Romantic Restaurants in Asheville, NC: Mountain views, refined Southern flavors, and a touch of culinary adventure

Curate is a hip dining spot in downtown Asheville, owned and operated by award-winning chef Katie Button, who also manages the city's acclaimed Nightbell and Button and Co. Bagels restaurants. The restaurant, which is housed within a restored 1927 bus depot, focuses on Spanish tapas service, named in honor of a word that translates as "cure yourself" in Spanish. Delicious seasonally-rotating menus highlight hot and cold small plates, including charcoal-grilled selections. Authentic vermuterías and Ibérico cuts are also served up, along with a selection of bocadillo sandwiches and Spanish-style charcuterie boards. An all-Spanish wine list has been named as one of America's 100 best by Wine Enthusiast, paired alongside an extensive craft cocktail program.

Curate, 13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801, Phone: 828-239-2946

Rhubarb is one of the latest restaurant offerings from award-winning chef John Fleer, a James Beard Award finalist who was recently named as one of the rising culinary stars of the 21st century by the James Beard Foundation. The laid-back restaurant is known for its unique "foothills cuisine" style, which Fleer also cultivated at his Tennessee restaurant Blackberry Farm. Dynamic menus highlight excellent land and sea entrees such as plancha-seared South Carolina wreckfish with pumpkin sauce, Kentuckian quail with bourbon pan sauce and braised parsnips and greens, and wood-roasted sunburst trout with lemon remoulade. Couples can share wood-roasted beeline snapper service for two, served with ancho pilacca and hot-water cornbread. Fine wine service is available by the bottle, with handmade craft cocktails and local draft beers available on tap from the restaurant's bar.

Rhubarb, 7 SW, N Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801, Phone: 828-785-1503

Sovereign Remedies is a clever upscale casual restaurant housed within Asheville's New Medical Building, owned and operated by restaurateurs Sunil Patel and Charlie Hodge since October of 2014. The restaurant, which is open for brunch, dinner, and late night service throughout the week, is named in honor of a term for homemade medicines in the Appalachian Mountain region, a nod to the hardship and lack of access to resources that early area pioneers faced in the 19th century. Elegant dishes are prepared by executive chef Graham House, including bavette steak, beef tartare, foie gras mousse, and chicken breast prepared with oyster mushrooms, turnip greens, and tomatillos. At brunch, couples can choose from seasonal omelette options, breakfast burritos, or house French toasts or share mocha-glazed doughnuts or carnitas fries.

Sovereign Remedies, 29 N Market St #105, Asheville, NC 28801, Phone: 828-919-9518

The Blackbird Restaurant is a refined Southern-style restaurant in the heart of Asheville's Rainbow Arts District, helmed by owners Cristina and Jesson Gil. The award-winning restaurant serves up unique upmarket entrees in a minimalist dining room complete with a full bar, offering delicious craft microbrews on tap along with American fine wines and specialty cocktails. Menus focus on meals crafted with locally-sourced ingredients, changing seasonally to reflect the bounty of North Carolina's incredible producers and purveyors. Lunch and dinner service are offered daily, with brunch available on the weekends. A full six-course tasting menu is available at dinner, featuring selections hand-picked by executive chef Michael Reppert. Entree options include goat cheese corn pies, cold-smoked pork chops, pan-seared salmon, and seafood pirlau, with many vegetarian and gluten-free options available for diners with dietary concerns.

The Blackbird Restaurant , 47 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801, 47 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

131 MAIN Restaurant Asheville is a refined New American-style restaurant located within the Biltmore Park Town Square mixed-use shopping center and community, offering daily lunch and dinner service in an upscale-casual setting. Diners can choose from elegant land and sea entrees such as double-cut pork chops, cedar plank salmon, Danish-style baby-back ribs, and Maryland-style crab cakes, served up alongside pasta favorites such as linguine limone and Southern-style choices such as shrimp and grits with Cajun Creole sauce and corn salsa. A variety of clever burgers and sandwiches are also available at lunch, ranging from sterling prime rib sandwiches with hot au jus to New England-style ultimate chili dogs with mustard, onions, and a deviled egg. Fine wines are available by the glass or by the bottle to complement all meals, along with a menu of craft cocktails, specialty martinis, bottled beers, and fine spirits.

131 MAIN Restaurant Asheville , 308 Thetford St, Asheville, NC 28803, Phone: 828-651-0131

The Biltmore Estate Dining Room is located within Asheville's historic Biltmore Estate, which preserves the spectacular rooms and grounds of the Châteauesque-style constructed at the end of the 19th century for George Washington Vanderbilt II, the largest privately-owned estate in the United States. Today, the mansion remains one of North Carolina's top tourist attractions and one of the best preserved examples of Gilded Age architecture in the United States, open to the public daily for tours and exploration. Diners can enjoy world-class cuisine at the estate's dining room, which is decked out with white-linen tablecloths, fine china service, and elegant crystalware. The restaurant, which has been named as one of the 100 most romantic restaurants in the United States, serves up sumptuous gourmet fare at breakfast and dinner, along with a full-service afternoon tea experience highlighting fine cheeses, sweet and savory canapés, and delectable Newby teas.

The Biltmore Estate Dining Room, One Lodge Street, Asheville, NC 28803, Phone: 828-225-1699

Bouchon is the first certified Green Restaurant and Green Dining Destination in Asheville, making it a stellar choice for couples looking to escape for a romantic night out on the town while remaining conscious of their carbon footprint. The restaurant is helmed by executive chef Michael Baudouin, a founding member of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, who strives to craft high-quality farm-to-table fare infusing French bistro dishes with North Carolina flavors. Diners can enjoy all-you-can-eat moules frites on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, prepared with Mediterranean, Creole, Parisienne, and beer-infused flavors. Spectacular entrees include boeuf bourguignon, le canard a l'orange chocolate, and poulet roti au thyme. A romantic selection of fine French wines is available to complement all meals, along with a rotating selection of regional craft beers on draft.

Bouchon, 62 N. Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801, Phone: 828-350-1140

Chestnut is a delightful fine dining destination in downtown Asheville, located in close proximity to top area attractions such as the Orange Peel, the Diana Wortham Theatre, and the Fine Arts Theater. The restaurant, which was opened to the public in 2012, highlights creative takes on classic American and European dishes, including elegant entrees such as red wine-braised short ribs, garlic-herb pork chops, en papillote salmon, and pan-seared daily fish catches served with Italian herb risotto cakes. A full charcuterie program is available in large or small plate sizes, highlighting three types of fine cheeses produced in Western North Carolina and three styles of locally-cured meats smoked in house. Carefully-concocted cocktails are also prepared to order, featuring freshly-pressed juices, top-shelf liquors, and a variety of locally-sourced ingredients. On the weekends, the restaurant offers clever eggs Benedicts, oysters, and cocktails at brunch service.

Chestnut, 48 Biltmore Avenue Asheville, NC 28801, Phone: 828-575-2667