The folks behind the bar and the scenes at Coral Club, a newish coastal escape-themed bar in East Nashville, may very well warrant a new twist on Nashville’s oft-heard “songwriter’s songwriter” or “musician’s musician” superlatives: the bartender’s bartender.
Sharing a hospitality pedigree that is as wide as it is deep, owners and brothers Aaron and Matthew Izaguirre, alongside Brice Hoffman and Kristopher Esqueda have created a coastal-vibed getaway on Gallatin Avenue.
They share 30-40 years of experience in food/drink service. Aaron oversaw operations at Patterson House and The Catbird Seat. Matthew has been behind the bar at 308, Folk, and Attaboy. Brice also spent time at 308, designed the bar program at Rolf And Daughters, opened Urban Cowboy, tended bar at Bastion and Peninsula, and worked on the retail side at Woodland Wine.
Kristopher supplies a mentor-like front-of-house perspective. Although he’s not behind the bar, his high-touch hospitality ethos can be felt everywhere.
While living in San Francisco in his early twenties, he served at the forever-cool French bistro Cafe de La Press. He went on to lead FOH at Saison, which started as a pop-up concept before collecting two Michelin stars, among other accolades, under his watch.
Kristopher, who moved to Nashville in 2017, laughs that the guys “tricked him into opening a bar with them.” He had settled into a nice life here, content with the hours he was keeping in real estate versus the underground life of hospitality, the “waking up at 5:30 in the morning as opposed to working until 5:30 in the morning.”
But Kristopher was a natural sounding board as Aaron, Matthew, and Brice started to bat around owning a place instead of working for or on someone else’s concept. He was the natural fourth partner, having taken restaurants from seed to actual seats many times over.
The vibe at Coral Club is decidedly coastal, but the specific destination is up to you, the customer. All four guys are from beach stock and have salt water in their veins: the Izaguirre brothers are from the Florida Keys, and Brice and Kristopher are from different parts of the California coast. The goal, Kristopher says, is for guests “to feel like you’re on vacation.”
He says you could cite Tulum or somewhere in Greece or say that the space feels Mediterranean, and all would be true. Jimmy Buffett would have felt right at home, so add his haunts, Tahiti and the Gulf Coast, to your list of could-be dots on a map. The point is, for whatever amount of time you spend inside, you’ve maybe forgotten that you drove Gallatin Avenue to get there.
The entryway has a dripping candle wax wall (you might’ve seen it on Instagram, which isn’t a dig; it’s quite beautiful). It leads to an all-neutral, highly textured interior and an enviable collection of bright green houseplants. A waterfall bar, open-air rooftop (in East Nashville? Yes!), and cushioned corners allow patrons to spread out or lean in, depending on the night’s needs.
The short, all-you-really-need wine list with a “chuggable red” option is to be appreciated after a long day’s decision fatigue. East Nashvillians love the happy hour for their “Tiny Tini,” a martini sized for when the sun is still up.
Cocktails are divided into three categories: Standards (slight twists on classic cocktails from skillful hands, exciting but not so unlike the original that your dad wouldn’t like it); House (where the creativity shines, seasonally crafted cocktails reflecting the maker as much as the space itself, more coastal than beachy ingredients); and Zero-proof which is precisely what it sounds like yet. Thankfully, this section doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Given the setting, the NA Corona option is a pleasant addition.
To snack, an olive & Marcona almond mix or a side of black truffle popcorn pairs well with a second drink, but you’re not here to eat. Like their wine list, applause to a food menu confident enough to provide only a handful of the good stuff to pick from; we need not toil over these choices.
Coral Club feels like a space run by a band of bartenders who are intimately familiar with what Nashvillians want from a bar, which is to say, an intelligent drink in a beautiful locale made by someone you know or, if not personally know, then at least trust.
Coral Club
604 Gallatin Ave #217, 37206
Open Daily 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Happy Hour 4 – 7 p.m.
Instagram @the.coralclub
