Old Edwards Inn and Spa
American Southern · Main Street, Highlands
Restaurant in Highlands, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Blue Ridge Elevation Dining
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Old Edwards Inn and Spa is the Highlands choice for a polished Southern American meal tied to a full-service inn setting. It makes the strongest case for celebrations, visiting families, and dressed-up dinners where service matters more than novelty. Cross-shop Madison's Restaurant or The Wine Garden if the night calls for a simpler or more wine-led plan.
About Old Edwards Inn and Spa
Old Edwards Inn and Spa is a Highlands venue to consider when you want American Southern dining in a smart-casual setting. The cuisine is American Southern, the chef/owner is Chris Huerta, and the dress code is smart casual.
While the core facts are clear, it's best to confirm specific menu formats, price points, service styles, or dining schedules directly with the venue. The most grounded reason to book is simple: you want Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands for an American Southern meal in a smart-casual environment.
Where the profile earns attention
Old Edwards Inn and Spa carries a Relais Chateaux Award in 2025, which is the clearest recognition attached to the venue. For guests comparing dining options, that makes it a notable choice when recognition is part of the decision.
That does not mean it is the automatic choice for every meal. If you are comparing other options, The Wine Garden, Highlands Supper Club, Madison's Restaurant, Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden, and Three Sisters are natural names to consider. Choose Old Edwards Inn and Spa when you specifically want American Southern cuisine at this Highlands venue and the smart-casual dress code fits the plan.
How to decide if it is the right booking
For first-timers, the main decision is whether the profile fits the night: American Southern cuisine, Chris Huerta as chef/owner, and smart-casual attire in Highlands. Details such as exact pricing, seating, hours, menu structure, and accommodation policies should be confirmed directly with the venue before making firm plans.
Value should be judged by fit. If the group wants American Southern dining in Highlands and prefers a smart-casual setting, Old Edwards Inn and Spa belongs on the shortlist. If the night calls for a different atmosphere, compare it with other dining rooms before committing.
The short version: book this when the cuisine, chef/owner, recognition, and dress code match what you want from the evening.
Planning details
- Location
- 455 Spring St, Highlands, NC 28741
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Old Edwards Inn and Spa reads like mountain resort fine dining at ease: elevated but unhurried, anchored by the Blue Ridge landscape. The writing emphasizes cool-summer hospitality and a tempo built for lingering — long meals, slow afternoons and deliberate evenings — which gives the dining room a quietly intimate, scenic character. Culinary practice leans into Southern technique reframed through modern tasting-menu logic, so the overall tone is refined and contemplative rather than flashy. Guests encounter a composed, scenic setting where provenance and seasonality drive the menu and the pace encourages savoring each course.
Best For
This is principally a dinner destination for travelers and local visitors who want a slow, considered meal in a mountain-resort context. The property’s association with tasting-menu service and an audience described as 'destination-minded' makes it well suited for weekend escapes and multi-night stays where evenings are meant to be savored. It’s a natural pick for couples and small groups seeking a scenic, intimate fine-dining experience that emphasizes seasonal Southern ingredients and a measured, multi-course progression rather than quick or casual meals.
Ordering Tips
Opt for the tasting-menu approach when possible: the description highlights how the tasting-menu format has migrated into resort settings here, with seasonal progression and local sourcing central to the experience. Plan to linger — the house’s tempo favors extended evenings — and look for dishes that showcase preserved, fermented or smoked techniques, which the copy highlights as a regional-to-refined throughline. Because the restaurant is part of an inn and serves a destination-minded clientele, booking ahead for an evening seating is advisable to secure the full, unhurried dining experience.
Venue details
Ambiance
Rustic charm with stone-clad walls, exposed beams, rich earth tones, fireside lounges, and candlelit tables creating an inviting, upscale atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
View
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Quiet
- Service Style
- Formal
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Medium
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- 455 Spring St, Highlands, NC 28741
Planning details
Location
455 Spring St, Highlands, NC 28741 · Directions
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Where to look if this is not the right fit
Choose Madison's Restaurant if the group wants American cooking in Highlands without making the inn setting part of the decision. Choose The Wine Garden if wine and a lighter evening matter more than a composed special-occasion meal.
Restaurant context
How it compares in Highlands
Old Edwards Inn and Spa is the more occasion-driven choice in this Highlands set. Compared with Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden, it reads as the stronger fit when the full hospitality setting matters; Madison's is the better comparison for diners who want American Southern cooking with a more restaurant-first frame.
Madison's Restaurant is the cleaner pick for a classic American meal without leaning as heavily into the inn-and-spa experience. The Wine Garden is the smarter cross-shop when the evening is centered on drinking and a lighter plan rather than a full celebration dinner.
Highlands Supper Club works better for a more casual group mood, while Three Sisters is the peer to consider if American Southern is the key filter outside the immediate Highlands core. For value, choose by occasion: Old Edwards Inn and Spa earns its place when service and setting are part of the spend; the others make more sense when the room can be simpler.
Explore Highlands
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Old Edwards Inn and Spa guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Old Edwards Inn and Spa
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Edwards Inn and Spa | Highlands | American Southern | 2025 Relais Chateaux Award |
| Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden | Asheville | American Southern | 2026 Forbes Recommended2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2025 Forbes Recommended2025 Relais Chateaux Award |
| Madison's Restaurant | Highlands | American Cuisine | No published awards |
| The Wine Garden | Highlands | No published awards | , |
| Highlands Supper Club | Highlands | No published awards | , |
| Three Sisters | Walland | American Southern | 2026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2025 Relais Chateaux Award |
How Old Edwards Inn and Spa Highlands compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a first-timer know about Old Edwards Inn and Spa?
Treat this as a Highlands option for American Southern cuisine in a smart-casual setting. Key details include the cuisine, chef/owner Chris Huerta, the smart-casual dress code, and a Relais Chateaux Award in 2025.
What should I wear to Old Edwards Inn and Spa?
The dress code is smart casual. Plan for neat, polished attire appropriate for a smart-casual meal in Highlands.
Is Old Edwards Inn and Spa good for solo dining?
It may work if you want American Southern cuisine in Highlands and are comfortable with a smart-casual setting. Specific solo-dining accommodations or seating formats should be confirmed directly if that matters to your plans.
What are alternatives to Old Edwards Inn and Spa?
Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden, Highlands Supper Club, Madison's Restaurant, The Wine Garden, and Three Sisters are other names to compare. Choose based on the atmosphere and cuisine you want for the night.
Is Old Edwards Inn and Spa good for a special occasion?
It can be a fit for a special occasion if you want American Southern cuisine in Highlands and a smart-casual setting. Its Relais Chateaux Award in 2025 also makes it a notable option to consider.
What should I order at Old Edwards Inn and Spa?
The cuisine is American Southern, and the chef/owner listed is Chris Huerta. Specific dishes are not listed here, so use the current menu and staff guidance when deciding what to order.
