Chez Fonfon has been serving French bistro food in Five Points South since 2000, under chef Frank Stitt, who grew up in rural Cullman, Alabama, trained in San Francisco kitchens including Chez Panisse, and later worked in the south of France with Richard Olney before returning to the American South. The room leans into that French reference point deliberately: Belle Époque café tables and a 100-year-old etched glass door brought over from Lyon, plus a patio where diners can play boule.
The menu holds to bistro classics — steak frites, sautéed trout with brown butter, escargots, croque madame, steak tartare — backed by a wine list drawn from the Loire, Rhône, and Languedoc.
Regulars treat it as a destination in its own right, citing consistent food, attentive service, and a lively room, even though the location can be tricky to find on a first visit and reservations tend to be necessary.
The restaurant has picked up recognition to match: Michelin selected Chez Fonfon in its 2025 guide, the James Beard Foundation named it a semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality in 2020, and Bham Now included it among the city's best restaurants for 2026.
The menu holds to bistro classics — steak frites, sautéed trout with brown butter, escargots, croque madame, steak tartare — backed by a wine list drawn from the Loire, Rhône, and Languedoc.
Regulars treat it as a destination in its own right, citing consistent food, attentive service, and a lively room, even though the location can be tricky to find on a first visit and reservations tend to be necessary.
The restaurant has picked up recognition to match: Michelin selected Chez Fonfon in its 2025 guide, the James Beard Foundation named it a semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality in 2020, and Bham Now included it among the city's best restaurants for 2026.