Atlanta’s fine dining scene has achieved national and international recognition, with nine restaurants holding Michelin Star designations in the 2024 guide and multiple establishments appearing in James Beard Foundation recognition. The city’s ascent in the fine dining category reflects two decades of investment in serious culinary talent, with chefs who trained at top American and international kitchens returning to Atlanta or choosing it as their city of operation. Bacchanalia, founded in 1993 by chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, has served as the defining Atlanta fine dining institution across more than three decades, establishing a model of farm-sourced seasonal cooking that influenced the city’s entire restaurant culture. Lazy Betty in Midtown and Staplehouse in the Old Fourth Ward received Michelin Star recognition, with Staplehouse also notable as a for-profit subsidiary of Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit serving the food service community.
When evaluating a fine dining restaurant in Atlanta, the quality and coherence of the tasting menu experience is the primary differentiator at the highest end of the market. A Michelin-caliber tasting menu should demonstrate the chef’s point of view across courses, with each preparation reflecting technical mastery and creative intention rather than mere technical competence. Seasonal ingredient sourcing, particularly from local farms and purveyors, is a baseline expectation at Atlanta’s top fine dining establishments rather than a distinguishing feature. Service should be precise and knowledgeable without being stiff, able to describe every element of each course and anticipate guest needs. Wine pairing at serious fine dining requires a sommelier with enough expertise to match food technique and flavor profiles, not simply match major varietals to broad protein categories.
Top Fine Dining Restaurant Companies in Atlanta
1. Bacchanalia
Address: 1460 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd, Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 365-0410
Website: https://www.starprovisions.com/bacchanalia
Founded: 1993
Awards & Recognition: Michelin Star (one star)
Services:
- Seasonal tasting menu sourced from Summerland farm
- Organic and farm-direct ingredients throughout
- Full wine program and sommelier service
- Private dining for special events
- Dinner service Wednesday through Saturday
About: Bacchanalia was founded in 1993 by chef-owners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, who established a model of seasonal, organic, farm-sourced cooking that became foundational to Atlanta’s fine dining identity over the following three decades. The restaurant sources ingredients from Quatrano and Harrison’s own farm, Summerland, alongside other organic and local purveyors, and the seasonal menu reflects what is available and at peak quality rather than following a fixed format. Bacchanalia’s Michelin Star recognition places it among the handful of Atlanta restaurants that have earned international culinary validation, and its 1993 founding makes it the longest-standing fine dining institution in the city’s contemporary culinary history. The Upper Westside location in a repurposed industrial space reflects the founders’ willingness to create destination dining outside of traditional fine dining neighborhoods.
2. Lazy Betty
Address: 999 Peachtree St NE, Suite 140, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (470) 851-1199
Website: https://www.lazybettyatl.com
Awards & Recognition: Michelin Star (one star, received 2023)
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 5 PM-9 PM (Tuesday until 8 PM), Saturday 5 PM-9 PM, Monday and Sunday closed
Services:
- Modern American tasting menu
- Influences from Chinese and French culinary traditions
- Full wine and beverage program
- Reservation-only dinner service
- Midtown Atlanta location at 999 Peachtree
About: Lazy Betty received its Michelin Star in 2023 under Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, whose modern American tasting menu draws on Chinese and French culinary traditions in a way that creates a coherent creative point of view rather than simple fusion. The restaurant relocated to its current Midtown location at 999 Peachtree Street and has maintained its Michelin recognition at the new address, establishing itself as one of the most important fine dining destinations in Atlanta’s most central dining corridor. The tasting menu format allows the kitchen to control the full arc of the dining experience from start to finish, and Lazy Betty’s execution of this format has earned it consistent praise from both the Michelin guide and Atlanta’s food media. The limited weekly operating schedule reflects the kitchen’s commitment to quality over volume.
3. Staplehouse
Address: 541 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Phone: (404) 524-5005
Website: https://www.staplehouse.com
Awards & Recognition: Michelin Star (one star, received 2024)
Services:
- Seasonal American tasting menu
- Creative culinary technique with fresh ingredients
- Full beverage program
- Old Fourth Ward neighborhood location
- Dinner service
- Connection to Giving Kitchen nonprofit
About: Staplehouse earned its Michelin Star in 2024 under Chef Ryan Smith, whose seasonal American menu combines creative culinary technique with fresh, high-quality ingredients in a neighborhood restaurant format that is notably more accessible in atmosphere than the formal fine dining conventions typically associated with Michelin-starred cooking. The restaurant operates as a for-profit subsidiary of Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to food service workers facing crisis, giving Staplehouse a social mission that distinguishes it from other fine dining operations. The Old Fourth Ward location places Staplehouse in one of Atlanta’s most historically significant and rapidly evolving neighborhoods. The 2024 Michelin Star recognition represents one of four new stars awarded to Atlanta restaurants in that guide cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many Michelin-starred restaurants does Atlanta have?
A: As of the 2024 Michelin Guide, Atlanta has nine restaurants with one Michelin Star each: Bacchanalia, Lazy Betty, Staplehouse, Atlas, Hayakawa, Mujō, O by Brush, Omakase Table, and Spring. In 2024, four new stars were awarded: Staplehouse, O by Brush, Omakase Table, and Spring. In 2025, the Michelin Guide expanded its Atlanta scope into the American South Guide covering multiple states, and nineteen restaurants across the American South region hold Michelin Star recognition. Atlanta’s Michelin program began in 2023, making it among the newer American cities to receive Michelin coverage.
Q: What does fine dining cost at Atlanta’s top restaurants?
A: At Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants in Atlanta, multi-course tasting menus typically run $125-$200 per person for food, with wine pairings adding $75-$150 per person. Bacchanalia’s tasting menu is priced at approximately $125-$145 per person for food. Lazy Betty’s tasting menu runs in the $130-$165 range. Reservations at the most sought-after Atlanta fine dining restaurants are typically required weeks in advance, and some use reservation deposit systems to reduce no-shows. A full fine dining experience with wine pairing at an Atlanta Michelin-starred restaurant runs $200-$400 per person.
Q: What is the difference between the Michelin Star designations?
A: The Michelin Guide awards one, two, or three stars based on quality of cooking. One star indicates a very good restaurant in its category. Two stars indicate excellent cooking worth a detour. Three stars indicate exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. As of 2024, all nine Atlanta Michelin-starred restaurants hold one star. The Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, held by restaurants including Bacchanalia’s sister operation Star Provisions, Okiboru Tsukemen, Antico Pizza, and others, indicates good quality at moderate prices without rising to starred level.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s fine dining scene has reached international recognition with nine Michelin-starred restaurants as of 2024, led by Bacchanalia’s thirty-year legacy of farm-sourced seasonal cooking, Lazy Betty’s Chinese and French-influenced modern American tasting menu in Midtown, and Staplehouse’s socially conscious Michelin-starred cooking in the Old Fourth Ward. Each represents a distinct approach to the highest level of Atlanta dining. Contact these restaurants directly for reservation availability, tasting menu details, and private dining inquiries.