My Asheville favorites, from touring the Biltmore Estate and Blue Ridge Parkway crafts to downtown biscuits, Chai Pani, and a South Slope brewery crawl. These are the spots I send every friend heading to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Map
I give the Biltmore Estate a full day, touring America's largest home and then wandering the gardens and the winery.
Biltmore
The Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway is where I browse Southern Highland Craft Guild pottery, quilts, and woodwork.
Southern Highland Craft Guild, Folk Art Center
The North Carolina Arboretum's bonsai garden and forest trails are my favorite way to spend a slow mountain morning.
The North Carolina Arboretum
The Botanical Gardens at Asheville are a free little gem of native Appalachian plants along a creek next to UNC Asheville.
Asheville Botanical Garden
I duck into the Grove Arcade, a gorgeous 1929 building full of local shops, whenever I need a rainy-day wander downtown.
Grove Arcade
Battery Park Book Exchange lets me sip a glass of bubbly in a maze of used books, the most Asheville bar there is.
Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
The Basilica of St. Lawrence has a huge self-supporting tiled dome by Rafael Guastavino, and I always step inside to look up.
Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
The Asheville Art Museum on Pack Square has great American and regional art, plus a rooftop terrace with mountain views.
Asheville Art Museum
I tour the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the boardinghouse that inspired Look Homeward, Angel, right in the middle of downtown.
Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
Pack Square Park is my downtown meeting spot, and on summer days the splash fountain is full of happy kids.
Pack Square Park
I swing by Pritchard Park on a Friday night for the famous drum circle, which is pure Asheville.
Pritchard Park
Even when I'm not staying there, I grab a drink on the Omni Grove Park Inn's Sunset Terrace for the best sunset over the Blue Ridge.
The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa
Malaprop's is my favorite indie bookstore in the South, and I always leave with a staff pick and a coffee.
Malaprop's Bookstore
At the Asheville Pinball Museum one admission gets me unlimited play on dozens of vintage pinball machines and arcade games.
Asheville Pinball Museum
Well Played is my rainy-day hangout, with a huge library of board games, good coffee, and snacks.
Well Played Board Game Café
The Orange Peel is my favorite place to see a show in Asheville, with a springy dance floor and great sightlines.
The Orange Peel
I never leave town without a slice of cake and a sipping chocolate at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge.
French Broad Chocolate Lounge
Early Girl Eatery has been doing farm-to-table breakfast since 2001, and I go for the biscuits and the tomato pie.
Early Girl Eatery
The original Tupelo Honey across from Pritchard Park is my pick for shrimp and grits and their famous sweet potato pancakes.
Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
Chai Pani's Indian street food is worth every minute of the wait, and I always order the okra fries and a thali.
Chai Pani Asheville
Cúrate is my favorite special-occasion dinner in Asheville, with Spanish tapas that taste straight out of Barcelona.
Cúrate Bar de Tapas
Mountain Madre is where I go for tacos and a mezcal from one of the biggest agave bars in Western North Carolina.
Mountain Madre Mexican Kitchen & Agave Bar Downtown AVL
Jettie Rae's is my go-to for fresh oysters and a lobster roll in the mountains, in a cozy spot on Charlotte Street.
Jettie Rae's
BRÜ serves brunch all day just off Pack Square, so I can get the Million Dollar Waffle at 2pm with zero guilt.
BRÜ
Sunny Point Cafe in West Asheville is my favorite breakfast, and I wander the garden out back while I wait for a table.
Sunny Point Cafe
At Biscuit Head I build a giant cat-head biscuit and go wild at the jam and hot sauce bar.
Biscuit Head
Wicked Weed's Biltmore Avenue brewpub is my first beer stop, with a big hoppy lineup and a patio for people-watching.
Wicked Weed Brewing's Brewpub
The Funkatorium is my sour beer happy place, pouring barrel-aged wild ales you can't find anywhere else.
Wicked Weed Funkatorium
Burial Beer Co. has some of the best-designed cans and boldest beers in town, and I love their South Slope taproom yard.
Burial Beer Co. South Slope Taproom
Highland is Asheville's original craft brewery, and I spend a sunny afternoon on its big meadow with a Gaelic Ale.
Highland Brewing Company
The Sierra Nevada brewery in Mills River is a stunning campus with a great taproom, and I always take the free tour.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Sovereign Remedies is my favorite cocktail bar in Asheville, with creative drinks built on local herbs and Appalachian spirits.
