Bottega Restaurant
- ★ 4.7
- Italian
- $$$$
- Highland Park
Bottega Restaurant on Highland Avenue is Frank Stitt's 1988 Italian sibling to Highlands, in a Highland Park mansion with a wood-fired oven.
The restaurants worth the trip in Birmingham: bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Our picks in Birmingham
21 places
Chez Fonfon
- ★ 4.6
- French Bistro
- $$$
- Five Points South
Chez Fonfon on 11th Avenue South in Birmingham is Frank Stitt's casual French bistro sibling to Highlands, with steak frites and a Five Points South patio.
Hot and Hot Fish Club
- ★ 4.7
- New American
- $$$$
- Pepper Place
Hot and Hot Fish Club at Pepper Place in Birmingham is the Chris Hastings flagship since 1995, with the chef-counter tomato salad and 2012 James Beard.
Book food experiences in Birmingham
Automatic Seafood and Oysters
- ★ 4.8
- Lowcountry
- $$$$
- Lakeview
Automatic Seafood and Oysters in Lakeview Birmingham won Adam Evans the 2022 James Beard Best Chef South, with a Gulf-anchored menu and a half-shell raw bar.
Helen
- ★ 4.7
- New American
- $$$$
- Downtown Birmingham
Helen on 2nd Avenue North downtown Birmingham runs Rob McDaniel's hardwood-coal Southern grill, Michelin Recommended since 2025 and a Beard semifinalist.
Bayonet
- ★ 4.7
- Lowcountry
- $$$$
- Downtown Birmingham
Bayonet on 2nd Avenue North in Birmingham is Rob and Emily McDaniel's spring 2025 seafood and raw bar sibling to Helen, in the NYT 50 Best Restaurants 2025.
OvenBird
- ★ 4.6
- Spanish
- $$$
- Pepper Place
OvenBird at Pepper Place Birmingham is Chris Hastings's live-fire sibling to Hot and Hot, with Spanish, Portuguese, Uruguayan and Argentine grill traditions.
Cafe Dupont
- ★ 4.5
- New American
- $$$$
- Downtown Birmingham
Cafe Dupont on 20th Street North Birmingham runs Chris Dupont's French-Southern menu out of an 1870s downtown storefront with a strong plate-craft reputation.
Galley and Garden
- ★ 4.4
- New American
- $$$$
- Highland Park
Galley and Garden on Highland Avenue Birmingham runs a New American tasting menu out of the 1908 Merritt House near the Stitt Highland Park rooms.
Bottega Cafe
- ★ 4.5
- Italian
- $$
- Highland Park
Bottega Cafe in Highland Park Birmingham is the walk-in patio counterpart to Bottega, with wood-oven pizzas and the Stitt-style casual Italian menu.
Where to stay in Birmingham
A sample of Birmingham hotels from our booking partner, who list 598 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Ramada by Wyndham Birmingham Airport
Located in Birmingham, Ramada by Wyndham Birmingham Airport is within a 10-minute drive of St. Vincent's He...
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Quality Inn & Suites Birmingham - Highway 280
When you stay at Quality Inn & Suites Birmingham - Highway 280 in Birmingham, you'll be in the business dis...
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Sonesta Simply Suites Birmingham
Located in Birmingham, Sonesta Simply Suites Birmingham is within a 15-minute drive of The Summit and Sloss...
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Sleep Inn & Suites Birmingham - Hoover
When you stay at Sleep Inn & Suites Birmingham - Hoover in Birmingham, you'll be in the business district, ...
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Compare for next weekend: Holidu in Birmingham from USD 128/night · Expedia in Birmingham
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Saw's Soul Kitchen
- ★ 4.5
- American Bbq
- $$
- Avondale
Saw's Soul Kitchen on 41st Street South in Avondale Birmingham is the 2012 sibling to Saw's BBQ, mixing Alabama white sauce barbecue with soul-food sides.
Saw's BBQ
- ★ 4.5
- American Bbq
- $$
- Homewood
Saw's BBQ in Homewood near Birmingham is the 2009 Mike Wilson original, the room that introduced Alabama white sauce on smoked chicken to the city.
Niki's West
- ★ 4.6
- Soul Food
- $$
- Acipco-Finley
Niki's West on Finley Avenue West in Birmingham has run the canonical meat-and-three since 1957, with a cafeteria steam table by the Alabama Farmers Market.
Eagle's Restaurant
- ★ 4.6
- Soul Food
- $$
- Smithfield
Eagle's Restaurant in Smithfield Birmingham is the Black-owned soul-food anchor since 1951, with Friday catfish and weekday meat-and-three plates.
Brick and Tin
- ★ 4.4
- Soul Food
- $$
- Mountain Brook
Brick and Tin on Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Birmingham is the casual Southern sandwich counter, with pimento cheese and tomato-pie seasonal plates.
El Barrio
El Barrio on 2nd Avenue North in Birmingham runs a modern Mexican menu downtown, called best Mexican restaurant in Alabama by the convention bureau in 2024.
Surin West
- ★ 4.3
- Thai
- $$
- Five Points South
Surin West on 11th Avenue South in Birmingham has served Thai cuisine since the 1990s, with broad vegetarian options and the Tofu Coconut Soup signature.
The Essential
- ★ 4.4
- New American
- $$$
- Downtown Birmingham
The Essential on First Avenue North downtown Birmingham is Kristen Hall and Victor King's all-day neighborhood bistro, serving guests since 2018.
Yo' Mama's
- ★ 4.4
- Soul Food
- $$
- Downtown Birmingham
Yo' Mama's on 4th Avenue North in downtown Birmingham runs a soul-food kitchen with a deep gluten-free menu and Saturday brunch service twice a month.
Bistro V
- ★ 4.4
- New American
- $$$
- Vestavia Hills
Bistro V on Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills Birmingham runs a date-night New American room, with a strong by-the-glass wine program and seasonal plates.
Demetri's BBQ
- ★ 4.3
- American Bbq
- $$
- Homewood
Demetri's BBQ on 28th Avenue South in Homewood Birmingham has run a Greek-American meat-and-three since 1973, continuing the 1961 El Rancho BBQ tradition.
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