MICHELIN-Recognized Restaurants in Tennessee

Located in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, Bastion delivers a playful spin on contemporary dining. Chef Josh Habiger’s changing tasting menu turns seasonal ingredients into artful dishes that balance creativity and comfort. The 24-seat restaurant shares its home with a casual cocktail bar, giving visitors two distinct ways to experience Bastion.

• Location: 434 Houston St., in Wedgewood-Houston.
• Menu: A set, multicourse dinner that changes with the kitchen’s inspiration and available ingredients.
• Reservations: Required and prepaid. Reservations open on the first of each month for the following month. With just 24 seats, plan around the release date.
• Parking: A paid lot sits at the southeast corner of Houston and Pillow streets. Pay first, then request validation inside. Neighborhood street parking is also available.
• Dress code: Casual, comfortable.
• Before booking: Bastion is for guests 21 and older. Share allergies when reserving; the kitchen cannot accommodate strict vegan diets.

Led by chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava, The Catbird Seat pairs inventive tasting menus with an energetic dining experience. Seasonal ingredients, sustainability and the chefs’ culinary travels shape the courses. Now atop the Bill Voorhees Building on Eighth Avenue South, the restaurant continues its tradition of giving ambitious cooking room to evolve.

• Location: The fifth floor of the Bill Voorhees Building on Eighth Avenue South.
• Menu: A seasonal, multicourse tasting menu with optional alcoholic and nonalcoholic pairings.
• Reservations: Required for parties of one to four. Reservations open on the first of the month prior. 
• Parking: Paid valet is available at 718 Division St. Follow the restaurant’s arrival instructions to the building’s rear entrance.
• Dress code: Business casual, according to the restaurant’s linked reservation page.
• Before booking: Report allergies when reserving. Vegetarian menus require advance notice; the restaurant lists vegan diets, mushroom allergies and dairy allergies among restrictions it cannot accommodate.

At Chef Trevor Moran’s Locust, a compact dining room and lively atmosphere set the stage for precise, inventive cooking. The changing menu emphasizes seafood and seasonal ingredients, with offerings that may include whole grilled fish, crab omelets and shaved ice. Its 12South location makes it an appealing centerpiece for a day exploring the neighborhood.

• Location: 2305 12th Ave. S., in 12South.
• Menu: A lunch tasting menu and a changing dinner menu; check the booking page for the experience offered on your date.
• Reservations: Required for lunch and dinner. Reservations for the following month open on the first at 10 a.m. Central time. Request an availability notification if your preferred date is full.
• Parking: Locust has no dedicated parking lot. Nearby streets and paid lots offer options; allow extra time to park.
• Dress code: Casual.
• Before booking: The restaurant does not accommodate dietary restrictions and accepts card payments only.

Bib Gourmand recognition celebrates good food at good value, making these restaurants useful stops for travelers who want a memorable meal without committing to a tasting-menu experience.

*NEW* Bao Toan Kitchen & Bar: A mother, co-owner Karina Tong and her daughters, co-owner Margaret, Bella and Diana, share family recipes through a modern Vietnamese menu of soups, home-style plates and dishes designed for sharing.

• Cuisine: Vietnamese.
• Location: 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 165, Crosstown Concourse, Memphis.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Bánh xèo, a crisp turmeric crepe filled with shrimp and pork, served with fresh herbs, lettuce and nước chấm dipping sauce.

Hog & Hominy: Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman bring Southern influences to Italian-American cooking.

• Cuisine: Italian-American and pizza.
• Location: 707 W. Brookhaven Circle, Memphis.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Wood-fired pizza, with toppings like pepperoni and honey or celery leaf and pork belly.

*NEW* Maíz de la Vida: Chef Julio Hernandez centers Mexican cooking on heirloom corn, freshly made tortillas and seasonal ingredients at the Gulch restaurant.

• Cuisine: Mexican.
• Location: 606 Eighth Ave. S., Suite 100, the Gulch, Nashville.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Quesabirria with American Wagyu beef, cheese and consommé or chicken with mole negro.

Kisser: Chefs Brian Lea and Leina Horii serve Japanese comfort food in a welcoming neighborhood setting.

• Cuisine: Japanese.
• Location: 747 Douglas Ave., Suite 105B, Nashville.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Onigiri with assorted fillings, with seasonal dishes and desserts rounding out the meal.

Peninsula: Chef Jake Howell’s cooking draws inspiration from the Iberian Peninsula while making room for unexpected combinations.

• Cuisine: Spanish and Iberian-inspired small plates.
• Location: 1035 W. Eastland Ave., East Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Seasonal vegetable dishes and creative desserts, such as mochi doughnuts when offered.

Redheaded Stranger: Chef Bryan Weaver’s casual spot pairs house-made tortillas with bold Tex-Mex flavors.

• Cuisine: Tex-Mex.
• Location: 305 Arrington St., Nashville.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: The green chile cheeseburger, alongside tacos and crunch wraps.

Sho Pizza Bar: Chef Sean Brock’s approach starts with slowly fermented dough and a wood-fired oven.

• Cuisine: Pizza.
• Location: 1309 McGavock Pike, Riverside Village, Nashville.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Neapolitan-style pizza with a light, tender crust.

S.S. Gai: Chris and Emma Biard bring Thai street-food flavors to East Nashville.

• Cuisine: Thai.
• Location: 1101 McKennie Ave., Bay 3, at The Wash in Nashville.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Gai tod, crispy fried chicken served with sticky rice and a tamarind-chile dipping sauce.

St. Vito Focacceria: Chef Michael Hanna puts Sicilian sfincione at the center of the menu.

• Cuisine: Sicilian.
• Location: 605 Mansion St., in Nashville’s Gulch neighborhood.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Thick, airy sfincione with toppings such as spicy tomato and burrata or roasted potato cream.

Uzbegim: Explore Uzbek cooking through grilled meats, filled pastries and hearty noodle dishes.

• Cuisine: Uzbek.
• Location: 117 28th Ave. N., Nashville.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: Hand-cut noodles stir-fried with beef and vegetables, or lamb kebabs.

*NEW* A Dopo: Sourdough crusts are the focus at this wood-fired pizzeria, which pairs Neapolitan-inspired pizzas with Italian wines, local beer and small-batch gelato.

• Cuisine: Italian and sourdough pizza.
• Location: 516 Williams St., Knoxville, TN.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Wood-fired sourdough pizza, followed by gelato made with local milk and cream.

Little Coyote: Erik and Amanda Niel’s restaurant pairs smoked meats with house-made corn tortillas near Lookout Mountain.

• Cuisine: Tex-Mex.
• Location: 3950 Tennessee Ave., in Chattanooga’s St. Elmo neighborhood.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Smoked meats and a stuffed avocado with brisket or carnitas.

*NEW* Fawn: Chef Theresa Schuenke brings seasonal ingredients and global influences to comforting small plates and larger dishes in Memphis’ Cooper-Young neighborhood.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American with global influences.
• Location: 937 Cooper St., Cooper-Young, Memphis.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Miso deviled eggs or polenta fries with tomato butter and Parmesan.

Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen: Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman combine Italian traditions with Southern influences.

• Cuisine: Italian-American.
• Location: 712 W. Brookhaven Circle, Memphis.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: The signature AM breakfast, featuring pork belly, polenta and an egg, alongside house-made pastas.

Felicia Suzanne’s: Chef Felicia Willett’s restaurant celebrates Southern ingredients and traditions.

• Cuisine: Southern American.
• Location: 383 S. Main St., Memphis.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Gulf shrimp with tasso ham sauce and jalapeño cornbread.

The Lobbyist: Chef Jimmy Gentry’s menu brings global influences to a downtown Memphis dining room.

• Cuisine: Global fusion.
• Location: 272 S. Main St., Suite 101, Memphis.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Inventive vegetable dishes, such as roasted potatoes with masala gravy.

Petals of a Peony: The recognized Cordova location specializes in the heat and depth of Sichuan cooking from Chef Bo Zou.

• Cuisine: Sichuan Chinese.
• Location: 1250 N. Germantown Parkway, Suite 105, Cordova.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Mapo tofu, cumin lamb or crispy chicken with dried chiles.

*NEW* 5th & Taylor: Chef Daniel Lindley draws inspiration from childhood Sunday dinners, serving American comfort food, wood-grilled steaks and seasonal vegetables in a historic Germantown warehouse.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American.
• Location: 1411 Fifth Ave. N., Germantown, Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Beer can chicken with beer gravy and family-style mashed potatoes.

*NEW* Junior: Chef Philip Krajeck combines Basque-style open-flame cooking with French techniques and seasonal ingredients at this intimate East Nashville restaurant.

• Cuisine: Contemporary cooking with Basque and French influences.
• Location: 907 Dickerson Pike, East Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Halibut with glazed pumpkin and beurre blanc or chicken with chanterelles and sauce du Jura, when available.

*NEW* Present Tense: Chef Ryan Costanza blends Japanese techniques with French and Italian influences at this intimate izakaya-style restaurant. Natural wines, sake and vinyl records accompany a menu that changes with the seasons.

• Cuisine: Japanese-inspired cooking with French and Italian influences.
• Location: 509 Houston St., Wedgewood-Houston, Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Tuna toast on seaweed sourdough or Parisian gnocchi with wild mushroom dashi, when available.

Arnold’s Country Kitchen: Kahlil Arnold carries on the family’s tradition of Southern comfort food.

• Cuisine: Southern meat-and-three.
• Location: 605 Eighth Ave. S., Nashville.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: A daily meat selection with vegetable sides, chosen from the cafeteria line.

Café Roze: Julia Jaksic’s neighborhood café offers a setting for breakfast, a leisurely meal or an evening glass of wine.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American.
• Location: 1115 Porter Road, East Nashville.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Pork schnitzel, vegetable-focused plates and chocolate mousse.

Folk: Chef Philip Krajeck builds a seasonal menu around produce and naturally leavened pizza.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American and pizza.
• Location: 823 Meridian St., East Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Pizza with seasonal toppings, accompanied by shared vegetable dishes.

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken: Visit the recognized Midtown location for Nashville’s signature spicy fried chicken.

• Cuisine: Southern.
• Location: 112 19th Ave. S., Nashville.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: Hot chicken at your preferred heat level with pimento mac and cheese.

iggy’s: Brothers Ryan and Matthew Poli put pasta at the heart of this Wedgewood-Houston restaurant.

• Cuisine: Italian.
• Location: 609 Merritt Ave., Suite 101, Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: House-made pasta followed by a soft-serve sundae.

International Market: Arnold and Anna Myint continue their family’s restaurant story with Thai classics and contemporary interpretations.

• Cuisine: Thai.
• Location: 2013 Belmont Blvd., Nashville.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: Drunken noodles, “papp” see eiw noddles or the restaurant’s daytime steam-table selections.

Rolf and Daughters: Chef Philip Krajeck’s Germantown restaurant combines seasonal cooking with a strong pasta program.

• Cuisine: Contemporary with Mediterranean influences.
• Location: 700 Taylor St., Nashville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: House-made pasta with changing seasonal preparations.

Tailor: Chef Vivek Surti draws on his Indian heritage and Southern upbringing for a dinner-party-style experience.

• Cuisine: Indian and Southern-inspired tasting menu.
• Location: 620 Taylor St., in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood.
• Price tier: $$$$
• Menu highlight: Seasonal courses that may include Indian-spiced short ribs and Gujarati-inspired desserts.

Shotgun Willie’s: Bill LaViolette brings Texas-style barbecue to the Nashville area.

• Cuisine: Barbecue.
• Location: 1500 Gallatin Pike S., Suite 104, Madison.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: Smoked brisket with a peppery bark, paired with mac and queso.

January: Chefs Andrew Klamar and Nate Leonard build seasonal menus around Southall’s harvest and ingredients from nearby farms. Contemporary American dishes reflect the property’s commitment to preserving seasonal produce and reducing kitchen waste.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American with seasonal, farm-grown ingredients.
• Location: Southall Farm & Inn, 2200 Osage Loop, Franklin.
• Price tier: $$$$
• Menu highlight: Seasonal dishes may include hominy soufflé with Gulf shrimp and roasted beech mushrooms. Offerings change with the farm’s harvest.

Judith: Chef Julia Sullivan brings contemporary tavern cooking to a former university steam laundry.

• Cuisine: American.
• Location: 36 Ball Park Road, Sewanee.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Chicken Milanese, with seasonal fruit cobbler for dessert.

Lunch: Chef Mallory Tubbs’ daytime restaurant combines country-store character with locally sourced ingredients.

• Cuisine: American café and bakery.
• Location: 24 University Ave., Sewanee.
• Price tier: $
• Menu highlight: A steak sandwich on house-made baguette, plus freshly baked pastries.

*NEW* 2nd: Chef Daniel Lindley brings the spirit of a family Sunday dinner to this Southside restaurant, serving familiar American dishes with seasonal touches and bowls of mashed potatoes for the table.

• Cuisine: Contemporary American.
• Location: 1601 Cowart St., Southside, Chattanooga.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Beef cheek pot roast with roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts and fennel, served with family-style mashed potatoes.

Easy Bistro: Erik and Amanda Niel’s downtown restaurant offers seafood, seasonal plates and an inviting oyster hour.

• Cuisine: American bistro.
• Location: 801 Chestnut St., Chattanooga.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Oysters and seafood pastas, such as tagliatelle with shrimp when available.

Main Street Meats: This butcher shop and restaurant puts whole-animal butchery at the center of its cooking.

• Cuisine: American.
• Location: 217 E. Main St., Chattanooga.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: The burger, steaks and house-made sausages.

The Rosecomb: A 1920s cottage provides the setting for Appalachian-inspired food and cocktails.

• Cuisine: American with Appalachian influences.
• Location: 921 Barton Ave., Chattanooga.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: A pulled chicken sandwich with slaw, followed by banana pudding.

*NEW* Au Bon Coin: Chef Laurence Faber and Emily Williams bring French bistro cooking and Ashkenazi Jewish influences to a changing prix fixe menu, with seasonal dishes and a wine list that encourages lingering over dinner.

• Cuisine: French with Ashkenazi Jewish influences.
• Location: 724 N. Broadway, Knoxville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Seasonal selections may include mushroom vol-au-vent, steak with béarnaise sauce and chocolate mousse.

*NEW* Wilder at Windy Hill Farm & Preserve: Chef Ben Warwick highlights Appalachian food traditions through seasonal menus shaped by the property’s gardens and local farms. Public reservations are available without an overnight stay.

• Cuisine: Appalachian and contemporary Southern.
• Location: 1180 Poplar Springs Blair Bend Road, Loudon.
• Price tier: $$$ for á la carte dining, $$$$ for the tasting experience.
• Menu highlight: Charred venison with a grilled tomato popover and walnut butter.

*NEW* Raven Steakhouse & Lounge: Chef Cory Giaquinta serves steakhouse classics, seafood and cocktails in a downtown Maryville dining room with a separate lounge.

• Cuisine: American steakhouse and seafood.
• Location: 211 W. Broadway Ave., Maryville, TN.
• Price tier: $$$$
• Menu highlight: Beef Wellington with mushroom duxelles and foie gras demi-glace.

J.C. Holdway: Chef Joseph Lenn puts Tennessee ingredients at the center of his downtown Knoxville restaurant.

• Cuisine: Southern-influenced American.
• Location: 501 Union Ave., Knoxville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: House-made pasta, including tagliatelle with Benton’s bacon Bolognese when available.

Potchke: Laurence Faber and Emily Williams bring inventive takes on Jewish comfort food to Knoxville.

• Cuisine: Jewish deli-inspired.
• Location: 318 N. Gay St., Suite 103, Knoxville.
• Price tier: $$
• Menu highlight: Matzoh ball soup, smoked trout sandwiches and freshly baked babka.

The Restaurant at RT Lodge: Chef Trevor Stockton’s cooking complements the lodge’s wooded Maryville setting.

• Cuisine: American with Southern influences.
• Location: 1406 Wilkinson Pike, Maryville.
• Price tier: $$$
• Menu highlight: Rainbow trout, trout dip and seasonal cobbler.

• Bastion — Nashville
• The Catbird Seat — Nashville
• Locust — Nashville

• January — Franklin; also MICHELIN Recommended

• Hog & Hominy — Memphis
• Kisser — Nashville
• Little Coyote — Chattanooga
• Peninsula — Nashville
• Redheaded Stranger — Nashville
• Sho Pizza Bar — Nashville
• S.S. Gai — Nashville
• St. Vito Focacceria — Nashville
• Uzbegim — Nashville

• Sommelier Award: Alex Burch, Bad Idea — Nashville; also MICHELIN Recommended

• Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen — Memphis
• Arnold’s Country Kitchen — Nashville
• Bad Idea — Nashville
• Café Roze — Nashville
• Easy Bistro — Chattanooga
• Felicia Suzanne’s — Memphis
• Folk — Nashville
• Hattie B’s Hot Chicken — Nashville
• iggy’s — Nashville
• International Market — Nashville
• January — Franklin
• J.C. Holdway — Knoxville
• Judith — Sewanee
• Lunch — Sewanee
• Main Street Meats — Chattanooga
• Petals of a Peony — Cordova
• Potchke — Knoxville
• Rolf and Daughters — Nashville
• Shotgun Willie’s — Madison
• Tailor — Nashville
• The Lobbyist — Memphis
• The Restaurant at RT Lodge — Maryville
• The Rosecomb — Chattanooga

Choose a few meals to anchor your itinerary, then leave time to explore the neighborhoods and towns around them. Reserve tasting menus early, check the exact location of restaurants with multiple outposts and review current menus before traveling. Use the regional listings above to find fine dining nearby, along with casual cafés, barbecue stops and neighborhood restaurants worth adding to your trip.