On the banks of the mighty Mississippi, quietly cool Memphis will always be a sacred spot for music lovers, home of rock ‘n’ roll, soulful blues – and the King, Elvis Presley, but over the past few years, the Southern city has been in a state of reinvention.
While its greatest hits — including Elvis’s Graceland mansion, Sun City recording studio and the National Civil Rights Museum — should be on every traveller’s itinerary, save time to experience its wave of cool new chef-owned restaurants, chic hotels, art galleries and boutiques that are cropping up in once-abandoned warehouses and districts. Here’s our guide to modern Memphis.
STAY
ARRIVE By Palisociety
This creatively designed hotel in South Main Arts District is a great base for exploring the city. Set in a former art school, the hotel’s buzzy vintage-styled lobby is at its heart, filled with cosy sofas and armchairs, doubling up as a day-time café where people tap away on laptops. Come evening, it’s the setting for Bar Hustle, open from 5pm for signature cocktails like peach margaritas. The 62 rooms offer a dash of industrial sophistication; original features are painted white and met by concrete floors, softened with ornate floral wallpapers and chintzy rugs. Plush king-sized beds are pinch-me comfortable, and TVs are huge. Room 501 on the fifth floor is one of the hotel’s best, decorated with art by former art school student, Michelle Faire, and with views over the Memphis rooftops which glow pink come sunset.
EAT + DRINK
Amelia Gene’s
©Alex Shansky
Memphis’s latest fine-dining restaurant, Amelia Gene’s is a decadent downtown spot for a special occasion splurge. Open for dinner, it occupies a high-ceilinged warehouse with a sultry-industrial vibe. Think exposed brick, velvet drapes and chairs, and oxblood leather banquettes. Suited and knowledgeable staff buzz around efficiently catering to every whim. The menu offers a carefully curated simple selection of exquisite global dishes. Start with a ‘cello sage’ cocktail – vodka, limoncello, sage syrup, lemon – and a plate of warm buttermilk biscuits (like scones) with hot honey butter and fruit preserves, before tucking into the New York Strip with popovers (Yorkshire puddings) to share. Keep the Amelia Gene’s experience alive at home by taking a slice of the six-layer carrot cake, made with brown butter mascarpone, to go.
The Beauty Shop
A trip to this fun restaurant takes you to the creative Cooper-Young, an up-and-coming arts district in Midtown Memphis packed with historic homes, restaurants, galleries and bars. It’s set inside a former 50s-style salon, where Priscilla Presley, Elvis’s ex-wife, once had her beehive tweaked. Owned by chef and local artist, Karen Carrier, whose art decorates the walls, the restaurant specialises in Southern dishes like sesame pecan chicken with waffles and sunny eggs, which come beautifully presented on chintzy crockery. Make like Priscilla and nab a seat out back in one of the old hairdresser chairs for the ultimate experience.
Tiger And Peacock
Image credit: Alex Shansky
Catch the lift to the fifth floor of the newly opened The Memphian hotel in Overton Square, to this swanky emporium of maximalism, strong cocktails and stellar views of the city. It’s a decadent space featuring disco balls, green velvet seats, a giant zebra and peacock overlooking the bar, and a deep-blue ceiling painted like the night sky. The cocktail menu is arranged by zodiac signs. Sagittarians beware of the delicious yet punchy rum old fashioned: Mount Gay Rum, Luxardo cherry juice, and Angostura bitters.
What To Do
Discover The Art
The city’s creative spirit is on full display in the South Main Arts District a one-time centre of commerce, now a vibrant neighbourhood of mural-festooned streets and historic buildings, home to high-end shops and galleries, like Jack Robinson Gallery. Head over to eastern Memphis, to discover the Crosstown Concourse. Set in a giant once-abandoned warehouse, this epicentre of creativity is filled with art galleries, artists’ studios, several stylish eateries and local-favourite performance spaces like The Green Room. For art in a more traditional setting, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art holds the city’s biggest collection including a piece by Georgia O’Keeffe and other American contemporaries.
Wander Tom Lee Park
Make the half a mile walk from the South Main Arts District to stroll through leafy Tom Lee Park. This recently renovated 31-acre space on the Memphis waterfront opens up epic views of the mighty Mississippi River. It’s open daily (until 10pm) and features various art installations, one consisting of 32 basalt sculptures that represent the lives boatman Tom Lee saved from a steamship that capsized on the Mississippi in 1925. It’s also the setting for the annual RiverArtsFest, a two-day celebration of original art and live music.
Shop On Broad Avenue Arts District
Image credit: Broad Avenue Arts District
In the shadow of a rainbow painted water tower is bike-friendly Broad Avenue Arts District, a new locals’ spot. This peaceful street brims with a mix of independent boutiques, studios and creative spaces, as well as cafés, restaurants and a dive bar. After a yoga session at Core Collective, browse for gifts like local candles by Grand City and vintage furniture at Merchants on Broad, plus Baggu bags from Falling into Place, before refuelling at The Liquor Store Diner and ordering a glass of wine and small plates at the Non-Vintage Wine Bar.
Find out more at Memphis Travel
Lead image: Tiger and Peacock. Image Credit: Alex Shansky
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