Restaurant Of The Month
Each month in 2026, we’re spotlighting a standout restaurant from across the South. These editor-picked establishments reflect exceptional dining, thoughtful design, and a distinctive influence on community, culminating in December with the selection of our Restaurant of the Year.
A lot goes into designing a restaurant. Creating meaningful ambiance requires careful consideration for lighting, seating, and flow. But one detail frequently falls by the wayside: sound. Restaurants are too loud. You can hardly hear the person next to you in most spaces, let alone the music.
One Thursday afternoon, as I walked into Birmingham’s newest listening lounge, High Dive, I was greeted with the opposite. Every sound in the space added to the experience rather than taking away. The background chatter was somehow perfectly diffused, allowing me to enjoy the Fugees’ greatest hits as they poured through the speakers…