Guidebook for Raleigh

Tracy
Guidebook for Raleigh

Food Scene

Raleigh has INCREDIBLE food! Here are just a few of our recommendations.
Amazing artisan bread shop with delicious pastries and coffee from a local roaster. Hidden gem, but becoming well-known!
52 locals recommend
Boulted Bread
328 W South St
52 locals recommend
Amazing artisan bread shop with delicious pastries and coffee from a local roaster. Hidden gem, but becoming well-known!
Great spot for breakfast and coffee. Take your laptop upstairs for a nice spot to work.
45 locals recommend
Morning Times
10 E Hargett St
45 locals recommend
Great spot for breakfast and coffee. Take your laptop upstairs for a nice spot to work.
Vegetarian and Vegan treats. Delicious food made from local ingredients. Get there early, this place fills up! Great Sunday brunch, too!
63 locals recommend
The Fiction Kitchen
2409 S Dawson St
63 locals recommend
Vegetarian and Vegan treats. Delicious food made from local ingredients. Get there early, this place fills up! Great Sunday brunch, too!
Fantastic Mexican restaurant. Amazing drinks. Fabulous Saturday brunch. Highly recommend!
28 locals recommend
Centro
106 S Wilmington St
28 locals recommend
Fantastic Mexican restaurant. Amazing drinks. Fabulous Saturday brunch. Highly recommend!
If you want pasta, this adorable spot has delicious Italian food - including gluten free and vegetarian choices!
17 locals recommend
Gravy
135 S Wilmington St
17 locals recommend
If you want pasta, this adorable spot has delicious Italian food - including gluten free and vegetarian choices!
If you love Thai food, you simply must try Bida Manda. Important tip: Make a reservation, or go early and sit at the bar. This place is full every night because of its delicious food and great atmosphere.
126 locals recommend
Bida Manda
222 S Blount St
126 locals recommend
If you love Thai food, you simply must try Bida Manda. Important tip: Make a reservation, or go early and sit at the bar. This place is full every night because of its delicious food and great atmosphere.
Southern BBQ! Enough said.
88 locals recommend
The Pit Authentic Barbecue
328 W Davie St
88 locals recommend
Southern BBQ! Enough said.
Great sushi and big-city vibe.
17 locals recommend
Sono Sushi
319 Fayetteville St
17 locals recommend
Great sushi and big-city vibe.
Little bakery in Mortechai neighborhood with delicious bread treats.
63 locals recommend
Yellow Dog Bread Company
219 E Franklin St
63 locals recommend
Little bakery in Mortechai neighborhood with delicious bread treats.
Farm to table, great place for "small food" and date nights! Great atmosphere.
28 locals recommend
Standard Foods
205 E Franklin St
28 locals recommend
Farm to table, great place for "small food" and date nights! Great atmosphere.
Amazing food by local celebrity chef Ashley Christensen. Go for the mac and cheese - it's is amazing. Fills up fast - expect to wait! Great wine list, fantastic unique salads and foods. Decadent dining experience in a great atmosphere. The "it" place in Raleigh!
102 locals recommend
Poole's
426 S McDowell St
102 locals recommend
Amazing food by local celebrity chef Ashley Christensen. Go for the mac and cheese - it's is amazing. Fills up fast - expect to wait! Great wine list, fantastic unique salads and foods. Decadent dining experience in a great atmosphere. The "it" place in Raleigh!
A casual Ashley Christensen restaurant, adjacent to her burger bar. Nice casual atmosphere and good food.
107 locals recommend
Beasley's Chicken + Honey
237 S Wilmington St
107 locals recommend
A casual Ashley Christensen restaurant, adjacent to her burger bar. Nice casual atmosphere and good food.
Every Saturday - breakfast/brunch food truck and coffee drinks available, with farmers selling fresh organically grown produce and farm-raised meats and cheeses. Stop in during the week for an espresso drink and to shop local jewelry and art.
6 locals recommend
Rebus Works and pH seven
301-2 Kinsey St
6 locals recommend
Every Saturday - breakfast/brunch food truck and coffee drinks available, with farmers selling fresh organically grown produce and farm-raised meats and cheeses. Stop in during the week for an espresso drink and to shop local jewelry and art.
Great for pastries and they make amazing French macarons!
41 locals recommend
lucettegrace
235 S Salisbury St
41 locals recommend
Great for pastries and they make amazing French macarons!
This is a unique spot for dessert and after dinner drinks. They're open super early (7 am) for coffee drinks and late (Midnight... 2 am on weekends) so you can get divine desserts and champagne or cocktails after dinner. CLOSED MONDAY.
33 locals recommend
Bittersweet
16 E Martin St
33 locals recommend
This is a unique spot for dessert and after dinner drinks. They're open super early (7 am) for coffee drinks and late (Midnight... 2 am on weekends) so you can get divine desserts and champagne or cocktails after dinner. CLOSED MONDAY.
Great steaks and walking distance away at Raleigh's hip Warehouse District. Check it out! Extravagant and warm atmosphere, excellent service, and fantastic food. And you can walk here if you want to avoid the awful parking situation in this neighborhood (but Oak does have valet ;)
7 locals recommend
Oak Steakhouse Raleigh
417 W Hargett St
7 locals recommend
Great steaks and walking distance away at Raleigh's hip Warehouse District. Check it out! Extravagant and warm atmosphere, excellent service, and fantastic food. And you can walk here if you want to avoid the awful parking situation in this neighborhood (but Oak does have valet ;)
FANTASTIC SUSHI and sake. Check it out, it won't disappoint. At the time of this writing, MWF 1/2 off most sushi rolls from 5-7 pm
13 locals recommend
O-Ku Sushi
411 W Hargett St
13 locals recommend
FANTASTIC SUSHI and sake. Check it out, it won't disappoint. At the time of this writing, MWF 1/2 off most sushi rolls from 5-7 pm

Drinks & Nightlife

There are great spots to enjoy nightlife in Raleigh!
Good beer and great view from the patio in the summer. Hot spot to drink a craft brew and see the Raleigh city skyline.
26 locals recommend
Boylan Bridge Brewpub
201 South Boylan Avenue
26 locals recommend
Good beer and great view from the patio in the summer. Hot spot to drink a craft brew and see the Raleigh city skyline.
Great atmosphere and great bar food. HUGE beer list.
105 locals recommend
The Raleigh Times
14 E Hargett St
105 locals recommend
Great atmosphere and great bar food. HUGE beer list.
So many amazing beers, local and otherwise. Gluten-free beer, ciders and unique kombucha, too. They serve sandwiches on locally made bread. Delicious.
21 locals recommend
State of Beer
401 Hillsborough St
21 locals recommend
So many amazing beers, local and otherwise. Gluten-free beer, ciders and unique kombucha, too. They serve sandwiches on locally made bread. Delicious.
Best local beer brewed right there. Fantastic pizza and always buzzing with a crowd on their patio and inside. Great place to check out!
85 locals recommend
Trophy Brewing
827 W Morgan St
85 locals recommend
Best local beer brewed right there. Fantastic pizza and always buzzing with a crowd on their patio and inside. Great place to check out!
Great atmosphere and great beer.
Trophy Brewing Tap and Table
225 S Wilmington St
Great atmosphere and great beer.
Fun arcade within walking distance, next to bars and restaurants.
124 locals recommend
Boxcar Bar + Arcade
621 Foster St
124 locals recommend
Fun arcade within walking distance, next to bars and restaurants.
Chic speak-easy club in the heart of downtown.
42 locals recommend
Watts & Ward
200 S Blount St
42 locals recommend
Chic speak-easy club in the heart of downtown.
Craft Cocktails - fantastic.
54 locals recommend
FOUNDATION
213 Fayetteville St
54 locals recommend
Craft Cocktails - fantastic.
Excellent choice for drinks! Fancy cocktails galore.
34 locals recommend
Fox Liquor Bar
East Martin Street
34 locals recommend
Excellent choice for drinks! Fancy cocktails galore.
Adorable atmosphere. Top notch drinks. Right downtown.
8 locals recommend
The Haymaker
555 Fayetteville St
8 locals recommend
Adorable atmosphere. Top notch drinks. Right downtown.
Dim sum, flower shop, bookstore and craft beer in a gorgeous space and beautiful bar. Always packed. Quite possibly one of the trendiest spots in Downtown Raleigh.
113 locals recommend
Brewery Bhavana
218 S Blount St
113 locals recommend
Dim sum, flower shop, bookstore and craft beer in a gorgeous space and beautiful bar. Always packed. Quite possibly one of the trendiest spots in Downtown Raleigh.

Parks & Nature

Great space to get in touch with nature by just crossing the street. Very peaceful, vast rolling hills and the greenway runs through it, so you can go on a wooded walk, bike or run right through the city.
91 locals recommend
Dorothea Dix Park
1985 Umstead Dr
91 locals recommend
Great space to get in touch with nature by just crossing the street. Very peaceful, vast rolling hills and the greenway runs through it, so you can go on a wooded walk, bike or run right through the city.
Super close to here, about 10 minutes drive. Great place for a peaceful walk around the lake.
112 locals recommend
Lake Johnson Park
4601 Avent Ferry Rd
112 locals recommend
Super close to here, about 10 minutes drive. Great place for a peaceful walk around the lake.
Greenways through Dix Park - in the summer there are always events and concert festivals. Dix Park is RIGHT across the street from our home and can be accessed with a quick 5 minute walk. Great place for a bike ride or run.
Greenway Trail Head
Tate Drive
Greenways through Dix Park - in the summer there are always events and concert festivals. Dix Park is RIGHT across the street from our home and can be accessed with a quick 5 minute walk. Great place for a bike ride or run.
The HUGE Dix Park is within walking distance to our home. Already a destination, rolling hills and events abound. Soon-to-be Raleigh's "Central Park" as they design it to be a major green space in the city. Great for a peaceful walk, bike or run - throughout the spring and summer there are events and things to see, such as the 30-acre sunflower fields they did last summer!
Dix Park Athletic Field
1800 Biggs Dr
The HUGE Dix Park is within walking distance to our home. Already a destination, rolling hills and events abound. Soon-to-be Raleigh's "Central Park" as they design it to be a major green space in the city. Great for a peaceful walk, bike or run - throughout the spring and summer there are events and things to see, such as the 30-acre sunflower fields they did last summer!

Shopping

Adorable jewelry and gifts, this store is a local gem. Highly recommend checking out if you're looking for a cute gift.
43 locals recommend
Deco Raleigh
207 S Salisbury St
43 locals recommend
Adorable jewelry and gifts, this store is a local gem. Highly recommend checking out if you're looking for a cute gift.
Unique art and home goods from both local artisans and unusual finds from international markets. Right next to Boulted Bread - you can walk there!
Holder Goods & Crafts
612 W South St
Unique art and home goods from both local artisans and unusual finds from international markets. Right next to Boulted Bread - you can walk there!
Outdoor mall with fantastic shops and lots of restaurant choices. This area has massage and spa places, tea shop, women's and men's clothing and shoes, sunglasses/eyeglasses, drug store, and loads of restaurants and cafés.
130 locals recommend
Cameron Village
130 locals recommend
Outdoor mall with fantastic shops and lots of restaurant choices. This area has massage and spa places, tea shop, women's and men's clothing and shoes, sunglasses/eyeglasses, drug store, and loads of restaurants and cafés.
156 locals recommend
Crabtree Valley Mall
4325 Glenwood Ave
156 locals recommend
Super cute boutique with unique local items like jewelry and leather goods. Trendy clothing and unique gift items.
27 locals recommend
Edge of Urge
215 E Franklin St
27 locals recommend
Super cute boutique with unique local items like jewelry and leather goods. Trendy clothing and unique gift items.
Children's bookstore - great for unique gifts!
6 locals recommend
Read With Me, A Children's Book & Art Shop
111 E Hargett St
6 locals recommend
Children's bookstore - great for unique gifts!
Local Raleigh favorite - great bookstore, lovely location and fantastic selection of books. In North Hills Mall.
6 locals recommend
Quail Ridge Books
4209-100 Lassiter Mill Rd
6 locals recommend
Local Raleigh favorite - great bookstore, lovely location and fantastic selection of books. In North Hills Mall.
Boutiques, movie theater, restaurants. Great spot to shop and eat.
Midtown - North Hills Mall (North State Bank) station
Boutiques, movie theater, restaurants. Great spot to shop and eat.

Sightseeing

Beautiful historic spot.
20 locals recommend
The North Carolina Executive Mansion
200 N Blount St
20 locals recommend
Beautiful historic spot.

Arts & Culture

Beautiful art museum with fantastic exhibits. They also have a concert series. Great restaurant inside for brunch and lunch, too. Beautiful grounds for walking around in nature with a bike/walking path.
437 locals recommend
North Carolina Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Rd
437 locals recommend
Beautiful art museum with fantastic exhibits. They also have a concert series. Great restaurant inside for brunch and lunch, too. Beautiful grounds for walking around in nature with a bike/walking path.

Essentials

Grocery store with all the fundamentals.
132 locals recommend
Harris Teeter
500 Oberlin Rd
132 locals recommend
Grocery store with all the fundamentals.
50 locals recommend
The Fresh Market
400 Woodburn Rd
50 locals recommend
Gotta know where your nearest Whole Foods is!
199 locals recommend
Whole Foods Market
621 Broad St
199 locals recommend
Gotta know where your nearest Whole Foods is!
Really great wine selection and convenience store a short drive away - around 5 minutes.
12 locals recommend
Peace Street Market
804 W Peace St
12 locals recommend
Really great wine selection and convenience store a short drive away - around 5 minutes.
In case you need a pharmacy/drug store/convenience store, really close in Cameron Village, about 6-7 minute drive.
21 locals recommend
Walgreens Pharmacy
1900 Cameron St
21 locals recommend
In case you need a pharmacy/drug store/convenience store, really close in Cameron Village, about 6-7 minute drive.