Two Memphis restaurants that opened in 2025 were among those honored during the Michelin Guide American South ceremony held Oct. 21 at The Pinnacle in Nashville.
Fawn, a tapas-style restaurant in Cooper-Young, was honored among the guide's 2026 "recommended restaurants." It joins these four Memphis restaurants that earned "recommended" status in 2025 and retained it: Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
, Felicia Suzanne’s, The Lobbyist and Petals of a Peony (the Cordova location.)Meanwhile, Bao Toan Kitchen & Bar — a Vietnamese restaurant in Crosstown Concourse — was honored among the 2026 Bib Gourmand restaurants. This award is given by the Michelin Guide to restaurants that serve exceptionally good food at an affordable price. This award was first
introduced in 1997 and is reassessed annually.
Bao Toan joins Hog & Hominy as the only Memphis spots to receive Bib Gourmand honors. Hog & Hominy received the distinction in 2025 and upheld it in 2026.
22 restaurants earned Michelin Stars, although none were in Memphis. These particular restaurants are judged on five specific criteria by Michelin Guide inspectors. They are quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, the chef's personality expressed through the cuisine, and consistency.
In 2025, the Michelin Guide — which first launched in 1900 — was expanded to include dining establishments in the American South, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, incorporated with the preexisting Atlanta Guide.
For more information, go to guide.michelin.com.
Brian Strickland is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at brian.strickland@commercialappeal.com.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis restaurants earn Michelin Guide honors
