Asheville, North Carolina

The best coffee in Asheville

Six Asheville cafés and roasters, weighted to West Asheville where the scene lives.

6 places

Asheville's coffee has moved decisively across the river. West Asheville, and Haywood Road in particular, is now the centre — you can do four serious stops on one street.

Downtown still has strong options, and the River Arts District is worth pairing with a brewery stop rather than treating as a coffee destination on its own.

  1. 1.Cooperative Coffee Roasters

    West Asheville

    The flagship on Haywood, across from Short Street Cakes. Covered café seating plus a casual area with picnic tables and hammocks — the best place in the city to spend a slow hour.

  2. 2.PennyCup Coffee Co.

    West Asheville

    Small-batch roaster working direct-trade and micro-lot coffees, with four locations across the city. The West Asheville site is the one to pick.

  3. 3.Izzy's Coffee House

    West Asheville

    A Haywood Road fixture with specialty drinks, a curated beer and wine list and house-baked goods — it works past mid-afternoon in a way most cafés do not.

  4. 4.Bad Manners Coffee

    West Asheville

    Deliberately bold and unapologetic about it. Top-quality beans and flavour combinations most roasters would not attempt.

  5. 5.Rowan Coffee

    In-house roasting with real depth in the cup, and one of the small Asheville names that holds page one on merit.

  6. 6.Summit Coffee

    River Arts District

    The coffee truck at River Arts District Brewing, plus a downtown room. Convenient rather than a pilgrimage.