North Carolina’s mountain city is best known for its craft beer, scenic hikes, and the opulent Biltmore, “America’s largest home.” Asheville’s cozy downtown blends storybook charm and Americana, offering a fun mix of boutiques and restaurants, but among its most unexpected gems is an award-winning Indian diner designed in a bright, eclectic aesthetic with celebratory energy: Chai Pani Asheville. Chai Pani serves Indian street food and thalis — traditional set meals served on a single platter. And from the moment you step inside, the space feels festive. Dancing tigers and blooming cherry blossoms adorn turquoise walls, while strings of marigolds — auspicious Indian symbols of wealth and celebration — hang from the ceiling over brightly upholstered booths.
Chai Pani was founded in 2009 by Chef Meherwan Irani and his wife Molly, aiming to “tell the story of Indian food in America,” as AFAR Magazine noted. The restaurant emphasizes regionally-inspired Indian street food with Southern flair, drawing from Chef Irani’s personal journey. In 2022, Chai Pani Asheville won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant, sparking lines down the street as diners clamored for everything from chaat to chutneys, okra fries to pav bhaji, and weekend-only carts of pani puri (crispy, puff-fried street-style snacks). In 2024, the restaurant relocated to a larger space in nearby South Slope, also known as the brewery district, a former industrial area now teeming with diverse businesses. The new Chai Pani has a Bollywood-themed bar upstairs, but remains walk-in only: Add your name to the waitlist before exploring the neighborhood.
Through March 6, 2026, Chai Pani Asheville has revived “the world’s greatest buffet” — an all-you-can-eat, build-your-own-thali experience offered daily. Affordably priced at $16.99 for weekday lunches and $21.99 for weekday dinners, it’s an approachable way to experience one of the country’s most celebrated Indian restaurants.
Chai Pani is a hub of flavor and culture
“Chai pani” means “tea and water,” or, in Indian slang, “going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, or ‘a little something,'” as the restaurant explains. One of its specialties is chaat — bright, crunchy, spicy, tangy, hint-of-sweet street snacks beloved throughout India. Order warm, comforting classics like butter chicken and saag paneer, paired with crispy pakoras and the signature matchstick okra fries. “As a chaat lover, I was impressed,” wrote a Yelp reviewer. “The dish was bursting with flavor — sweet, tangy, crunchy — and the pomegranate seeds were a nice touch. Would absolutely get this again.” Another reviewer thought she wasn’t a fan of the cuisine prior to visiting Chai Pani. “I am now a convert!” she wrote. Guests can also take home the restaurant’s signature spice blends and snacks, sold under the Spicewalla brand…