14 splurge places in Birmingham, editor-picked. tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Birmingham. All Birmingham food.
Automatic Seafood and Oysters ★ 4.8
lakeview · 2824 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
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.
Automatic Seafood and Oysters ★ 4.8
lakeview · 2824 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
Automatic Seafood and Oysters in Lakeview earned Adam Evans the 2022 James Beard Best Chef South, with a Gulf-anchored menu in a renovated industrial space.
Bottega Restaurant ★ 4.7
highland-park · 2240 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Bottega Restaurant on Highland Avenue is Frank Stitt's 1988 Italian sibling to Highlands, in a Highland Park mansion with a wood-fired oven.
Hot and Hot Fish Club ★ 4.7
pepper-place · 2901 2nd Avenue South Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35233
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.
Helen ★ 4.7
downtown · 2013 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
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
downtown · 2015 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
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.
Bottega Restaurant ★ 4.7
highland-park · 2240 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Bottega Restaurant on Highland Avenue Birmingham is Frank Stitt's 1988 Italian sibling to Highlands, set in a Highland Park mansion with a wood-burning oven.
Cafe Dupont ★ 4.5
downtown · 113 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203
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.
Hot and Hot Fish Club ★ 4.5
pepper-place · 2901 2nd Avenue South Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35233
Hot and Hot Fish Club at Pepper Place is the Chris Hastings flagship since 1995, with the chef-counter tomato salad that became a Birmingham signature.
Galley and Garden ★ 4.4
highland-park · 2220 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
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.
Helen ★ 4.4
downtown · 2013 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Helen on 2nd Avenue North in Birmingham is Rob McDaniel's woodfire-driven Southern grill, Michelin Recommended 2025 and James Beard semifinalist.
OvenBird ★ 4.3
pepper-place · 2810 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
OvenBird at Pepper Place Birmingham is Chris Hastings's live-fire sibling concept to Hot and Hot, with Spanish, Portuguese, Uruguayan and Argentine grills.
Chez Fonfon ★ 4.1
five-points-south · 2007 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Chez Fonfon on 11th Avenue South Birmingham is Frank Stitt's casual French bistro sibling to Highlands, with steak frites and a Five Points South patio.
Cafe Dupont ★ 4.0
downtown · 113 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Cafe Dupont on 20th Street North Birmingham runs Chris Dupont's French-Southern menu out of an 1870s downtown storefront with strong plate-craft reputation.