All Day Darling
Breakfast is the champ at this bright and airy in-demand spot for biscuits, smashed avocado toast, and frittatas, but it's also worth a visit later in the day for delicious bites like fried halloumi with honey and capers.
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Because of the large number of visitors to Asheville and the many upscale retirees who've moved here, the city has a dining scene that's much more vibrant and varied than its size would suggest. You'll find everything from Greek to Vietnamese, Nepalese to Southern soul food, and barbecue to sushi. Asheville has more vegetarian restaurants per capita than any other city, and there are local coffeehouses on many corners. Most of the city's many craft breweries also serve food.
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Breakfast is the champ at this bright and airy in-demand spot for biscuits, smashed avocado toast, and frittatas, but it's also worth a visit later in the day for delicious bites like fried halloumi with honey and capers.
In 2022, this unassuming storefront Indian street food eatery stunned the culinary world by winning the James Beard Award for Most Outstanding Restaurant in the country. Fortunately, the accolade hasn't changed the laid-back delightful experience of dining here. Chef-owner Meherwan Irani draws inspiration from his hometown near Mumbai in dishes like bhel puri (crispy puffed rice with a tamarind sauce) or chicken pakoras (savory fritters).
If you have the blahs, Cúrate, with its extraordinary authentic tapas and fun atmosphere (they won the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Hospitality—in the country) is the cure. The kitchen showcases the flavors of Spain over two dozen snacks and small plates, with special attention to cured Iberian ham dishes and seafood such as octopus and calamari.
This charming intimate space features handmade shadow-box art from the 1950s, a collection of mirrors, and retro lava lamps above the bar. The menu is equally eclectic, with small and large plates, including deep-fried deviled eggs, calamari in a garlic marinara sauce, roasted octopus with fava beans, duck and andouille gumbo, elk meatballs, and trout with fennel.
Don't let the pig statue out front full you—this is sophisticated vegan dining with a menu of frequently changing dishes from different cultures and cuisines. A typical menu might include seitan chili with cheese, lasagna with raw vegetables, smoked portobello mushrooms, and delicious coconut milk ice cream for dessert.
Set in the ground floor of the historic Asheville Citizen Times Building, Citizen Vinyl is one of the South's foremost vinyl record producers. It's also a lounge, bar, coffee shop, and an excellent café, Session. Opt for a chicken salad melt, a breakfast sandwich with fried eggs and chili crisp, or sip a negroni and enjoy the classic playlist.
The Bull and Beggar is decidedly warehouse hip, with brick walls, old wood floors, and high ceilings. The French-inspired menu plays like an upscale steakhouse, and the surf-and-turf theme extends to the mollusks, which include raw oysters and escargot. Their 30-seat nearby spinoff, Baby Bull, now hosts their popular Burger Monday, with deals on fabulous double-patty burgers.
The lively crowds at this BBQ hot spot range from hippie potters to downtown suits—former president Barack Obama made 12 Bones his first stop on multiple trips to Asheville—who come for the ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, sweet vinegar slaw, and corn pudding. On a sunny day, grab a seat at the picnic tables outside and take in the murals that cover every wall in the vicinity.
BattleCat Coffee Bar is one of the funkiest local coffeehouses in Asheville, in a boldly painted, old wood house with a porch and ample picnic tables that draws those who like the relaxed ambience, free Wi-Fi, and Counter Culture coffee. Tiger Bay Cafe shares the space and kitchen here, serving generous bagel sandwiches and breakfast burritos.
A French-style bistro, Bouchon ("cork" in French, and a type of Lyonnaise restaurant) serves simple Gallic comfort food, such as steak frites, bouillabaisse, and a version of chicken cordon bleu in a lemon juice, white wine, and butter reduction. The owner is from Lyon, and the casual spot fills up due to its prime location on Lexington Avenue.
Entrées such as pecan-crusted mountain trout with ginger sweet potatoes grace the frequently changing new American menu at this charmingly renovated Victorian cottage with wood floors, plaster walls painted in serene colors, and a fireplace in one dining room.
Named after an early-maturing tomato variety, Early Girl Eatery is casually Southern, with a natural twist, as it partners with about two dozen local farms for its farm-to-table cuisine. Breakfast is served all day and includes stacks of multigrain pancakes with organic maple syrup, shrimp and grits, and sausage-and--sweet potato scramble. In 2018, the owners opened a second location at 444 Haywood Road in West Asheville.
Inspired by the food of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan, Gan Shan West has an eclectic and inventive menu of house-made dumplings, ramen, soups, and noodles. Choose a table in the colorful petite dining room or sit on the breezy patio.
With exposed brick walls and antique wood floors, this is a staple haunt for fresh-brewed coffees and teas, plus pastries and free Wi-Fi. There are also locations in North Asheville and Woodfin.
The perfect stop for chic picnic provisions, a memorable lunch, or a lively pintxos (small bar snacks) dinner with friends, fans of Cúrate are thrilled to find many of its specialties available at this sister establishment, including cured meats, cheeses, sangria—even paella. The "La Bodega Experience" is one of the best prix-fixe menus in town.
This vegetarian-vegan eatery is a longtime Asheville favorite on charming Wall Street. The extensive menu ranges from banh mi sandwiches and a vegan sweet potato Reuben to dinner specialties influenced by the flavors of India, Cuba, Thailand, Mexico, and Morocco. There are also several raw entrées.
Three components—a talented chef from Mexico City, locally sourced ingredients, and a San Francisco bistro atmosphere—combine to make this modern Mexican place a standout. Whet your appetite with the ceviche sampler and lobster nachos before going on to the regularly changing list of main dishes like carne asada with a romesco mole.
Rather than specialize in one type of Indian cuisine, Mela offers dishes from across the country. The traditionally prepared tandoori dishes (chicken, shrimp, and lamb) are especially delicious, and at lunch there's an inexpensive buffet.
This informal neighborhood spot in Montford serves what it bills as Jamaican food, although the not-too-spicy jerk dishes are served in bowls over linguine or basmati rice. Tofu can be substituted for any meat, and many of the ingredients are from local organic farms. (If you like more heat, ask for the Rasta Fyah hot sauce.) Wine, beer, organic coffees and teas, and Cheerwine, a North Carolina soft drink with a cherry flavor, are among beverage offerings. Nine Mile has a second location in West Asheville.
Old Europe's Hungarian owner creates authentic European pastries, all made fresh daily and complemented by Mountain City coffee (including the city's best cold-brewed iced coffee), owned by an MIT grad who brings a scientific approach to coffee roasting. Asheville's oldest, but arguably most peripatetic, coffeehouse opens early and stays busy until late. Its current location, just north of Pack Square, is close to several new hotels.
A regular on "top restaurants of the South" lists, Rhubarb brings a dose of creative cuisine and local sourcing to a prime location on Pack Square, in a setting that is a charming mix of rusticity and utilitarianism. Hyperimaginative chef-owner John Fleer, a multiple James Beard Award finalist, relishes the unusual, such as rabbit-leek rillettes, octopus salad, and lobster corn dogs. Rhubarb has a little bakery and café,
Sunny Point serves food that's simple, well prepared, and not too expensive. Herbs and some veggies come from the restaurant's organic garden next door. Don't pass up the shrimp and grits or meat loaf (regular or vegetarian) with buttermilk mashed potatoes and sautéed greens.
One of Asheville's hottest dinner spots, this neighborhood tavern serves elevated but approachable fare like pork schnitzel with fennel salad and striped bass with harissa.
This tiny restaurant disguised as a dive bar helped transform West Asheville into a dining destination. The buzz around their charcuterie program, house-made pasta, and entrées like a confit duck leg continues today.
The emphasis is on the cooking at this dimly lit, painted-cinder-block eatery that blends French techniques with Southern ingredients like mountain trout and North Carolina shrimp. Vivian's service is top-notch, making it ideal for a date night.
Sophisticated tapas—think grilled octopus in black ink sauce, pistachio-crusted veal sweetbreads with blackberries, and squash gnocchi—have made Zambra one of the most interesting restaurants in Asheville. Moorish colors, dim lighting, and an underground setting create a romantic atmosphere.