Fine Dining In Asheville: Special Places Full of Character

Nothing beats being pampered at a fancy restaurant that boasts tasty food, great service, and a memorable ambiance. From incredible steaks to farm-to-table fare, you’ll love fine dining in Asheville. We promise that it’s not all stuffy or pretentious. From offbeat to traditional, grab our local list.

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Asheville is full of memorable restaurants ranging from fine dining establishments to hole-in-the-wall diners. Enjoy sunset views, rich and local ingredients, and unique decor. Along with these upscale restaurants, you might also enjoy our romantic restaurant dining guide with slightly lower-priced establishments like Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian, Bone & Broth, Tall John’s, and Nine Mile.

Cúrate

Enjoy fine dining in Asheville like Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay. Both ate at Downtown Asheville’s most renowned restaurant, Cúrate, housed in a gorgeous, former 1927 bus depot. With a large bar, open kitchen, and hanging meats, you know you are in good hands.

Helmed by Chef Katie Button and Owner Felix Meana, both experienced under José Andrés, Cúrate’s extensive wine list features a standout variety of sherry along with Spanish tapas. We love dishes like the unforgettable charcuterie, sauteed shrimp, octopus, seared scallops, mushrooms splashed with sherry, and fried fish balls. Find peppers stuffed with goat cheese and roasted veggie dishes.

Jargon

West Asheville fine dining doesn’t get any better than charming Jargon with its Scrabble-covered bathroom walls. This quirky, lava-lamped-filled restaurant boats contemporary American cuisine with a Southern flair and indoor/outdoor seating.

The frequently changing menu showcases items like fried okra, Brussels, stuffed clams, and meatballs. Enjoy gumbo with a salad filled with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Continue onto a main entree like cornish hen, duck, pasta, and steak. Most importantly, Jargon makes incredible craft cocktails. It’s hard to choose.

Bouchon

Fine dining meets French comfort food at Bouchon in Downtown Asheville. Not only is Bouchon our pick for one of the nicest restaurants in Asheville, but also our readers who make reservations here every time they are in town.

One of the coziest establishments, sit inside Bouchon’s intimate and dimly lit space or enjoy the outdoor patio. Bouchon makes famous French fries – that you must order – along with duck, beef, and seafood main dishes. I am a huge fan of the Boeuf Bourguignon. Enjoy steak, mussels, and duck. We recommend starting with a cocktail and sharing a bottle of French red wine for dinner.

The Bull And Beggar

It’s no surprise that one of the best high-end restaurants in Asheville that is not remotely stuffy sits tucked into the River Arts District (RAD). RAD is our go-to spot to walk, skate, and bike along the riverwalk and local parks, spy great murals, and shop for local art. Head to this area for date night.

Located in Wedge Studios, The Bull and Beggar will not disappoint as a warm and rustic fine dining experience for meat lovers. We love charcuterie with a crudite platter, and Tom devours the steak. Add in oysters, pasta, and duck entrees, and we are all set. Grab drinks at Bottle Riot next door or head to Anoche, Asheville’s tequila bar just a few minutes (drive) away.

Sunset Terrace

For fine dining in Asheville with the best sunset views, Sunset Terrace is a breathtaking rooftop restaurant. Located in Asheville’s historic Omni Grove Park Inn, this is the adult (luxury) Disney resort of the mountains. Think floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, a multi-level outdoor terrace facing Mount Pisgah and Downtown Asheville, and its famous winter gingerbread house competition.

Enjoy covered seating for lunch and dinner, which may grow a bit warm in the summer. In the fall, catch the gorgeous foliage. Be sure to order cocktails and delicious mains like scallops, salmon, pork chops, and steaks. Check to see if they have their vegan bowl or “no ‘meat’ loaf” too.

Limones

Another one of our readers and neighbors’ go-to’s for fancy restaurants in Asheville, Limones is where Mexican meets French-influenced California cuisine. Executive Chef Hugo Ramirez is a Mexico City native. Moving to Asheville from San Francisco, he focuses on simply good food.

We love getting the coveted window seat and starting with margaritas paired with tapas for the entire table, including fresh ceviche, grilled street corn, and lobster nachos. Then, move on to fusion-cuisine mains including BBQ fish, scallops with salsa, ramen short ribs, and enchiladas with vegan cheese (my pick!). Save room for churros or a Tres Leches cake paired with Mexican coffee.

Glass Onion

Since Asheville’s fine dining restaurants grow extremely busy, we have quite a few favorite Weaverville restaurants (10 minutes north of AVL), including Glass Onion and Stoney Knob Café. Both are elevated dining with casual dress codes.

Glass Onion’s owners, Eddie and Natalie, are originally from New York and former head chefs for two highly-rated Hamptons restaurants. With locally sourced ingredients, this is delicious Italian food in a smaller space filled with blown glass décor. I love their beet salad with pecans and scallops over pasta. Find trout, steak, salmon, and pasta dishes. Tom appreciates the gluten-free pasta as a Celiac.

Plant

If you follow us on Facebook, you know that Plant is one of our all-time favorite Asheville restaurants even though we aren’t vegan. Zagat named them one of the best vegan restaurants in the country. While we don’t necessarily consider Plant “fancy” – and you may dress casually – it is one of the only dedicated vegan, upscale restaurants in Asheville, which also means it’s a great dairy-free option.

Plant specializes in making multiculturally-influenced dishes with a seasonally changing menu. I live for Plant’s vegan cheese plate, ramen Brussels, roasted beets, and desserts (I have ulcerative colitis and am lactose-intolerant). Tom loves anything with their spicy vegan queso along with their curries. Sometimes, we purchase Plant’s sauces and cheeses to-go.

Asheville Proper

Asheville Proper is fantastic if you love steak. Located in the Historic Grove Arcade, this cozy restaurant is trendy but also romantic. Along with a large wood-burning fire in front of the kitchen, sit surrounded by mellow lighting on green and yellow couches with gold accents.

Asheville Proper’s menu features traditional steak dishes with small plates and à la carte sides. If steak isn’t your jam, savor mains like duck, grouper, and eggplant. For sides, choose from roasted potatoes, tomato salad, mushrooms, and fried okra. Classy yet simple and elegant, you will leave sated but not overstuffed.

Posana

For gluten-free fine dining in Asheville, Posana is it, especially for our half-Celiac household. This is our go-to for celebrations, people watching in Pack Square, and a fresh and locally sourced menu. They are one of the only restaurants in Asheville with a dedicated gluten-free kitchen.

Start with a variety of fresh salads, hush puppies, or bread with spreads. Follow up with mains like chicken, seafood, and steak. With a seasonally changing menu, I love the grilled octopus or fish, and Tom will order a half-roasted chicken.

More Fancy Restaurants

We always have trouble narrowing down our lists. It’s hard to go wrong in Asheville; the city is nicknamed “Foodtopia” after all. A few more fancy restaurants in Asheville include:

• Chestnut
• Isa’s French Bistro
• Zambra (for tapas & fine wine)
• Bargello
• The Admiral
• The Red Stag Grill
• Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse
• The Market Place Restaurant

Our Top Five As Locals

We celebrated our decision to relocate to Asheville at Plant, the nicest restaurant in Asheville for vegan diners. Once in our new home, we did a “cheers” with local friends over a gluten-free dinner at Posana. While we most appreciate Asheville’s grittier, hipster food scene, we also crave the occasional get-dressed-up, romantic dinner out. These are our top five upscale restaurants in Asheville to splurge at:

Before or after dinner, consider a guided Downtown Asheville ghost tour, coffee tour, or brewery tour. You’ll also find insider, biking, and art/history tours.

We’d love to know your favorites in the comments too!