Deciding on Charleston restaurants is not an easy task. There is no shortage of great dining whether it’s fine dining for a special night out or a burger and beer with friends.
New restaurants seem to open weekly, but thankfully most restaurants are on Open Table or Resy. As much as possible, try to make reservations in advance. I’ve highlighted a few of my downtown favorites below.
DOWNTOWN FOOD & DRINK
CHARLESTON STANDARDS
- FIGDinner here is always a treat. It’s consistently one of Charleston’s most popular restaurants, so you’ll need a reservation. They take reservations 4 weeks out.
- High Cotton
- Husk If the weather is nice, it’s fun to sit in their courtyard. Great burgers and house cocktails
- Magnolia’s
- Slightly North of Broad (SNOB)
- 82 Queen
SOUTHERN
- Bertha’s Kitchen
- Cru Café A Charleston staple in a cute Charleston single house
- Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop
- Martha Lou’s
COLD DRINKS & GREAT FOOD
- Baker & Brewer
- Edmund’s Oast When the weather is nice, it’s fun to sit outside.
- Warehouse
SEAFOOD
- 167 Raw Unless you get there first thing, expect a wait, but it’s worth it.
- Chubby Fish
- Darling Oyster Bar
- Hank’s Consistently good seafood dishes (including some non-seafood dishes). Oyster stew is fantastic.
- The Ordinary
MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY
- Big Bad Breakfast
- Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit From their famous biscuits to yummy grits, this place is perfect for a quick breakfast or lunch. If you’re enjoying the bar scene on upper King, they’re open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 pm- 2 am.
- Hall’s Sunday Gospel Brunch A great way to spend a couple of hours on any Sunday. Definitely need a reservation
- Macintosh (Sunday brunch)
- Marina Variety Store This locals’ favorite has been serving up a delicious breakfast 7 days a week since 1963.
Serving a wide variety of dishes including crab cake benedict and many omelet options. They are located at the City Marina off Lockwood and they validate parking. - Miller’s All Day New place on King St that’s quickly becoming a local favorite
- One Broad Street
HEALTHY OPTIONS
- Basic Kitchen Delicious and healthy dishes to please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians
- Beech
- Dell’z Uptown
- Five Loaves Café Great lunch spot with delicious soups, sandwiches and salads
- Gnome Café
- Huriyali
- Park Cafe
- Verde
OTHER FAVORITES
- Butcher & Bee Good choice for brunch, lunch or dinner. Mediterranean-inspired dishes including, shakshuka, mezze options and delicious baked goods.
- Goat Sheep Cow
- Little Jack’s Tavern If you enjoy a good burger, make sure you visit Little Jack’s for their delicious Tavern Burger.
- Mercantile & Mash Located at the Cigar Factory, this restaurant/market serves all-day breakfast including avocado toast and a huevos rancheros wrap as well as sandwiches for lunch.
- Monza
- Queen Street Grocery Since 1922, this corner café/grocery has been serving delicious crepes (both savory and sweet) and sandwiches. Open 7 days a week and just a couple of blocks off King Street
- Rutledge Cab Co
SWEET TOOTH FIX
- Carmella’s Cafe & Dessert Bar
- Christophe Artisan Chocolatier Patissier This French chocolate café just off King St has such beautiful chocolates that you might not want to eat them but that would be a mistake! If you’re looking for a gift for a sweet-toothed friend, they have many boxed gift options too.
- Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Sugar Bake Shop Delicious cupcakes
MORNING BREW
- Brown’s Court Bakery
- The Daily
- Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer Right off King St and close to Marion Square; great spot for coffee and craft beer. Nice courtyard.
- The Rise Coffee Bar
- Second State Coffee
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
- Barsa
- Breizh Pan Crepes
- Chez Nous French restaurant with daily menus posted on their Instagram. Along with great food, lots of charm in this old house with antique flatware and handwritten menus.
- Cuban Gypsy Pantry
- Fulton Five Charming Italian restaurant just off King St
- Gaulart & Maliclet Fast & French
- Melfi’s Modern Italian with wonderful pasta dishes; if you like steak, try the steak florentine
- Minero
- O-Ku
- Rappahannock Oyster Co
- Stella’s Authentic and delicious restaurant with many traditional Greek dishes. A good idea is to find a few dishes to share
- Trattoria Lucca
- Xiao Bao Biscuit
ALFRESCO DINING
- Edmund’s Oast
- Fleet Landing There are not many waterside dining options in downtown Charleston. The food is good but it’s worth coming here for the views. There is also a parking lot in front of the restaurant where you might be able to snag a spot
- Fuel
- Husk
- Le Farfalle
- Marina Variety Store
- Taco Boy
- The Watch Rooftop Kitchen & Spirits Hard to beat their views of Charleston rooftops and steeples, the harbor and Ravenel Bridge. Nice place for lunch or mid-afternoon drinks and a snack
FOOD & FUN
- The Alley If bad weather is on the forecast and you’re looking for something to do for a couple of hours, this place is great. Along with bowling and classic video games, their wide selection of beer and yummy burgers and wings are a crowd-pleaser. Big games are usually televised on large screens. If you go with children, best to go late afternoon/early evening since guests under 21 are not allowed later in the evening. Open until 2 am 7 days a week.
- HoM (House of Munch)
CARNIVORE CRAVINGS
- Grill 225
- Hall’s Chophouse
- Lewis Barbecue Fun place for Texas-style barbecue; if weather is nice, sit outside under the beautiful oak trees
- Oak Steakhouse
- Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ
SPECIAL MEALS FOR SPECIAL TIMES
- Charleston Grill
- Hall’s Chophouse
- Peninsula Grill Since 1997, this restaurant has set the standard for fine dining in Charleston along with a cult following of their Ultimate Coconut Cake (which is also available for shipping). When the weather is nice, dining in the courtyard is a nice option. Jackets suggested for men.
- Zero Restaurant & Bar A little off the beaten path but a nice place for an intimate dinner
EVENING DRINKS
- Babas on Cannon European style café with coffee early in the day and cocktails in the evening
- Bay Street Biergarten
- The Belmont
- Bin 152
- Blind Tiger
- Camellia’s at Hotel Bennett This newly opened champagne bar at the Hotel Bennett (2019) offers champagne, wine and small snacks as well as an afternoon tea (Thursday, Friday & Saturday). The bar’s pink-hued marble is the restored marble from the old Charleston library which once stood in the hotel’s spot.
- Citrus Club at the Dewberry Hotel
- Cocktail Club
- Gin Joint A throwback to the 1920s; extensive cocktails and yummy snacks; fun place to go with a group
- Hall’s Chophouse
- Henry’s on the Market
- Husk Bar
- Josephine Wine Bar
- Prohibition
- Proof
- Rarebit
- Republic Garden & Lounge
- Rooftop at Vendue
- Stars
- Thoroughbred Club at the Belmond Hotel
- The Watch
- Zero Restaurant & Bar
OFF THE PENINSULA BUT WORTH THE DRIVE (OR UBER FARE)
WEST ASHLEY
DANIEL ISLAND
JOHNS ISLAND
CHARLESTON AREA BEACHES
FOLLY BEACH
ISLE OF PALMS
SULLIVAN’S ISLAND
“Come quickly, have found heaven.”
– Artist Alfred Hutty in a wire to his wife upon discovering Charleston
“I don’t think you ever think of a big city as sweet or community, but there are cities that I think of as charming and particular and interesting cities. I live in one now, Charleston,”
– Anne Rivers Siddons
“There is no city on Earth quite like Charleston. Wandering through its streets can be dreamlike and otherworldly, its alleyways and shortcuts both fragrant and mysterious, yet as haunted as time turned in on itself.”
― Pat Conroy
“I trust my last days will be spent there between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, where most Charlestonians never doubt, the Atlantic Ocean begins.”