Best Italian Restaurants in Arden

Can’t say enough. Meatballs were the best! I want the recipe! Thanks for a great meal!

Luminosa is one of the latest crown jewels of the already stellar Asheville fine dining scene. This was our fourth time in and the experience just gets better every time we go. Tonight we were a table of three, dining with two of being local and our third being an Asheville ex-pat who put down roots in Montreal a decade ago. Though the signature bread service (which is heavenly) was sold out, the garlic knots we got instead were super delicious and filled that void servicably. The meat and cheese board, as usual, was just enough in terms of quantity and more than enough in terms of quality, and was a perfect set up alongside the beef carpaccio and its crispy capers. We also partook in the embered carrots and rutabaga which were delightful. Our final selection from the Contorni menu was the polenta which is simply one of the best I've ever had, just mind melting. For entrees we went with the carbonara, the malfedine and the Copa steak--which was the clear winner of the evening. While the other two were rich and and wonderful in their own right, the Copa steak with its sweet habanada jelly was stunning, not what I expected at all, but absolutely delicious. Luminosa fills a very specific niche of slightly fancier, slightly dressier and slightly more formal than some of the other luminaries of the Asheville scene and we are glad to have her.

The service at Bargello was exceptional. The food was lovely and the vibe was fun. Highly recommend.

Our dinner with a guest at Glass Onion was outstanding. Parking is across the street. The ambiance is bustling. The service was seamless. The food was scrumptious. Two of us shared a Bosc Pear & Roasted Beet Salad, which was just delicious. My Grilled Scottish Salmon with a tarragon-mustard cream sauce, with a black lentil salad, was sensational. Her House made Fettuccini with a braised mushroom ragu was excellent. The Almond Cake with a raspberry sauce was light and not too sweet. All in all, a terrific evening for the three of us.

My third time here in a month! Great menu, delicious food, perfect portions and pricing is very good for where we are downtown Asheville!