‹ 25 small cities with big food › No. 6
Small city, big food · No. 6 of 25
Greenville, South Carolina
Photo: Yousef Abdul-Husain, CC BY-SA 4.0,A waterfall in the middle of downtown and a Main Street lined with dining rooms. Michelin came to the South in 2025 and gave Greenville a star, which it kept in 2026.
Modern Southern cooking
Where to eat in Greenville
1A photo like it
Scoundrel
Get: Steak frites, tableside beef tartare and the chocolate cake
Greenville's first Michelin star, in 2025 and kept in 2026. Chef Joe Cash cooks classical French bistro dishes, with escargot, steaks with duck fat fries and caviar service. (greenvillebusinessmag.com)
2A photo like it
The Anchorage
Get: The short seasonal menu or the tasting menu
A short seasonal menu in a converted building on Perry Avenue, with grits, ricotta gnudi and gold rice with red peas. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday. (postandcourier.com)
3A photo like it
Soby's
Get: Shrimp and grits
Open since 1997, with shrimp and grits on the menu from the first day. The Greenville News called it maybe the most popular version in the city. Michelin Recommended in 2026. (postandcourier.com)
4A photo like it
Jianna
Get: Handmade pasta, oysters and the ricotta crostini
Chef Michael Kramer's Italian room at South Main and Falls Park Drive, with a second-floor balcony over the park. Michelin Recommended. (postandcourier.com)
Plan the trip
- When to go
- April to June and September to November.
- Getting there
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP), 20 minutes. About 90 minutes from Charlotte or Asheville.
More for Greenville
Why it's on the list
Food & Wine No. 6 small food city, 2026; a Michelin star.
- Food & Wine Global Tastemakers 2026 (AOL reprint)
- Michelin Guide American South 2026 (Greenville Business Magazine)
- Michelin American South 2026 full list (Fox Carolina)
Next small city
Places checked November 14, 2026; hours and menus change. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Nobody pays to be on our lists.
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