Counter, Charlotte
THE SOUTH
Michelin-Worthy Restaurants in North Carolina
By Eric Barton | March 17, 2025
North Carolina doesn’t have a Michelin Guide, and honestly, that’s good news for those who live here. It keeps the tourists from hogging the best tables. But if the Michelin inspectors ever do decide to make their way to North Carolina, I’ve got a list for them.
These are the North Carolina restaurants that deserve a Michelin star, or at the very least, a knowing nod from a Frenchman in a very expensive scarf.
Counter, Charlotte
2001 W Morehead St D | Website | Instagram
Counter is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’re in on a secret. There are only 20 seats, a seasonal tasting menu, and an experience so curated it feels like a performance. Chef Sam Hart builds dishes inspired by everything from music to history to whatever deep, existential thoughts chefs have at 2 a.m. It’s a meal you don’t just eat—you sit through it, experience it, and leave feeling slightly smug that you got to witness whatever was happening in that kitchen.
>>>READ MORE: THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN CHARLOTTE>>>
Cúrate, Asheville
13 Biltmore Ave | Website | Instagram
If Asheville had a town square where people went to drink vermouth and snack on salty ham, it would be inside Cúrate. Chef Katie Button, a James Beard Award winner, runs the kind of kitchen that doesn’t just serve Spanish food—it seems to channel it from some rustic Basque tavern where the walls smell like garlic and sherry. There’s jamón Ibérico so good it should be protected by UNESCO, a perfect tortilla Española served below braised oxtail, and a wine list full of things you should absolutely let the server pick for you.
>>>READ MORE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ASHEVILLE>>>
The Fearrington House, Pittsboro
230 Market St | Website | Instagram
This one’s for the people who appreciate white tablecloths and actual table-side service. Set in the rolling countryside of Pittsboro, The Fearrington House Restaurant feels like an English manor house where the kitchen just happens to turn out perfect plates of butter-poached lobster. Executive chef since 2022, Paul Gagne is a master of restrained elegance, the kind of person who makes you rethink what a carrot can be. The wine list is, as expected, extensive, and if you’re not finishing your meal with a cheese course, I don’t know what to tell you.
Fin & Fino, Charlotte
135 Levine Avenue of the Arts | Website | Instagram
Fin & Fino in Charlotte’s Uptown is where you take people when you want to show off. It’s a seafood spot that isn’t trying to be New England or New Orleans—it’s just doing its own thing, and it’s doing it well. Executive chef Tom Hite puts out raw bar selections that taste like they were flown in from a place where people say things like “briny” unironically. The seafood towers are stacked high enough to make your server nervous, and the cocktails are so balanced you could probably stand them on their own.
Herons, Cary
100 Woodland Pond Dr | Website | Instagram
There’s fine dining, and then there’s Herons, the kind of place where even the butter looks like it got a Michelin star. Tucked inside the Umstead Hotel in Cary, the restaurant is helmed by Steven Devereaux Greene, a four-time James Beard semifinalist who somehow makes every plate look like it belongs in a museum. The seasonal tasting menu—dubbed The Art Tour—feels like a slow, carefully choreographed flex, featuring dishes so precise you almost feel bad eating them. Almost. It’s the kind of meal you sit through with a straight back, trying not to embarrass yourself while savoring foie gras brûlée and whatever impossibly delicate thing just arrived on a hand-thrown ceramic plate.
Kindred, Charlotte
131 N Main St | Website | Instagram
Davidson’s Kindred is one of those restaurants that people go to once and then make excuses to drive back for. Chef Joe Kindred, a perennial James Beard semifinalist, made the menu famous with his now-iconic milk bread, a small, fluffy roll that should really come with a warning label because you will eat three before your entrée arrives. The squid ink pasta is another signature, but honestly, order anything and you’ll see why this place has a national reputation.
Machete, Greensboro
600 C Battleground Ave | Website | Instagram
Greensboro’s Machete is the kind of restaurant that doesn’t need a long description—it just delivers. Chef Kevin Cottrell plates up dishes that are as artful as they are delicious, like charred octopus with heirloom beans that somehow taste like they were meant to be together all along. The menu changes often enough that you have to keep coming back, which, frankly, is part of the plan. The minimalist, modern interior tells you all you need to know: just pay attention to what’s on the plate.
>>>READ MORE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GREENSBORO>>>
Manna, Wilmington
123 Princess St | Website | Instagram
Manna in Wilmington doesn’t have the pomp of a “fine dining” spot, but it has the kind of quiet confidence that comes from knowing your food is better than most. Chef Carson Jewell turns out contemporary American dishes that are equal parts elegant and unfussy—think seared scallops with just the right amount of butter and seasonal sides that remind you vegetables don’t have to be an afterthought. There’s a well-curated wine list with 700 selections, a menu that changes daily, and the intimate dining room makes it the kind of place where people lean in when they talk.
The Market Place, Asheville
20 Wall St | Website | Instagram
There are farm-to-table restaurants, and then there’s The Market Place, which has been doing it since 1979, long before it became a trend. Chef William Dissen is relentless in his sourcing, which is why his Sunburst Farms trout tastes like it came straight from the mountain stream itself. The steaks are dry-aged and local, the produce is always in season, and the menu is one of the few in Asheville that has never tried too hard. That’s a good thing.
Mother, Asheville
244 Short Coxe Ave | Website | Instagram
Mother began as a modest bread and wine shop in Asheville's River Arts District but has since blossomed into a full-fledged café on the city’s South Slope. Chef Aleksander Kubicki, who brings experience from culinary scenes in Seattle and Brooklyn, has crafted a menu that heavily features their house-made sourdough. Diners can indulge in an array of sandwiches and tartines that rotate frequently, keeping the offerings fresh and intriguing. Notably, the café's evolution from its humble beginnings to its current status as a culinary hotspot is a testament to its commitment to quality and innovation.
Second Empire, Raleigh
330 Hillsborough St | Website | Instagram
If you like a little history with your fine dining, Second Empire is your spot. It’s inside a restored 19th-century mansion, the kind of place where you’re almost surprised they let you eat duck breast while surrounded by so much expensive wood paneling. Chef Daniel Schurr’s menu is classic but never boring, with dishes like pan-seared lamb that would probably taste just as good on a paper plate but feel better served on fine china.
Spring House, Winston-Salem
450 N Spring St | Website | Instagram
Winston-Salem’s Spring House feels like the kind of place where people have long, meaningful conversations over slow-braised short ribs. Chef Timothy Grandinetti has a deep love for Southern ingredients but doesn’t feel the need to do the whole farmhouse chic thing. The result? Shrimp and grits that remind you why the dish became iconic in the first place and a menu that changes just enough to keep you on your toes.
>>>READ MORE: THE BEST WINSTON-SALEM RESTAURANTS>>>
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who spits his time between Asheville and Miami. He’s on a constant hunt for the best pizza, best places to bike, and for his next new favorite destination. Email him here.
