Margot Café & Bar is a casual, fine dining restaurant located at “Five Points” in Historic East Nashville. The restaurant is owned by Chef Margot McCormack and Jay Frein.

Margot grew up in Nashville and attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Prior to returning to Nashville, she was chef at Danal café in New York City. Jay grew up in Chicago and is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. He has a background in business and finance.

The building itself dates back to the 1930’s and was originally Fluty’s Service Station. Margot and Jay teamed with landlord March Egerton to transform the abandoned space into a cozy neighborhood gathering place. Brick walls are simply adorned with copper pots, Italian plates and antique mirrors. A playful use of color creates a vibrant yet warm, comfortable atmosphere. The restaurant features a brick patio for year-round outdoor dining, flower filled gardens, a marble bar, mezzanine level dining and an open kitchen. There is a decidedly different feel to Margot Café & Bar. It is unique to Nashville, bringing to mind other favorite neighborhood restaurants in cities like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

Margot Café & Bar offers rustic French and Italian cuisine with an emphasis on the regions of Provence and Tuscany. The menu changes daily but the foundation remains constant with six appetizer choices, six entrees, and five desserts. With a changing menu and affordable entrees, there are many guests that frequent the restaurant every week. The freshness, simplicity and seasonality of the food have won over diners across Nashville and the Southeast.

Since opening in June of 2001, the restaurant continues to buzz thanks to incredible neighborhood support and critical praise. Margot Café & Bar has been featured prominently in The Nashville Scene, The City Paper, Nashville Lifestyles, The Tennessean, NY Times and the London Telegraph. National Press for the restaurant includes National Geographic’s Traveler magazine, Southern Living and USA Today. The restaurant was voted Best New Restaurant for 2001 by the Nashville Scene, Best Restaurant for 2002 on Nashville Citysearch, and Best of Nashville 2005: Best Restaurant, Best Chef and Best Brunch.

Continue to read more about Chef Margot McCormack.

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