Discover International Flavors and Local Southern Twists Through Atlanta’s MICHELIN Guide 

By Liesl Merkel

Published August 19, 2024
Last Updated December 3, 2024

MICHELIN restaurants might bring to mind white tablecloths and plated entrees, perfect for anniversaries or birthday celebrations. While many of Atlanta’s MICHELIN restaurants can certainly serve as special occasion restaurants, there are many that celebrate the diversity of Atlanta’s international cuisine, at all price points. In addition to upscale international fare, casual eateries and even street food make appearances on Atlanta’s MICHELIN lists.  

In Atlanta, we have Southern food, as one might suspect, but our soul is no longer found in traditional American comfort food. Our roots run deep into what some would consider the New South: a spicy mix of cultures and tastes. We still savor our collard greens and nowadays we might add a bit of Asian hot sauce and spices to flavor our greens. Our cornmeal-battered fish might well be touched with the smoky taste of chipotle. While we still love our tall glasses of Southern sweet tea, you’re just as apt to see us with a boba tea in hand or a refreshing Thai iced tea.

MICHELIN Guide recognized this melding of flavors when it awarded MICHELIN stars to some of our restaurants, as well as listing many international restaurants on the Bib Gourmand and MICHELIN Recommended lists. The MICHELIN inspectors found 25 types of cuisine during their 2023 review for the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Atlanta including Japanese, Middle Eastern, European, Indian, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Filipino and Venezuelan offerings, among many more. Dive in and discover flavors that are uniquely Atlanta.

Combining Cultures

Heirloom Market BBQ blends Southern barbecue with Korean marinades and spices, creating a uniquely distinct package in this small, pickup-only destination in a northern suburb of Atlanta. Chef Cody Taylor and Chef Jinyeon Lee tend smoked meats paired with Korean pickles and smoked wings that are tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce and served with kimchi mayo. From spicy Korean pork to tender brisket, homemade banana pudding, sweet and spicy tofu and both traditional Southern and kimchi slaw, it’s possible to create a diverse plate of flavors at this MICHELIN Bib Gourmand spot.

Local Harvests Fuel International Fair

Atlanta’s proximity to Georgia’s many farms and purveyors makes it easy for local ingredients to permeate a menu. The pop-up-turned-restaurant Talat Market is found in the Summerhill neighborhood, very close to Downtown. The MICHELIN Recommended spot offers co-owners Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang the opportunity to serve stunning plates full of local Georgia ingredients prepared with Thai techniques. Georgia peaches are juiced for the restaurant’s hamachi crudo, and fresh Georgia trout might show up on the menu, cooked with Thai spices. 

MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Arepa Mia is situated in Avondale Estates and plates up crispy arepas stuffed with grass-fed beef, shredded chicken with caramelized peppers and roasted pork. Fresh vegetables picked from local Georgia gardens accent these Venezuelan delicacies as well as the cachapas, fresh corn pancakes topped with vegetables and meats then folded in half. 

Omakase Dining 

Take your dining to another level with several omakase experiences in Atlanta. These Japanese-style, multi-course feasts allow guests to unearth unique flavors. The MICHELIN-starred Mujō offers a modern, edomae-style sushi-ya. This restaurant started as a pop-up. Executive chef J. Trent Harris now serves an omakase-only tasting experience at MUJŌ, complete with small plates that are followed by nigiri flown in from Japan.

At Hayakawa in West Midtown, also MICHELIN-starred, chef Atsushi Hayakawa sources his fish from Tokyo’s toyosu market to create a unique Japanese sushi-ya experience rarely found outside of Japan.

MICHELIN-recommended Tomo Japanese Restaurant in Buckhead offers an omakase experience focusing on plated courses and sushi with a personalized experience. The varied Chef’s Menu features a la carte dishes ranging from crispy okra tempura to shrimp dumplings, toro tartare, fresh nigiri and sushi.

Tastes of Europe

European flavors emanate from several destinations in the city. MICHELIN Recommended Lyla Lila artfully presents dishes from Southern Europe with a focus on Italian winemakers and wines from other Southern European regions. The restaurant’s local, seasonal fare is evident in executive chef Craig Richards’ pasta creations, which you can also make during his scheduled pasta-making classes.

Antico Pizza Napoletana has garnered more than 50 accolades and awards including the coveted MICHELIN Bib Gourmand award. Owner Giovanni Di Palma opened Antico Pizza along with his 8-year-old son in 2009 near Georgia Tech. Di Palma’s family Napoletana pizza recipe is prepared with 00 flour and imported San Marzano tomatoes before the pizzas are flash-baked in 1,000-degree ovens created from Santa Maria brick and volcanic rock from Mount Vesuvius.

In Buckhead, MICHELIN Recommended Storico Fresco Alimentari offers lasagnas and pastas shaped into light-as-air pappardelle and tagliatelle, grilled branzino and tiramisu.

MICHELIN Recommended Tiny Lou’s breathes French inspiration into its cuisine. The mod spot with supper club vibes is found in the lower level of the equally hip Clermont Hotel, coincidently garnering a One MICHELIN Key this year.

Neighborhood Finds

Atlanta’s diverse communities make perfect places to start a restaurant. Owners Hope Webb and Walter Cortado of Estrellita chose the in-town Grant Park neighborhood for their cozy Filipino restaurant because of its diversity. The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant introduces bright flavors in its crispy lumpia and Filipino fried chicken brined in a citrus marinade.

MICHELIN Recommended Chai Pani serves fun, affordable Indian street food in the diverse city of Decatur as Chef Meherwan Irani and Chef Sahar Siddiqi dish out chaat (street snacks), thalis, Indian sandwiches and self-proclaimed “mind-blasting” desserts.

In the Inman Park neighborhood, MICHELIN Recommended Delbar offers Middle Eastern delicacies from Iranian-born chef Fares Kargar. He strives to transport guests to the countryside of Iran with recipes from his homeland that range from char-grilled wings to tangy dill labneh and lamb Baghali Tahchin topped with a crispy mound of basmati rice.

Buford Highway: Not Just a Street  

Atlanta’s international corridor of Buford Highway is much more than a stretch of road. It’s an international gathering of immigrant-owned eateries and restaurants ranging from Korean barbecue to a 24-hour taco joint, noodle houses, dim sum palaces and Plaza Fiesta.

Many MICHELIN Recommended restaurants are found on this corridor. Han Il Kwan serves traditional Korean recipes such as savory barbecue, comforting stews, spicy soups and fresh grilled fish. Food Terminal (with other locations around the city) reflects the cuisine of Malaysia with a gigantic menu of choices, quite heavy in Asian-style street food. Kamayan ATL started as a pop-up before graduating to its brick-and-mortar location serving authentic Filipino comfort food. LanZhou Ramen satisfies customers with hand-pulled noodles and soup dumplings while Nam Phuong Vietnamese serves award-winning dishes with a repertoire that includes crunchy rolls and the must-have glazed chicken wings in fish sauce. 

Introducing New Cultures

MICHELIN Recommended Snackboxe Bistro in Duluth introduced Laotian food to the Atlanta community with heaps of fried wings tossed in jeow bong sauce, steaming Khao Poon (vermicelli curry soup) and pork belly laap. Chef and owner Thip Athakhanh slightly blends her menu with Vietnamese and Thai food for even more variety in this bright spot in the northern suburbs.  

MICHELIN Recommended Xi’an Gourmet House (Midtown) offers counter service as eager customers find glorious hand-pulled biang biang noodles, steaming shrimp, lamb or pork dumplings and fresh salads, all from the Xi’an region of China.  

Our city’s international flavors certainly don’t end at our MICHELIN-recognized restaurants – that’s just the start of our food odyssey. Use this guide as a springboard to discover all the flavors of Atlanta. The city’s creative conglomeration of dishes comes together to serve something amazing to everyone. 

Learn more about Atlanta’s Culinary Evolution and start your list about where to go dining next.