More than a dozen Raleigh-area restaurants received MICHELIN Guide recognition in the first ever guide to the American South in 2025. Now we’re looking ahead to MICHELIN’s 2026 list—to be unveiled in Nashville on October 21—and exploring some of the top restaurant contenders widely considered to be on the "next in line" list.
Last year, three Raleigh restaurants were selected as a Bib Gourmand designation (a "great meal at a great price") and an additional 11 received MICHELIN Recommended status. And while the judging criteria is publicly known (quality of ingredients; mastery of flavor and technique; personality of chef shown via the food; etc.), Michelin's Inspectors keep their restaurant visits—and their identities—a secret, so we have to wait until ceremony night to find out 2026's selections.
Will more Raleigh-area restaurants and chefs earn a spot in the Guide this year? We think so, and below are some of the restaurants most likely to hear their name next month.
If any restaurant in the Raleigh area most deserved to be in the inaugural class of the MICHELIN Guide to the American South that didn’t make the grade, it’s Ajja. The creative, fun and meticulously designed restaurant in Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood is helmed by star chef Cheetie Kumar—who also runs the kitchen at Big Cat, one of the most exciting openings of 2026.
The James Beard Awards named Kumar as a finalist for “Best Chef: Southeast” this year, her seventh Beard nomination. When Ajja opened, Esquire recognized it as one of the nation’s best new restaurants. And locals agree, flocking to its vegetable-forward, Mediterranean-inspired menu. In short, Ajja has earned its spot.
Address: 209 Bickett Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27608
Honored as a James Beard Awards semifinalist for “Best New Restaurant” in the country in 2025, Figulina has become the Raleigh area’s go-to spot for fresh pasta and memorable Italian and American food. Always beautifully presented, any one of Figulina’s delectable dishes—especially regional Italian favorites like the rigatoni-esque paccheri or corkscrew-shaped campanelle—would be enough to deserve recognition from MICHELIN’s anonymous judges.
Chef David Ellis previously made a name for himself with years spent putting in the work at Poole’s Diner, which was named to the guide’s MICHELIN Recommended list last year. Just one more reason it wouldn't be surprising to see Figulina among the 2026 honorees.
Address: 317 S. Harrington St., Raleigh, NC 27603
At this 50-seat romantic getaway in Raleigh’s East End Market, chef and partner William D’Auvray puts his distinct flare on the classic French bistro, injecting personality and assorted Asian ingredients to present fresh and enjoyable meals at this glam and glitzy spot. It’s the kind of modernized fine dining experience we’ve come to expect from MICHELIN Guide spots, and the restaurant’s consistency and attention to detail help qualify it for top-level consideration.
It doesn’t hurt that service is among the best anywhere, and the space is immaculate as well, from the breezy champagne terrace to the large chandeliers that add to the dining room’s regal aura.
Address: 2020 Progress Ct., Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27608
Elegant. Precise. Unforgettable. Herons is, in many ways, the crown jewel of both the Umstead Hotel and Spa and fine dining in the Raleigh area overall. Executive Chef Steven Devereaux Greene is a repeat semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s "Best Chef: Southeast" award for his consistent excellence at the helm of this Forbes Five-Star restaurant.
Herons already made the cut for the inaugural 2025 MICHELIN Guide to the American South as a MICHELIN Recommended restaurant. But the restaurant’s exceptional culinary skill and unmatched hospitality make it arguably the most compelling contender for a MICHELIN Star in the state. It may just be a matter of time.
Address: 100 Woodland Pond, Cary, NC 27513
The first run of the MICHELIN Guide to recognize North Carolina included several Raleigh-area barbecue restaurants—Dampf Good BBQ, Sam Jones BBQ, Prime Barbecue and The Pit—which makes sense in a state where barbecue is practically a religion.
Lawrence Barbecue might have missed judges last year because it was mid-relocation from its startup digs in a shipping container to a more spacious home in downtown Cary. Now, Jake Wood and his team command an expanded menu as well, offering grilled oysters and smoke brisket quesabirria tacos alongside its stellar sides and show-stopping brisket. Already seen as one of the “best new barbecue joints in the South” by Southern Living, we expect Lawrence’s star to continue to rise.
Address: 150 E. Cedar St., Cary, NC 27511
Chef and owner Ashley Christensen may be Raleigh’s most famous chef, and the MICHELIN Guide already honored her flagship restaurant Poole’s Diner as a MICHELIN Recommended destination. We have every reason to think Death & Taxes will soon get its due as well.
For a decade, diners have delighted in the wood-fired cooking of Death and Taxes, a charming downtown restaurant that’s been a James Beard Awards finalist for “Best New Restaurant,” among several awards Christensen has won for her cooking as the matriarch of the area’s hospitality industry. The Southern-inspired menu is a tribute to some of the best that North Carolina has to offer, particularly its fresh seafood, making the case for this can’t-miss destination.
Address: 105 W. Hargett St., Raleigh, NC 27601
There may be no restaurant in Raleigh that is more broadly popular than the Angus Barn. That’s proven by its consistent ranking as the top choice for special occasions ranging from birthdays to weddings, as well as the sheer impossibility of finding a reservation—even mid-afternoon—during the coveted Christmas season when the steak house transforms into a shiny winter wonderland. Not to mention the chocolate chess pie, the city’s premiere dessert.
You don’t last for more than 65 years on rustic elegance alone—so it’s no wonder that Wine Spectator and the Fine Dining Hall of Fame are only two of the many national organizations to take note. Now it’s MICHELIN’s turn.
Address: 9401 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27617
The MICHELIN Guide’s Bib Gourmand distinction goes to restaurants that serve memorable meals at reasonable prices, thus giving diners exceptional value. That perfectly describes Heirloom, a café by day and humble-yet-seductive restaurant by night that hasn’t received the same accolades as some of Raleigh’s other top dining destinations but that is chomping at their heels.
This up-and-coming spot up the street from Raleigh Union Station downtown specializes in Southeast Asian flavors in dishes like the Lao grilled chicken and crispy mapo tofu. Entrees are bountiful and easy to share, and the menu is focused, owing in part to the restaurant’s compact kitchen. We don’t expect Heirloom to be overlooked much longer.
Address: 219 S. West St., Raleigh, NC 27603
The 2025 MICHELIN Guide - Raleigh Area
