Date Night in Asheville: Where to Eat and What to Do After

A great date night in Asheville is a pair, not a single reservation: a table you book, then a second stop you can walk to. Most of the easy pairs sit in Downtown Asheville around Biltmore Avenue and Walnut Street, with a South Slope option for casual evenings and a West Asheville splurge for people who don't mind a short ride.

Every place below was checked against its own official site for this guide. All of them are inside the city of Asheville, North Carolina. Hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

How we chose

We started with places known for dinner, drinks or an evening activity, then kept only the ones whose own sites showed them open. Anything we could not confirm on an official page was left out, even if it is a local favorite.

We paired each table with something that makes sense afterward: a show, a late drink or a game. Where the second stop closes early, we say so and flip the order.

What are the best date night pairs in Downtown Asheville?

Downtown Asheville has the densest pairs, because dinner, live music and late bars sit within a few blocks of each other. See our Downtown guide for the wider neighborhood.

1. Cúrate Bar de Tapas, then a show at The Orange Peel

Cúrate Bar de Tapas, at 13 Biltmore Ave in Downtown Asheville, serves Spanish tapas such as patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, pulpo a la gallega and Cinco Jotas jamón ibérico. Reservations go through OpenTable. It is our pick for a splurge-leaning but shareable dinner, because you order small plates and keep going until you are full.

Then walk to The Orange Peel at 101 Biltmore Ave, a music venue. Its box office is typically open Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 AM to 4 PM and Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM, and on show days from 4 PM until close. Check the calendar and buy tickets before dinner, since the plan only works if a show is on.

2. Zambra, then Sly Grog Lounge

Zambra at 85 W Walnut St in Downtown Asheville is a tapas restaurant with a wine menu. It typically serves Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 PM and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 PM, with reservations through Resy.

For the after, Sly Grog Lounge at 271 Haywood St, on the edge of Downtown Asheville, is a late bar. Its own site describes its hours as five-ish to late-ish, Tuesday through Sunday, and says they flex, so check before you walk over. It also lists open mic nights most Mondays and an open jam most Wednesdays, which is a low-pressure way to hear local players.

3. Asheville Art Museum, then Strada Italiano

This pair runs backward on purpose. The Asheville Art Museum at 2 South Pack Square is typically open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM and closed Monday and Tuesday, with no evening hours listed, so go in the late afternoon.

Then eat at Strada Italiano at 27 Broadway St, which serves house-made pasta, bolognese and chicken piccata. Its site lists dinner hours that start at 4 PM Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and at 3 PM Friday through Sunday, so an early dinner after the museum fits. This is the easiest low-key pair on the list.

4. The Asheville Pinball Museum, then Table

The Asheville Pinball Museum at 1 Battle Square in Downtown Asheville charges a flat admission, listed at $17 per person, to play as long as you like that day, with no reservations. A friend who tags along without playing doesn't pay, per the museum's own site. It is typically open Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 9 PM, Saturday from noon to 9 PM, and Sunday and Monday from 1 to 6 PM, and it lists Tuesday as closed for repairs.

Table at 18 North Lexington Ave in Downtown Asheville has been serving dinner since 2005, according to its site, and is typically open daily from 5 to 9 PM. Play first, eat second, and nobody needs to sit through a quiet first-date silence.

5. Posana, then Wicked Weed Brewing Pub

Posana at 1 Biltmore Ave in Downtown Asheville serves housemade pastas, seafood and prime meats. Its downtown hours are typically Sunday and Wednesday through Thursday from 5 to 9 PM and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 PM, and it is closed Monday and Tuesday. It also has a second location in Biltmore Park, so make sure you book the downtown one.

For a nightcap, walk to Wicked Weed Brewing Pub at 91 Biltmore Ave, which describes itself as the original home of Wicked Weed Brewing. The pub has a full restaurant, a downstairs taproom and the original 15-barrel brewery, and it typically opens at noon. Check the official site for closing time on your night.

6. Bargello at Hotel Arras

Bargello is the restaurant inside Hotel Arras at 7 Patton Ave, Downtown Asheville. Its page advertises fresh hand-rolled pasta and house-made bread, and says it is open seven days a week. This is the splurge for an anniversary. The page also says dinner is served at District 42 on Mondays and Tuesdays, so confirm which room is serving on your night.

Where should you go for date night in West Asheville?

Jargon at 715 Haywood Rd in West Asheville is the one pick here that is a destination on its own. Its site describes an ever-changing seasonal modern American menu, with typical hours of 5 to 9 PM Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday, and 5 to 10 PM Friday and Saturday. Wednesday is not listed, so call 828-785-1761 first.

We could not confirm a second West Asheville stop on an official site, so treat Jargon as the whole evening, or ride to Sly Grog Lounge downtown afterward. Our West Asheville guide covers the rest of Haywood Road if you want to wander.

Where can you go on a casual date night near South Slope and the River Arts District?

Burial Beer Co. at 40 Collier Ave in South Slope is the budget-friendly all-in-one. Its site lists two bars, indoor and outdoor seating and a full kitchen, with hours typically from noon to 10 PM Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and noon to 11 PM Friday and Saturday, and the kitchen typically open from noon to 9 PM. Eat, drink and stay put. See the South Slope guide for other nearby stops.

We could not confirm a regular evening dinner-and-drinks pair in the River Arts District on official sites, so we left it off. Our River Arts District guide covers the studios, which are better by daylight anyway.

Which date nights are cheap, and which are a splurge?

The lowest-cost evenings are the Asheville Pinball Museum with its flat listed admission, Burial Beer Co. with a kitchen and a beer, and a drink at Wicked Weed Brewing Pub. The splurge nights are Bargello, Jargon and a long tapas dinner at Cúrate Bar de Tapas. This is our opinion, so confirm current menus and prices on each official site.

What is the easiest one-night date route in Downtown Asheville?

If you only keep one plan, use this walk through Downtown Asheville.

1. Book Cúrate Bar de Tapas through OpenTable and buy an Orange Peel ticket for the same night.
2. Walk down Biltmore Avenue to The Orange Peel.
3. If no show is on, walk to Wicked Weed Brewing Pub at 91 Biltmore Ave instead.
4. Finish at Sly Grog Lounge if you want to stay out until late.
5. Swap in the Asheville Art Museum and Strada Italiano for a daytime version.

For more places to eat, see our food and dining listings, and for live music see events.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is a good place for date night in Asheville?

Downtown Asheville has the easiest date nights, such as Cúrate Bar de Tapas on Biltmore Avenue followed by a show at The Orange Peel. Zambra on West Walnut Street followed by Sly Grog Lounge is another walkable pair.

What can we do after dinner in Asheville?

Walk to a show at The Orange Peel, a nightcap at Wicked Weed Brewing Pub or Sly Grog Lounge, or a few rounds at the Asheville Pinball Museum. Check each place's hours, since the pinball museum and the Asheville Art Museum close earlier than most bars.

Is there an inexpensive date night in Asheville?

Yes. The Asheville Pinball Museum lists a flat $17 per-person admission to play all day, and Burial Beer Co. in South Slope has a full kitchen and two bars. Check official sites for current prices.

Where should we go for a special-occasion dinner in Asheville?

Bargello inside Hotel Arras in Downtown Asheville and Jargon on Haywood Road in West Asheville are our picks for an anniversary. Both are on this list and both are confirmed open on their own sites.

Do we need reservations for date night in Asheville?

For sit-down dinners it is wise. Cúrate Bar de Tapas takes reservations through OpenTable and Zambra through Resy, and Strada Italiano links a table-booking page. The Asheville Pinball Museum takes no reservations.