Fifteen Alabama restaurants have been selected for inclusion in the new Michelin Guide to the American South.
That’s a big deal for these eateries, now recommended to folks who follow the influential series of travel guides sponsored by the French tiremaker Michelin.
Five restaurants — Bayonet, OvenBird, La Fete and Pizza Grace in Birmingham; and The Noble South in Mobile — were among the 50 Michelin selections named as “Bib Gourmand,” indicating good food at moderate prices.
Ten more restaurants — seven in Birmingham, two in Huntsville and one in Auburn — made the “Recommended” list of more than 150 dining spots. This means they’ve been scouted by Michelin’s team of anonymous inspectors and given an enthusiastic thumb’s up.
Also, Pardis Stitt of Birmingham’s Bottega received a Michelin Outstanding Service Award, one of four special awards bestowed this year.
Although no restaurants in Alabama earned the coveted star that signals culinary excellence in the Michelin rating system, simply being chosen for the guide is a coup.
The new American South guide covers six states — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee — plus the pre-existing Atlanta guide. A total of 228 restaurants chosen for the guide were honored at a ceremony at Peace Center in Greenville, S.C
Michelin’s five “Bib Gourmand” picks in Alabama:
Cobia schnitzel with gribiche and piparra peppers at Bayonet in Birmingham, Ala.(Photo by Andrew Lee; used with permission from the Sprouthouse Agency)
Where: 2015 Second Ave. North, Birmingham.
What: Seafood restaurant and raw bar, opened in March 2025 by chef Rob McDaniel, a James Beard Award semifinalist, and his wife, Emily McDaniel. The couple also owns Helen, a fine-dining restaurant next-door.
Potato pavé at La Fête in Birmingham, Ala.(Photo by Stacy K. Allen; used with permission from La Fête)
Where: 2018 Morris Ave., Birmingham.
What: Parisian-inspired wine bar and bistro, founded in 2022 by chef Kristen Hall. She’s also known for Bandit Patisserie, a bakery that specializes in “small batch, seasonally driven pastries” in Birmingham.
The beef fat candle is a favorite at OvenBird, Chris and Idie Hastings’ live fire, casual restaurant at Pepper Place in Birmingham.(AL.com file photo/Tamika Moore)
Where: 2810 Third Ave. South, Birmingham.
What: Casual, live-fire restaurant founded in 2015 by Chris Hastings. He’s a James Beard Award winner, one of Birmingham’s best-known chefs and the owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club.
Begun by veteran pastry chef Ryan Westover and Helene Jones, Pizza Grace specializes in naturally leavened, whole wheat flour, and hand-mixed dough.Pizza Grace
Where: 2212 Morris Ave., Suite 105, Birmingham.
What: High-end pizza restaurant founded in 2021 by chef Ryan Westover.
The Noble South combines the charm of an airy, old-school Dauphin Street interior with a constantly changing farm-to-table menu.Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com
Where: 203 Dauphin St., Mobile.
What: Farm-to-table restaurant focused on elevated Southern cuisine, founded in 2014 by chef Chris Rainosek. The Noble South was featured in 2023 on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Guy Fieri’s Food Network series.
Students in Auburn University’s School of Hospitality Management will earn real-time experience working in the kitchen of the training restaurant 1856 in AU’s Rane Culinary Science Center.(Photo by Mason Erwin; used with permission)
Michelin’s 10 Recommended restaurants in Alabama:
Where: 205 S. College St., Auburn.
What: Fine dining and teaching restaurant for Auburn University’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management.
The raw bar is a crowd-pleaser at Automatic Seafood and Oysters in Birmingham. (Photo by Cary Norton)
Where: 2824 Fifth Ave. South, Birmingham.
What: Elegant seafood restaurant founded in 2019 by chef Adam Evans, a James Beard Award winner.
Parmesan souffle at Bottega restaurant in Birmingham.(AL.com file photo/Tamika Moore)
Where: 2240 Highland Ave., Birmingham.
What: Southern-flavored, Italian-inspired restaurant, opened in 1988 by chef Frank Stitt, a James Beard Award winner, and his wife Pardis Stitt.
Birmingham, Ala., chef Frank Stitt and his wife, Pardis, opened their French bistro Chez Fonfon in Birmingham’s Five Points South neighborhood in 2000. (Photo by Tamika Moore)
Where: 2007 11th Ave. South, Birmingham.
What: French bistro, founded in 2000 by chef Frank Stitt and his wife, Pardis Stitt, acclaimed for its upscale cheeseburger and pommes frites.
A Half Peking Duck with scallion pancakes, local lettuces and house-made condiments at Current Charcoal Grill in Birmingham, Ala.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)
Where: 1625 Second Ave. South. Birmingham.
What: Asian-inspired restaurant, founded in 2024 by chefs Adam Evans and Luke Joseph. Evans, a James Beard Award winner, also owns Automatic Seafood and Oysters.
Angel biscuits at Helen restaurant in Birmingham, Ala.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)
Where: 2013 Second Ave. North, Birmingham.
What: Contemporary Southern restaurant founded in 2020 by Rob and Emily McDaniel, known for its signature angel biscuits.
The Hot and Hot Tomato Salad at Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Ala.(Photo courtesy of Hot and Hot Fish Club; used with permission)
Where: 2901 Second Ave. South, Suite 110, Birmingham.
What: Restaurant devoted to a blend of Southern, French and California styles of cooking, founded in 1995 by chef Chris Hastings, a James Beard Award winner, and his wife, Idie Hastings.
The pork muso bucco with plantain gnocchi at Purveyor, a restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com_Matt Wake
What: 201 Jefferson St. North, Huntsville.
Where: Casual fine-dining restaurant founded in 2017 by Matt and Stephanie Mell, owners of Church Street Wine Shoppe.
Rêve, a tasting-menu restaurant from chef Jacob Stull, opens March 8, 2025, in the Pizitz Food Hall in Birmingham, Ala.(Photo by Mason David Erwin; used with permission)
Where: 1821 Second Ave. North, Suite 176, Birmingham.
What: Fine dining restaurant that offers a tasting menu of French favorites, founded in 2025 by chef Jacob M. Stull.
Half rack of ribs with loaded potato salad, Gochujang cucumber and mint salad, house peach barbecue sauce and Korean BBQ sauce at Salt Smokehouse in Huntsville, Alabama. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)Matt Wake
Where: 1300 Meridian St., Huntsville.
What: Elevated barbecue restaurant, founded in 2024 by chef Rene Boyzo and his partner, Ari Cahy.
All 228 selections for the Michelin Guide to the American South can be seen here.
“The cuisine of the American South is a rich blend of cultural influences, brought to life by skilled chefs who have crafted some of the region’s most iconic dishes,” said Gwendal Poullennec, Michelin Guides’ international director, via a news release. “Our anonymous inspectors were deeply impressed by the region’s culinary prowess, and this inaugural selection reflects their findings — from Southern staples like barbecue, Creole and seafood to international flavors.”
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