A North Carolina restaurant serves European dishes with Southern flair — and it keeps racking up the praise.
Figulina, a fan-favorite pasta spot in Raleigh, is now crowned Southern Living magazine’s restaurant of the month.
“Each month in 2026, we’re spotlighting a standout restaurant from across the South,” the magazine wrote in a report published Friday, Oct. 9. “These editor-picked establishments reflect exceptional dining, thoughtful design, and a distinctive influence on community.”
Here’s what to know about Figulina as it adds to its list of accolades.
Figulina, which has served sticky toffee pudding, received a nod from Southern Living magazine. jdjackson@newsobserver.com Drew Jackson What makes Figulina special?
Figulina is located at 317 S. Harrington St. in downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District. Even if you’ve been a customer since the restaurant opened in 2024, you likely will see a different menu the next time you go.
“Three cuisines are interwoven at Figulina, where British expat chef David Ellis has created a fairly traditional Italian restaurant with a distinct Southern accent,” The News & Observer previously reported. “The flagship plate … is the country ham carbonara, finding the same guanciale funk in local cured hams amid the rich eggy, parmy pasta.”
In addition to highlighting the restaurant’s Southern touches, the magazine also gave nods to British staples, such as the Scotch egg. There’s also rotolo, a pasta roll that the restaurant fills with Stilton cheese and other ingredients.
“This cheese is very important to me because it’s one that I grew up with,” Ellis told Southern Living. “It’s protected like Parmigiano Reggiano.”
The restaurant got its start after Ellis took a serendipitous cross-country road trip and landed at Poole’s Diner. Now that the chef has branched into his own Raleigh kitchen, Figulina expressed excitement about Southern Living’s nod on Instagram.
“We’re absolutely over the moon to share that Figulina has been named Southern Living’s October 2026 Restaurant of the Month! What an incredible honor for our little corner of Raleigh,” the restaurant wrote in its post.
Figulina adds to its honors
It’s not the first time Figulina has been recognized.
Soon after its debut, the review website Yelp named Figulina one of the top new places to eat in the South. And it also was a James Beard award semifinalist in the nation’s best new restaurant category, The N&O previously reported.
This year, Figulina was featured as a recommended dining spot in the Raleigh installment of The New York Times’ 36 Hours travel series. It also landed on The N&O’s list of Top 50 restaurants in the Triangle and was voted one of the area’s most-loved Italian restaurants in a reader poll.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 1:17 PM.
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Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
