The Best Restaurants In Downtown Asheville
Where to dine in downtown Asheville, from food halls to award-winning restaurants.
A guide to restaurants in downtown Asheville, from charming walk-up spots to reservation-only eateries, hidden gems and crown jewels.
Hurricane Update: This list of where to eat in downtown Asheville has been updated since Hurricane Helene. Several changes were made, including removing La Bodega, Contrada, Salsa’s and Rhubarb. Baba Nahm is also not currently on the list– they are relocating to a new address and are temporarily closed.
Where To Dine In Downtown Asheville
Below is a map of the downtown Asheville restaurants highlighted in our guide. As you’ll see, most of the restaurants are pretty close to one another. After all, downtown is quite small!
The only outlier is Bee Thai Kitchen– but it’s just on the edge of downtown and easy to get to. We also chose to keep Chai Pani on the list even though they moved to South Slope. It’s a quick walk from downtown and still part of the larger ‘downtown Asheville’ area.
The only other area of Asheville that rivals the culinary scene of downtown is West Asheville. In fact, we think you could make West Asheville restaurants the centerpiece of a weekend itinerary. And you can do the same with downtown Asheville, of course. The bonus of downtown is that everything is walkable and there are a ton of great hotels in the area.
Downtown Asheville Restaurants
This article highlights restaurants in downtown Asheville with a focus on dinner spots. Don’t miss our other downtown Asheville food guides, including where to have breakfast downtown, our top picks for lunch and even a list of downtown Asheville coffee shops.
Seasonal dishes in a historic building (and a weekend brunch!)
Chestnut is the perfect upscale restaurant for a date night in downtown Asheville. Their seasonal and unique menu includes medium plates as well as larger entrees and charcuterie boards.
The menu has an upscale feel, but Chestnut is approachable and extremely enjoyable. We love the outdoor tables on Biltmore Ave when the weather is nice. In addition to daily dinner, Chestnut offers an excellent weekend brunch available daily.
Not only is the food great, but the building is pretty cool, too. It’s over 100 years old!
Small restaurant with great food (perfect for a date!)
Table is a fantastic restaurant in downtown Asheville with a focus on local fare and delicious flavor combinations. The menu isn’t overwhelming but includes more than enough to find something for everyone.
We always recommend starting with Heidi’s bread because it’s such a treat! It’s a great size for sharing and comes with a side of cultured butter. From there, well… the menu is known to change! But there’s always something great to try.
The ribeye for 2 or more is typically on the menu and is great if you aren’t dining alone. Otherwise, prepare for leftovers! The steak tartare is also a crowd favorite, as well as the schnitzel when available.
It’s a great place and quite small, so make sure to make a reservation for Table in advance! We especially recommend it for a date night in Asheville.
Table is in Chef Jacob Sessom’s portfolio, along with All Day Darling (Montford) and Golden Hour and The Roof at the Radical Hotel (River Arts.)
Lobster nachos and churros in an upscale setting
Limones in downtown Asheville is a must-try Asheville restaurant. Their food is excellent, the menu is inventive, the location is great and the drinks + dessert are downright fantastic.
Make reservations in advance to secure a table or you can try to grab a seat at the bar. We recommend splitting a few plates like the lobster nachos, street corn, the three cheese relleno and the short ribs barbacoa gordita. They have larger dishes as well but we can’t get enough of the appetizers!
Whatever you do, make sure to finish off your dinner at Limones with their churros and sipping hot chocolate.
Casual Indian fare in downtown ASsheville
Botiwalla is a counter-service Indian restaurant in downtown Asheville. It’s part of the Spicewalla portfolio along with crowd-favorite Chai Pani.
Offering easy-to-eat bites like okra fries and flavorful flatbread rolls, Botiwalla also features a lamb burger and refreshing drinks like mango lassi and raspberry gin rickey slushies.
They have additional locations in West Asheville and Charlotte.
Locally-loved diner in downtown Asheville
The Med is an excellent and iconic diner in downtown Asheville with excellent, upscale food. They are open for breakfast and lunch and unless you go early, you can expect a wait.
We like to tell people to order anything at the Med! All of their dishes are delicious. For breakfast, we love anything with their sausage and the breakfast potatoes. And the breakfast salad with arugula, house-pickled veggies, bacon, potatoes and eggs is also a fun option.
For lunch we recommend their fried chicken sandwich, the classic patty melt or their Med burger. Grab a stool at the counter or relax in a booth.
One thing to note is that parties of 4 or more may have to be split up because of limited seating and booth size.
Steakhouse in downtown Asheville with open-flame grilling
Located at the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville, Asheville Proper is an excellent fine-dining restaurant. Renowned for its expertise in flame-grilled steaks, this restaurant not only delivers on flavor but also creates a captivating sensory journey.
Asheville Proper’s menu includes small plates and salads, a few non-steak entrees like duck, fish and a tofu ‘steak’ and a whole host of options from the grill. The ribeye is an excellent option and all steaks come with a choice of one sauce. Sides are a la carte and never disappoint.
The location is absolutely stunning, with marble floors, high ceilings and gorgeous light fixtures over the bar.
Vegan restaurant with an on-site kombucha bar
Rosetta’s Kitchen is the perfect destination for vegan food in Asheville. It’s a cool space located in the heart of downtown with outdoor seating and a kombucha bar downstairs.
Rosetta’s offers plant-based lunch and dinner options that feature vegan versions of comfort food, such as mac and cheese, burgers, and fried chicken. You can get their full menu at the Buchi Bar.
Casual Thai restaurant with outdoor seating
You’ll find Bee Thai Kitchen on the outskirts of downtown Asheville. It feels a bit removed but it’s just a five minute walk from Pritchard Park / S&W Market.
It’s in the former Little Bee Thai space and the new restaurant kept most of the same menu and vibe. The only real discernable difference is the expanded menu! You can also now specify the heat level.
Bee Thai Kitchen is one of our go-to restaurants for Thai takeout in Asheville. They have online ordering now and you can even get their lunch special to go. If you plan to eat there, order at the counter and grab a seat inside or on their outdoor patio.
Upscale Japanese restaurant with outdoor dining
Ukiah is an excellent spot for Japanese food in downtown Asheville. They have a fun menu with everything from duck hot pot to smoked pastrami short rib. You’ll even find a smoked Carolina pork shoulder with fire-roasted kimchi on the menu!
It’s a great place for a group, especially if you are looking to try several different dishes. If you are up for it, try the Sake Flight!
Award-winning Spanish tapas restaurant
Cúrate is an excellent Spanish tapas restaurant in downtown Asheville. They were the recipient of the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Hospitality, though they were a hometown (and visitor) favorite long before that.
Their menu includes Spanish tapas, excellent wine options and decadent desserts. As far as tapas go, you can’t go wrong.
The chistorra & chips is a great place to start while you check out the menu. The sauteed mushrooms are also fantastic, as well as the piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese.
Must-try casual Indian restaurant in Asheville
Note: Chai Pani moved to South Slope in May 2024. It’s just south of downtown AVL now (less than a 10 minute walk.)
When we talk about Asheville’s crown jewels, you can rest assured that Chai Pani is on the list. If you aren’t familiar, it’s a casual Indian street food restaurant that won the 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant.
It’s a cool space and the food is extremely flavorful, whether you are enjoying okra fries, a fish sandwich or their Sloppy Jai.
What really stands out for us with Chai Pani is the atmosphere and the branding. It’s perfectly noisy (and makes for an easy pick for the best kid-friendly restaurants in Asheville.)
Food hall with great eats in a cool space
The S&W Market is Asheville’s only food hall and it’s located downtown in the historic S&W Building. It’s the perfect place if you are dining with a larger group. There are several vendors in the same space and you can grab a seat anywhere.
You’ll find a variety of vendors at S&W, from fried chicken sandwich experts Buxton Chicken Palace to Flour’s breakfast and sandwich shops.
S&W is also home to Farm Dogs (hot dogs) and The Hop (ice cream), as well as a Highland Brewing taproom and cocktail bar The Times.
Cafe with great pastries, a local market and delicious fare
While The Rhu isn’t open for dinner, we wanted to include it on our downtown Asheville dining guide because it’s such a great spot. You can expect order-at-the-counter service, cafe vibes and a small market area with local goods.
The menu is creative, with options like a Dirty South Biscuit that includes pulled pork pimento cheese and greens and a turkey + kale slaw sandwich.
They also have a ton of great baked goods. We especially love the brownie! Many of the kitchen-less local coffee shops sell pastries from The Rhu, so you may have had one of their croissants somewhere else!
It feels small when you enter but there is plenty of seating upstairs (take the door to the left.)
Great beer, awesome people-watching and delicious pub fare
Wicked Weed’s original location in downtown Asheville is a great option for dining with a group in downtown Asheville. They have excellent food and a great outdoor patio that allows for excellent people-watching.
Wicked Weed has a vast selection of award-winning beers as well as an on-site kitchen with excellent food options. Try one of their signature flights if you are indecisive or like to sample several brews.
For food, we recommend the kimchi fried chicken, fish & chips and the ‘Asheville hot’ chicken sandwich. They also have a Bavarian platter that comes with a giant soft pretzel, kielbasa, bratwurst, sauerkraut, pickles, beer cheese and Lusty Monk mustard.
Thai restaurant in the heart of downtown Asheville
Suwana’s Thai Orchid is an excellent destination for Thai food in downtown Asheville. It’s just across from the AC Hotel and is a great spot both for Thai takeout and for dining in.
Top dishes include their drunken noodles, Thai fried rice and any of their curries. We especially love their green curry and their Massamun curry. The Massamun curry is topped with diced tomatoes and is always flavored to perfection.
Suwana’s offers online ordering and they’ve always had it ready when we arrive.
Hawaiian-inspired BBQ with outdoor seating
Huli Sue’s is a Hawaiian-inspired BBQ restaurant located in downtown Asheville’s Grove Arcade. They offer a fun twist to the barbecue we know and love. Make sure to check out our guide to Asheville BBQ if you’ve got a craving for Carolina-style, though.
Huli Sue’s has a nice, bright dining room and a great outdoor patio. Their brisket just melts in your mouth and they have fun sides like grilled pineapple and sweet Maui onion chips.
If it’s your first visit, check out The Sampler to try all their BBQ offerings!
That wraps up our downtown Asheville restaurants list! If you are looking for more dining options in Asheville, make sure to check out our list of the best restaurants in Asheville. Our food and drink page is also a great place to see what’s happening in Asheville’s dining scene.
