Bastion, Locust, Catbird Seat Earn Stars at Nashville’s First Michelin Ceremony

Wednesday night, Nashville hosted the 2026 Michelin Guide American South ceremony at The Pinnacle in Nashville Yards. This is only the second year the prestigious rankings have evaluated restaurants in the South, and the first time that the awards — with their associated parties and celebrations — have been held in Nashville.

Tennessee’s three Michelin one-star restaurants retained their recognition from last year. All three — Bastion, Locust and The Catbird Seat — are located in Nashville. All three are part of the Strategic Hospitality restaurant group. These three restaurants remain among the city’s elite in terms of menu, creativity and hospitality. As was the case last year, only one establishment in the American South earned two stars: Emeril’s in New Orleans. The American South does not (yet) have a rare three-star restaurant.

What Does It Mean to Be a Michelin City?

Parsing the sometimes arcane-seeming process of Michelin recognition

Michelin uses anonymous inspectors to evaluate restaurants and hotels, selecting properties in several categories: recommended eateries; Bib Gourmand, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value; and a star system of one, two or three stars; plus special awards such as those for wine and service. Nashville has a deep list of Bib Gourmand and recommended restaurants.

Three new Bib Gourmand distinctions were named in Tennessee, including Maíz de la Vida in The Gulch. Chef Julio Hernandez (who was also named Best Chef in this year's Best of Nashville), stole the show as the most enthusiastic winner onstage. Nashville restaurants that maintained Bib Gourmand recognition from last year include Kisser, Peninsula, Redheaded Stranger, S.S. Gai, Sho Pizza Bar, St. Vito Focacceria and Uzbegim.

Three Nashville restaurants were added to the recommended list: 5th & Taylor, Junior and Present Tense. Nashville restaurants that retained their recommended status from last year include Arnold’s Country Kitchen, Cafe Roze, Folk, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Iggy’s, International Market, January (in Franklin), Rolf and Daughters, Shotgun Willie’s BBQ and Tailor. The nods run the gamut. 5th & Taylor opened in Germantown in 2015, while Junior opened in 2025. 

While Julia Sullivan’s Henrietta Red was left off the list again this year, Judith, her jewel box of a restaurant in Sewanee, retained its recommended distinction.

Several Tennessee winners have been featured in the Scene's sister publication Nfocus, including The Swag and Wilder at Windy Hill Farm & Preserve.

Inclusion in a Michelin Guide at any level can be a game changer for restaurants and hotels. The company began rating European restaurants in 1926 to promote road travel and sell tires. It released its first North American Guide in 2005, and the American South debuted in 2025. The American South Region covers seven areas (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Greater Atlanta). Chefs and restaurant owners note that the awards can fill tables, which can be meaningful during a challenging economic period for restaurants, as 2026 has proven to be.

In addition to rating restaurants, Michelin also offers a key-rating system for hotels. The Four Seasons Nashville and The Hermitage Hotel both earned two keys. Southall Farm and Inn in Franklin, 1 Hotel Nashville and Soho House Nashville earned one key. East Nashville’s Dive Motel & Swim Club earned inclusion for its retro design, although the hotel is currently closed.

Some critics of the Michelin Guide object to the pay-to-play nature of the awards. Individual restaurants do not pay (and do not know in advance when an inspector is arriving or if they have been named to the Guide). But local convention bureaus and state-level tourism commissions do pay to bring the inspectors to their communities. One Atlanta report suggested the fee was nearly $1 million per city for a three-year contract.

As is the case with any awards offering, there is and will continue to be lots of talk about overlooked local favorites. Tandy Wilson’s City House, Alexis Soler’s ELEVEN11, Fancypants, the Peninsula team's new spot Cauponor, and both Noko and Kase x Noko were among those mentioned at after-parties and receptions.

Actor and musician Charles Esten, who first connected with the city when he joined the TV series Nashville, emceed the ceremony at The Pinnacle. In addition to the ceremony, parties took place around town. Tickets to the ceremony are limited, generally reserved for chefs (not restaurant owners), media and partners, so Strategic Hospitality invited their peers around town to Friends in Low Places to watch a live stream of the ceremony. Each of the states represented at the award hosted after-parties, including Tennessee — complete, of course, with live music, Tennessee whiskey and happy hospitality folks proud that the region is getting the international attention it deserves.