Fresh seafood. Authentic Mexican cuisine. Traditional Ethiopian fare. Cocktails and nightlife. Brightleaf District delivers everything your palate craves and more.
Prepare your tastebuds for a taste of Ethiopia in the heart of Durham at Goorsha. Whether you share a communal plate or try an individual portion, each dish is full of flavor. Goorsha’s sister café, Gojo, brings the same Ethiopian influence to bowls, salads and sandwiches for lunch, plus coffee by day and hookah lounge vibes after dark.
For a more casual setting without sacrificing any flavor, try Fonda Lupita – the Brightleaf location of a restaurant recognized as one of Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants for 2021. Emmy Squared draws crowds with its Detroit-style pizza, salads and sides. A homegrown Durham favorite is right down the street at Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and Sweets. Recognized by Bon Appetit Magazine’s Best New Restaurants when it opened, come for lunch, brunch and early dinner and stay for the sweets counter and legendary ice cream sandwiches.
For a more formal dining experience, try authentic MICHELIN Guide-recommended Greek dishes for brunch and dinner at Nikos. Order the Meze Grand Platter to share, plus the cheesy Flaming Saganaki and bask in the outdoor patio before or after enjoying a glass of natural wine at Sol House Wines.
For dessert, indulge in a scoop at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, where seasonal flavors like their bright and citrusy sunshine ice cream showcase sun-kissed lemon, sweet-tart tangerine and radiant passion fruit Or, stop in at Afters Dessert Bar for a flight of sweet treats made with imaginative, chef-driven flavors. For a taste of Paris right here in Durham, visit Miel Bon Bons, where artisan chocolates and confections are crafted with French techniques, honed through classical training, and locally sourced ingredients.
Just around the corner and under the lovingly nicknamed Can Opener Bridge lies The Can Opener, a beer hall-meets-coffee shop with plenty of outside seating and permanently parked food trucks serving breakfast sandwiches, barbecue, Korean-inspired cuisine, Mediterranean food, ice cream and more.
Night owls rejoice; Brightleaf District has plenty of options to match your evening mood. The Federal, one of Durham's legacy businesses, offers drool-worthy nachos, Buffalo chicken sandwiches and burgers – plus a late-night menu. Next door, the James Joyce Irish Pub serves up wings, fried soft pretzel bites and other pub-like sides till 2 a.m. Chill out on the patio at Devine’s Restaurant & Sports Bar with bar food staples and TVs to watch your favorite teams. If that includes Duke, you’ll be pleased to see a wall filled with memorabilia from Blue Devil history. College students often frequent Shooters II, complete with a mechanical bull.
Follow the brick warehouses northeast toward Durham Central Park and you'll discover Durham's emerging beer haven. In the Durham ID District, caffeinate your day at Narrative Coffee before you brewery hop between three distinct breweries proving this neighborhood takes its craft seriously: Crank Arm Brewing's Durham taproom and the Durham-born Flying Bull Restaurant and Brewery and Atomic Clock Brewing Co. Be sure to stop by Morris Green Park for a moment of zen and a photo op before you move on to your next activity.
