Cultura — Restaurant in Asheville

My husband, bestfriend, and myself somewhat accidentally wound up at Cultura last Wednesday. We've watched the construction for the last several months and decided to hit up the restaurant next door to the Funkatorium without any knowledge of what the restaurant actually was.

And WOW. Fine dining next to the Funkatorium. It was sort of funny cause we were definitely unprepared - my husband and I were rocking nerdy tee shirts and shorts and our friend had been awake for almost 24 hours due to travel. Fortunately, it wasn't that big of a deal, I could safely say that we were not the only people dressed more for burgers and beer than fine dining.

The menu was simple, a page of small plates and sides that ranged from $6 for bread to $22 for protiens like beef and lamb. The neat thing about Cultura was their "feast" page. Feasts were priced from as low as $40 for 2-4 people to $180 for surf and turf that fed 4-6 people.

We ordered the Swiss Chalet feast for $40. It was a sourdough breadbowl filled with cheese and surrounded by cooked veggies. The breadbowl and cheese were FANTASTIC. The bowl was actually housemade with yeast from the Funkatorium next door, so it was very unique. The veggies were... a mixed bag. Some of it was a little undercooked (radishes and carrots) while others were very good (potatoes and asparagus). Overall the whole meal was very satisfying and I would definitely do it again.

Our service was spectacular. Our waiter was Tony, he was well informed of the menu and extremely personable. It was sort of funny cause we cut him off a few times whenever he'd start to explain something that was one of those clearly for tourists explanations, but he just rolled with it and made everyone feel like they were having a great time. He was one of the best waiters that I've encountered in various Asheville restaurants all year and I highly doubt I will forget the dining experience anytime soon.

Honestly, the only downside was whenever Tony brought out our checks it came with grapefruit cotton candy with CBD on top. I like CBD as much as the next person, but it felt really tacky and a definite move to cater towards tourist. It also tasted like eating well.. hemp cause that's exactly what it was. Next time I'd rather skip that step altogether and just eat the cotton candy cause that was delicious.

We're already looking forward to the next time we can visit Cultura. The food was divine and very well priced for a fine dining experience in Asheville. We split the feast and each had a drink from the Funkatorium; with tip the whole experience was around $75 for three people. We'll definitely be back in August for my father's birthday to try the surf...

Cultura is hands down one of our favorite restaurants in Asheville despite us probably having our most underwhelming dishes thus far tonight. We have been coming to Cultura since first moving to Asheville back in 2021 and have absolutely loved their concepts from their unique weekend tasting menu to their bread board which we desperately miss. This, on top of an always friendly staff makes it a great stop.

Recently, we have found ourselves hooked on their Cease and Desist series where they play a gourmet riff on American classics. From "Chick Fillet" to "Oaxaca Bell", we always find ourselves in for a multi-course delight that often brings back just the right amount of nostalgia with a modern, culinary twist. Our personal favorite, Pizza Shack, somehow hit the perfect recreation of the crust from my childhood with a salad bar that more than delivered. All this at a reasonable price with the occasional included drink pairing.

Tonight's Jane's Crab Shanty was no exception, the seafood courses started off delicious as usual with us adding on two of our favorite cocktails in town. Absolutely delicious lobster dip with one of their always amazing salads to follow. When it finally came time for the main course, we were taken aback by a cold, rubbery-shelled order of king crab legs. Despite being paired with some of the best potatoes and remoulade we've ever had, we could barely eat the main course. The staff was ever as friendly as ever and very accommodating with alternate options. Normally, a floundering of the main course would leave a sour taste in my mouth for the entire evening but this was the first time I've ever had something similar happen and left still thinking that I can't wait to come back next time. The fact that the ending was one of the best key lime pies I've ever had sure didn't hurt.

We look forward to what they come out with next and will most definitely bring catching an upcoming Cease and Desist (though we'll likely pass on the Crab next time).

PS. If this is your first time here, it may sound strange but don't forget to stop by the restrooms. Some of the most...

Visited Asheville for the day and decided to check this place out. Similar to many reviews, the atmosphere and service are stellar. Beautiful space. Thoughtfully designed. They even use local pottery from East Fork which I am a big fan of. The cocktails were really interesting, Ants Marching being a stand out. Would definitely visit for the cocktails and atmosphere again. Not so much for the food.

My friend and I were both surprised by the portions. We both went with A la Carte and ordered nearly everything on the a la carte menu. Listed as "small" "medium" and "entree" I assumed small would be app sized portions, medium and entree scaling up etc...not quite. The bread service was a small piece of naan like bread with onion jam. The small app I ordered was the red snapper and it was sizable app I thought. Especially for one person. We ordered two "mediums", one being the soft shell crab sandwich and hay roasted carrots. I wish I took a picture of the sandwich. It was enormous. With a side, this sandwich could have easily been an entree. It was off the plate it was so big! The carrots were a surprise. See the picture. It was a dressed carrot for $15. This was "medium"? We were confused and disappointed considering the price point.

The entrees although tasty, again, were disappointing. The snapper was nicely seared on the outside and so tender on the inside but, again, look at the pictures. It's the tiniest piece of fish over some tomatoes. This could have been a fantastic entree with a nice side a more sizable pice of fish. The beef tenderloin was a splay of well seasoned thinly sliced tenderloin, some thinly sliced zucchini, cold. This would have made a good sandwich. Or maybe a good "medium"?

Great service, beautiful space. Would visit again because I like the environment. Music in the background didnt drown conversation and the lighting was very lovely, but the a la carte menu was mostly a miss. Most of the items were fine, some very tasty, but we were exploring all day and hungry and I was surprised by these...