Memphis has a very different flavour to its Tennessee neighbour, Nashville. It’s not shiny and pretty, and neither does it want to be. Determinedly working class and gritty, some of the city looks like a Southern town in recession, while other parts (like the glass Bass Pro Shop pyramid, which includes a mall, hotel, various restaurants, and family theme-park) point to a reluctant upswing in the city’s fortunes. Music lovers, history buffs and those in search of the famed Southern-style hospitality and class will find a lot to love about the city, and whatever your reason for visiting, there is plenty to do, eat, hear, and enjoy.
Sleep:
In 1935 David Cohn mused, “The Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of The Peabody Hotel and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg. The Peabody is the Paris Ritz, the Cairo Shepherd’s, the London Savoy of this section. If you stand near its fountain in the middle of the lobby... ultimately you will see everybody who is anybody in the Delta...”.
The grand dame of Southern hotels, this historic establishment (originally built in 1869 and complete with an unlikely duck theme) centres around the ornate lobby and lobby bar. The large, 464-roomed hotel contains three restaurants, two bars, and is the city’s premier destination for afternoon tea and Sunday brunch.
Funny story - upon the enthusiastic reaction when ducks were let loose in the lobby fountain after a hunting trip (the caper and the reaction both fueled by bourbon and cocktails) they’ve become synonymous with the hotel. Every morning at 11:00 a.m. they march into the fountain led by their very own Duckmaster. (They happily swim about the fountain until retiring at 5:00 p.m.)
The list of awards given to the hotel in 2015 alone is astounding:
- 2015 “Best Historic Hotel” (over 400 rooms category) from Historic Hotels of America;
- 2015”Hotel with the Most Character” from Saveur magazine;
- 2015 “Top Hotels in the South” Readers’ Choice Award from Conde Nast Traveller;
- 2015 Family Vacation Critic “Favorite” Award;
- 2014 “Top Southern Hospitality Hotels for Groups”, as well as having won the
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star award winner since 2008 and AAA Four-Diamond award winner since 1997.
While the hotel’s chief attraction is its history and imposing design, its creature comforts are firmly in the 21 century, with large, restful rooms (complete with duck-shaped soaps!) and everything you’d expect from a contemporary luxury hotel.
Completely different in feel, the River Inn of Harbour Town is small, discreet, refined… and one of the best boutique hotels in the U.S.A.
Overlooking the Mississippi River, the intimate three-storey property brings together old-style Southern charm and European sophistication, with reclaimed floors, a wood-burning fireplace, and original oil paintings.
The complimentary gourmet breakfast in the hotel’s French fine-dining in-house restaurant, Paulette’s, is a relaxed way to start the day as you sip fresh orange juice and coffee while perusing the day’s papers in an upscale setting.
Eat:
A short walk down the street from River Inn and a farm-to-counter grocery shop with a deli, restaurant, and coffee shop, Miss Cordelia’s Kitchen is a mainstay of the modern, up-scale Harbour Town area. Miss Cordelia’s offers a true neighbourhood grocery experience with a small-town feel, and is an ideal place to meet for coffee, or to tap away on your laptop.
As well as a focus on high-quality ingredients, Miss Cordelia’s Kitchen’s primary objective is to serve as a community mainstay. It’s a place where locals can gather, families can shop, and you can get to know your butcher, your baker, and your candlestick maker.
This city center café housed in an old bank building looks like a French or Austrian café – from a century ago. The absurdly high ceilings, plaster pillars, and russet tiles are complemented by the bistro chairs, retro ambiance and mile-long bar, from which you can order, work, chat, or drink.
A brief look at the café’s Facebook page reveals a love of vintage European glamour, which is reflected in the café’s aesthetic. For breakfast, we ate a cheese-stuffed croissant and a bowl of oats – pastries tend to be their mainstay, although they also offer hot sandwiches at lunch. Service (in true dedication to the café’s European inspiration) tends to be brusque and spotty, but don’t let that put you off the old-world European charm.
This former brothel is still lit up by a neon red light in its window, and the small, no-frills bar is, somewhat surprisingly, one of the most famed in the country. Open in its current incarnation since 1992, the bar is named after a pair of sisters - hairstylists who opened a café in the space. Their café was frequented by BB King, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Tina Turner after shows in the nearby Club Paradise, and remains a comfortable late-night spot at which to enjoy a cold beer and play pool.
In case you grew up under the proverbial rock, Memphis is known for its BBQ. If you ask a local for their recommendation, you’ll risk being drawn into an emotive debate about the “best” in town.
We were encouraged to visit one of Central BBQ’s three branches, order a basket of our favorite meat, and douse it in our favorite sauce, and we’re glad we did.
Learn & Do:
Although we happened to be in town on a Tuesday, and the Civil Rights Museum is closed on a Tuesday, visiting the Lorraine Motel (the site of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination in 1968) was a sobering reminder of the consequences of racial prejudice, and brought the black and white documentary-style stories of legends eerily close and real. The museum also offers a look into Memphis’s troubled history and provides context for understanding the U.S.A. today.
You may never have heard of Stax, but you’ll certainly have heard its music. The legendary recording studio, started by a brother and sister team, was a haven for both black and white artists during the 60’s and 70’s and while visiting you’ll walk in the steps of Elvis, Rufus Thomas, Isaac Heys, and Otis Redding. Walk through music and social history, look at the stage outfits, and listen to the origins of soul.
To be honest with you, we weren’t going to visit Graceland (I know. Who goes to Memphis for the first time and misses Graceland?). We only had two days to spend in Memphis and had overheard locals talking about how overrated it was.
Luckily, however, the friendly staff of the Peabody Hotel told us it was authentic and unmissable, and it was - we’re so glad we went.
Graceland, the most visited private house in America, was very different to the museum of my expectations. What I learnt about its most famous resident surprised me too - Elvis is a more than a merely duck-haired stereotype in shiny flares. Being amongst his family’s furniture and learning about his life provided a home-style glimpse of America’s most talented, famous, and tortured star.
Listen:
There's not much to say, except 1) yes, it's touristy; 2) yes, you can hear good music on it, and 3) don't skip it - historical shops and signs, party venues, and good fun.
