Asheville’s outdoor drinking scene goes further than most visitors expect. The brewery patios are good — and you’ll find several of those on this list — but the city also has hotel rooftops with genuine mountain views, a sake brewery tucked inside a converted auto shop, a champagne bar inside a bookstore, and a secret wine garden that requires a password to enter. Whether you’re planning a sunset drink with a view or a low-key evening at a neighborhood patio, this guide covers the best rooftop bars, outdoor drinking spots, and open-air wine and cocktail destinations worth your time in Asheville.

Rooftop Bars in Asheville

Several of Asheville’s best hotel rooftops are legitimately worth the trip — not just as a checkbox but because the Blue Ridge Mountain views from six or seven floors up are the real thing. A few have earned national recognition. All are open to the public; no hotel stay required.

Soprana Rooftop Cucina

Soprana holds a Michelin Guide listing and earns it. On the 7th floor of the Embassy Suites at 192 Haywood St, the outdoor terrace wraps the building for nearly 240-degree mountain views, and the food program treats the setting as a real restaurant rather than hotel overflow. The menu is Appalachian in ingredients and Alpine in spirit: brick-oven pizza, locally sourced small plates, house-made charcuterie from Warren Wilson College’s agriculture program. Cocktails lean Italian — negroni sbagliato, Hugo spritz, a tiramisu martini that works better than it sounds.

Patio reservations aren’t accepted, so timing matters for the best outdoor table. Arrive before sunset on a clear evening and you’ll understand why people come back.

• Where: 192 Haywood St (Embassy Suites, 7th floor), downtown
• Hours: Mon–Thu 5pm–10pm; Fri–Sun noon–10pm
• Reservations: Indoor only; patio is walk-in

Capella on 9

Capella on 9 sits on the 9th floor of the AC Hotel at 10 Broadway St with two distinct rooftop terraces — one toward the mountains, one across the downtown roofline. The Spanish-inspired tapas menu is made for slow evenings: patatas bravas, pinchos, flatbreads, and enough small plates to justify staying through multiple rounds. The cocktail program has personality — a Smoked Manhattan arrives with actual cedar smoke; the Popcorn Ball Rum Fashioned uses rum infused with buttered popcorn.

No reservations taken. Weekends require arriving early or being patient. The no-pressure walk-in policy makes it a good call for spontaneous evenings.

• Where: 10 Broadway St (AC Hotel, 9th floor), downtown
• Hours: Mon–Thu 4pm–11pm; Fri–Sat 4pm–midnight; Sun 4pm–10pm
• Reservations: Not accepted

The Montford

The Montford is the rooftop most locals recommend for sunsets, and it’s not complicated to see why. The west-facing terrace on the 8th floor of the DoubleTree at 199 Haywood St lines up directly with the Blue Ridge Mountains. The bar runs seasonal cocktails with house-made infusions and regional spirits; the food stays light — collard green dip, flatbreads, charcuterie, house tater tots. Live music is common on weekends.

It’s been voted Asheville’s best bar with a view more than once. If a terrace table at sunset matters to you, call ahead.

• Where: 199 Haywood St (DoubleTree, 8th floor), downtown
• Hours: Mon–Tue, Thu 4pm–10pm; Wed 4pm–9pm; Fri–Sat 4pm–11pm; Sat from noon
• Reservations: Accepted — recommended for weekends

The Roof at The Radical

The only rooftop bar in the River Arts District. The Radical Hotel at 95 Roberts St occupies a restored 1920s cereal factory on the banks of the French Broad River, and The Roof reflects the building’s character: bohemian, energetic, a little louder than the downtown options. The view trades Blue Ridge panoramas for something more immediate — sunset over the French Broad (link to FB Article), the river and surrounding mountains catching the light as DJ sets warm up. Cocktails are creative, the social atmosphere leans more party than quiet sunset-cocktail, and the whole thing is a distinctly different rooftop experience than you’ll find anywhere else in Asheville.

Being in the RAD means the rest of the neighborhood — studios, galleries, breweries — is right below when the evening wraps up. Open to the public; no hotel stay needed.

• Where: 95 Roberts St (The Radical Hotel, RAD)
• Hours: Daily 3pm–8:30pm; Fri–Sat until 10pm
• Note: Check theradicalavl.com for seasonal schedule and DJ nights

Wildwood Still

Wildwood Still is on the 7th floor of the Moxy Hotel at 61 Biltmore Ave and is built for whiskey. The bar stocks 150+ bottles — aged rarities, limited releases, and names most guests haven’t encountered before. The indoor space uses floor-to-ceiling NanaWall glass that opens fully to the outdoor terrace, so even borderline weather doesn’t kill the open-air feel. Three gas fire pits anchor the patio.

The food program is Japanese-influenced: robata-grilled small plates, lobster dim sum, cold and hot preparations. Go around sunset for the mountain views behind the ridge. For anyone who wants a rooftop with real depth to its bar program, this is the one.

• Where: 61 Biltmore Ave (Moxy Hotel, 7th floor), downtown
• Hours: Mon–Thu, Sun 4pm–11pm; Fri–Sat 4pm–midnight
• Reservations: Recommended on weekends

Antidote at Chemist Spirits

Antidote occupies a three-story 1920s apothecary building at 151 Coxe Ave on South Slope, next door to Chemist Spirits distillery. The cocktail list uses house-distilled gin and vodka; the setting — vintage glassware, dark wood, bitters in potion jars — is one of the more deliberate drinking environments in Asheville. The rooftop is accessible from the main bar any day during open hours, and is staffed as a full bar on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The rooftop closes in inclement weather. The views are neighborhood-level rather than panoramic, but the setting is genuinely different from everything else. Leashed dogs welcome on the patio.

• Where: 151 Coxe Ave, South Slope
• Hours: Mon–Thu 8am–11pm; Fri–Sat 8am–midnight; Sun 8am–11pm
• Rooftop bar staffed: Friday and Saturday evenings; accessible any day during open hours

Highland Brewing

Beer Gardens and Outdoor Breweries

Asheville has no shortage of brewery patios. These three earn a spot on this list for what’s specific about the outdoor experience — not just that they have tables outside.

Zillicoah Beer Co.

Zillicoah Beer sits on the eastern bank of the French Broad River at 870 Riverside Dr in Woodfin — just 2 miles from the River Arts District, about seven minutes by car. The brewery specializes in open-fermented farmhouse ales and lagers; clean pilsners, traditional saisons, mixed-fermentation ales. Picnic tables sit steps from the water, hammocks hang across the four-acre property, and food truck partnerships rotate through the season.

Zillicoah took significant flood damage from Hurricane Helene and fully reopened in August 2025. The riverside setting is fully back. The name comes from the Cherokee word for the French Broad. 21+ most days; Sunday is all-ages.

• Where: 870 Riverside Dr, Woodfin (7 min from downtown Asheville)
• Hours: Mon–Fri 2pm–10pm; Fri–Sat from noon; Sun noon–8pm

Highland Brewing

Highland is Asheville’s oldest craft brewery, founded in 1994. The East Asheville campus at 12 Old Charlotte Hwy covers 40 acres with enough outdoor space to make most other brewery patios feel like an afterthought. The Meadow has open green space, disc golf (free), sand volleyball, a playground, and separate outdoor taps. Food trucks rotate daily; live music hits the outdoor stage on weekends.

The tap list runs flagship favorites alongside seasonal and small-batch releases. Parking is easy — one of the genuine advantages over downtown options. Coming in 2026: an in-house pizza restaurant on the property.

• Where: 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, East Asheville
• Hours: Check highlandbrewing.com for seasonal hours; typically noon–10pm weekends

Ben’s Tune-Up

Ben’s Tune-Up is the only sake brewery in Asheville, operating out of a converted South Slope auto shop at 195 Hilliard Ave. The outdoor beer garden is expansive and genuinely eclectic — upcycled truck seats, reclaimed wood, living walls. The sake program covers clean, classic Japanese styles through creative variations; the draft list adds rotating craft beer. Asian-American fusion food comes from the in-house kitchen.

Live music lands regularly. The setup is unusual enough in a city of craft beer that it stands apart from everything else on South Slope.

• Where: 195 Hilliard Ave, South Slope
• Hours: Mon 4pm–11pm; Tue–Wed closed; Thu 4pm–11pm; Fri 4pm–1am; Sat 2pm–1am; Sun 10am–11pm

Wine, Champagne, and Cocktail Patios

Not every great outdoor drink in Asheville involves a mountain view or a brewery. These four spots earn their place with specific character — a serious wine list, a champagne bar inside a bookstore, a cocktail lounge in a former bus station, and an outdoor bar that requires a little detective work to find.

Leo’s House of Thirst

Leo’s House of Thirst is a Michelin-listed wine bar at 1055 Haywood Rd in West Asheville, in a renovated cinderblock building with a covered garden patio strung with lights and ivy-covered walls. The wine list runs serious: small producers, classic regions, bottles chosen to push you toward something you wouldn’t typically order. Food is more substantial than the average wine bar — deviled eggs with smoked honey, steak tartare, housemade pasta, oysters.

Patio is first come, first served; reservations apply to indoor tables only. A reliable neighborhood wine bar and one of the better outdoor evening spots in West Asheville.

• Where: 1055 Haywood Rd, West Asheville
• Hours: Mon 4pm–9pm; Tue–Thu 4pm–9pm; Fri noon–10pm; Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 10am–9pm
• Note: Outdoor seating first come, first served

Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar

Battery Park is a used bookstore and champagne bar in a genuine, functioning combination inside the historic Grove Arcade at 1 Page Ave downtown. The outdoor patio has umbrella shading, dog beds, and crystal water bowls — dogs welcome outside. The bar pours champagne by the glass or flight (in crystal, with literary-themed cocktails). Charcuterie boards are substantial enough to count as dinner.

Unusual enough to be genuinely worth experiencing once. For wine-curious visitors or anyone who wants an outdoor drink in a setting that doesn’t look like the rest of downtown Asheville, this delivers.

• Where: 1 Page Ave #101 (Grove Arcade), downtown
• Note: Dogs welcome on outdoor patio; not permitted inside

The Hound

The Hound occupies the former Greyhound bus station at 2 Tunnel Rd in East Asheville: candlelit indoor spaces, landscaped outdoor patio with shaded zones and communal seating, a pass-through bar. The cocktail program draws on izakaya culture — relaxed, built for staying. Japanese-influenced drinks alongside a wine list curated by Zambra’s sommelier. Bonito Kitchen runs food from inside: garlic shrimp, patatas bravas, poke bowls, a Cubano that people come back for.

East Asheville doesn’t have a lot of places like this, which is part of what makes it worth the short drive. Dog-friendly inside and out.

• Where: 2 Tunnel Rd, East Asheville
• Hours: Mon–Thu 3pm–11pm; Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Sun noon–10pm

Pink Moon

Pink Moon is behind the Double Crown at 375 Haywood Rd in West Asheville, accessed through a padlocked door marked with a pink light — find the evening’s passcode in Instagram Stories at @pink_moon_bar. The wine list rotates daily and leans natural and organic. Beer and cocktails also available. No bathrooms on-site — use the Double Crown. Open seasonally March–December, weather-dependent.

One of those Asheville spots that locals appreciate partly because you have to find it yourself. Check Instagram before you go to confirm it’s open that evening.

• Where: 375 Haywood Rd (behind Double Crown), West Asheville
• Hours: Mon 5pm–11pm; Tue–Sun 5pm–midnight (weather-dependent; check @pink_moon_bar)
• Access: Passcode posted nightly in Instagram Stories

Start and End in the RAD

River Row Suites sits at 82 Craven Street in the River Arts District — walkable distance from The Roof at The Radical, close enough to New Belgium’s river deck to make an evening of it. Full kitchens in every suite handle the morning-after logistics. Free parking makes the drive to Highland, Zillicoah, or East Asheville easy.

Book your stay → riverrowasheville.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the best rooftop bars in Asheville, NC?

A: The top rooftop bars in Asheville include Soprana (Embassy Suites), Capella on 9 (AC Hotel), The Montford (DoubleTree), Wildwood Still (Moxy Hotel), and The Roof at The Radical in the River Arts District. Antidote at Chemist Spirits on South Slope also offers rooftop seating. All are open to the public; no hotel stay required.

Q: Are there outdoor bars in the River Arts District?

A: Yes. The Roof at The Radical (95 Roberts St) is the only rooftop bar in the RAD, with views over the French Broad River. Zillicoah Beer Co. is a short drive north in Woodfin, directly on the river.

Q: What is the best wine bar with outdoor seating in Asheville?

A: Leo’s House of Thirst (1055 Haywood Rd) is the strongest option — a Michelin-listed wine bar with a covered garden patio and curated natural wine list. Battery Park Book Exchange offers champagne flights and an outdoor patio in the Grove Arcade. Pink Moon, an outdoor-only seasonal bar in West Asheville, is the pick for serious wine drinkers willing to find the password on Instagram.

Q: Which Asheville outdoor bars are dog-friendly?

A: Zillicoah Beer Co., Highland Brewing, Ben’s Tune-Up, and Antidote all welcome leashed dogs outdoors. Battery Park Book Exchange has dog beds and water bowls on its patio. The Hound is dog-friendly inside and out. Leo’s House of Thirst and Pink Moon also welcome dogs on their outdoor patios.