Chef Jacob Stull / Reve — See the local restaurants that got a shoutout in “Top 15 Food Destinations to Visit in 2026” (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Birmingham, in my humble opinion, is one of the best foodie cities in the world. This “Where to Eat in 2026” list agrees.

Eater, the expert foodie digital media brand, names Birmingham among some of the best food destinations in the world! See what local restaurants and chefs got a shoutout.

Birmingham is a top food destination

For over 20 years, Eater has earned millions of followers and been repeatedly recognized for its achievements in food media, boasting:

13 James Beard Awards
6 American Society of Magazine Editors Awards
5 New York Emmys
12+ Association of Food Journalists Awards

Eater released “Top 15 Food Destinations to Visit in 2026,” and Birmingham made the cut!

“As the home base for Southern Living and Food & Wine, Birmingham is a culinary command center, having quietly shaped American tastes for years. But 2026 is the moment the city jumps off the page…

The city doesn’t hang its hat on a single marquee project; Birmingham is an amalgamation of Deep South cooking, meat-and-three institutions, Greek diners, and an old guard of highly decorated culinary talent like Frank Stitt of Chez Fonfon and Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club. It all comes together at the Southbound Food Festival—launched in 2022 to celebrate Gulf seafood, barbecue and other regional foodways—and in the meals that fill the city’s tables every day.”
Eater

Adios Birmingham — Adiõs (L) and Saw’s BBQ (R). *(Bham Now)*

Saw's BBQ — Adiõs (L) and Saw’s BBQ (R). *(Bham Now)*

The review mentions a few of Birmingham’s best and brightest restaurants and chefs:

Adiõs
Bayonet
Rêve
Saw’s BBQ

Joining Birmingham on the list:

Aguascalientes, Mexico
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Bengaluru, India
Cape Town, South Africa
The Dominican Republic
Gaziantep, Turkey
Isle of Skye, Scotland

Kelowna, Canada
La Paz, Bolivia
Mauritius
Milan, Italy
Okinawa, Japan
Route 66, United States
Traverse City, Michigan

More Birmingham shoutouts

New restaurant Bayonet from Rob and Emily McDaniel next door to their restaurant Helen on 2nd Ave N. Staff portraits, food, interiors, bathrooms and other details. — Rob McDaniel at Bayonet on 2nd Ave N. (Art Meripol)

This isn’t the first time The Magic City won a shoutout from Eater. In November of 2025, Birmingham’s Bayonet made the list of “15 Best New Restaurants in America.”

This recognition comes in good time, too! Just one week ago, five local chefs and restaurants made the 2026 James Beard semifinalists list.

And AFAR—one of the travel industry’s most trusted and influential publications—named Birmingham among the best places to travel in 2026.

We’ve always known Birmingham is the greatest city in the world, and now, we’ve got some expert opinions to back us up.

What do you think, Birmingham? What local eats do you think help put us on the map? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know. Get more local news like this when you sign up for our free newsletter.