Capital Club 16 pays homage to the old and new. The restaurant serves American food with European influences and is housed inside a registered historic building in downtown Raleigh. Interiors here are a salvage house of reclaimed wood and tile taken from New York restaurants, Neuse River docks, and North Carolina mills. Classic dishes with the foresight of seasonal and locally-grown ingredients fill the menu. Capital Club 16 is a fine choice for a relaxed but refined dinner, and also has a full-service bar and serves lunch and brunch.
This vibrant cafe, bakery, and German restaurant can safely be called a local favorite. Seasonal menus feature eclectic German specialties made with only locally-sourced ingredients. The bakery offers a generous menu of breads, cakes, pastries, and cookies. Guglhupf’s interiors are stunning, and feature an interior terrace and courtyard, a beautiful patio for outdoor dining, and an atrium. The cafe also often hosts wine and local food-related events, and exhibits the work of local artists.
The Rockford has been serving creative sandwiches and American fare from its hip brick building since 1994. There is a rock solid sustainability policy here, as all the ingredients used are locally-sourced. The menu offers salads, sides, and a few featured entrees, but the centerpiece is the beloved collection of sandwiches, which are prepared by combining classic ingredients in unique combinations. Rockford’s enduring power might come from its apple, bacon, and cheddar sandwich. Sunday brunch rounds out the service at this local favorite.
The Fiction Kitchen is a brightly-colored vegetarian restaurant with an innovative, seasonal menu. The restaurant began as a pop-up restaurant project and has evolved into a thriving culinary institution with a permanent location in Raleigh’s depot and warehouse district. Fiction is a temple to fresh, creative vegetarian cuisine: think succotash farro risotto or nori rolls with sashimi tofu. Absolutely everything served at the Kitchen is vegetarian and regionally-sourced, and most items are vegan. Fiction serves brunch on Sundays.
The Morning Times is a brick-walled coffeehouse that serves coffee, breakfast, and sandwiches for a hip and bohemian-leaning crowd. The coffee bar is downstairs, while a secluded upstairs gallery is perfect for catching up with friends over a group brunch. Outdoor seating spills onto the sidewalk on East Hargett Street. The Morning Times is quick, friendly, and right in the middle of downtown Raleigh. If you ask the baristas kindly, they might jazz your coffee with a shot of bourbon.