The 5 Best Rooftop Restaurants in Asheville: A Local’s Perspective
My first experience with a rooftop restaurant involved about a half-hour of stairwell-related confusion. There was an impromptu inspection of the kitchen and a view obstructed by overly zealous safety precautions.
This disappointment, I imagine, ultimately stems from the fact that at the time of this experience, I was not in Asheville.
If I had been, perhaps my experience would have entailed something a little nicer. Think mountain views, locally sourced, artisan dishes, and one of the best art-deco skylines south of New York.
For a city of moderate population, Asheville boasts an impressive slew of rooftop restaurants and bars. One presumes the popularity of rooftop restaurants in Asheville, NC, is due to certain factors. Specifically, the city’s strong culinary backbone, and the nationally famous views of the Blue Ridge mountains.
To best partake of these pleasures, I invite you to read on.
Familiarize yourself with five of the best Asheville restaurants with rooftop seating.
My Top 5 Rooftop Restaurants in Downtown Asheville, NC and the Surrounding Area
Oddly enough, I have recently had a conversation concerning Hemingway’s. It went something along the lines of:
“Have you been to Hemingway’s Cuba,” to which I said, “No.” That elicited a reply of, “You should go.” Regardless of presumptions made about my taste for Cuban fare (which I quite like), I too, after visiting, now echo, “You should go.”
The restaurant’s name and culinary roots come from an eatery in Cuba. That restaurant is, loved by Hemingway’s founder, and was loved by the actual Ernest Hemingway.
Sitting high atop the Cambria Hotel in downtown Asheville, it’s an incredible location. Here, one may find omelets and Cuban sandwiches in the morning, and at night, paella and ropa vieja. Both such plates carry hefty prices, but the other, smaller dishes are relatively moderate in cost.
Their dessert menu includes churros and tres leches. The drink menu features Cuban cocktails, including Hemingway’s Daquiri, prepared as he used to like it.
Combined with proximity to the Grove Arcade —an excellent section of town for shopping and parking—Hemingway’s Cuba is in an exceptional location. It’s an undeniable contender in any list of the best downtown Asheville restaurants with rooftop dining.
Timing: Most rooftop restaurants in downtown Asheville have two sets of hours. Specifically, they offer morning hours (for catching the daybreak), and night hours (for enjoying the stars). As such, their schedules are presented in a somewhat confusing fashion. I shall try to remedy that.
Morning Hours
Monday-Thursday, 7-11 am
Friday-Sunday, 7-2pm
Night Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 4:30-9 pm
Friday-Saturday, 4:30-10 pm
Sunday, 430-9pm
This Rooftop Restaurant in Asheville is Busiest on: Friday and Saturday nights.
Across to the east of Hemingway’s lies none other than Cappella on 9. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s on the ninth floor of the AC Hotel. Cappella towers over the Vance Monument to the south. The owners pride themselves on their mountain views and local ingredients, found in a tapa-centric menu.
I’m always a fan of the variety and craftsmanship offered by such menus. Here, I find the standouts to be the cioppino and Spanish-style pork belly. In terms of their morning menu, Capella offers an irresistible European-style breakfast board. It includes quiche, tarts, and charcuterie selections.
Finally, Capella’s drink menu seems composed mainly of fruit juice and wordplay. That’s the best observation I can make as a non-expert. And while Capella’s prices do trend towards the high-end, this may be justified due to their high-end ingredients and high-end location.
If you seek a rooftop restaurant in Asheville with great views and a taste for tapas, Cappella is the choice for you.
Timing:
Morning Hours:
Daily, 6:30-11 am
Night Hours:
Sunday-Thursday, 4-11:30 pm
Friday-Saturday, 3pm-Midnight
This rooftop restaurant in Asheville is busiest on: Friday and Saturday nights.
This entry forces one to contemplate the very meaning of “rooftop restaurant in Asheville.”
For instance, if the establishment has a roof, aren’t you in fact beneath where the restaurant should be? And if not, then isn’t every restaurant a rooftop restaurant —, so long as it’s not on the ground floor? And what of basements?
Regardless of such existential concerns, the height of Edison’s vantage point is undeniable. So are its splendid views of the Blue Ridge and Grove Park’s rolling grounds.
Like Hemingway’s, Edison stands as a testament to Asheville’s connection to the famous. It’is said Thomas Edison himself frequented the location. Their menu is defined by charcuterie boards and venison tenderloin.
It’s accompanied by a rotating selection of local craft brews and cocktails, too. This always raises a restaurant in my eyes and the eyes of my fellow Ashevilleans.
Yet, as may be expected of any restaurant found in the Grove Park Inn, Edison’s prices are quite high. Reservations are recommended as well.
Of course, I would recommend reservations for most restaurants on this list. They tend towards the high-end. If one want to scale up to a rooftop restaurant in Asheville, they ought to take some kind of precaution, be it climbing gear or a phone call.
Timing: Not only does Edison break the mold of rooftop restaurants in Asheville due to its location outside of downtown, but they also do not separate their morning and night hours.
Edison, Craft Ales + Kitchen is open from 4 pm-10 pm on Mondays through Thursdays.
Fridays go a little later, from 4 pm-11 pm. Saturday starts earlier, 11 am-11 pm. Sundays also offer extended but slightly shorter hours: 11 am-10 pm.
They are busiest on Saturdays for lunch, and Sundays for dinner.
Like Edison, Pillar Rooftop Bar raises questions.
They stand atop the AC Hotel—at downtown’s eastern edge—and their delectable Southern fusion fare is piped up from the Pillar Kitchen in the lobby.
Thus, is Pillar Rooftop Bar a standalone establishment, or simply a far-flung set of outdoor seating? Indeed, what does this mean for their taxes? And what do pillars have to do with all this?
Perhaps I ask too many questions.
In any case, here one may expect burgers, berry French toast, fire pits, a wide view of the mountaisn, and on weekend nights, live music. Pillar’s prices sit at the midline, somewhat below the standard deeper in downtown.
Meanwhile, its drink list includes the, “Creative License” option. In other words,: the bartender gets imaginative when you choose that drink. It’s fun and spontaneous, and they can make plenty of old favorites as well.
All-in-all, Pillar Rooftop Bar delivers a comfortable and laid-back impression. This makes Pillar an excellent choice for rooftop restaurants in Asheville close to downtown’s attractions, while standing somewhat separate from them.
Timing: Like the Edison, Pillar does away with the downtown tradition of split morning and night hours. Service runs Monday through Thursday, 5 pm-11 pm. Friday and Saturday feature extended hours of 4 pm-Midnight. Sunday scales things back to 5 pm-10 pm.
Pillar is busiest on Saturday nights.
An astute reader may notice that these last two entries dub themselves “bars.” What is the difference is between rooftop bars in Asheville, and rooftop restaurants?
Personally, I find that there is little distinction between them—especially in a city as brew-rich as my own. One would be hard pressed to find an establishment that sacrificed food for beverage among the rooftop bars in Asheville. This entry, The Montford, is no exception.
While enjoying views of the mountains and the historic Montford neighborhoods, here one may dine on chilaquiles for brunch, and drink local craft brews in the evenings.
The Montford’s devotion to local brands is obvious throughout their menu. They source some ingredients from OWL Bakery. That’s enough for me to slap my money on the counter and say, “I’ll take twenty.” Combined with truly moderate prices, and a rustic-chic aesthetic, The Montford Rooftop Bar rises to the top of this list of rooftop restaurants in Asheville.
Timing: The Montford Rooftop Bar is open Sunday through Thursday, 4 pm-10 pm. Hours expand on Friday, 3 pm-11 pm, and Saturday, Noon-11 pm. . They are busiest around dinnertime on Fridays and Saturdays.
Businesses Mentioned: Rooftop Asheville Restaurants, Downtown and Beyond
Businesses Mentioned
Hemingway’s Cuba Restaurant and Bar
(828) 417-6866
15 Page Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Capella on 9
(828) 258-2522
10 Broadway St F9, Asheville, NC 28801
Edison Craft Ales + Kitchen
(800) 438-5800
290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Pillar Rooftop Bar
(828) 575-1188
309 College St 6th Floor, Asheville, NC 28801
The Montford Rooftop Bar
(828) 505-8750
199 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801
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