Food & Drink

Asheville is a “foodie” destination. Fodor’s Travel Guide says this about Asheville: “Get a taste of Asheville while it still feels local and before it goes global. On the edge of the alluring Smoky Mountains, the food and drink scene of the recently dubbed ‘Beer City USA’ is the perfect complement to the scenery. With such a wide variety of exceptional dining choices, no palate should be left wanting.”

The Asheville food scene has been recognized by Bon Appetit, the James Beard Foundation, Food & Wine Magazine, Saveur and The New York Times among countless other national publications.

Downtown Asheville alone boats more than 100 independent restaurants offering you every style of food from down home southern cooking to small plate offerings; French bistros to Mediterranean; Barbeque to Latin-fusion; and tapas to steak house. Restaurants can also be found catering to every type of diet; vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free eaters will be happy to find dining options of their own.

And it doesn’t stop with restaurants!

Foodies have their choice of two excellent food tours, Eating Asheville and Asheville Food Tours will help the undecided sample cuisine from a number of our finest restaurants and shops while exploring the streets of Asheville.

Food trucks are a recent addition to the Asheville dining scene and they even have their own lot from which to serve you. This is the spot for ethnic cuisine: tacos, Korean kimchi, falafel and vegetarian fare are just a few of the street-foods you can sample here.

For the sweets lover, Asheville offers up hand-dipped chocolates at both the Chocolate Fetish and The French Broad Chocolate Lounge, where they roast and grind their own cacao beans! Tea shops and Viennese Pastry Stores serve every type of cake and sweet. Need coffee? Try one of our independent bookstores. At Malaprops or the Battery Park Book Exchange you can spend a pleasant hour relaxing and reading.

For a quick bite in a nostalgic setting, the Soda Fountain at Woolworth Walk offers up 1950’s lunch counter fare surrounded by original artwork and crafts in the rededicated building. Dine at sidewalk cafes or in elegant surroundings, it’s your choice but you can be sure of one thing: food will be fresh, innovative and sourced locally as much as possible.

In addition to the amazing food scene there are over 10 local breweries in Asheville and the surrounding area. Asheville’s brew culture is so remarkable it has been voted “Beer City USA”. Asheville Brews Cruise offers a tour of local breweries or it is possible to visit many of the breweries on your own. Most pubs and bars will serve a good selection of local fare and usually have live music as well.

Wine lovers should not feel left out. The Battery Park Book Exchange is also a Champagne bar with a great selection of wines to choose from. Just around the corner is Sante Wine bar, a European style wine bar.

And if you find something you like, you can probably buy it! Olive and Kickin sells a wide variety of blended balsamic vinegars and olive oils and includes a tasting bar. The Spice and Tea Exchange has spice mixes, exotic salts, and rubs as well as a large selection of fine teas. Not to be missed in the summer are the “Tailgate Markets” where locals congregate to buy fresh produce, canned goods and baked items from nearby farms.

For information on these treats and more, we recommend the following websites: Asheville Independent Restaurants ; Asheville Dining Guide ; RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide and A Guide to Craft Breweries and Pubs. And of course your Asheville Bed and Breakfast innkeeper will be happy to assist you!