7 Best Restaurants in Asheville, North Carolina

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.

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.

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.

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.