Three Nashville restaurants earn prestigious Michelin star
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Three Nashville restaurants earned the city's first ever prestigious Michelin star recommendations: Bastion, The Catbird Seat and Locust.
- The Hermitage Hotel also earned two Michelin keys, one of the highest global hospitality honors available.
Why it matters: For decades, a Michelin star has been one of the most coveted awards a restaurant can earn. Nashville's performance in Michelin's first dining and travel guide for Tennessee cements the city's status as a stellar foodie destination.
State of play: The list of winners was released Monday afternoon, ahead of the official announcement ceremony this evening in South Carolina.
Driving the news: Bastion, The Catbird Seat and Locust were already three of Nashville's most critically acclaimed restaurants. Each had earned James Beard nominations and appeared on lists of the nation's best restaurants in the past.
- Alex Burch of Bad Idea also won accolades, earning the Michelin Sommelier Award.
- Michelin has expanded its recommendations in recent years, and this was the first time restaurants and hotels in Tennessee and other southern states were eligible for the honor.
Zoom in: The Michelin guide also handed out Bib Gourmand honors, which recognizes restaurants for great food at great value.
- The Nashville spots earning a Bib Gourmand were Kisser, Peninsula, Redheaded Stranger, Sho Pizza, SS Gai, St. Vito Foccaceria and Uzbegim.
Other Nashville establishments featured on Michelin's 2025 Recommended list are Arnold's Country Kitchen, Audrey, Bad Idea, Cafe Roze, Folk, Hattie B's, Iggy's, International Market, Rolf and Daughters, Shotgun Willie's BBQ and Tailor.
The intrigue: The press release announcing the winners was published Monday morning under Michelin's name on a wire service the organization typically uses, and it includes a comprehensive list of newly starred restaurants and judges' comments.
- The honorees are expected to be named publicly in a South Carolina ceremony Monday night.
- A screenshot of an internal Michelin email reviewed by Axios acknowledges "that confidential information was released," and instructs recipients to forward inquiries to the company's spokesperson.
- Axios reporters spoke with named restaurateurs in multiple cities on the list, and each confirmed they were invited to Monday's ceremony.
Go deeper: Read our previous stories on Kisser, SS Gai, St. Vito Foccaceria, Peninsula and Bad Idea.