The launch of the inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South brought exciting news for Raleigh, with 14 local restaurants receiving prestigious recognition.
This past year marked a fresh chapter for the city’s dining scene, as chefs and restaurateurs introduced experiences that celebrate both Raleigh’s southern roots and its global influences. From intimate, chef-driven concepts to vibrant neighborhood favorites, 2025’s newcomers are quickly becoming essential stops for locals and visitors alike.
Mala Pata
BEST NEW LATIN
From a trio of Raleigh area restaurant icons comes this masa-fueled ode to Latin American street food. Mala Pata centers everything around freshly nixtamalized heirloom corn, milled daily in-house and transformed into tortillas, tamales and tacos worth talking about. Chef Zack Gragg leads the kitchen blending Oaxacan, Colombian, Cuban and Southern influences into shareable plates like flautas de papas, shrimp aguachile and enchiladas with a North Carolina twist. It’s casual, but all very intentional, with a sidecar mezcal bar called Peyote tucked just next door. To say Mala Pata has been a hit would be an understatement. The restaurant was named as one of just seven restaurants in North Carolina to receive a Bib Gourmand distinction from the MICHELIN Guide in 2025.
Lawrence Barbecue
BEST NEW BARBECUE
Perhaps the most highly anticipated restaurant opening of 2025 in the Raleigh area, chef Jake Wood’s Lawrence Barbecue now anchors the booming downtown Cary. Chef Wood treats smoke and fire as a starting line, not a finish. The restaurant is quick to remind you that it is not your traditional Tar Heel State barbecue joint. In fact, the menu meshes North Carolina, Tex-Mex and coastal flavors into one offering, like a platter with pulled pork alongside brisket birria, poblano queso, smoked-then-fried wings, oysters and even crab claws.
The Crunkleton
BEST NEW SPIRITS + STEAKHOUSE MASH-UP
A North Carolina institution now gets the Raleigh treatment in downtown Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow district. The Crunkleton, which made its name as one of North Carolina’s top cocktail bars over the last decade, has gone full steakhouse — adding dry-aged tomahawks, oysters and buttery vegetables to its repertoire of antique spirits and pre-Prohibition pours. While the menu leans lavish — think house-ground burgers, coal-roasted seafood and sharable steaks served alongside old-school sides and a deep bench of rare spirits.
Peregrine
BEST NEW SPECIAL OCCASION MENU
Globe-trotting flavors meet North Carolina roots at Peregrine, a fine-dining venue and deeply personal project from chef Saif Rahman and bar-owner-turned-partner Patrick Shanahan. The duo opened their restaurant in Raleigh’s growing Exchange district in spring 2025. The 100-seat space itself is a showstopper with arched plaster walls, grand chandeliers, soft music and shadowy corners. On a menu that blends Southern sourcing and South Asian spices, start with Old Dhaka-style lamb kebabs, then go big with the Bengali Wedding Chicken, a whole spice-marinated bird best paired with fragrant pulao rice. Don’t miss the Italian fashion house-inspired cocktail bar next door that just opened in December, Capulet Cocktail Club.
Omakase by Kai
BEST NEW SUSHI
Tucked inside the new Hyatt House Raleigh Downtown/Seaboard Station, Omakase by Kai delivers a refined, reverent take on Edomae-style sushi. Chef James “Kai” Chung, who is already beloved for his work at Kai Sushi & Sake Bar in North Raleigh, guides guests through a chef’s-choice tasting where seasonal fish and elegant plating take center stage. Sake pairings round out the experience.