This article shares the best date night restaurants in Asheville, NC. Whether you need an impressive first date spot, a perfect place for an anniversary, or just a casual night on the town with your love, Asheville is sure to have the perfect date night restaurant for you.
Hurricane Update: Following Hurricane Helene, this guide to Asheville’s date night restaurants has been revised. All restaurants listed are open for service. Please note that ELDR, Vivian, Salsa’s and Rhubarb were removed.
Map of Asheville’s Date Night Restaurants
Nicer Date Night Restaurants In Asheville, NC
Below is a roundup of a few finer dining restaurants in Asheville that are date-night worthy. After this list, we share a few more casual picks for a date night out.
The perfect restaurant for an intimate date night in West Asheville
Jargon is our ideal destination for a date night in Asheville because it’s cozy with picture-perfect decor and delicious food.
Jargon’s menu is seasonal and ever-changing, but you can always count on excellent food and presentation. Their steaks are always exceptional and we love their various salads and small plates.
You can opt to sit inside or, when the weather allows, outside at their outdoor courtyard with bistro lights overhead.
If you’re up for it, opt for the Chef’s Counter when making reservations.
Casual atmosphere with elevated fare in West Asheville
The Admiral is such a treat! We absolutely love their outdoor tables with bistro lights overhead. It’s a great spot because the vibe is casual but the food is elevated.
You’ll find a small menu of French-inspired cuisine with a few options to share, pasta and around five main dishes.
Steak at The Admiral is always a great option, and they have a crowd-favorite beef tartare with horseradish cheddar.
Upscale Mexican spot with a delightful menu
Downtown Asheville’s Limones is a top recommendation of ours for a date night.
Their food is excellent, the menu is inventive, the location is great and the drinks + dessert are downright fantastic.
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 (or the churros with sipping hot chocolate!)
Classic American steakhouse featuring a live-fire dining experience
If you are looking for a fun experience while dining, Asheville Proper gets our vote. This downtown Asheville steakhouse is located in the Grove Arcade.
Their specialty is steak cooked over an open flame, which not only creates such a wonderful flavor experience but a full sensory one, too.
From small plates and refreshing salads to enticing non-beef options like duck, fish, and a tofu ‘steak,’ there is something to please every palate.
The star of the show, however, remains their selection of fire-flamed steaks, with the ribeye standing out as an excellent choice. Each steak comes with the option to choose a sauce and sides are served à la carte.
For those seeking the ultimate culinary adventure, try the chef’s tasting menu. It’s available Sunday through Thursday (closed on Tuesday.)
Steak dinner in the less crowded North Asheville
Bone and Broth is an excellent destination for a nicer date night out in Asheville. It’s located just north of downtown on Charlotte Street.
They have a southern-inspired menu that features premium dry-aged steaks and six steak sauces (including tallow butter!)
Their baked goods are sourced from local Asheville bakeries and they use meat from their butcher neighbor Chop Shop and local Joyce Farms. They also have a Beyond Meats veggie burger on the menu for any vegetarian diners.
Downtown Asheville tapas restaurant with outdoor seating
Tapas restaurant Zambra is the perfect spot for a memorable date night in Asheville.
They specialize in tapas-style dining and have cozy outdoor seating in the breezeway when weather allows.
Their dishes range from patatas bravas and mixed sautéed mushrooms to crispy fried chickpeas and tortilla Española with smoked goat cheese.
Pair your dishes with OWL Bakery bread served with vinegar and olive oil—it’s a match made in food heaven!
Share tapas at an award-winning spot
We can’t have a list of great date night restaurants without mentioning one of Asheville’s crown jewels. Cúrate gets it right every time, as you may imagine since they won the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Hospitality.
Their menu includes Spanish tapas, excellent wine options and decadent desserts. As far as tapas go, we have loved everything we have tried. 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.
Cúrate is a fun date night restaurant because you can spend the entire meal reviewing and discussing the menu. You know, in case you realize you don’t have anything else to talk about.
Local wine and cheese bar with live music
Though 5 Walnut Wine Bar isn’t the place to fill up on a large dinner, it’s a great stop for small bites and an extensive wine list.
It’s located in downtown Asheville and is really charming inside, with brick walls and rustic wooden tables.
Enjoy a glass of wine, people-watching from the window seats and live music for a fun date night.
Casual Date Night Restaurants In Asheville, NC
While we love a fancy night out in Asheville, you can typically find us at more casual spots when we have time for a date night. Our top picks for casual date night spots in Asheville include everything from a casual burger joint to a James Beard award-winning Indian restaurant.
10/10 burgers and picnic tables in River Arts District
Baby Bull is a casual burger joint in the River Arts District and a favorite of ours for any occasion. It opened in 2021 as a result of the fanfare over the burger at sister restaurant Bull and Beggar.
It’s an order-at-the-counter spot with picnic tables out front. There’s also indoor seating if you prefer.
We typically get their classic cheeseburgers and a side of fries, but everything on the menu is delicious. They also have a chocolate milkshake and tons of fun drink options.
Casual spot for ‘mindblowing’ Indian food
Chai Pani is a must-visit restaurant in Asheville. It’s a vibrant and lively eatery that takes inspiration from the street food culture of India.
The menu features a perfect blend of traditional Indian flavors with a modern twist, all crafted using fresh and locally sourced ingredients.
The inside is colorful and fun, the staff is always friendly, and the menu transports you to the bustling streets of India. Be prepared to wait, though, because they don’t take reservations and it’s a popular spot.
Delicious Asian-fusion in West Asheville
Gan Shan in West Asheville is such a delight. They have great food and nice outdoor seating. Their outdoor space is shared with OWL Bakery but they operate at different hours so it’s never an issue.
As far as what to order goes, their GSW Rice Bowl is one of our favorite dishes in all of Asheville– there are a ton of toppings on it and some can get really spicy. They also recently launched a few new menu items, including Vietnamese wings.
Gan Shan West is one of our most recommended places to get takeout in Asheville. It’s easy to order online and always hot and ready. Plus, it’s fantastic!
Vegan food in downtown Asheville (with a kombucha bar!)
Rosetta’s is a popular vegan restaurant in downtown Asheville.
They offer vegan comfort food, like mac and cheese, burgers, and fried chicken. We especially love their cornbread and collard greens and the vegan queso basket appetizers.
If you are into kombucha, check out the Buchi Bar located downstairs at Rosetta’s. Not only do they have a great kombucha menu, but you can order from the full Rosetta’s menu. The best of both worlds!
You’ll find a ton of kombucha cocktails at Buchi Bar, with everything from a Damp Salty Dog (vodka, orange cream syrup, grapefruit, buchi water) to your choice of shot in a pint of local Buchi kombucha. You can even get growlers of kombucha.
Cozy spot for pho in South Asheville
If it’s cold out and you are looking for a place to stay warm and get your fill of delicious food, head south to Wild Ginger. They have the best pho in town and its definitely worth the drive!
Choose from their house speial pho with several types of meat all the way to plain noodle soup. They also have noodles, rice dishes, sandwiches and salads.
A few of our favorite dishes are the pho with steak vermicelli rice noodle salad, and wild ginger wings.
Our go-to for Thai food in West Asheville
If you are looking for great Thai food in West Asheville, check out Thai Pearl. It’s relaxed and casual, which isn’t always the case with Thai restaurants. We love their drunken noodles, various curries and Pad Thai.
Thai Pearl was opened in 2020 by Chef May, who trained and cooked at The Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.
Thai Pearl has a full bar with a selection of local craft beers, Thai imports, and wines.
Laidback restaurant with Caribbean-inspired food
Nine Mile is the perfect destination for a fun date night in Asheville. Their food is absolutely amazing with an upscale feel, but the atmosphere is more local neighborhood.
We definitely recommend starting with their Live and Give appetizer– tortilla chips served with queso, daily hummus, and your choice of salsa. If you are looking for a crowd-favorite main dish, try the Cool Runnings.
Though Nine Mile has multiple locations around town (West AVL and South AVL), our favorite is the one in Montford. All locations have the same daily menu, though.
