Nashville’s food scene just got a standing ovation from the MICHELIN Guide, one of the most prestigious names in dining.
As part of the first-ever MICHELIN Guide for the American South, three Nashville restaurants have been awarded a MICHELIN Star, marking a major milestone for the city’s evolving culinary identity.
“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, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “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.”
Keep on scrolling to check out the new MICHELIN Star restaurants located here in Nashville, which include the MICHELIN Inspectors’ comments for each.
“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.”
For more information, visit bastionnashville.com.
“Reservations are a must at Chef Trevor Moran’s compact, Japanese-influenced seafood spot. There is a simple elegance and a clear attention to detail in these dishes, all designed for sharing. Beef tartare hand rolls, a house classic, always delight. From there, explore more of the seafood, like Maine diver scallops with shaved green apple. A Japanese omelet with shredded Jonah crab is simple but spot on, but don’t skip dessert. The ever-changing iterations of their kakigori may present a block of the finest, powdery shaved ice filled with a dense passion fruit cream and caramelized honeycomb, then draped with rich milk foam and crowned with a confit egg yolk.”
For more information, visit locustnashville.com.
“Originally opened in 2011, this prized perch has ushered in a new chapter with its relocation to the top floor of the Bill Voorhees Building. Headed by husband-and-wife chef duo Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz, there is a youthful, maximalist vibe to this cuisine, and a degree of dedication to locality, seasonality, and preservation. The meal is built around an array of stimulating small bites that may include such morsels as an elegant take on a chicken wing, here deboned, stuffed, and dressed with sauce Perigord. A wee bowlful of crisped lamb neck set atop creamy Carolina Gold rice and dressed with candy cap mushroom-infused broth and pickled radish pods is yet another tempting possibility.”
For more information, visit thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com.
These awards mark the first time MICHELIN has ever released a guide for the Southern U.S., which now includes 19 total starred restaurants across Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham, and other regional culinary hotspots. But in a city better known for hot chicken and honky-tonks, this trio of stars is proof that fine dining has found a permanent home in Music City.
“We welcome these restaurants to the MICHELIN Guide family and toast to all the chefs and restaurant teams honored,” Poullennec added.
Check out all of the new additions to the MICHELIN Guide here.