Culamar

Quite a full house at 6:45p on a Friday evening and a bit loud for a date night; But happy people are a good sign. Seated promptly and waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly.Starting the meal experience with a very nice glass of CALX Primativo. Next up, the Stracciatella salad with lots of summer fresh veggies- looks and tastes wonderful. On to Bucksnort trout which is very tasty and beautifully plated. Can't wait to try their pastas on a return visit. Excellent dinner, service and overall ambiance...do book your reservation soon and enjoy!

It's a good thing Italian American chef Frank Pullara moved to our neck of the woods during the pandemic, because he's created two great restaurants. Culamar is a relatively new addition to downtown Franklin, opened in 2023 as Bestia Mare. If their new moniker sounds familiar, its sister restaurant Culaccino was opened by Pullara across the street. In fact, Culamar is literally a portmanteau of CULAccino and MARe (the Italian word for sea). But Culamar's specialty lies in Italian seafood dishes, something we've been lacking in Middle Tennessee far less common on Nashville's Italian scene.With a tremendous variety of fresh a la carte oysters, and dishes highlighting fish, lobster, crab, octopus, and clams, this is an excellent destination for seafood lovers. I found the Cioppino, one of my favorite dishes, to be on par with the best versions in San Francisco! And it's a hard dish to find in Middle Tennessee!As an artichoke lover, I wasn't crazy about the Artichoke Cianfotta side dish nor the Crema Catalana dessert, a Spanish custard akin to a crème brûlée. But I can absolutely vouch for the quality of the seafood here!

Awesome service. Had the risotto and it was as good as in Italy. Perfect Al dente. Loved the salad. Parking is a nightmare. All in all a great place with good stemware and great service and quality food.

What a great surprise. Quality of food was beyond our expectation beforehand. Every single dish was delicious. I will single out "Snapper Al Cartoccio" All main dishes from "Carne e Peshe" main menu are well decorated. Having a cocktail like "Call me Ishmael" add to complete a wonderful dinner experience. On the other side what didn't set well is getting seat, despite having the reservation. What is not specifically targeted to this restaurant is rush from the moment you arrive to place a order, take your plate at the moment you put your fork on side and finally to bring a check with famous "you don't need to pay know " It's a pleasant ambience, you feel welcomed, a lot of natural light and modern look. The noise level is slightly above average. I would like to come back, because our food choices were outstanding.

My friend and I came here upon arriving in town and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. The servers were super friendly and gave great recommendations. We had a wonderful selection of east coast oysters, homemade bread and small bites. I highly recommend the stracciatella salad - it was divine. This is a gem in the heart of Franklin and I can't recommend it enough!

Stopped by for drinks at this brand new restaurant. Unbelievable drinks exquisitely prepared by the bartender. Food menu looks good too. Will have to come back for food and more drinks.

First time customer and it was a great experience. Both the food, drinks and service were all 10/10. Highly recommended going if you're in DT Franklin.

Delicious fresh seafood and several gluten free options. Great Italian wine list! Service was top notch.

Came back for a second visit tonight and it was wonderful yet again. We tried a few appetizers that we didn't have the first time around. The cauliflower soup was delicious. We also got the ceviche which was cooked, not sure if we'd get that again. Agnolotti was amazing just like last time. The linguine was also a hit with the table. The oysters were outstanding as well. For main meals we had the salmon and scallops as we had on our first visit. They were amazing yet again. We were very excited about the crème brûlée because we loved it so much on the first visit. I think they must have changed it because it didn't taste the same. It was okay but we liked it better the first time. Great service, great food, and a cool vibe. Definitely worth checking this place out.

If you are looking for a great Italian Seafood restaurant in Franklin this is the place. The design is great, one side has the bar and table seating and the other side had some bar stools that look into the kitchen sooo cool! Our server was great, Emily knew the details in the menu! Great lively vibe, people came here dressed to have a great experience! One thing they could do better is the speed of the bar service to the tables, it was sloooow. Over all it was a great experience. Cheers!