Alexa Harrison

According to the Michelin guide, a star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. You know what isn’t a prerequisite? A meal that costs more than your car payment. To be fair, Michelin’s awarded stars to a substantial number of stuffy restaurants where you can easily spend that—and upwards.  But the flip side of that coin is affordable spots that might look a lot more like your local taco shop than a white-linen temple to haute cuisine. Exhibit A: a humble Mexican spot obsessed with the craft of masa; Exhibit B: a no-frills food stall bringing the best of the Yucatan to life; Exhibit C: a—yes—stuffy restaurant with an unbeatable lunch deal. You just have to know where to look. Or, save yourself some time and check out our picks for the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in the United States below. July 2025: We’ve updated this list to reflect some hot newcomers to the Michelin scene along with current pricing, hours and menu offerings for some of our favorites. Of note, however, is the closing of Tail Up Goat at the end of the year. We’ve chosen to keep them in this guide as a not-so-gentle nudge to get over there and experience their Caribbean-inspired cuisine before it’s too late.    RECOMMENDED: Every Michelin-starred restaurant in L.A.Every Michelin-starred restaurant in Miami Every Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco

Living alone can be liberating—freedom to decorate however you want, eat cereal for dinner (without judgment) and truly live life on your own terms. But without someone to share the cost of rent, groceries or utilities, the solo lifestyle can get pricey. As rent continues to rise across much of the country, single renters are feeling the pinch more than ever. Fortunately, some cities rise to the top when it comes to affordability. RentHop, an AI-powered apartment search platform, has released its annual Singles Index, breaking down the housing burden in major U.S. cities—that is, the percentage of a single renter’s income that goes toward renting a studio apartment. The report blends rent prices with median incomes to spotlight where solo dwellers can stretch their dollars without sacrificing quality of life. While you might expect a few Midwestern staples on the list, there are some surprises too—tech hubs like Seattle and Austin are proving to be more accessible than coastal heavyweights. And these cities aren’t just affordable—they’re packed with culture, cuisine and community, offering the ideal backdrop for an independent lifestyle. So if you're flying solo and want to make the most of your paycheck, these are the top 10 cheapest cities in the U.S. for singles to call home.

While it’s perfectly acceptable to get more run-of-the-mill items for the holidays, sometimes it’s nice to receive something a little more exciting than a pair of socks (again, no disrespect to sock-gifters). Enter: experiences. Experiences make for great gifts because they can create memories and spark new interests that last long after they’re over, and experiencing them with someone you care about is special, too. This holiday season, we’ve put together a list that is sure to appeal to a wide array of interests. Whether someone loves art, travel or the outdoors, we'll help you choose the perfect experiential gift to impress friends and family this holiday season. 

With the advent of what feels like an (almost) normal summer, people are returning to pre-pandemic routines and looking for some fun. That's also the case when it comes to dating. But even though dating has always been tough, technology—namely dating apps and social media—has complicated things. (This is probably not news to you.) Everything moves more quickly and the lexicon changes with each passing year. To keep up, Time Out asked dating and relationship expert Diana Mandell what signs to look out for and terms we should absolutely have in our toolbelt for 2022. Her advice? “If you receive any indication that someone you're dating is showing signs of any of these behaviors, cut off all communication and move on.”  1. Benching  “Benching is a term used to describe someone who is Plan B or C,” says Mandell. “You are kept around on the sidelines if someone feels like it. I describe this as a ‘toy on a shelf.’ When someone feels like engaging with you, they take you off the shelf and when they're done, they put you back and ignore you until they feel like engaging with you again.” 2. Breadcrumbing  Mandell explains, “Breadcrumbing is the emotionally manipulative act of giving just enough attention, time, energy and affection to someone with the intention of keeping them around as long as possible with as little effort as possible. Most people who engage in breadcrumbing are emotionally unavailable and choose not to commit to long-term relationships.” This takes the form of avo