Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Asheville / Western North Carolina

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Asheville / Western North Carolina? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Mehfil

4.9

4.9 (548)

$30 and under

Indian

Asheville

About the restaurant

Nestled in the heart of downtown Asheville, decorated with carvings, and statues imported from India. Mëhfil brings you authentic Indian food in a beautifully relaxed atmosphere.
Come enjoy a casual meal with friends or a celebration with your loved ones. Either way, you'll be taken care of by our knowledgeable and friendly team. We take pride in what we serve and how we serve it - Good Food and Great Service. We also offer takeout, delivery, catering and in Jul 2023 we have added Mow, Mehfil on Wheels, a food truck serving Mehfil food. Mow is a regular at the local breweries and can even come in to your neighborhood. Our signature dishes include the lamb chops, goat curry, deluxe mixed grill-an assortment of lamb and chicken seekh kebab, tandoori shrimp and lamb chops. No one does the tandoor as good us and our awards are testimony to that.

*FOR PARTIES OF 9 OR MORE, PLEASE CONTACT THE RESTAURANT DIRECTLY, HAVE A CREDIT CARD READY WHEN CALLING TO SET THE DEPOSIT*

Top review

Paul

Dined on Aug 27, 2024

My favorite Indian food restaurant. Always an excellent experience and quality food

Discover more

Appalachia at The Lodge

4.9

4.9 (392)

$31 to $50

American

Lake Lure

About the restaurant

Appalachia Restaurant brings an upscale-casual experience to an intimate setting. With stunning views and a cuisine that offers an Appalachian flair, you will be immersed with the true spirit of Lake Lure.
Dinner at the restaurant begins at 4:30pm.
We bring the Appalachian heritage from the outdoors in while dining in front of the stunning 525 million year old mountains. Inside, outside, or bar room dining, you will have a gorgeous view of Lake Lure and the Appalachian mountains. Boats Slips are first come, first serve. Due to the small volume of tables, we cannot accept preferred table/view requests.
Dress Code: No swimwear or coverups, must have shoes.

Top review

Pamvip

Dined 3 days ago

Best steak we have ever had! Loved the potatoes with duck fat. Our she crab soup appetizer was very flavorful and satisfying. One suggestion would be to include the small bread loaf complimentary rather than charge $9 for it.

The Ascot Club Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (54)

$30 and under

American

Waynesville

About the restaurant

Located inside the clubhouse, The Ascot Club Restaurant is a boutique restaurant and bar featuring seasonal menus from Chef Paul Young, weekly specials, and of course delicious food! Guests can enjoy their meal inside the clubhouse or sitting outside on the terrace during beautiful mountain view sunset.

Top review

Danvip

Dined 5 days ago

The RIGHT for Sunday Brunch with friends. The view makes it special..

Artisanal Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (1751)

$50 and over

American

Banner Elk

About the restaurant

Artisanal Restaurant is open seasonally from May-October end. Contemporary American Fine Dining in a rustic yet elegant environment. Innovative and progressive thinking in a farm to table approach, only working with the highest quality ingredients. This warm environment offers the best food and wine with excellent service. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Private dining room adjacent to the wine cellar available for events. The only available menu is a pre-fix style, with 5-6 choices per course, $105/ guest plus a service fee. We do not offer a kids menu however kids prepared to order off our pre-fix menu are welcome. Our Dress Code is Business Casual. Collared shirts are required, jackets are preferred but not required for men. No shorts, distressed jeans, hoodies, hats, or sandals/flip flops. Please dress comfortably for the weather for outside seating. For our Allergy policy and menu choices, please go to artisanalnc.com

Top review

Curt

Dined 1 day ago

It’s Artisanal, always wonderful. Looking forward to our return.

Discover more

Popular dish

Yellowfin Tuna Tartare

4.9

4.9 (183)

$31 to $50

American

Hendersonville

About the restaurant

Claywood is a vibrant, locally-focused restaurant that celebrates the farm-to-table philosophy in every aspect of its culinary and cocktail creations. Nestled in the heart of Hendersonville, Claywood is driven by a commitment to fresh, quality ingredients sourced from local farmers and purveyors. Our menu is a dynamic blend of traditional and modern cooking styles, enriched by cultural influences from around the world, and always inspired by the changing seasons.
At Claywood, we believe in creating more than just a meal—we strive to offer an experience that brings people together. Our warm and welcoming atmosphere, combined with our dedication to intentional hospitality, ensures that every guest feels like part of our family. Whether you're enjoying a carefully crafted cocktail or a thoughtfully prepared dish, you’ll find that every detail reflects our passion for great food, community, and sustaina bility.

Top review

CarolynE

Dined 2 days ago

Wonderful meal! We will definitely be back again.

Discover more

Experience

SEPTEMBER 25TH WHISKEY EVENT 6p-8p

Experience

OCTOBER 31ST HALLOWEEN WHISKEY EVENT 6p-8p

Newman's Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (543)

$50 and over

American

Hendersonville

About the restaurant

We are a farm to table fine dining restaurant in an elegant setting with fabulous views of the surrounding mountains. The 4-course price fixed dinner menu ($95.00 per person, tax and gratuity not included) and 3 course brunch menu ($45.00 per person, tax and gratuity not included ) that changes monthly and focuses on regional seasonal ingredients many of which come from our organic garden. Aaron Edwards is extraordinarily gifted in the culinary arts. Each item on every plate is uniquely prepared in an innovative way to deliver maximum sensual pleasure in both taste and appearance. With our friendly professional servers, incredibly beautiful setting and amazing food this is way more than fine dining. It's a true dining experience! Our Menu changes monthly based on what is available and in season at the time. Feel free to call us anytime and we can tell you exactly what is on the menu for that week.

Top review

Mary Gordon

Dined 6 days ago

One of our favorites! Great food, beautiful atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff. Perfect setting for celebrating a special birthday!

The Gamekeeper

4.8

4.8 (3372)

$50 and over

American

Boone

About the restaurant

You haven't fully experienced the Blowing Rock, NC region until you've dined at The Gamekeeper. It's a true gourmet restaurant with an engaging blend of upscale elegance and mountain charm.

Famous for an evolving menu that blends the traditional with the exotic, The Gamekeeper features a selection of perfectly prepared game plus a range of continental and American entrees.

Acclaimed chef and owner Ken Gordon brings tremendous warmth and skill to the table treating you more as friends than guests. You'll experience a meal to remember that includes fine wines, decadent desserts, and a generous serving of personal attention. You'll leave happy and impressed with a desire to return soon!

Top review

Jane

Dined 5 days ago

My friend and I dined at the Gamekeeper last night. We started at the bar with Emily serving us wine. At our table we enjoyed the mixed grill appetizer. It was fabulous as always. Then I ordered the hanging beef tenderloin. Delicious!! My table mate had the bison short rib and raved about it! On the drive home he said he enjoyed the experience very very much and felt like a king the whole time he was there. I will be back next summer. Great job Gamekeeper!!!

Discover more

4.8

4.8 (1410)

$31 to $50

Indian

Asheville

About the restaurant

Reservations are for available for dinner. Lunch buffet is available 7 days a week on a walk in basis (no reservations needed for Lunch). Andaaz is a fine dining restaurant with a variety of vegetarian, non-vegetarian signature dishes and fresh breads. The ambience showcases glimpses of Indian culture. Located in Biltmore Village right across the entrance to the Historic Biltmore Estate.

Top review

Dr. Rosevip

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent food— good size portions. Very tasty food!

Little D's

4.9

4.9 (387)

$30 and under

American

Asheville

About the restaurant

Executive Chef Owen McGlynn
Chef de Cuisine Faith Hall

COOK WITH INTENTION
We’re all about cooking with intention and purposeful ingredients to deliver a depth of flavor. Slowing down to do something well makes the enjoyment of great food and good conversation that much better.
EAT WITH THE SEASONS
Our food is straightforward and authentic. Our sharable plates change seasonally as we celebrate locally‐sourced produce at its prime. Seasonal eating is a delicious and sustainable way to support your local food purveyors and enjoy both recognizable flavors, as well as the unexpected.
YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS
We hope to be that third place for you to gather and catch up over a delicious meal and craft cocktails.
Owned and operated by the friendly and energetic couple, Owen and Mindi McGlynn of Asheville Proper, they wanted to create an inviting and easygoing space just for locals, located in North Asheville, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown life.

Top review

PhilattheBeach

Dined on Sep 5, 2024

We have had dinner at Little D's at least six times and have found it consistently wonderful.

Discover more

Pan Roasted Duck Breast

Posana

4.8

4.8 (2217)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Asheville

About the restaurant

Posana is a contemporary American restaurant in the heart of downtown Asheville on Historic Pack Square. With a focus on serving local, seasonal, and sustainable cuisine, Posana sources unprocessed, premium ingredients from nearly 65 different local purveyors and farmers each week and regularly changes the menu. The restaurant’s warm welcoming main dining room is ideal for a weeknight dinner, weekend get together, or a special occasion celebration. We can’t wait to serve you.

Top review

Melissa

Dined 2 days ago

My husband and I had our 25th anniversary dinner here and it was a wonderful experience. We were treated to a very special evening and everyone acknowledged our anniversary and we were even given some special treats. Our food was outstanding and the portions were very satisfying. They were able to accommodate my gluten and garlic free requests. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Discover more

Popular dish

Shrimp & Crab Hush Puppies

Explore Diners' Choice best of Asheville / Western North Carolina

Explore more Diners' Choice lists

American