The best downtown Montgomery restaurants are Central and Ravello Ristorante for a special dinner, Capitol Oyster Bar for oysters on the Alabama River, AYA Soulful Dining and Pannie-George’s Kitchen for Southern and soul food, SaZa Serious Italian for pizza and pasta, and Chris’ Famous Hotdogs for a quick, historic lunch on Dexter Avenue. Most are within a 10-minute walk of each other, so you can park once and eat your way through downtown.
Every restaurant below is locally owned and listed in our directory, where you can check current hours. For the full list, see our downtown Montgomery restaurants page, and for the rest of the city, our Montgomery travel guide.
Downtown Montgomery restaurants at a glance
| Restaurant | Best for | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Seasonal fine dining with Gulf seafood | Upscale casual | Dinner only; reserve on weekends |
| Ravello Ristorante | Italian dinner and a serious wine list | $$$$ | Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Capitol Oyster Bar | Oysters and a deck on the river | $$ | Wednesday to Sunday, last seating 7 p.m. |
| AYA Soulful Dining | Upscale soul food near the Legacy Sites | $$$ | Open daily from 6:30 a.m. |
| Pannie-George’s Kitchen | Fried chicken and a daily-changing Southern menu | $ | Call ahead for the day’s menu |
| SaZa Serious Italian | Pizza and family-recipe pasta | $$$ | Open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday |
| Chris’ Famous Hotdogs | A quick, historic lunch | $ | Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| D’Road Cafe | Venezuelan plates and arepas | Set price per plate | Hours lean toward breakfast and lunch |
| Lorraine’s Bake Shop | From-scratch pastries and cakes | $ | Cinnamon rolls on Wednesdays |
Where should you go for a special dinner downtown?
Book Central or Ravello Ristorante for a special dinner in downtown Montgomery, or AYA Soulful Dining if you want soul food with a fine-dining approach.
Central
Central, at 129 Coosa Street, is one of the city’s defining fine dining restaurants, built on local and seasonal ingredients, including Gulf seafood from the Alabama coast and meats and greens from regional farms. It calls itself upscale casual, which means a serious kitchen without stiffness. The historic building has a main dining room, a river room and a wine cellar. The menu changes with the seasons, and it serves dinner only, so reserve ahead on weekends.
Ravello Ristorante
Ravello Ristorante, at 36 Commerce Street, cooks old-world Italian dishes with Southern ingredients where they fit, and it offers a chef’s tasting menu alongside its regular dinner menu. Its wine list has earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Ravello is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and reservations are through Resy. It shares a building with Bar Attico, a penthouse-level bar, so you can go upstairs for a drink after.
AYA Soulful Dining
AYA Soulful Dining, at 600 Montgomery Street near the Legacy Sites, treats soul food with the care of a fine-dining kitchen. Signature plates include Southern fried chicken, smothered chicken and rice, a sweet cornbread waffle with wings, fish and grits, and Sunday short ribs, and vegetarians get real options like black-eyed pea hummus and barbecue mushrooms with field peas. The bar pours signature cocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails and beer from Montgomery’s Common Bond Brewers. It is open daily for breakfast and lunch from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where can you eat on the river in Montgomery?
Eat at Capitol Oyster Bar, the family-owned seafood spot on the bank of the Alabama River at the Montgomery Marina. Boats dock a few steps from the tables, the deck looks over open water, and on weekends there is live blues.
Capitol Oyster Bar, at 617 Shady Street, has been open since 1996. Order oysters raw on the half shell or chargrilled, and the shrimp po’boy, which regulars order without looking at the menu. There are fried and grilled seafood plates, and a burger for anyone who does not want seafood. Hours are tight: seating starts at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday, with the last seating at 7 p.m., so plan an early dinner or a long lunch, and call ahead if you are cutting it close. It is a short drive from the center of downtown rather than a walk.
For more on where to find Gulf oysters around the state, see our Alabama Gulf oysters guide.
Where should you eat Southern food in downtown Montgomery?
For classic Southern cooking downtown, go to Pannie-George’s Kitchen at lunch. Pannie-George’s Kitchen, at 450 North Court Street, has served home-style Southern food in Montgomery since 2005. Fried chicken is the one constant, and the rest of the meats and vegetables change daily, so regulars call ahead to see what is on. It is a few minutes’ walk from the Legacy Museum, which makes it the natural lunch stop on a civil rights day. For dinner, AYA Soulful Dining (above) is the upscale choice.
Where can you get Italian and pizza downtown?
Go to SaZa Serious Italian at 130 Commerce Street for hearty pizza and pasta, much of it from the chef’s grandmother’s recipes. The menu runs from a house cheese pizza to wild mushroom and lamb kafta pies, plus spaghettini and meatballs, Sunday sauce, hand-rolled manicotti and lobster ravioli. SaZa serves lunch and dinner most days, and it stays open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, one of the later closing times among Montgomery’s Italian kitchens. For a dressier Italian dinner, choose Ravello (above).
Where should you grab a quick lunch downtown?
For a quick lunch, go to Chris’ Famous Hotdogs on Dexter Avenue or D’Road Cafe on Montgomery Street.
- Chris’ Famous Hotdogs: At 138 Dexter Avenue, this is Montgomery’s oldest family-owned and operated restaurant. Order a hot dog, a burger or the Conecuh Dog, made with the well-known Alabama sausage, or the 1 and 1 (one hot dog, one hamburger, fries and a drink). Finish with lemon meringue pie, pecan pie or chocolate cake. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
- D’Road Cafe: At 121 Montgomery Street, this family-run spot cooks Venezuelan and Latin American food on a meat-and-three model: pick one meat and three sides for a set price, with a homemade dessert included. Look for arepas and empanadas. Hours lean toward breakfast and lunch.
Where should you get breakfast, coffee and dessert downtown?
Start the day at Prevail Union or AYA, and pick up something sweet at Lorraine’s.
- Prevail Union Montgomery: The flagship cafe of Montgomery’s own Prevail Coffee, inside the historic Kress Building at 39 Dexter Avenue, with pour-overs, espresso and seasonal drinks.
- Lorraine’s Bake Shop: A from-scratch bakery at 22 Dexter Avenue. Cinnamon rolls are the Wednesday special, slow-fermented sourdough comes out on Fridays and quiche on Saturday mornings.
- AYA Soulful Dining opens at 6:30 a.m. every day for a sit-down Southern breakfast.
Where should you go for drinks after dinner?
Downtown’s best bars are within a few blocks of the restaurants above. Try the rooftop at Waterworks atop the Trilogy Hotel on Coosa Street, or the brick-and-beam taproom at Common Bond Brewers on Bibb Street. Our Montgomery nightlife guide covers cocktail bars, breweries and live music in detail.
Tips for eating in downtown Montgomery
- Watch the days. Ravello is closed Sunday and Monday, Capitol Oyster Bar is closed Monday and Tuesday, and Chris’ is closed Sunday. Sunday dinner options are thinner downtown, so plan ahead.
- Reserve on weekends. Book Central and Ravello ahead for Friday and Saturday nights.
- Park free after 5. Downtown street meters run weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and evening and weekend street parking is free.
- Pair dinner with history. Pannie-George’s and AYA are close to the Legacy Sites, which are open Wednesday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the Legacy Sites visitor FAQ, and Chris’ and Lorraine’s are on Dexter Avenue near the Rosa Parks Museum. See our Montgomery civil rights sites guide to plan the day, or our one day in Montgomery itinerary for a full walking plan.
FAQ
What is the best restaurant in downtown Montgomery?
Our pick is Central on Coosa Street, a fine dining restaurant with a seasonal menu built on Gulf seafood and regional farms. Ravello Ristorante is the top choice for Italian and wine, and Capitol Oyster Bar is the pick for a meal on the river.
Where can you eat oysters in Montgomery, Alabama?
Capitol Oyster Bar, on the Alabama River at the Montgomery Marina, serves oysters raw on the half shell or chargrilled. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, with the last seating at 7 p.m.
Where can you get soul food in downtown Montgomery?
AYA Soulful Dining on Montgomery Street serves upscale soul food for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Pannie-George’s Kitchen on North Court Street serves home-style Southern plates with fried chicken every day.
What restaurants are near the Legacy Museum?
Pannie-George’s Kitchen on North Court Street and AYA Soulful Dining on Montgomery Street are both close to the Legacy Sites. Chris’ Famous Hotdogs and Lorraine’s Bake Shop on Dexter Avenue are a short walk away.
Is downtown Montgomery walkable for dinner?
Yes. Most downtown restaurants and bars, including Central, Ravello, SaZa, Waterworks and Common Bond Brewers, are within about a 10-minute walk of each other. Capitol Oyster Bar, at the marina, is a short drive.