Open today · 4pm – 11pm

Mood: West Asheville, evening, book in one hand, Old Pal in the other.

Character: Literary, attentive, $9 daily specials and $8 books.

West Asheville's literary-themed neighborhood cocktail bar, where literature and libations intertwine. Stop by for carefully crafted cocktails, daily $9 drink specials, and a curated selection of $8 books from our partnership with Bagatelle Books.
Chapter I

Visit

797 Haywood Rd #100
Asheville, NC 28806

Open Daily · 4pm – 11pm

(828) 348-7040 hello@characterstudybar.com

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Chapter III

Partners in Pursuit

Character Study × Bagatelle Books bookplate

Every book on our shelves is hand-picked with our friends at Bagatelle Books, West Asheville's neighborhood bookseller. Sip a cocktail, browse the stacks, take one home with you.

$8 Each book on the shelf

Currently on the shelf

The Odyssey of Homer

Tr. Emily Wilson

Echo Tree

Henry Dumas

Priest of Nature

Rob Iliffe

Chapter IV

Reading Party

with Otterpine

Two otters browsing a bookshelf, one peering down from the shelf above, the other trying on a pair of reading glasses
Second & fourth Mondays · Illustration by Otterpine

Reading is better together.

A cozy, introvert-friendly evening of books, quiet reading, and good company. Think of it as a twice-monthly reading ritual: a reason to leave the house, set aside distractions, and spend an hour among neighbors who love books as much as you do. Come alone or with a friend. There's no assigned reading, no homework, and no pressure to socialize.

Register

Next party:

Registration is recommended. It helps us plan, and we'll send a reminder with anything special in store. It doesn't reserve a seat; seating is first come, first served.

The evening

Arrive, browse the shelves, grab a drink, and settle in.
Quiet reading, listening, or crafting for one hour.
Keep reading, chat with fellow readers, swap recommendations, or head home. Whatever feels right.

What to bring

  • A book, e-reader, magazine, or audiobook
  • Headphones, if you're listening
  • A quiet craft: knitting, embroidery, sketching
  • Maybe a book-loving friend

Bring whatever you're currently reading: a novel, non-fiction, a poetry collection, a comic, a magazine, or an e-reader. Audiobook listeners are welcome too. Need something to read? Every Bagatelle book on our shelves is $8.

We open with time to grab a drink, find a seat, and meet fellow readers. Then the room goes quiet for an hour before opening back up for optional conversation, book recommendations, and new connections.

Hosted by

Otterpine

An independent Asheville small press celebrating books and the communities that grow around them.

otterpine.com →

Chapter V

Reserve a Table

❦ ❧ ❦

Book clubs · Reading groups · Standing meetings

Need a meeting location for your Huey Lewis fan club, Kierkegaard discussion group, or Francophones d'Asheville? We'd be happy to make a space for you.

We reserve the front table or the parlor — please call the bar during business hours to book either one.

Reach us at (828) 348-7040, daily from 4pm.

Looking to rent the whole space? See rates and inquire at our sister bar's events page: littlejumbobar.com/private-events.

Nous ne parlons pas très bien le français, veuillez donc nous appeler en anglais.

Chapter VI

The Room

Marbled walls, a long bar, a secret forest, tufted emerald barstools, booths in caramel leather, and shelves of books everywhere you look.

Back-bar with brass pendant lamps and emerald-tufted barstools
Bar with bottles, glassware, and brass fixtures
Lounge corner with forest mural, leather sofa, and reading lamps
Booth seating under stained-glass pendant lamps
View down the bar past the bookshelves at night
Banquette seating beside the bookshelves
The parlor — banquette seating, gallery-wall mirrors, and bookshelves against marbled wallpaper
Curated Bagatelle Books titles on the Character Study shelf
Storefront at night with the lit Character Study signed-circle sign
Chapter VII

Stay in Touch