113 20th Street North (Downtown)
322-1282
www.birminghammenus.com/cafedupont/
Dinner only; reservations required. Chef/owner Chris Dupont focuses on classic French techniques with a bit of New Orleans and the South thrown in at his downtown restaurant. The menu changes daily, but examples include fried oysters and okra with cayenne butter sauce and horseradish creme fraiche, herb crusted Carolina rainbow trout with sauce remoulade, seared sea scallops with goat cheese soufflé, grilled prime New York strip with grilled shrimp and cabernet butter, and braised beef bourguignon and grilled Georgia quail with homemade truffle gnocchi. They are unique in town in offering a three- or five-couse menu tasting. One of only two AAA four-diamond restaurants in the state.

2007 11th Ave. South (Southside/Five Points South)
939-3221
Lunch and dinner; reservations not accepted; full bar. The more casual cousin to Highlands Bar & Grill next door, this French bistro offers French country cuisine, with selections such as steak and French fries, Nicoise tart, herbed omelette, country pate, fresh fish and French cheese. In a January 2008 review, City Scene's Fletcher Harvey called it "tres fun-fun" for lunch, praising Quiche Lorraine, Croque Madame, the hamburger FonFon and seasonal desserts, but said everything seemed a little salty.

1 Cobb Lane (Southside/Five Points South)
933-0462
www.birminghammenus.com/cobblane/
Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. A Birmingham institution, known for outdoor courtyard dining. On the lunch menu, you'll find options such as she-crab soup, fried green tomatoes, grilled roast beef on focaccia and other sandwiches, half a dozen salads, and entrees such as Ovetta's famous chicken salad, shrimp Hoppin' John, chicken divan, southern fried chicken, crab cakes, and other classic Southern dishes. Dinner includes some of the same dishes, along with entrees such as Steak Oscar, Woodford-glazed pork tenderloin, Southern Catfish Filets, and Chicken Marsala. City Scene gave high marks to the classic she-crab soup, fried green tomatoes, artichoke dip, tuna, filet, fried catfish, and chocolate roulage.

2837 Culver Road (Mountain Brook Village)
871-3266
www.birminghammenus.com/danielgeorge
Dinner Tuesday through Saturday, live music Wednesdays. A personal favorite. Chef/owner team Daniel Briggs and George McMillan III feature "creative American cuisine" in an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere, with an ever-changing menu of seafood, meat and game with regional and international influences, and friendly, enthusiastic service. Classics such as vial piccata but also more innovative fare on a menu that changes daily according to what's fresh and available. Great place for a drink, as well, with ever-changing and affordable wines by the glass. While it's known as a neighborhood restaurant, this is worth a trip from other parts of town.

212 Country Club Drive, Mountain Brook (Crestline Village)
802-1410
www.fire-restaurant.com
Dinner seven nights a week, plus Sunday brunch. Reservations suggested on weekends. A white-tablecloth Creole grill with menu that changes seasonally. You might find appetizers such as corn-fried oysters, griddled crab cake and turtle soup; entrees such as seven-hour lamb shanks, grilled shrimp and grits with andouille cheese grits, Southern cassoulet, baby back ribs and po' boy sandwiches. City Scene gave it three and a half out of four stars in 2004.

2011 11th Ave. South (Southside/Five Points South)
939-1400
One of the region's finest restaurants -- if an out-of-town guest wants to sample Birmingham's finest, this is the place to go. Chef and owner Frank Stitt combines French cuisine with the freshest Southern ingredients. Fresh gulf seafood, locally grown organic produce, and sustainably raised poultry, beef, veal, lamb and game are the foundations of the daily changing menu. A signature dish is stone ground baked grits with country ham, gourmet mushrooms, fresh thyme and parmesan. The service is superb, with an ever-changing selection of wines by the glass as well as an extensive wine list by the bottle. The bar offers classic cocktails as well as their own creations, plus some of the best raw oysters in town. Stitt has received numerous awards, including being named Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2001.

2818 11th Court South (Southside, just off Highland behind Taj India)
933-5474
www.hotandhotfishclub.com
Global cuisine with emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Upscale, comfortable surroundings, with an open kitchen. Creative preparations of seafood, meats, salads and vegetarian dishes. On the same menu you might see influences from Asia, the Caribbean, Italy, the Middle East, and the American South. The heirloom tomato salad is so popular that the Birmingham News publishes an article when it becomes available in the summer. Chef Chris Hastings, who owns Hot & Hot with his wife Idie, has been recognized both locally and nationally by the media and fine food organizations, including a 2007 finalist for the "Best Chef in the South" James Beard Award. He is active in promoting local independent restaurants.

Tutwiler Hotel
2021 Park Place North, downtown (across from the old Birmingham library and Linn Park)
(205) 251-2021
www.birminghammenus.com/icon/
Sleek, comfortable downtown restaurant offering "modern Southern cuisine," with Asian and other international influences. Sample dishes include spicy green tomato soup, tuna tataki with seaweed salad, braised veal cheek ravioli, pistachio-crusted foie gras, beef tenderloin with Gruyere soufflé, lamb porterhouse, cedar-planked Alaskan halibut, butter poached lobster. Innovative wine list. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including Sunday brunch.
Click here for Bhamdining.com review.

3811 Clairmont Ave., Southside/Forest Park
591-1119
www.birminghammenus.com/littlesavannah/
Progressive Southern cuisine in cozy dining room with artsy decor in historic Forest Park. Typical dinner selections include appetizers of Gulf shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, fried oysters and black bean soup, and entrees such as grilled pork tenderloin with Hoppin' John, Grilled Atlantic salmon with gingered corn relish, and Bananas Foster for dessert. Cooking classes offered.
Click here for Bhamdining.com review

CURRENTLY IN PROCESS OF RELOCATING
www.LisLocal.com
Chef Anthony Marini brings a breath of fresh air to Birmingham cuisine. His restaurant is fine dining meets casual, a great place for dinner before or after a movie at the Rave theater just up the escalator, or for a full evening of spectacular food. You'll find a wide range of delicious food, including tartare, exquisite meat and seafood entrees with innovative flavors, flavorful desserts and more. The wine list offers lots of affordable choices that are not the usual fare. City Scene called dinner "delicious from start to finish," noting the entrees were "beautifully presented and absolute treats," only deducting a star for service that "petered out at the end of the evening" and coffee that could have been hotter. For a special treat, try the Chef's Table experience.
Click here for Bhamdining.com review
Click here for our review of the Chef's Table