11 Best Restaurants in Central North Carolina, North Carolina

Stepping into this artisanal patisserie with attached wine bar feels like being in Europe, save for the Southern hospitality. Hungry customers line up for plump Valrhona chocolate croissants, slabs of burrata-dotted focaccia, and sandwiches made on fresh bread with locally milled grains. Bobby Boy exists in perfect harmony with Caviste Wine Bar; bakery customers enjoy sandwiches and coffee at the bar by day, then fancy bar snacks are made to pair with the natural wines at Caviste at night. 

The city's best food hall has a soaring ceiling with giant skylights, filling the room and its many stalls with natural light. Grab a hearty burrito, an empanada, or a sandwich from Benchwarmers Bagels, where heirloom grains and a wood-fired oven result in one of the Southeast's best.

A group of passionate bakers has built up this tiny neighborhood bakery over the past nine years, supporting it through a move and COVID closures. Boulted stone-mills their flour daily, with heirloom grains and local everything else, from eggs to dairy to chocolate.

Swing by this local favorite (also in Winston-Salem) for a café au lait and a chocolate croissant in the morning, and then visit again after dark for the decadent desserts.

Coffee and hot chocolate made with love, community, and the best intentions just tastes better. Cocoa Cinnamon and their in-house roasters Little Waves source coffee beans and ingredients from small and sustainable producers all over the world, and tell stories through their beverages. The rotating Wonder Menu features seasonal special drinks like I'll Be Your Mirror (latte with Nutella and black pepper) and Two After Midnight's Children, a drinking chocolate with hot peppers, honey, and sea salt. Three locations include the more laptop-friendly Old West Durham, the coffee roastery and fresh churros at Lakewood, and the original Old North Durham, each with distinct thoughtful design and local art.

Five-time James Beard Award semifinalist Scott Crawford founded this comfy but sophisticated restaurant in the historic Oakwood neighborhood to showcase his unique approach to cooking and the seasonal bounty of his adopted hometown. The ever-changing menu is focused on seasonal, local produce that truly belongs to its community. Look for entrées like beef cheek ragout, pork schnitzel with smashed roots, and swordfish with ancient grains. Save room for dessert because pastry chef Lauren Yerrick's creations are out of this world. Craft cocktails and a solid wine list round out the experience. If you can't get enough of Crawford's cooking (or the reservation time you're seeking), his French restaurant, Jolie, is next door and is equally terrific.

This repurposed industrial-mod warehouse includes 10 counter-serve food and drink merchants, offering Neapolitan pizza, raw oysters, gourmet coffee, and more. The location, next to Durham Central Park and Farmers' Market and amidst a growing collection of apartment buildings, makes it a popular sport for families and singles on weekends.

The bold yellow-and-slate-grey color palette of this contemporary patisserie is a hint that this downtown bakery is anything but stuffy or staid, with candy-colored macarons in flavors like birthday cake and French toast, decadent baklava croissants, and desserts that reimagine old favorites like an apple tart with smoked vanilla Calvados mousse. Weekday afternoons bustle when ham baguette sandwiches and creamy tomato soup have office workers lining up. Christmas bûches de noël (jellyroll-style chocolate cakes) and mini Valentine's Day treats are hotly anticipated by regulars.

In the town of Davidson about 30 minutes from Charlotte, the Kindred family opened the comfortably elegant Kindred restaurant, beloved for many things including the pull-apart, pillowy milk bread that's served to each table. Spinning off their restaurant into a takeout-friendly concept, they opened Milkbread serving glazed donuts, fried-chicken sandwiches, and an all-day menu of salads and bowls. Order at the walk-up counter and try to find a seat on the busy patio to enjoy a coffee or glass of natural wine with your goodies.

It's worth the line down the sidewalk for the house-made ice cream, cookie sandwiches, and milkshakes with seasonal flavors at this boutique spot with a dozen daily flavors. A satellite location with scoops and shakes is now open at Common Market on Green Street.