Battery Park Book Exchange Review

This is a first and foremost a bar, not a bookstore. Until tonight, I had never entered a bookstore and felt that I had the potential to be underdressed before. I suppose I can chalk that up to the "champagne bar" portion of the title.
It is advertised as welcome to all, but the space is very heavily geared towards upper/upper middle class adults. I cannot imagine that children, teenagers, or anyone wearing jeans would be warmly ushered in by the staff. The drinks, while decent, are quite expensive. The shelves have a few treasures but not much to entice most folks, and they cost more used than they probably should. You cannot actually read any books without purchasing them, as the signs liberally peppered throughout the place will tell you. Though the space itself is truly lovely, the books sort of feel like someone was having a yard sale. This is not a place for people who LOVE books and want to read in quiet, this is a space for people who want to drink expensive wine, champagne, and/or espresso and talk with their friends while surrounded by books. I'm sure it's the perfect place for many, just not me and mine. 2 stars because my drink was good and I did buy a book in the end.

This might be my favorite place to visit in Asheville!

Interesting place, nice place to relax but you have to buy a book instead of pulling one off the shelf just to browse for awhile.

So quiet and peaceful with a wonderful wine selection.

Love this book store. Old school layout with an eclectic selection of rare, new, and used books at a low cost. You can also walk around with a coffee or a glass of wine/champagne to add to the experience.

My favorite space! Great wine and a labyrinth of books, what more could you want. Really bummed they don't have wifi because it was the best place in town to work. Way better than a coffee shop (but they have good coffee too!)

Great laid back vibe with good coffee, beer and wine - and thousands of vintage unusual books for sale. Dogs welcomed inside.

Very neat place! Enjoy a glass of champagne or wine or a cup of tea in this amazing collection of books.

Grab a drink of choice and peruse three levels of books. When you decide on your book(s), do it and then find a cozy spot to read in one of the many seating areas

Amazing! Amazing food, amazing drinks. Came here for breakfast this morning for the first time and was blown away! I d come here before for the books and wine but never to really eat more than a small cheese board. This place keeps just surprising me at every turn. So calm and relaxing. Definitely my favorite place in Asheville!!!

My favorite place to read or pass the time. Every time I have been in to the store / wine bar, the employees have gone above and beyond to make my experience a pleasant one. Love, love, love this place. One of Asheville's Must-See locations.

Great champagne and huge selection of valuable books

What a unique venue! This was an absolute oasis to find during these troubled times, a bookstore with a great wine list and h'orderves. If you're visiting Asheville, take the time to visit this lovely spot, buy a book or three and enjoy the outside patio. And it was a delightful surprise to get our check in the Dr. Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham. Enjoy!

Wonderful calm relaxing place too have cake and Champaign

Really cool place to hang out and browse and have a drink no or coffee

Great place for books and friends with indoor and outdoor seating, a little bit like a European bar. Bar is charming, with a warm coziness surrounded by stodgy books, ranging in age from very old collectors items to new, quirky, and serious books.

Just visiting and wandering around Asheville and I came upon this lovely store! I bought a book and had an amazing glass of Cabernet while I read! The selection is lovely and the staff were friendly.. I was questioned about my purchases when I asked for the WiFi password, but understand it s a business and was more than happy to show my receipt. I think I ll go back today in search of a specific book!

Variety of selections. Beware picky eaters. Tremendous atmosphere.

Cute place! Enjoyed looking at the books. They even had a cafe and a place to eat too.

A great place to go and drink some wine/ prosecco, casually nosh on a charcuterie platter, read a book, and mingle with nice people and their dogs. The staff is very welcoming of your furry friends. The books are endless!

Very cool place. Laid back ambiance. Wonderful choices of actual champagne. Excellent variety of books upon books!

Like strolling through a gilded age library, this book shop and wine bar anchor one end of the Grove Arcade

One of my favorite places to go in Asheville. Besides getting lost in all of the amazing books, sitting outside with a glass of wine and people watching is just divine. Love seeing all the dogs welcome on the patio too. Lovely sweets and charcuterie plates, trout dips and cheeses. Staff is always so friendly and so knowledgeable.

I love getting lost in here! THere are great finds hidden in the nooks and cranny of this place.

Incredible book store with lots of cool seating areas!!

Loved the venue! Listened to a small 3 person group with an upright bass. It was AWESOME!! The staff was awesome and it was packed! :)

What a lovely book store!! Super dog-friendly! Delicious coffee, treats, and champagne! Such a neat layout and atmosphere. Lots of cozy sitting areas for small and large groups. Amazing book selection. I absolutely loved my visit here!

Very nice selection of champagne. Cheese plates and chocolates. Friendly service. Walls and walks of books with plenty of nooks and crannies to cozy up. Such a neat spot. Put it on your list, impress your date! They also accommodate small parties. We held a bachelorette shower here and it was perfect. Visiting Asheville with kids? There is a kid section upstairs. Grab a drink while the kids explore and read then walk up the street to the pinball museum.

Great place to read your favorite book and sip a nice res wine.

Wonderful place to read, relax and have a bubbly beverage.

Sunday morning, before we headed back home, we dropped by one of our favorite Asheville haunts... this place is fantastic...they love your dogs, and and the cakes are to die for. We never miss the opportunity to visit when in town...today there was a live trio(pictured )...they are superb musicians (and well versed in music theory)

What a fabulous place! Find a vintage book, drink a glass of champagne (or coffee), cozy up in one of the multiple seating arrangements

This is a great book store if you're looking to add to a collection or find a rare piece. They have many classics in special edition prints and autographed copies of many books. They serve champagne in the bar and pastries. It's a nice place to chill. The staff knows a lot about the books in house. They were helpful in answering the questions I had about some of the books behind glass. Will visit everytime!

Always a great place to meet friends or grab a coffee and relax

The best bookstore in Asheville. On a Sunday they have several different musicians entertaining us while we had our coffee and little treats this place is so cozy, warm, and friendly people. A must-see when in Asheville.

Great ambiance. Excellent location to sit and have a quiet conversation!

Great place! Peruse books, drink coffee. And wine .

Get a drink, find a book and sitdown in one of many comfy places.

The ambiance, food, and drinks were fabulous, but the service was very poor. We were sitting right where wait staff walks by frequently, yet our glasses remained empty, and we were forgotten several times. We had to flag down someone each time we needed a refill, even though we were right where all 4 servers walked by us continually.

Great place with a chill vibe. Stop in in the evening for drinks and live music

Books, champagne, board games, civilized afternoons . All here at the battery park book exchange. Did I mention cookies?

Unique ambiance, great Champagne flights, & excellent small bites. Must see in Ashville.

Wonderful atmosphere, amazing coffee and cocktails!

Great place to chill in downtown Asheville. Good coffee made even better spiked with hazelnut liquor. Picked up some beyond reasonably priced books on WWI and a couple other topics.

Absolutely fantastic selection of books and champagne :)

Cool spot. Great books awesome drinks and they encourage you to hangout and read.

Great environment! Got there too late to order food.

One of the most at home locations I think I have ever been to. I could have sat in here forever. You can really find yourself in here. Asheville in general is good for that.

Yummy coffee and a wonderful atmosphere! Nice for relaxing with friends or studying.

This place was great. Good coffee, gluten free options for the wife and our dogs enjoyed meeting other dogs there.

I make a point to go here every time I make it to Asheville. No only are they dog friendly and have great coffee, but the curated selection of used books is truly one of a kind. I love that they subdivide book categories to make it easy for you to find exactly what you're looking for.

Interesting place. Eclectic art and furniture. Some food, game and drink options. Grab a glass of champagne and a book. We loved hanging out there for a while on a rainy day

You feel like you are in a wealthy moguls "library wing"!

This is absolutely one of my favorite places in Asheville. The atmosphere is very laid back and the staff is extremely friendly. I wish I could remember the gentleman who served us at the champagne bar bc he was very accomedating. The Blood Orange Mimosa is to die for. Also, don't forget to check out the selections of first editions and signed copies!

Huge bookstore with everything you could want- food, champagne, and a maze filled with books.

This is a great place to go as a student who wants to study, until you get hungry! Pretty pricey menu, a single cheese bread platter is nine dollars with olive oil on the side for an extra five dollars! Nice environment just don t come if you re hungry and don t want to spend much

Love, love love this place, 3 stories of books, coffee, pastries, champagne, wine, cheese boards, dog friendly, art deco decor, comfortable leather sofa & chairs, live cool jazz,.........

Love the dog friendly location. The staff 8s friendly and helpful.

So intimate and complex. Great place to grab a glass of wine or great coffee and read and buy amazing books. Great prices and an amazing selection!

Great atmospheres and a cozy place to study. My $9 ham and brie sandwich contained 2 slices deli ham and 1 thin sliced of brie. Literally nothing else on it. I'll come here again to study, but not for food.

Champagne, macaroons, and books. I could not imagine a more perfect place to spend a late morning in Asheville.

Nice spot for charcuterie, champagne and a good book.

Really charming, delicious refreshments, amazing staff. New favorite place to visit.

Nice place to visit but feels a little elitist and unwelcome. Lots of books to buy from. The place has a nice older days ambience to it. They also serve coffee and food.

Enjoyed browsing the great book selection and just love the quirky layout. Always one of our go to places to visit in Asheville.

This is my escape place. There's always a book that speaks to me, a chair that envelopes me, a tea that soothes me, a song playing that mellows me.

Bourgie wine bars are normally not on my list of places to be. But, this one happens to have an impressive collection of used books, with some hidden gems. Wall-to-wall book shelves, reminiscent of some estate library archive, wind their way throughout both levels. There are lots of cozy nooks, and plush furniture, tucked within this giant maze of books, inviting customers to lounge, at their leisure.

However, there are signs, all over, discouraging customers from reading any books, until they've been purchased. And, despite paying for my books, no sooner had I settled down to lose myself in my book, I was promptly asked to vacate their precious lounge, unless I intended on purchasing drinks.

Talk about a total buzz kill. Imagine, just lifting off, for a exciting hot air balloon ride, barely off the ground, only to have the smiling ground crew shoot holes in your big beautiful balloon, yank you from the basket before it even touches back down, and promptly send you on your way.

So, yeah, 4 stars...it would have been 3, if it wasn't for their loverly bar tender, Jillian, with whom I chatted, as I was leaving.

To be fair, the governor, and his entourage, were in the store at the time. Though I had no jacket, I wasn't dressed shabbily. I imagine, there were a thousand different worries besides me. Nevertheless, I treasure most the businesses that treasure their locals. I likely would have bought a beverage, if I was invited to stay with that suggestion.

The wine selection was amazing and the charcuterie was fantastic. We also really liked the ambiance and it's great for a date. My wife is gluten free and they had a good selection for her. I also bought a used book that I'm reading right now.

As a certified, card carrying wino, I can't say enough good things about Battery Park. The owner is a fantastic guy. Well behaved dogs are welcome too. Highly recommended.

Friendly staff and good coffee, but an awful study spot. There was maybe one outlet in the whole place that doesn't have a bunch of lamps plugged in and you need a different code every hour to use wifi. Don't choose this spot if you're trying to do work.

Makes me feel classy AF to sip on my champagne somewhere in the book labyrinth

Phenomenal, finally something genuinely different and wonderful! Thank you for a warm unique setting to drink lovely beverages in!

Great staff, amazing atmosphere, inviting, homey enchanting and comfortable. I'd come back again and again.