L’Authentique · Our Story
From Champagne.
To East Nashville.
A French wine bar built on a family legacy three generations deep.
Reserve a TableBest Wine List in Nashville · 2023 · 2024 · 2025
Welcome to The Authentique — a cozy French wine bar in the heart of East Nashville. Carefully curated wine flights from Rône and Champagne, house-sliced cheeses and charcuterie, savory crêpes from a cherished grandma recipe, and homemade desserts crafted from scratch. Every moment here is designed to transport you to the heart of France.
A Love Story
Philippine & Alexandre.
Philippine Maillard grew up in the heart of the Champagne region in Reims, France — her mother Caroline crafts Champagne, her grandparents Pascal and Jacqueline ran one of the largest bars in Champagne for over 30 years, and her father Karl curates a cellar of more than a thousand French wines.
Eager to explore beyond her hometown, Philippine flew to Nashville to visit her best friend Marie. During her stay she fell in love — with the United States, and with Marie’s colleague Alexandre Meunier.
From Paris to Nashville
Alexandre’s journey.
Raised between Paris and its suburbs, Alexandre grew up under the influence of his father Christian Meunier, a Bordeaux devotee whose career carried the family from France to Brazil, Canada, and finally Nashville. Eight years deep in the service industry, Alexandre developed a passion for wine that mirrored Philippine’s own.
What began as a one-month visit became a three-month voyage d’amour, then a partnership that crossed an ocean — the couple unable to bear the distance between them.
Three Generations of Hospitality
From Le Lion de Belfort & La Spirale.
The Authentique is built on a family tradition that spans three generations. Philippine’s grandparents, Pascal and Jacqueline Maillard, ran Le Lion de Belfort — one of the largest and most beloved bars in Champagne — for over 30 years.
Growing up around that energy, Philippine sharpened her own craft at La Spirale, a small neighborhood bar in Champagne, learning hospitality from the ground up.
When the original Authentique on Gallatin Avenue closed, Philippine and Alexandre knew it was their moment. Together they have transformed the space into a reflection of their love, their roots, and their expertise.
Vive le vin.
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