Hotel restaurants don’t always have reputations as bastions of culinary innovation. But across the South, a slew of resorts, inns, and boutique hotels have upped their game and expanded the definition of a destination-worthy meal. These include a Blue Ridge retreat that recently underwent a full renovation and brought in a top Atlanta chef; an art-filled hotel in Bentonville that spotlights Arkansas-grown ingredients; and a historic Texas stay that just opened the doors to a buzzy Mexican-Texan-Chinese fusion restaurant.
Below, read about these and more of the region’s most exciting hotel restaurants.
Esencia
The St. Anthony, San Antonio
Downtown San Antonio’s St. Anthony hotel was built in 1909 and has hosted a star-studded guest list throughout the years, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and 1920s “it girl” Clara Bow. Today, it’s worth a stay for the history, the luxury, and the just-opened restaurant, Esencia, helmed by Leo Dávila. Last April the Mexican-Chinese chef debuted Anacacho Coffee & Cantina on the hotel grounds, which has already earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant. Esensia promises to deliver, too, blending Mexican and Chinese influences with Lone Star roots via tacos piled with barbecue, wok-fried peppers and cactus, and a hibiscus and pecan mole over an Asian-spiced sous vide duck breast.
Jules
Barnsley Resort, Adairsville, Georgia
Chef Shaun Doty made his name at a string of Atlanta favorites, including Shaun’s, Yeah! Burger, the Federal, and Bantam & Biddy, but last year he moved outside the city to open a restaurant at Barnsley Resort, a former 1840s estate spread over three thousand acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In conjunction with a broader overhaul of the property, Jules debuted last year with a menu of international fare starring local ingredients. Doty’s signature schnitzel, for example, features local pork alongside Vidalia onions, peanuts, and cheese from Georgia’s Sweet Grass Dairy. As he says, “Jules takes its name from the original estate owner’s daughter, Julia Barnsley. Julia traveled the world, which is reflected on the menu. It mirrors my journey too, spending time in kitchens in Europe and traveling Asia. But all these influences are filtered through the lens of the South.”
The Hive
21c Museum Hotel, Bentonville, Arkansas
The lobby of 21c, located right on Bentonville’s bustling square and a short walk from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, doubles as an art gallery. After browsing the painting-filled halls, the Hive invites diners to experience color and creativity on the plate via Arkansas ingredients in elevated country cooking. Think buttermilk-fried Lion’s mane mushrooms, a salad with sorghum vinaigrette and black walnuts, and wood-fired local hog chop. (Don’t miss the seasonal welcome bite, either, paired with a two-ounce boulevardier or aperitif spritz.) In 2022, then-executive chef Matthew McClure earned a James Beard nod, and now chef Micah Klasky holds up that standard.
Herons
The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary, North Carolina
Chef Steven Devereaux Greene, a four-time James Beard Award semifinalist, heads up the kitchen at the Umstead, a Raleigh-area retreat situated on twelve wooded acres and a lake. His refined dinner creations—seared tuna with tempura rock shrimp and curry, a poached Harkers Island oyster served on a floating glass plate—have earned Herons a Michelin recommendation and a Forbes Five-Star Restaurant designation. And any fruits and vegetables, including heirloom corn and tomatoes, are likely to hail from the on-site One Oak Farm.
Luminosa
The Flat Iron Hotel, Asheville
A pork and bean pasta topped with a cornbread crumble, bucatini in a Covington sweet potato sauce, radicchio dressed up with aged pecorino and black walnuts—Luminosa is a perfect study in Italian cuisine brought to life by Southern ingredients. It’s set in the chic, 1920s-inspired Flat Iron Hotel in downtown Asheville, which is also home to a standout speakeasy called the Red Ribbon Society. Sustainability is top of mind at Luminosa; chefs Sean McMullen and Graham House love a good foraged ingredient (think spruce tips, morels, and ramps, often pickled), and the restaurant just earned a Green Star from the Michelin Guide for their eco-conscious practices.
Miss River and Chemin à la Mer
Four Seasons Hotel, New Orleans
Besides an unadulterated view of the Mississippi River, this marquee hotel in New Orleans’ World Trade Center Building boasts serious dining chops. James Beard Award–winning Israeli-American chef Alon Shaye created a love letter to his adopted city in Miss River, which hits the Creole and Cajun classics. Fellow James Beard honoree and Louisiana native Donald Link is the mastermind behind Chemin à la Mer on the fifth floor, where specialty steaks and a standout seafood bar seemingly float above the water.
