Settled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Asheville is a small U.S. city that is a popular with tourist destination. Being chosen as one of CNN’s 18 Best Places to Visit in 2018 and Forbes’ 15 Coolest Places to Go in 2018, it is a no-brainer why people continue to flock to our beautiful little city. I’ve only been here for seven years, and I am astonished of how fast it has grown in that short period of time.

There are a lot of places and attractions to see in and around Asheville, but it’s not the only thing that tourists or locals alike enjoy. The food is one of the reasons too and you would be surprised at the number of restaurants there are in Asheville. I was surprised myself of the number considering how small our city is and the many different cuisines to choose from. There’s Thai, Korean, Mexican, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, etc. It seems like the only thing missing is Filipino cuisine.

I love food and I consider myself a foodie. Whenever we go out for dinner either to celebrate a special occasion or just to enjoy eating out and create a memory, more often than not, we choose a new restaurant. It is always exciting for us to sample a different cuisine and feel the vibe of a different place. But we do have our favorites that we have gone back for a few times and I’m sharing them all below.

1. CORNER KITCHEN

Located in Historic Biltmore Village which is right across the street from the gate of America’s Largest Home, the Biltmore House, you are not only going to love the charming architecture of this restaurant which is a Victorian cottage, the food here is what I consider…to-die-for! They serve American food and they offer different dishes every day plus specials at such affordable prices. I always go for their seafood entree and enjoy their dessert. Hubby and I even got to enjoy an impromptu breakfast there one time and we were seated right in front of the fireplace at the west side of the restaurant which is really cozy.

2. THE LOBSTER TRAP

The three of us are seafood lovers and The Lobster Trap is undoubtedly our favorite seafood restaurant in the city. They offer different kinds of fresh seafood, from lobster which came all the way from Maine to clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, etc. They even have lobster mac and cheese which is our son’s favorite.  This seafood haven is located in downtown Asheville and this is the only place that we go to whenever Hubby’s best friend is in town because it is his favorite too. And while you are enjoying the best seafood in town, there is also live music playing.

3. GAN SHAN STATION

As an Asian, Gan Shan Station hit the spot when it comes to delivering delicious and oh so flavorful Asian cuisine. They offer vegetarian dishes and although I am not a vegetarian, it has been what I’ve been enjoying since the first time I learned about this restaurant. I love their Vegetarian Ramen and this Tofu Gai Lan Rice was so good. The restaurant used to be a gas station and they have created such a great atmosphere by adding a patio.

4. CURATE

Conveniently located in downtown Asheville, Curate is an award-winning restaurant that serves traditional Spanish cuisine. Think Tapas and this is the best place to be. They serve small plates, cured meats and wine or sherries to pair it with.

5. CHESTNUT

Also located in downtown Asheville, Chestnut is a sister company to Corner Kitchen. We didn’t know until we dined in. And just like their sister restaurant, they serve delicious American cuisine. The only difference is the architecture of the restaurant. But this restaurant still has the same cozy vibe.

6. TRAVINIA ITALIAN KITCHEN & WINE BAR

Located in Biltmore Park Town Square in south Asheville and right next door to our favorite movie theater, Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 & RPX, this restaurant’s decor is very elegant and fancy looking you would think the food they serve is not affordable, but they are. Living in the U.S. where pork belly is not available at the supermarkets compared to my home country, the Philippines, it was such a delight to me to see pork belly on the menu. And it was what I ordered and totally enjoyed that night we celebrated Father’s Day.

7. HANA JAPANESE HIBACHI AND SUSHI BAR

This restaurant is located so close to Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville where most of the festivities in the city happen including the 4th of July celebration. It was on the 4th of July when we stumbled upon this restaurant while walking the streets of downtown looking for food. And other than enjoying the food, we were seated right next to the huge glass window so we also enjoyed people watching.

All of these restaurants not only only offer superb food, they also have great atmosphere and ambiance and offers excellent service.

There are more great restaurants in Asheville that I’ve heard of that I’m looking forward to visiting one of these days. For now, I’m sharing our favorites, but rest assured I’ll share more of our restaurant experiences here in Asheville on our blog in the future.