bite" and not necessarily shareable. We tried several of those bites but the pastry one was my favorite. I also loved the bread, the green salad, and we had one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had. It was so insanely delicious and juicy that it was the star of the night. My friends also had martinis that they absolutely loved - and they came with a side car that added to the vibe. My only regret was not trying more of the wines that they had available! read more

See all

No need to wait--any new-restaurant kinks that are sometimes present are not an issue here. Whole experience was lovely. A great addition to the Nashville dining scene. Love the smaller dining room -- feels very intimate, energetic, and not too loud. We loved every bite of every course. The sweet corn barbajuan (savory fritters) and tuna tostada were perfect, inventive, with layers of flavor. The golden chicken might not have looked all that appealing when it arrived at the table, but it was incredibly moist and flavorful, and the sauce paired perfectly with the off-the-menu special fries. My husband is a big fry guy, and he proclaimed these among the best he's ever had: pillowy soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. We had the blueberry clafoutis for dessert, which was a nice, not too heavy ending. We sat at the bar, where service was terrific. The wine list is carefully curated, and the liquor selection provided some new-to-us local options, too. read more

Absolutely unforgettable. The Paris x Nashville dinner at Junior was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Every course was creative, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. You could really feel the collaboration between the chefs -- French technique meets Southern ingredients in the most thoughtful way. Service was flawless -- warm, attentive, and genuinely excited about the food. You could tell the team cared about every detail. Junior continues to raise the bar for what dining in Nashville can be. Exceptional food, incredible service and a truly memorable evening! read more

We went for a birthday celebration, and had an ok time. From the jump, things were off to a rough start. It took about 10 mins to have our drink order taken, which we did not received until about 10 minutes later. We were not asked about the food menu until 45 minutes after we were sat. We were just sitting there patiently waiting for someone to take our order. And when we did finally have our order taken, there was no mention of them being behind or the wait. I am a patient person, and have loved their other restaurants (Rolf & Daughters, Folk), but this felt excessive. The food was good, but not overly impressive. We went to get dessert elsewhere. read more

Amazing service, food and ambience and would consider this one of Nashville's latest best restaurant Would definitely recommend read more

See all

We loved it!! Amazing service and fun, inspired dishes. The small bites were super fun to try and the chicken was perfection read more

See all

I love the dining scene in Nashville, but I was majorly disappointed with Junior. First, the acoustics are horrible - it's unpleasantly loud. Although the restaurant offers only 3 cocktails, it took 20 minutes in order to receive our first round of drinks. The blue crab tostada was a tasteless wet mess on what seemed like a stale corn cracker (the server acknowledged that they're having a hard time getting that one right). The halibut, which sounded good, was also pretty flavorless. While Folk and Rolf + Daughter merit their acclaim, someone needs to say it, Junior is the Emperor's New Clothes - there's no there there. It's an overpriced mess. read more