The story
Yolan is an Italian restaurant at 403 Fourth Avenue South in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and Forbes Travel Guide awarded it Four-Star status in 2026. The kitchen cooks a modern Italian menu with Piedmontese and Sicilian roots, served alongside an espresso bar and pastry counter.
Chef de Cuisine Jeremy Dobson leads the kitchen, and sous chef Andrew Chojnacki brings a seasonal, farm-to-table approach shaped by years at Vie in Chicago. Pastry Chef Janrich Amaro reworks classic Italian desserts with refined textures and restrained sweetness. The team sources from regional purveyors, so menus shift with what is available.
Forbes highlights the cotoletta alla Milanese, a large breaded veal chop served with lemon and seasonal greens. The pasta menu leans classic, with bucatini all'amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and pappardelle in a white Bolognese. A glass-enclosed cheese cave holds Pecorino Toscano, caciocavallo, and Parmigiano-Reggiano for guests to order by the plate.
Wine Spectator gave Yolan its Best of Award of Excellence in 2021. Sommeliers pour Italian wines from Sicily, Venice, and everywhere between, and each month a different region gets its own tasting or wine dinner. Lead Bartender Kyle Hadar builds seasonal cocktails, and in March the bar featured two whiskey drinks made with Happenstance, a Nashville distillery run by women.
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One of the most popular dishes is thecotolettaalla Milanese, a hulking breaded veal chop with lemon and seasonal greens. Mantuano gleaned inspiration for the entrée by trying versions of it all over Milan.Indulge in comforting classic pastas like flavorful bucatini all’amatriciana, cheesycacio e pepeand hearty pappardelle with white Bolognese.Watch for the Italian restaurant’s regional wine series. Each month the restaurant honors a particular region, like Campania or Tuscany, with special tastings and wine dinners.Peek at Yolan's large glass-enclosed cheese cave and you won’t be able to resist ordering some. It carries Italian selections like Pecorino Toscano, caciocavallo, Alta Badia and, of course, Parmigiano-Reggiano.Wine is a must with dinner. A team of sommeliers is on hand to help pair your dish with an Italian pour, whether it be from Sicily, Venice or somewhere in between the two.
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