On November 3, 2025, the MICHELIN Guide unveiled its very first edition dedicated to the American South—a long-awaited moment for a region where food is as much heritage as it is innovation. The debut lineup includes one restaurant awarded Two MICHELIN Stars and ten that earned One Star distinctions, each celebrated for their craft, character, and sense of place. The announcement took place at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina, marking a milestone evening that officially placed Southern culinary excellence on the global stage.
Emeril’s in New Orleans claimed the spotlight as the sole restaurant to debut with Two MICHELIN Stars, praised for its refined expression of Creole cuisine and a kitchen that feels both rooted and forward-looking. In total, the inaugural American South selection spans 228 restaurants across 44 distinct culinary styles, from deeply-loved smokehouse traditions to elegant Gulf seafood and global influences that have found a home here. Bib Gourmands and Recommended spots rounded out the list, with chefs and teams celebrated on stage in a spirited first ceremony.
“The food of the South has always been a conversation—between history, migration, memory, and creativity,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “Our Inspectors were moved by the depth, diversity, and soul of these kitchens. This first selection honors that story—from time-honored classics to contemporary interpretations.”
This debut edition also incorporates Atlanta’s existing MICHELIN-recognized restaurants, with the city welcoming seven newly Recommended additions this year—further signaling the South’s rising place on the global dining map.
Two MICHELIN Stars
Louisiana
Emeril’s (New Orleans; Creole cuisine)
The young E.J. Lagasse, heir to the celebrated family name, now leads a dining room that has championed Creole cooking for over thirty years. His resolve is unmistakable as he sets his own direction, infusing the experience with modern polish and vivid creativity. BBQ shrimp tucked into delicate tarts, gumbo with profound depth, and cornbread turned golden and lush with French butter feel both rooted and renewed. This is cuisine full of character and finesse, never sacrificing flavor for style. Spacious tables and sumptuous banquettes frame clear sightlines into a luminous kitchen enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass. Meanwhile, a gracious service team oversees every detail with genuine warmth and care.
One MICHELIN Star
Louisiana
Saint-Germain (New Orleans; Contemporary cuisine)
The old saying about never judging a book by its cover feels especially true at this unassuming Bywater gem. A modest façade promising “natural wines and garden patio” opens into a small bar where Chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith begin the experience with a few thoughtful nibbles. The tasting menu quickly finds its stride with a griddled cornbread cake spread with butter that’s cultured and aged in-house. From there, a parade of small plates arrives, each anchored by precise sauces and confident flavors. Carolina Gold rice with crab and ginger is the kind of winter dish that lingers in memory. Other standouts include squab with creamed greens and a warm cheese soufflé capped with a veil of brûléed sugar.
Zasu (New Orleans; American Contemporary cuisine)
Chef Sue Zemanick is a familiar name in New Orleans, having cooked in some of the city’s standout kitchens before opening Zasu in 2019. Tucked inside a modest Mid-City cottage, the space feels like a quiet retreat, with wood floors, deep green walls, and subtle gold accents lending a calm, polished atmosphere. The menu is concise, centering on seafood and weaving local ingredients with classic French finesse. A scallop shell arrives first, cradling two beautifully seared scallops in a Thai chile-lime butter with watermelon radish for brightness. Tilefish follows as a main, resting on Swiss chard, sweet potato, and beech mushrooms, all enriched by a silk-smooth beurre blanc.
North Carolina
Counter (Charlotte; Contemporary cuisine)
Calling Counter an outlier in Charlotte barely captures its spirit — Chef Sam Hart’s ever-evolving project defies easy categorization. This is an immersive, idea-driven dining experience where each multicourse menu is shaped by the chef’s eclectic influences: childhood memories, music, pop culture, personal stories, and whatever creative spark happens to surface. Local ingredients play a central role, from herbs and greens sourced from nearby urban growers to thoughtfully chosen regional specialties, all filtered through a global lens. The result is a tasting menu that feels intimate, surprising, and deeply considered. The small team delivers hospitality with ease and warmth, and the beverage pairings are every bit as compelling as the food.
South Carolina
Malagón Mercado y Taperia (Charleston; Spanish cuisine)
Don’t let the modest location off King Street fool you—Malagón is a gem. The small room carries an inviting, old-world charm, with shelves lined with wines and specialty imports, and an open kitchen offering a glimpse of the action. Chef Juan Cassalett’s Spanish, tapas-centered menu has an unmistakable spark. The cooking is stripped of fuss, relying on technique and clarity of flavor. A fried rabbit leg paired with a savory crème fraîche dip is quietly brilliant, and la bomba de la Barceloneta—pork tucked inside mashed potato before being fried—lands with comforting heft. The simplicity is intentional and deeply satisfying, especially in the arros con cangrejo, a paella-style dish with crab that surprises with every spoonful.
Scoundrel (Greenville; French cuisine)
Chef/owner Joe Cash’s French-leaning bistro exudes easy elegance, with brick walls, hardwood floors, a well-stocked bar, and a staff who make guests feel genuinely at home. It’s one of the toughest reservations in town, though a seat at the bar feels just as considered and inviting. The kitchen works with top-tier ingredients and elevates familiar dishes with confidence and finesse—think a Caesar salad reimagined with sharper depth and cleaner lines. The roasted half chicken arrives beautifully bronzed and tender, finished with gnocchi Parisienne and a moutarde sauce that brings richness and lift. Dessert continues the theme of refined comfort: a warm cronut paired with pistachio anglaise and a dollop of crème fraîche.
Vern’s (Charleston; American Contemporary cuisine)
The husband-and-wife team of Daniel and Bethany Heinze have crafted one of Charleston’s most sought-after dining rooms. Vern’s books up quickly, though a few bar seats are held for those willing to gamble on a walk-in. The menu draws on Chef Daniel Heinze’s travels while showcasing Lowcountry ingredients at their peak. Dishes change often, but starters like charred sourdough with allium butter or raw yellowfin tuna brightened with Calabrian chili set an assured tone. Housemade pasta is a highlight—campanelli with rabbit and vacche rosse cheese in a cacio e pepe-style sauce is silken and deeply comforting. It finds an ideal match in a glass from Bethany’s thoughtful, beautifully curated wine list.
Wild Common (Charleston; American Contemporary cuisine)
Chef Orlando Pagán’s tasting menu refuses to play by the usual rules. Yes, you can opt for upgrades like caviar-topped eggs Benedict or wagyu, but the experience is anything but predictable. Priced under $100 and centered around local sourcing, the menu channels global inspiration with a playful fine-dining sensibility. Imagine pho brightened with carrot kimchi or hamachi crudo lifted by coconut and kumquat to start. Then comes roasted carrot–walnut tortelli with carrot fondue and browned butter whey foam, followed by mains like dry-aged New York strip paired with a polenta cake and king trumpet mushrooms. And in a final wink of creativity, dessert arrives as an aged cheddar sundae—a savory, clever reworking of the classic sweet finish.
Tennessee
Bastion (Nashville; Contemporary cuisine)
Walk through the buzzy cocktail bar to find this stylish restaurant in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Bastion offers a single tasting menu featuring contemporary Southern cooking that is approachable yet playful. Dishes arrive in waves, and the product focus is on full display in a stunning plate of yellow peach and tomato with strawberry miso mayo and mozzarella marshmallows, and in a summery pairing of candy-striped agnolotti filled with squash accompanied by a luscious bowlful of creamed corn. Black cod poached in champagne butter over kohlrabi noodles is topped with a parsley salad with bacon for a clever dish. Southern chess pie is bested with sake lees and cantaloupe sherbet for a terrific finale.
Locust (Nashville; Contemporary cuisine)
Slip past the lively cocktail bar and you’ll find this sleek dining room in Wedgewood-Houston, where Bastion serves a single tasting menu that leans Southern but never feels predictable. The cooking is modern, relaxed, and quietly inventive. Courses arrive in thoughtful waves, each spotlighting pristine ingredients—like yellow peach and tomato paired with strawberry miso mayo and soft mozzarella “marshmallows,” or summery candy-striped agnolotti filled with squash alongside a silky bowl of creamed corn. Black cod poached in champagne butter is set over kohlrabi noodles and crowned with a parsley–bacon salad for a witty, satisfying turn. And for the finale, Southern chess pie gets a clever lift from sake lees and a scoop of cantaloupe sherbet.
The Catbird Seat (Nashville; Contemporary cuisine)
First opened in 2011, this beloved spot begins a fresh chapter in its new home atop the Bill Voorhees Building. Led by husband-and-wife chefs Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz, the cooking has a youthful, lush energy, anchored by a serious commitment to seasonality, regional sourcing, and preservation. The experience unfolds through a series of vivid small bites—perhaps a refined riff on a chicken wing, neatly deboned, filled, and finished with sauce Périgord. Another standout might be a petite bowl of crisped lamb neck layered over creamy Carolina Gold rice, enriched with candy cap mushroom broth and accented with pickled radish pods.
MICHELIN Green Star
Green Star: Three New Restaurants Highlighted for Their Inspiring Visions
The MICHELIN Green Star recognizes restaurants that stand out for their thoughtful, forward-looking approach to dining. These are kitchens that treat sustainability as a core principle—not an added accessory—shaping how they source, cook, and engage with their communities. By spotlighting these leaders, the Green Star encourages a wider conversation around the future of gastronomy, fostering collaboration and inspiring restaurants to learn from one another as they continue to evolve.
Three restaurants stand out in this year’s selection for their forward-thinking approaches: Counter in Charlotte, January in Franklin, and Luminosa in Asheville.
At Counter, the kitchen draws from more than twenty nearby farms, and a robust fermentation and preservation program helps minimize waste while deepening flavor. At January, the commitment to zero-waste runs through every station: vegetable scraps become compost, and excess produce is transformed into pickles, ferments, dried preserves, or canned elements to be used in future dishes. At Luminosa, supporting local growers is central to the restaurant’s identity, with seasonal produce at the heart of the menu and careful use of kitchen trim to ensure ingredients are respected to the last shred. These newly highlighted restaurants join the two establishments already recognized for continuing to impress the Inspectors in Atlanta: Bacchanalia and The Chastain. Together, they form a community deeply committed to presenting another vision of gastronomy.
Bib Gourmand
The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors gave 50 restaurants the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value. The full list can be found below.
American South 2025 Bib Gourmand restaurants
NOTE: Atlanta’s pre-existing selection of Bib Gourmands is now included in the American South regional selection. All restaurants outside of the Atlanta area are considered ”new”.
| Restaurant | Address |
| Acamaya | 3070 Dauphine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 |
| Antico Pizza Napoletana | 1093 Hemphill Ave. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 |
| Arepa Mia | 10 N. Clarendon Ave., Avondale Estates, Georgia 30002 |
| Bayonet | 2015 2nd Ave. N., Birmingham, Alabama 35203 |
| Bomb Biscuit Co. | 519 Memorial Dr. SE, Ste. B-02, Atlanta, Georgia 30312 |
| Cochon | 930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 |
| Cochon Butcher | 930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 |
| Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar | 5240 Annunciation St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 |
| Dooky Chase | 2301 Orleans Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 |
| Elvie’s | 809 Manship St., Jackson, Mississippi 39202 |
| Estrellita | 580 Woodward Ave., Atlanta, Georgia 30312 |
| Fishmonger | 674 N. Highland Ave. NE, Ste. A, Atlanta, Georgia 30306 |
| Fred’s Meat & Bread | 99 Krog St., Atlanta, Georgia 30307 |
| Heirloom Market BBQ | 2243 Akers Mill Rd. SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 |
| Hog & Hominy | 707 W. Brookhaven Cir., Memphis, Tennessee 38117 |
| Hungry Eyes | 4206 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 |
| Kisser | 747 Douglas Ave., Ste. 105B, Nashville, Tennessee 37207 |
| La Fête | 2018 Morris Ave., Birmingham, Alabama 35203 |
| Lang Van | 3019 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte, North Carolina 28215 |
| Leon’s Oyster Shop | 698 King St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 |
| Lewis Barbecue | 464 N. Nassau St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 |
| Little Bear | 71-A Georgia Ave. SE, Ste. A, Atlanta, Georgia 30312 |
| Little Chango | 134 Coxe Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 |
| Little Coyote | 3950 Tennessee Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409 |
| Lufu Nola | 301 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 |
| Luminosa | 20 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 |
| Mala Pata | 2431 Crabtree Blvd., Ste. 102, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 |
| Masterpiece | 3940 Buford Hwy., B-103, Duluth, Georgia 30096 |
| Mister Mao | 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 |
| Mother | 244 Short Coxe Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 |
| OvenBird | 2810 3rd Ave. S., Birmingham, Alabama 35233 |
| Parkway Bakery & Tavern | 538 Hagan Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 |
| Peninsula | 1035 W. Eastland Ave., Nashville, Tennessee 37206 |
| Pizza Grace | 2212 Morris Ave., Ste. 105, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 |
| Prime Barbecue | 403 Knightdale Station Run, Knightsdale, North Carolina 27545 |
| Redheaded Stranger | 305 Arrington St., Nashville, Tennessee 37207 |
| Rodney Scott’s BBQ | 1011 King St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 |
| Saba | 5757 Magazine St., Ste. A, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 |
| Sacred Ground Barbecue | 1052 Pocahontas Rd., Jackson, Mississippi 39206 |
| Sam Jones BBQ | 502 W. Lenoir St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 |
| Sho Pizza Bar | 1309 McGavock Pk., Nashville, Tennessee 37216 |
| SS Gai | 1101 McKennie Ave., Nashville, Tennessee 37206 |
| St. Vito Focacceria | 605 Mansion St., Nashville, Tennessee 37203 |
| Superica | 99 Krog St., Atlanta, Georgia 30307 |
| Table & Main | 1028 Canton St., Roswell, Georgia 30075 |
| The Busy Bee | 810 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30314 |
| The Noble South | 203 Dauphin St., Mobile, Alabama 36602 |
| Turkey and the Wolf | 739 Jackson Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 |
| Uzbegim | 117 28th Ave. N., Nashville, Tennessee 37203 |
| Whoopsie’s | 1 Moreland Ave. SE, Ste. C, Atlanta, Georgia 30316 |
What Is The Michelin Guide?
First published in France at the turn of the 20th century, the Guide began as a tool for boosting the car and tire industry, offering travelers useful advice on places to stay and eat. Modernly, it has become an arbiter of excellence in the culinary industry, helping identify world-class restaurants.
The Michelin selection process is notoriously rigorous and secretive, with anonymous inspectors traveling the world to assess restaurants for quality. It has long had a presence in New York, Chicago, and other major U.S. cities, but this year expanded to the American South, where its North American headquarters resides.
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