City Digest: Asheville

BRUNCH & LUNCH

Vivianne: My #1 rec in Asheville. Cool vibe and bar, fantastic selection of brunch flare and fun cocktails. Recommend the quiche, mushroom toast or fried chicken biscuit. Head there on your ‘Arts District Day’ before or after you pop into local art galleries.
Biscuit Head: A North Carolina institution. Lots of breakfast and biscuit sandwich options. Love that they still are embracing the serve-yourself jam station even in the post-Covid age lol
Rhu: Sister cafe to Rhubarb. My friends said it was the best breakfast sandwich of their lives, which was disappointing because I ordered a turkey kale sandwich lol. Good thing that was a winner too.
Leo’s: An Uber outside the city / more West Asheville. Outdoor backyard, wide wine selection and snackable menu
Tupelo Honey Cafe: homey, casual southern, right downtown
Buxton Hall Barbeque: Traditional eastern Carolina BBQ joint
Chai Pana: India street food; crispy kale pakoras and lime-kissed matchstick okra fries; Indian wraps and sandwiches. First come first serve; no reservations. Unfortunately, we tried to go at peak times and weren’t able to squeeze it in… so beware! But this came highly recommended to all of us.
White Duck Taco Shop: Affordable, no frills taqueria. Be sure and try to duck tacos (hello namesake!), as well as the shrimp and beef bulgogi.

DINNER

Rhubarb: Big restaurant that usually has reservations. Farm-to-table menu has a lot to offer. Recommend the burrata, root schnitzel and half chicken. AND the corn flake ice cream for dessert (yes, just do it.)

Itto Ramen Bar + Tapas: No frills but INCREDIBLE; multiple locations
Cucina 24: Instagram-worthy Italian food; home-made pasta and pizzas
Curate: On the more expensive side… but we heard it over and over again it’s the best of the best in Asheville. Really fantastic menu of Spanish tapas. We loved piquillo peppers, brussel sprouts, iberico pork and lamb skewers. Save room for dessert!!

COFFEE & TREATS

High Five Coffee: Great local coffee shop with plenty of seating for groups. Known for their (lightly) salty signature beverages - like the Storm, its latte with honey, sea salt, cayenne and cinnamon
Double D’s Coffee and Desserts: A British Double Decker bus plopped right in the middle of town. Order at the window and pop into the stationary mobile when you’re order is up. Try the Lavender Honey Latte!!
Ultra Coffeebar: Bustling spot in Asheville’s arts district. Offers indoor and outdoor seating, plenty of breakfast and lunch sandwich options and a full coffee bar. If you’re looking for something smaller, don’t sleep on the energy balls.
Sunshine Sammies: Local ice cream sandwiches
The Chocolate Fetish: Husband-and-wife chocolatier team. Truffles galore! We got pecan bark to share and it was to die for. An awesome place to pick up a sweet souvenir to bring back home for family and friends

BREWERIES & BARS

Wicked Weed Brewery: Simply a must. Big 2-level brewery with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. This is the place to be for day drinking on a Saturday afternoon. Large menu of bar food snacks (we loved the nachos and soft pretzel) and hoppy beers, open fermented Belgians and barrel-aged sours.
Funkatorium: Another brewery brought to you by Wicked Weed - focused on sour and funky beers. Also offers great food options on its big, dog-friendly patio. Split the 4-cheese grilled cheese and kale caesar salad.
Imperiál: Your Friday night spot. Downtown intimate bar with tequila cocktails and bumping vibe. DJ comes out around 9pm (recommend getting there before) and stays until midnight - plays remixes of top hits.
Antidote at Chemist Spirits: Right next to funktaorium (and across from Buxton Hall). Chic, apothecary style distillery with specialty cocktails and rooftop terrace and patio. Go there if you’re looking for a strong cocktail served up.
Cultivated Cocktails: Downtown distillery with big menu and great vibe.

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