Sunlight comes through a wall of windows onto cushioned banquettes, hanging greenery and work by local artists, and a large bar sits in the middle of the room. That is how Michelin's inspectors describe the dining room at Ọkàn on Calhoun Street in Old Town Bluffton. The guide's write-up also names jerk oxtails with djon djon rice and curried goat with Carolina gold rice.
In October, that room earned a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide American South. A few weeks earlier, Michelin had put Montage Palmetto Bluff on its 2026 list of Key hotels. Taken together, the two lists show where Michelin's interest in Bluffton lands. Its hotel honor is inside Palmetto Bluff's gate. Both of its restaurant honors are outside it, one in Old Town and one on Bluffton Parkway.
The Key belongs to the hotel inside the gate
Michelin rates hotels and restaurants separately. Restaurants can earn Stars or a Bib Gourmand, or simply be listed. Hotels earn Keys, from one to three. In its full 2026 U.S. selection, published in September, Michelin lists Montage Palmetto Bluff in the One-Key section. It is the only Bluffton entry on that list.
The Montage's own restaurants are River House, Fore & Aft, Octagon and Hush. The restaurant side of the guide was announced at a ceremony at The Pinnacle in Nashville on the evening of October 21. That is where the two Bluffton restaurants came in.
Ọkàn is the only Bib Gourmand in South Carolina outside Charleston
On its 2026 American South list, Michelin added 14 new Bib Gourmand restaurants across the region. Only four of the Bib Gourmands on the list are in South Carolina. Three are in Charleston: Leon's Oyster Shop, Palmira and Rivayat Creative Indian. The fourth is Ọkàn in Bluffton, marked as a new Bib Gourmand for 2026.
Michelin gives a Bib Gourmand for very good food at a fair price, which means the price is part of the award. The Island Packet reported that the most expensive item on Ọkàn's menu is a $42 hanger steak.
The restaurant started small. In March 2023, Eater Carolinas reported that chef Bernard Bennett's Ọkàn food truck was operating in Savannah and Bluffton. At the time, he was planning his first restaurant at The Bridge Collective, a mixed-use building at 71 Calhoun Street. According to the Island Packet, co-owner Matt Cunningham brought Bennett in from the Chicago area. Bennett had been a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Emerging Chef. The restaurant opened in 2023, and its name means "heart" in Yoruba, a West African language.
"We set out to tell the story of the African Diaspora through food, with honesty and care, and to do it right here in the Lowcountry," Bennett said in a release reported by the Island Packet. "To have Michelin's inspectors taste that story and honor it is humbling. I'm grateful to my team, to our farmers and to the guests who trusted us from the food truck days."
The farmers he mentions are local. The Island Packet reports that Ọkàn buys from local farmers and fishermen, including Gullah Geechee farmers. Michelin's write-up describes generous portions meant for sharing, with dishes like jackfruit fritters with berbere aioli.
Radici took a year to get listed
The second Bluffton restaurant in the guide is newer. Radici Italian Chophouse, at 4376 Bluffton Parkway, opened in early 2025. The Island Packet notes that it was listed in the guide a little over a year later. Radici is a listed restaurant, without a Star or a Bib Gourmand. Earlier Island Packet reporting described a team with experience in Michelin-starred kitchens.
Michelin's inspectors call the food Italian "with contemporary verve." They name savoy cabbage stuffed with sausage and smoked cheese, potato gnocchi with duck ragù, a pork chop with 'nduja and venison loin with goat cheese. The kitchen also offers a full tasting menu and counter seats facing the cooks.
According to the Island Packet, Ọkàn and Radici are the only Bluffton and Hilton Head restaurants in the 2026 guide. They are two of 27 restaurants listed across South Carolina.
Michelin's three Bluffton picks
The table below sets the hotel and the two restaurants side by side. Hours are as the Island Packet reported them on October 23.
| Montage Palmetto Bluff | Ọkàn | Radici Italian Chophouse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Michelin distinction | One Key, hotel | Bib Gourmand, new for 2026 | Listed restaurant |
| Location | Inside Palmetto Bluff | 71 Calhoun St., The Bridge Collective, Old Town | 4376 Bluffton Parkway |
| Food Michelin names | Not rated as a restaurant | Jerk oxtails, curried goat, jackfruit fritters | Stuffed savoy cabbage, duck ragù gnocchi, tasting menu |
| Dinner hours | Varies by restaurant | Mon–Thu 5–9 p.m.; Fri 4–10 p.m.; Sat 4–10 p.m.; Sun 5–9 p.m. | Tue–Sun from 4:30 p.m. |
| Daytime | Varies by restaurant | Sat and Sun 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Sun lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Reservations | Varies by restaurant | OpenTable, via okanbluffton.com | Through radicibluffton.com |
Ọkàn is closed only between brunch and dinner on weekends. Radici is closed Mondays. For a Monday dinner, Ọkàn is the one of the two that is open.
What's on the table inside the gate
Choosing between these two and a night closer to home starts with what Palmetto Bluff already serves. The community's Food & Wine page groups its dining in three tiers:
- Village spots: Buffalos, Canteen, RT's Market, Melt, Flame and Buzz.
- Club dining: the Canoe Club, Cole's, May River Grill, pool dining and the Crossroads food truck. May River Grill serves lunch to members and Inn guests who have a scheduled tee time.
- Montage restaurants: River House, Fore & Aft, Octagon and Hush.
The Club side added another spot this year. Palmetto Bluff reported that The Cottage at Anson Point opened in August near the 18th hole. It has screened-porch seating, club dining and a golf shop, and it serves Golf Club members and their invited guests. The community describes it as temporary.
Palmetto Bluff's dining is spread across resort, club and village spots, all inside the gate. For a dinner Michelin has rated as a restaurant, the drive is to Calhoun Street or Bluffton Parkway.
The Bib Gourmand has to be earned again
The Island Packet notes that a Bib Gourmand is not permanent, so Ọkàn will have to impress the inspectors again for 2027.
The regional guide is also new. Michelin described its 2025 American South selection as its first regional selection in the U.S., so 2026 is the guide's second year in this part of the South. Bluffton has a hotel and two restaurants in it. In the Island Packet story, Cunningham said Ọkàn's award recognizes Bluffton as a food destination.
The Lowcountry around Palmetto Bluff keeps changing, from new club dining at Anson Point to award-winning tables in Old Town. If you'd like to talk through what living near Old Town and Bluffton Parkway means day to day, Lynne Anderson Luxury Team is glad to share what we know. Schedule a Free Consultation.
