Pearl Diver’s Team Brings a ‘Neo-Noir’ Bar to East Nashville This Fall

East Nashville’s dense drinking scene gets an additional boost this fall with the arrival of an edgy cocktail lair called Tiger Bar. The cluster of Nashville nightlife vets behind laid-back island lounge Pearl Diver plans to open a “sideshow-inspired, neo noir” bar a half-mile north, in the Gallatin Pike space that most recently housed failed beer pad Walden Bar (2909B Gallatin Pike).

Its four-person hospitality team has a solid track record of contributing to East Nashville’s thriving dining scene. Ben Clemons and barman Jamie White opened East Nashville cocktail pioneer No. 308 in 2013. Corey Ladd and Matt Spicher unveiled The Treehouse Restaurant that same year, which went on to earn two Eater Nashville “Chef of the Year” titles.

Tiger Bar/Facebook

The heavy hitters teamed up in 2018 to open a collective endeavor called Pearl Diver, flipping a former garage into the anticipated tiki oasis. The brightly decorated and leafy staple with a big patio sends out tropical bites and island libations, from a classic daiquiri and paloma pitchers to coconut shrimp and hot Cuban sandwiches. East Nashville’s top cocktail contenders also include Attaboy and The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club.

Newly announced Tiger Bar’s ostentatious-sounding description and logo leave lots of room for interpretation (a Nightmare Alley circus situation first comes to mind). The team is ironing out the focus and theme now, notes Nashville Scene, with plans to send out both small and sharable plates across a fully renovated space.

Before Walden, there was hot dog-and-beer hangout Hop Stop. Each flopped after about four years, in part, due to problematic parking issues.