Bad Idea

This was our first time visiting this place. It was on our short list and was recently featured in a New York Times article. So we made reservations before word got out. We were seated, water poured and a nice chilled bottle of water was left at the table. So far so good. Our waiter, Shade, explained the menu and ordering process. We had a flight of champagne which was fantastic. Then ordered the food. They want you to order everything at the start, which was a bit odd but the food was brought out in a perfect order. First was Dry Fried Blue Prawns, then Pain Perdu which was heavenly. Then a Scallop Stuffed Crepe, equally divine. For the main, we had the Pork Collar. The mains are to be shared and come with 4 crepe like pancakes as well as lettuce for wraps accompanied with fresh herbs and edible flowers and 2 sauces. There was only 2 of us so we were quite full when done. Desert was over the top good. Some kind of upside down banana cake deal. So darn good. This place is known for for their wine selection and I picked out a winner. We will return to this place for sure.

Bad Idea is a delightful blend of Asian and French cuisine, though it's hard to pin down exactly--what I do know is it's one of the best meals I've ever had. We went for dinner during a bachelorette trip, and it was a highlight of our weekend.We sampled a bit of everything, but my personal favorites were the Pain Perdu with caviar, the Nam Khao Crispy Rice, and the Pate en Croute. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything you choose. Each dish was not only stunningly beautiful but also uniquely delicious.We shared several appetizers and went for the "American Pekin Duck for Two," which could easily feed more than two people. It included four different duck dishes, each one equally amazing.This is not a meal you can find just anywhere. The entire team at Bad Idea knows exactly what they're doing, from the kitchen to the incredibly knowledgeable server who guided us through the menu and wine pairings. The location is also gorgeous and dimly lit. I couldn't recommend this place more.

I visited this restaurant on a Tuesday afternoon for a quick dinner a little while ago. It wasn't very busy, so I was seated promptly. Not being very familiar with Lao cuisine, I asked the waiter for recommendations, and they kindly suggested some of their most popular dishes. I decided to try the Nam Khao (fried rice) and the corn dog.The Nam Khao had a nice crispiness to the rice, but overall, I didn't enjoy the dish much. It was unexpectedly spicy, which was not mentioned, and the texture of the sausage was not very pleasant. The corn dog was just okay; the breading lacked flavor, and the dipping sauce didn't complement the dish well. While the food didn't quite meet my expectations, I nevertheless appreciated the restaurant's great vibe and the wonderful staff.

Truly enjoyed a first dinner at Bad Idea. So many great flavors and innovative combinations of high-quality ingredients. Vegetarian laab, sticky rice and duck for two were all very good to excellent. Velveeta gelato dessert was awesome. Definitely an elevated dining experience that is not for everyone. Wish they had more of a full bar selection of drinks in addition to wines. The space is an unusual, funky modernized church building, but IMO is a little too sparsely decorated and brightly lit and the music was a touch too loud. Overall, highly Recommended!

Bad Idea is a delightful restaurant in East Nashville that offers Laotian fusion cuisine in a beautifully renovated church. There's plenty of parking in the back, though most spots are for compact cars. Street parking is also available.The interior is well-decorated, making great use of the space. The staff were very nice and attentive.Here's what we ordered:- **Scallop Crepe**: The texture wasn't my favorite, as it was a bit like springy tofu.- **Crispy Rice**: This dish was full of aromatics, which I thoroughly enjoyed.- **Blue Prawns**: There were three prawns, split in half, lightly cooked, and dressed with an orange-colored aioli.- **Catfish**: Served with sticky rice, the two fillets were wrapped with an herb mixture and accompanied by a green dipping sauce. It was a bit too bland for my taste, possibly meant to highlight the natural sweetness and delicate flavors of the fish.One thing I found a bit strange was that, for a Laotian fusion place, they didn't offer fish sauce or any other salty dipping sauces.Overall, we'd give it another shot.

Wow -- gorgeous space, terrific service, and great cuisine and drinks. Totally a good idea! (Yeah, yeah, punny...)The space reminds me a lot of No Goodbyes, the restaurant inside The Line hotel in DC; you can tell it's a converted former church, but it's airy and warm, with a vibe all its own. As another reviewer mentioned, the acoustics are solid -- neither booming nor library-quiet. You can tell a lot of thought went into the layout, furniture, tableware, all the details. Kudos to the designers. Service was top-notch. Great explanation of a menu that may seem intimidating to some. Always watchful and observant to re-fill glasses, clear plates, etc, even with a fairly busy section. Lots of hustle in the crew -- including the staff who have to bring food upstairs to the balcony from the kitchen! Food and drinks were divine. Three small plates and the shareable bass for two was perfect, in terms of amount. My favorite of the small plates was the croquettes; my husband really loved the caviar "French toast"-style dish and the scallop crepe. All were totally different from anything else you'll find in Nashville -- this is a place to take adventurous eaters to "wow" them. The drink menu is impressive. I loved the long list of wines by the glass. My husband liked the varieties of bourbon on offer at very reasonable prices.

I was so excited to try this place! The staff were welcoming and answered all our questions about the items on the menu. * French toast- soft and fluffy on the inside,rich in flavor, toasty on the outside* Salmon- puffed wild rice gave it a nice crunchy texture to the smooth tender salmon, but I wouldn't get this again before trying the pork. * Egg custard- superb. * I had higher expectations for the pork but it wasn't my favorite. Although, I really liked the Jeow Nam Jim. It added that extra kick it needed. The Mille- Feuille was PHENOMENAL. It was a nice way to tie in the meal with a tropical and refreshing end. Shoutout to our waiter for recommending we pair it with the Rare Wine Verdelho!

Such a gorgeous spot! It's mostly a wine bar with food. We just got drinks- my wine was spectacular and I absolutely loved the vibes in here. Perfect for a dressed up date night. Service was super great as well

I was so excited to try this place out!! I want to give this more stars but I can't. The location is great! Tucked away in an easy nashville neighborhood, street parking only, so plan an extra 5 minutes to find parking and walk to location. Once you come it during dinner time the mood is set with mood lighting and chill music there is a low rumble of conversation all is well, even the chairs are comfy! Starting of with the small plates I shared the croquettes and was not impressed, it was crispy coconut rice that was overly seasoned with a tomato paste that didn't compliment the rice. Next was the Porridge. Listen I love to try new things and this was GOOD the egg was salty at the bottom that balanced everything. The kicker was that the waiter asked if we wanted truffle but didn't tell us the extra cost so I was hesitant to add it But I knew I was going to spend a some money for the experience so i i was added. This 18$ dish became more expensive than the 55$ main dish. Although I was ready to pay for dinner I was a little blindsided that the server didn't say that was an extra cost. This dish is good if you like truffle because you do get a good amount. the main dish we choose was the red snapper which included roots, butter lettuce, curry & lovage crepes, soured cabbage on the side, and sauces(delicious!!) this was a build you own bite type of dish by using the roots or the crepe. The snapper was delicious and would come again for the jeow jam jim sauce !! Overall I would come back but not on an empty stomach. Or on someone else's dime. This is an upscale Lao food, I might come back for the chicken dish and different starters

Never had Laotian cuisine before so it was fun to try these unique flavors! Loved the scallop crepe, which tasted of the sea (in a good way, if you like that) and the pain perdu, an interesting mix of sweet kaya jam and savory caviar. Pork belly lettuce and herb wraps were decent but nothing special to me. Was also pleasantly surprised by the durian mille feuille - I grew up around durian but never loved the pungent smell, but as promised, the durian cream was light and tropical, but lacked the often polarizing aroma - would recommend! Service was great although somewhat slow, but we didn't mind at all since we were catching up.Definitely a unique dining experience, especially among a sea of "new American small plates" places all over town. I would say not for everyone if you're not adventurous, but worth a try (and a return)!