Forbes lists Charlotte restaurant among world’s most luxurious places to eat
One of the world’s highest dining honors has been awarded to six fine dining restaurants in North Carolina — including one in Charlotte.
Winners of the Forbes Star Awards were announced earlier this year, honoring luxury hotels and fine dining restaurants across the globe.
Before Michelin, Forbes has been rating and reviewing North Carolina restaurants for years, honoring top luxury hotels and restaurants. Similar to the Michelin Guide, Forbes honors its winners with star ratings and recommendations, spotlighting destinations travelers should consider for luxury experiences.
This year, six North Carolina restaurants earned Forbes ratings, including one in Charlotte:
- Herons in Cary
- Fairview Dining Room in Durham
- The Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro
- The Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville
- Gallery Restaurant in Charlotte
- Madison’s Restaurant and Wine Garden in Highlands
In North Carolina, only Herons at Cary’s Umstead Hotel earned Five Stars, the highest rating from Forbes. This is the 14th consecutive year Herons has won Five Stars.
These six restaurants were also North Carolina’s only Forbes winners in 2025.
Gallery Restaurant in Charlotte
In Charlotte, Gallery Restaurant — located inside The Ballantyne, a Luxury Collection Hotel — received a Recommended rating, highlighting elevated classic dishes.
Gallery Restaurant is known as a destination for weekend brunches and holiday meals, pairing premium steak and seafood with traditional sides such as garlic cream spinach and crispy Brussels sprouts.
“Seemingly simple entrées like steak and eggs are elevated to the extraordinary,” inspectors wrote. “In this case, rich and tender black garlic-rubbed cap steak is served with a potato puree and smoked Kobe-shi poached quail eggs.”
Worldwide, more than 2,400 restaurants and hotels received a Forbes rating.
Portions of this story were previously published in The News & Observer.
