Entry No. 17 — the Nashville file — filed under: speakeasy
1865 Club
Built into a former tobacco barn and auction house, the entrance is its own scavenger hunt: down to the basement, through a hallway, and a hard right past the building's actual laundry room to an Art Deco lounge with a vintage porcelain bar.
The story
Long before craft drinks were served underground in Midtown, this space belonged to US Tobacco. It functioned as an active tobacco barn and auction house, a place where regional growers brought their harvested leaves to be graded, auctioned, and shipped out. Decades after the commercial trade moved on, the structural bones of the auction house remained sitting beneath 21st Avenue North.
Getting inside now requires navigating a route that feels like you're trespassing on building maintenance. You walk down a ramp into the basement, track down an unmarked hallway, and make a sharp right turn directly past the building's active laundry room. Pushing through that final door drops you straight into an Art Deco lounge centered around a vintage porcelain bar, where the scent of cure-cured tobacco leaf has been replaced by woodsmoke from the cocktail station.
What it's like
The walk in feels entirely wrong until you reach the end of the hall, but inside the space opens into low, smoky lighting with live jazz or acoustic songwriter rounds like the Nashville Tour Stop. Grab a seat near the porcelain bar, order a smoked cocktail along with a charcuterie board, and be sure to check Resy for a reservation since seating downstairs fills up fast.
The move: Follow the ramp down to the basement together, find the unmarked hallway past the laundry room, and settle in for a smoked cocktail under soft, smoky lighting.
- 📍 Midtown / West End
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 610 21st Ave N, Suite 10, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Old Glory — Double down on industrial basement speakeasies by heading to this bar built into an intact 1920s dry-cleaning plant boiler room.
- Green Hour — Swap an underground tobacco barn lounge for an evening absinthe drip ritual hidden inside a Germantown truffle shop.
- Jefferson Street Sound Museum — Learn about the city's 1940s–70s R&B and soul heritage under Lorenzo Washington's guidance before heading to Midtown for live jazz.
Good to know
How do you find the entrance?
Head down the basement ramp at 610 21st Ave N, follow the unmarked hallway, and take a hard right past the building's active laundry room.
What is on the menu?
The bar specializes in craft cocktails—including smoked drinks—paired with food options like charcuterie boards.
Does 1865 Club host live performances?
Yes, they host live jazz sets as well as acoustic showcases such as the Nashville Tour Stop.
Do you need a reservation?
Resy reservations are highly recommended due to limited seating, particularly on live music nights. Note that the venue is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · theinfatuation.com · resy.com · Yelp
last checked: 2026-07-20