An absolutely perfect lunch spot - SO glad we made the walk from downtown to try our luck at…read moreMother. This cosy, comfortable cafe is part-bakery, part-restaurant, and has a beautiful patio for warmer days. The front of house team was all female the day we went, and worked together as a powerhouse to get through the busy lunchtime rush. We were seated pretty quickly at the bar area, so we were able to watch the kitchen at work. The team all seemed so organized and efficient - like watching masters at work! Food and drink menu options are delightful, and we really enjoyed the quiche (seasonal vegetables) and the insanely delicious beet and citrus salad. Portions are very generous and food comes out quickly. The server talked us through wine options by the glass, gave tasters and great recommendations. We later learned that Mother supplies bread to other restaurants in the area - no surprise, it was fantastic. Will be returning every time we're in the area.

We were craving freshness after a few days diving into Asheville's burger scene and this place hit…read morethe spot. Lovely and bright - the space, service and the food. Enjoyed salads, the pickled shrimp toast, lovely wine and the kids took down the ham sandwich and pb&j. If you're looking for fresh and clean food, try Mother!

Must get cardamom buns! There's no way to explain it besides saying it's a combination of a…read morecinnamon roll, croissant, and thick bread all covered in a mildly sweet, cardamom sauce. The texture is unbelievable, and the flavor is slightly subtle but noticeable. The sweetness is just enough for you to understand that it's a sweet pastry.

SF sourdough lovin' tourist here: it's all about the porridge bread for me. Deeply flavorful,…read moreperfectly textured, and somehow both hearty and tender at the same time. The porridge gives the crumb a weightiness and richness, while the crust has just enough structure to remind you that this is serious bread made by people who know exactly what they are doing. This is bread that does not need butter to prove a point, though it welcomes it. Toasted or not, it holds its own. Each slice feels nourishing without being dense, comforting without being boring. OWL Bakery is a reason why I could see myself living happily in Asheville. The porridge bread alone is reason enough to go out of your way, and once you have had it, you will measure other bread against it, usually unfavorably

Do NOT miss this spot in Asheville! The best pastries I have had in a long while. The chai latte…read morewas so delightful. The almond croissant will have me heading back by morning. Everything we tasted was extraordinary.

Stopped by The Rhu in Asheville, which comes from the same team behind Rhubarb. We grabbed a few…read morepastries to try... croissants, cinnamon rolls, and of course a chocolate chip cookie (because it's always cookie time somewhere). Everything we ordered was good and clearly well made, but nothing really stood out as something I'd go out of my way to come back for again and again. The chocolate chip cookie was the most memorable item, but not necessarily in the way I expected. It leans heavily into a salted dark chocolate flavor profile. If you close your eyes, it almost feels more like eating a salted dark chocolate bar than a traditional cookie. If that's your thing, you'll probably love it. Personally, I tend to look for a little more balance between the sweetness, chocolate, and salt in a cookie. Overall, a nice stop for pastries while walking around Asheville, but nothing that quite pulled me back for repeat visits.

The holy grail for vegans. Why isn't everyone talking about this place? The menu has so many vegan…read moreoptions, you can't go wrong. Fresh juice, coffee, all of the things! Seating is indoor, but there are a lot of tables. The vibes are really cozy. It is counter service, and everyone who works here is super kind. Parking can be tricky, but so it goes in WAVL. We need to hype this spot up a lot more!

Great atmosphere and healthy food options, cocoa smoothie is fantastic, highly recommend pairing…read morewith a honey ginger salad.

I really enjoyed my time here at the bar. Was able to order a traditional cocktail with a higher…read moreend bourbon which I rarely do. Was pretty slow so service was fast and easy. I also liked the overall appearance of the inside.

Coffee by day, cocktails by night...I think that's what the sign said. This was a nice diversion…read morefor some coffee while we spent the afternoon in the River Arts District. Last year this area was devastated by Hurricane Helene, so it's nice to see funky spots in business and with customers. This looks like a fun spot for a cocktail.

Fantastic coffee joint in the Arts District! Very subtle exterior but a comfy interior. Young lady…read morewaiting on us was by herself and worked hard to serve everyone in a timely manner. Our coffee was some of the best we've ever had, and the breakfast bagel sandwiches (egg, lox...) were first rate. We will absolutely return here again!

Great bagels and great coffee! They also have a great vibe and a lot of local art! Love this place!read more

Got a cappuccino and one of the best ones I've ever had. Texture was incredible and full of flavor…read more Definitely recommend.

I was driving through town and thought I would stop by based on their IG account. I love and…read morethoroughly enjoy a perfectly steamed drink with matching latte art. Unfortunately, it seems my drink was handed off from the OG to the newbie. The milk was good, but the art was off. And yes, I am that picky. That's why a picture of the drink is not included on this review. The service was great. Both guys were nice.

Food was great - no constructive criticisms at all - Dwight who appeared to be the manager on duty…read morewas patient and courteous with me as a first time visitor. For a newbie , I should mention the location is a little hard to find- it's a renovated apartment space at the street address listed with only signage on the cafe itself ; don't let this dissuade you- it's worth the search - highly recommended!

This spot had a line out the door, but they were very efficient and really had their system down…read more You order at the counter and they let you know where to sit. Then you bring your number to your spot and they bring your food and drinks to you once everything is ready. The lavender honey iced latte was great! The fried green tomato biscuit was so so good. It was not what I expected it to look like, but it was one of the best breakfast items I've ever had!

Malaprop's will forever be one of my favorite indie bookstores. I first fell in love with it back…read morein 2021 when I lived in AVL. I liked the name so much because I was the type of person who used malaprops a good amount. It's extra charming because you're able to order something from their cafe while reading your book. This spot is deceptively huge. The different sections are very intentional and beautifully organized. I had an especially great time looking at the "Beautiful Books" section this visit. I ended up falling in love with a short stories book by Chips Hardy that I took home. I also adored their graphic t-shirts here. I am not a big t-shirt person, but always want more graphic tees, so was so excited to love this one so much. I had a really special experience with one of the booksellers here on my recent visit too. I could not find The Enchanted April in the fiction section and when I asked, one of the booksellers got really excited about the author and that book. She passionately told me how wonderful the book was. We were sad to see it was sold out, but suggested I check a bookstore a block over. I love this bookstore and think everyone should make it a stop on an Asheville trip.

Very cool independent bookstore in downtown Asheville complete with an adjacent cafe and tables for…read moresipping, reading, or conversing. It seems as though it's only open until the afternoon though, as it wasn't staffed when we were there. But there's still plenty of seating if you wanted to sit a spell. The bookstore portion is really well curated with a nice "local" section featuring local writers and interest. I love checking out this section when I travel and there was a ton to dig into here. They also have a good sized kid's section most notable thing is how many books they offer with autographed copies. That means they seem to bring in a ton of writers which is so exciting for the Asheville community. Speaking of community, I peeked at their events calendar and it looks like they have a ton of book clubs in a variety of different genres that meet regularly. So no matter your interest (romance, science fiction, mystery, horror, etc) you can find a meetup. Some are hosted in store but others in local breweries, libraries, and other third spaces in the area. Excellent offerings across the board!