11 Fine-Dining Farm Destinations in the South
The journey from farm to fork doesn't get any shorter than this. These 11 dreamy restaurants are located on the farms they source their ingredients from! Image: Stefanie Keeler / Congaree and Penn
Farm-to-table takes on a whole new meaning when youβre dining on the farm itself. These spectacular restaurants around the South invite you to pull up a seat right on the land that inspires their menus, opening your senses to a culinary experience with views as delicious as the flavors. Add these 11 restaurants to your culinary bucket list!
The Farmhouse at Serenbe
Chattahoochee Hill, GA β’ More info: SerenbeFarmhouse.com
One of the Atlanta areaβs original farm-to-table concepts, The Farmhouse menu changes constantly. It centers dishes around organic ingredients from the restaurantβs garden, the neighboring Serenbe Farms, and other Chattahoochee Hills growers and producers. Youβre seated in what used to be the airy summer dining room when The Innβs main house was the ownersβ home. They offer a side of live music on Fridays, fried chicken lunch on the weekends, and many special events throughout the year.
The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
Lovettesville, VA β’ More info: PatowmackFarm.com
This North Virginia dining destination is authentic fine dining at the source. As the website reads, itβs βearth-to-table cuisine using our fields as the chefβs pantry.β Your unforgettable meal includes savory and sweet farm-sourced dishes, spectacular hilly views, and many on-property corners to explore. Thereβs a glass conservatory, a pretty gazebo, and walking trails to meander with a cocktail or wine. Enjoy a multi-course progressive tasting menu Thursday to Saturday, or come on a Sunday for a casual βsupperβ-style meal. Tables can be reserved here.
Sojourner
Franklin, TN β’ More info: SouthallTN.com
Luxury resort Southallβs all-day restaurant Sojourner serves everything from handcrafted smoothies and house-smoked meats at breakfast to seasonally delicious dinner dishes and shareable sides. Donβt miss the decadent sβmores dessert before curling up with a nightcap around one of the many fire-pits. This elegant, rustically decorated spot sources ingredients from around the farm, which you can explore before or after your meal. If youβre looking for more cozy culinary retreats, we have you covered.
The Silo Cookhouse & Bar
Hendersonville, NC β’ More info: TheHorseShoeFarm.com
This Asheville-area farm experience is not to be missed on your next trip to Western North Carolina. Theyβve created a convivial farm-to-table dinner party atmosphere where guests are encouraged to meet, share, and learn about food. Grab a fresh cocktail from The Silo Bar in β¦ wait for it β¦ the farm silo, and get ready for an exploratory night of culinary delights.
The Hope Farm
Fairhope, AL β’ More info: TheHopeFarm.com
Right off the bat, this unique farm-to-fork experience wins our hearts by being in one of our favorite small towns in Alabama. The Hope Farm turns locally grown ingredients into globally inspired delicacies. And the experience doesnβt end on your plate! The bar serves creative garden-to-glass cocktails using herbs, fruit grown on-locale, and specialty beers in collaboration with local brewers and farm items.
Congaree and Penn
Jacksonville, FL β’ More info: CongareeandPenn.com
Congaree and Penn is aFlorida farm that shares its bounty during rustic, adults-only dinner parties. Expect an al fresco fine-dining vibe with wood-fired food, optional wine pairings, and new friends. Snag a $5 farm pass when you arrive for dinner to explore the creek-front propertyβs Spanish Moss-covered cypress trees, feathered and four-legged friends, and seasonal flora.
Ronin Farm & Restaurant
Bryan, TX β’ More info: RoninTX.com
Ronin is a buzzed-about restaurant, guesthouse, and farm trio. The farm raises heritage breed pigs, chickens, and all types of heirloom veggies without harmful pesticides or chemicals β and all by hand. If youβre not visiting during one of the farmβs nine-course Full Moon Dinners, drive 10 minutes to the restaurant. Itβs housed in a 111-year-old building, and food from the open kitchen and wood-burning grill is served on 28-foot functional suspension tables.
Castle Farms
Versailles, KY β’ More info: TheKentuckyCastle.com
Dining in an ornate stone castle is about as opulent as it gets! Watch your table fill up with dishes showcasing the farmβs harvest and cocktails made of the Bluegrass Stateβs finest spirits. The estate surrounding this bucket-list-worthy restaurant offers an afternoonβs or even a weekendβs-worth of adventure if youβre ready to linger longer. We love destination resort hotels and recently rounded up some under $500 a night.
Belleβs Bistro
Long Creek, SC β’ More info: ChattoogaBelleFarm.com
While this isnβt exactly fine dining, itβs in the fantastic-midday-dining category. Belleβs Bistro sits on the 198-acre Chattooga Belle Farm and boasts endless mountain views. The lunch-only restaurant serves classic American dishes made with seasonal, flavor-packed garnishes. Before or after, tour the awarded distillery, pick your own bouquet, and shop the well-stocked gourmet shop.
Canyon Kitchen
Cashiers, NC β’ More info: LonesomeValley.com
One exclusive Cashiers, NC community has an open-to-the-public restaurant whose setting is almost as breathtaking as its food. Canyon Kitchen serves Appalachian cuisine in a sophisticated yet rustic open-air dining room flanked with massive oak beams. Beyond the giant stone fireplace is a kitchen garden and verdant lawn overlooking the valley and granite cliffs. Youβll want to snap some sunset photos as you wander the garden with a cocktail.
CΓ΄te Restaurant
Tyler, TX β’ More info: HighHillFarm.com
High Hill is an under-the-radar East Texas resort perfect for those seeking a weekend of R&R or a delicious meal at the on-property farm restaurant, CΓ΄te. Visitors can explore High Hillβs garden before tasting its bounty, which is incorporated throughout the menu. Order that second bottle of wine and extend your stay in one of their overnight bungalows. Weβre all for finding new luxurious bed and breakfasts across the South.
May your flavors travel the shortest distance from the farm to your fork!
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Zoe Yarborough
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint staff writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant of eleven years. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.