Prestigious Culinary Guide Expands to the South for the First Time
Thursday, November 06, 2025 | 08:25am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 3, 2025) – 36 Tennessee restaurants have been recognized in the first-ever MICHELIN Guide American South, marking a milestone moment for the state’s culinary scene. The globally renowned guide debuted tonight in Greenville, South Carolina, honoring chefs and restaurants that define the South’s distinctive flavors and creativity.

“This is a proud moment for Tennessee, our cities and for the entire South,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “Our state is rooted in tradition, community and celebrated for its world-class hospitality. Every meal here tells a story. We’re honored to celebrate the talented chefs and restaurants behind these experiences as part of the first MICHELIN Guide American South.”

Tennessee restaurants recognized in the MICHELIN Guide American South:

One MICHELIN Star (3)

• Bastion (Nashville)
• The Catbird Seat (Nashville)
• Locust (Nashville)

MICHELIN Green Star (1)

• January (Franklin)

Bib Gourmand (9)

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

MICHELIN Special Award: Sommelier (1)

• Bad Idea (Nashville)

Recommended Restaurants (24)

• Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen (Memphis)
• Arnold’s Country Kitchen (Nashville)
• Audrey (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 (Nashvile)
• January (Franklin)
• J.C. Holdway (Knoxville)
• Judith (Sewanee)
• Lunch (Sewanee)
• Main Street Meats (Chattanooga)
• Petals of a Peony (Cordova)
• Potchke (Knoxville)
• Rolf & Daughters (Nashville)
• Shotgun Willie’s (Madison)
• Tailor (Nashville)
• The Lobbyist (Memphis)
• The Restaurant at RT Lodge (Maryville)
• The Rosecomb (Chattanooga)

Tennessee is one of six states included in the MICHELIN Guide American South, a first-of-its-kind regional edition made possible through a collaborative partnership between Travel South USA, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development(TDTD), destination marketing organizations across Tennessee and participating states including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, along with the pre-existing Atlanta Guide. Together, these partners helped bring the globally recognized MICHELIN Guide to the South, spotlighting the region’s flavors and culinary innovation on an international stage.

About the MICHELIN Guide

Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants.

• The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef.
• The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the inspectors when dining on their own time.
• The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable practices.
• Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors.

The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin’s inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the inspectors in the very beginning.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 45 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.

All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin’s anonymous inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.

To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.

Learn more about the MICHELIN Guide by visiting guide.michelin.com.