28 upscale places in Birmingham, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Birmingham: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Birmingham food.
The Marble Ring ★ 4.8
avondale · 430 41st Street South Suite B, Birmingham, AL 35222
The Marble Ring on 41st Street South Avondale Birmingham is an intimate speakeasy entered through a phone booth, with 80 seats and a classic cocktail menu.
Bayonet Bar ★ 4.8
downtown · 2015 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Bayonet Bar on 2nd Avenue North downtown Birmingham serves coastal whites and grower champagne next to the raw bar, with tableside martinis and crudo.
Saturn ★ 4.7
avondale · 200 41st Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222
Saturn on 41st Street South in Avondale Birmingham is the 2015 Brian Teasley-founded music venue and bar in the former Cory and Faulkner Hardware building.
Hot and Hot Fish Club Bar ★ 4.7
pepper-place · 2901 2nd Avenue South Suite 110, Birmingham, AL 35233
Hot and Hot Fish Club Bar at Pepper Place Birmingham runs craft cocktails alongside Chris Hastings's Southern menu, with the chef-counter and bar seats.
Chez Fonfon ★ 4.6
five-points-south · 2007 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
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.
OvenBird ★ 4.6
pepper-place · 2810 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
OvenBird at Pepper Place Birmingham is Chris Hastings's live-fire sibling to Hot and Hot, with Spanish, Portuguese, Uruguayan and Argentine grill traditions.
El Barrio ★ 4.6
downtown · 2211 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
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.
Good People Brewing Taproom ★ 4.6
downtown · 114 14th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
Good People Brewing Taproom on 14th Street South in the Parkside District is Alabama's 2008 brewing-law pioneer, with rotating beers and rotating food trucks.
Bottega Cafe ★ 4.6
highland-park · 2240 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Bottega Cafe in Highland Park Birmingham runs a deep Italian by-the-glass program from the Stitt cellar, with a casual patio menu next to Bottega Restaurant.
El Barrio ★ 4.5
downtown · 2211 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
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.
The Essential ★ 4.5
downtown · 2018 Morris Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35203
The Essential on Morris Avenue downtown is Kristen Hall and Victor King's 2018 neighborhood cafe and bar in the Mercantile on Morris near Founders Station.
Carrigan's Public House ★ 4.5
downtown · 1913 3rd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Carrigan's Public House on 3rd Avenue North in downtown Birmingham is an intimate Irish-American pub with craft cocktails and a New American kitchen.
TrimTab Brewing Taproom ★ 4.5
lakeview · 2721 5th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
TrimTab Brewing Taproom on 5th Avenue South in Lakeview Birmingham is the 2014 Harris Stewart brewery known for its fruited sours on the Lakeview row.
Chez Fonfon Bar Bistro ★ 4.5
five-points-south · 2007 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Chez Fonfon Bar Bistro on 11th Avenue South Birmingham is the Frank Stitt bistro's bar with French regional pours and a casual bistro plate menu.
The Essential ★ 4.4
downtown · 2018 Morris Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35203
The Essential on Morris Avenue downtown Birmingham is Kristen Hall and Victor King's 2018 neighborhood cafe and bar in the Mercantile on Morris.
Bistro V ★ 4.4
vestavia-hills · 521 Montgomery Highway Suite 113, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
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.
Chez Lulu ★ 4.4
mountain-brook · 1911 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223
Chez Lulu on Cahaba Road in English Village is a French-Riviera bistro next door to Continental Bakery, both opened by Carole Griffin in the 1980s and 1990s.
Avondale Brewing Taproom ★ 4.4
avondale · 201 41st Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222
Avondale Brewing Taproom on 41st Street South Avondale is the 2011 anchor of the brewery row, with the Upstairs venue, beer garden and rotating food trucks.
Back Forty Beer Company ★ 4.3
avondale · 3201 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35222
Back Forty Beer Company on 1st Avenue North in Birmingham opened summer 2018 next to Sloss Furnaces, with a 1.5-acre beer garden and a full pub kitchen.
Monday Night Brewing Social Club ★ 4.3
downtown · 14 12th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
Monday Night Brewing Social Club on 12th Street South Birmingham is the Atlanta brewery's Lakeview-adjacent taproom, with rotating beers and a Parkside patio.
Helen Bar ★ 4.3
downtown · 2013 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Helen Bar on 2nd Avenue North downtown Birmingham runs a strong Old World by-the-glass program alongside Rob McDaniel's hardwood-coal Southern grill.
Cahaba Brewing Co. ★ 4.2
avondale · 4500 5th Avenue South Building C, Birmingham, AL 35222
Cahaba Brewing Co. on 5th Avenue South in Avondale Birmingham is the Cahaba river-named brewery with a Quonset-hut taproom and rotating food trucks.
Bistro V Wine Room ★ 4.2
vestavia-hills · 521 Montgomery Highway Suite 113, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
Bistro V wine room on Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills near Birmingham runs an Old World pour program alongside Jeremy Downey's New American kitchen.
Paramount ★ 4.1
downtown · 200 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Paramount on 20th Street North downtown Birmingham is the arcade bar with vintage cabinets, a full pub menu and a craft cocktail program all under one roof.
Lou's Pub and Package Store ★ 4.1
lakeview · 726 29th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
Lou's Pub and Package Store on 29th Street South in Lakeview Birmingham is a long-standing neighborhood pub with a whiskey shelf and adjoining package store.
The Grill at Iron City ★ 4.0
downtown · 513 22nd Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
The Grill at Iron City on 22nd Street South is the 22,000-square-foot entertainment-venue dining room downtown, with a pre-show prix-fixe and Gulf seafood.
Black Market Bar and Grill ★ 4.0
avondale · 4100 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222
Black Market Bar and Grill on 3rd Avenue South in Avondale Birmingham moved from Five Points South in 2024 with the punk decor and a broad vegan menu.
Galley and Garden Wine Room ★ 4.0
highland-park · 2220 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Galley and Garden on Highland Avenue Birmingham runs a Burgundy and Bordeaux-led wine list alongside the New American tasting menu in the Merritt House.