17 Best Coffee Shops in Asheville (in 2023)

With its laid-back, mountain vibe, it’s no wonder you’ll find so many great coffee shops in Asheville.

From cozy cafes to trendy coffee bars, to hidden gems that are totally unique, Asheville’s coffee shops are top-notch. As a Western North Carolina local (and coffee lover), I highly recommend adding one of these cafes to your list of things to do in Asheville.

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17 Best Asheville Coffee Shops

Trade and Lore Coffee

A warm and cozy downtown coffee shop with espresso classics and specialty drinks.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 552-5353

Trade and Lore Coffee is one of my favorite coffee shops in downtown Asheville. The vibes are super cozy and warm, and the espresso drinks never miss. 

They have a unique selection of house-made coffee syrups, so their specialty lattes are what I’d recommend ordering. Trade and Lore also offer simple fares like croissants and muffins. 

PennyCup Coffee

A local, small-batch coffee roaster with four Asheville locations.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 575-9495

PennyCup Coffee is a local favorite when it comes to downtown Asheville coffee shops. Their downtown location on Market Street (East AVL) is within walking distance from the heart of the city, but still a little hidden. The atmosphere is casual, laid-back, and airy, and it makes a great spot for working remotely. 

PennyCup Coffee has all your coffee classics which come from their small-batch roastery. They also serve a decent selection of bagels. They have four locations in total. 

Double D’s Coffee & Desserts

A double-decker bus turned coffee shop in downtown Asheville.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 505-2439

Double D’s is a bright red double-decker bus turned coffee shop, and it’s a fixture of downtown Asheville, NC. If you happen to be walking along Biltmore Ave and need a pick me up, it’s worth stopping by just to check off your Asheville bucket list. 

Their menu is loaded with coffee classics and sweet treats like milkshakes and smoothies. You can sit inside the double decker to get the full experience, but there’s outdoor seating, too. I specifically recommend Double D’s to families — your kids are sure to get a kick out of it!

👉 Don’t Miss: Not far from Double D’s are other Asheville attractions like the Asheville Art Museum and Asheville Fine Arts Theater.

High Five Coffee

A cozy, counter-culture coffee shop with three Asheville locations.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 713-5291

High Five is your classic neighborhood coffee shop. Its main location is pretty close to the center of downtown, and you can expect a warm, laid-back vibe. They do all the coffee and espresso drinks well, and they’ve got some food offerings like bagels, baked goods, and sandwiches. 

There are three High Five Coffee locations in total, including one along the French Broad River which has outdoor seating.

Malaprops’ Bookstore & Cafe

A bookstore cafe serving up hand-crafted drinks and locally baked goods.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 254-6734

Malaprops’ Bookstore is a staple of the downtown Asheville, NC scene. And what goes better with books than a cafe? Luckily, Malaprops has an in-store coffee shop serving up to-go coffees. They offer counterculture coffee, espresso drinks, goods from local bakeries, and more. 

The vibe of this cafe corner in Malaprops is calm and laid-back, perfect for a quick stop-in.

Session Cafe & Bar

A cafe, bar, and vinyl shop with a chilled out atmosphere and really cool design.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 515-3080

If you’re looking for a cool, aesthetic space that also serves up great coffee and delicious food, head to Session Cafe & Bar. This place is a gem. 

It’s located across from the Grove Arcade, and the space is a mix of a vinyl shop, plant shop, cafe, and bar. That may sound like a lot, but it somehow works with the open space and great design. 

There’s tons of seating in the main area and upstairs, and it’s an ideal cafe for working and getting together with friends. It’s easily one of my favorite Asheville coffee shops.

Rowan Coffee

A cozy and moody downtown coffee shop with perfected lattes and a selection of pastries.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website 

Rowan Coffee is a beautiful coffee shop located on the edges of downtown Asheville on Broadway Street. It’s a little away from the crowds, but still really accessible. What I love about this coffee shop is its moody and calming vibe. It can get busy, but the low lighting and dark, warm decorations give it a cozy feel.

The drinks at Rowan Coffee are also top notch. When it comes to Asheville coffee shops, I think they make some of the best lattes in town. They do the classics well and the seasonal drinks better. The presentation of their drinks is also really lovely. All in all, I think Rowan Coffee is one of the best coffee shops in Asheville.

Summit Coffee Co.

A regional cafe with organic coffee and a bright, relaxing atmosphere.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 705-8071

Summit Coffee is a regional chain with two coffee shops in Asheville, NC. One is located downtown in the Grove Arcade, the other is in the River Arts District. I personally like the RAD location, since it’s a bigger space and near things like art galleries and 12 Bones Smokehouse. The atmosphere of Summit Coffee is bright, airy, and comfortable. 

This coffee shop has all the signature drinks you’d expect, like espresso drinks, chai lattes, and matcha. They also have a selection of bakery goods. 

📚 Related Reading: Summit Coffee Co. has locations in other North Carolina destinations including the Charlotte area.

The Rhu

A cozy, rustic downtown cafe with locally roasted coffee and delicious food.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 785-1799

The Rhu is a cozy cafe that serves up coffee, tea, and some seriously good breakfast dishes and baked goods. Their breakfast sandwiches are the most popular, and you can customize them to your liking (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.). Their menu includes a lot of Southern-inspired items. 

The space itself is rustic and casual, and they have an upstairs area with tables for working. The Rhu is easy to overlook since it’s tucked away on S. Lexington Ave. But, if you’re looking for hearty fare and good coffee in downtown Asheville, it’s not to be missed.

📚 Related Reading: Unique North Carolina Foods to Try 

Vortex Doughnuts

A friendly neighborhood cafe with the tastiest doughnuts around.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 552-3010

Vortex Doughnuts is a doughnut shop and cafe located in the South Slope district. If you like doughnuts, you NEED to come here. What’s cool is that they offer two types of doughnuts: yeast doughnuts, which are light and fluffy, and cake doughnuts which are more dense and crumbly. They even have gluten-free options. 

The atmosphere at Vortex Doughnuts is friendly and the cafe is spacious. It’s an ideal place for a pick-me-up that’s away from the downtown crowds. They have a variety of unique and classic flavors to choose from, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. 

👉 Don’t Miss: The South Slope District is a huge brewery hotspot. So, after you grab some doughnuts, head to a nearby brewery like Burial Beer Co. or Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium!

Old Europe Pastries

Transport yourself to Europe by visiting Asheville’s longest-running cafe.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 255-5999

If you’ve got a sweet tooth to satisfy, head to Old Europe Pastries. Located just a block away from Pack Square in downtown Asheville, this cafe’s got everything from specialty cakes and pies to cookies and tarts. 

My personal recommendation? The tiramisu and macarons. And if you want a classic European shot of espresso, this is the place to get it. 

Everything here is meant to keep old European dessert traditions alive, and you and your taste buds are sure to be delighted.

Grind AVL

Black-owned coffee shop in the River Arts District with great coffee and unique drinks.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 505-0722

Grind AVL is a quaint and relaxing Asheville coffee shop located in the River Arts District next to Pink Dog Creative. They serve great coffee and have a unique specialty drink menu. It includes things like a dalgona latte, lattes with different syrup options, and unique tea combinations.

Grind has a bright and relaxing atmosphere with good WiFi, and this makes it one of the best coffee shops in Asheville for remote working. They even have an outdoor patio that’s nice on sunny days. And compared to other coffee shops in Asheville, they have pretty reasonably priced drinks. In fact, drip coffee is only $1-$2. 

📚 Related Reading: Interested in the River Arts District? It’s a great area to consider when deciding where to stay in Asheville.

Liberty House Coffee & Cafe

Bright and airy cafe just outside of downtown Asheville, perfect for brunch.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 505-2236

Liberty House is a cafe located just north of downtown Asheville. With an inviting and local atmosphere, it’s one of the best coffee shops in Asheville for grabbing brunch or coffee with friends and family. 

They serve great coffee and specialty drinks with unique syrups like honey lavender and rosemary brown sugar. They also have hearty food options including sourdough pancakes and avocado toast. 

The best part of this cafe though is all the outdoor seating, which is so nice for sunny days. A downside, however, is that they don’t have WiFi, so it’s not the best cafe for working.

Ultra Coffee Bar

A chilled out River Arts District coffee shop that’s perfect for kick starting your day.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 253-2177

Ultra Coffee Bar is a laid-back and minimalistic coffee shop in the River Arts District. It has a friendly atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. It’s the kind of place that’s perfect for grabbing a quick breakfast and coffee to kick-start your day. 

They serve a decent drink selection with espresso drinks and classics like hot tea and chai lattes. What they’re really known for, however, are their breakfast sandwiches. Popular ones include the classic breakfast sandwich, lox bagel, and brekkie wrap. Their vegan power balls are also a big hit, and they have a good selection of vegan options overall. 

🥾 Read Next: 15 Best Hikes Near Asheville, NC

French Broad Chocolate Lounge

The downtown spot for specialty bonbons and chocolatey drinks and treats to match.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 252-4181

French Broad Chocolate Lounge is a downtown Asheville coffee shop that specializes in all things chocolate. It’s the place to go for specialty bonbons, truffles, and bars, but they also serve other sweets and baked goods. 

And of course, they serve coffee and chocolatey drinks like hot chocolate and affogatos. If these sweets aren’t enough to satisfy your craving, they have a little gelato shop, too. 

BattleCat Coffee Bar

A funky, hipster coffee shop in West Asheville with unique flavored drinks.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 713-3885

Similar to the rest of the West Asheville neighborhood, BattleCat Coffee Bar has a funky, artsy vibe to it. It’s frequented by a younger crowd, and cool, local art covers the walls. They serve all your traditional coffee drinks, but they also have signature drinks with unique flavors. This includes things like a blueberry lavender latte, frozen mango matte, and a London fog with lavender.

You can sit inside the coffee shop, but there’s outdoor patio seating, too. And if you’re hungry, BattleCat has a mini cafe called Tiger Bay Cafe which serves breakfast and lunch. 

Green Sage Cafe

A go-to cafe for organic and health conscious drinks and thoughtfully sourced food.

📍 Google Maps | ☕ Website | 📞 (828) 252-4450

Green Sage Cafe is a local cafe with three locations, including one in downtown Asheville. They’re known for their organic, locally sourced, and health-conscious menu. They have a variety of options that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, as well as gluten-free options. 

The atmosphere is casual and it’s a great option for grabbing lunch or snacks that are on the healthier side. I especially like their smoothies, and their food is pretty flavorful, too. 

FAQs About Cafes in Asheville

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Sorry if this guide made you thirsty, but the coffee shops in Asheville, NC are just that good! After all, indulging in the food and drink scene is one of the best things to do in Asheville!