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$$$$ | Market |
This perennial favorite inside Belmond's Charleston Place hotel provides what many regard as the city's highest gastronomic experience, with a menu divided into three parts: Roots & Stems, Waves & Marsh, and Field & Pasture. Chef Michelle Weaver creates the groundbreaking New South cuisine, while sommelier Rick Rubel stocks 1,300 wines in his cellar, with many served by the glass. The dining room is a soothing backdrop, highlighted by pale wood floors, flowing drapes, and elegant Queen Anne chairs. A jazz ensemble adds a hip yet unobtrusive element.
224 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Impeccable service
- A wine selection that rivals the world's best
- Nightly tasting menu that spans genres
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Market |
Spend an evening at this trendsetter for fresh-off-the-farm ingredients cooked with unfussy, flavorful finesse—the Food Is Good kitchen has produced two James Beard Best Chef: Southeast winners. The menu changes frequently, but the family-style vegetables might be as simple as young beets in sherry vinegar served in a plain white bowl. Main dishes get more complex: there's the must-have chicken liver pâté, slow-baked red porgy with Carolina Gold grits, and perfectly executed pan-roasted golden tilefish. The waitstaff is as inspired and informed as the masterpieces they serve.
232 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Local, seasonal fare, prepared with intense care and creativity
- Nationally recognized wine program
- Lively bar scene
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Market |
The cuisine at this atmospheric establishment—combined with a staggering array of excellent wines and professional, caring service—makes Grill 225 a popular special-occasion spot. Take the opportunity to dress up; the elegant wood floors, white linens, and red-velvet upholstery call for it. If you enjoy red meat, indulge in the wet-aged steaks; the filet with foie gras bathed in a fig demiglace is equally excellent. Expect hefty portions, but save room for the pastry chef's shining creations, which include a contemporized version of baked Alaska with a nutty crust, flambéed table-side.
225 E. Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Glitz and glamour
- One of the best steaks in town
- Signature Nitrotini cocktail
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Market |
With an abundance of accolades, Husk serves an ambitious menu steeped in the South, and the South alone—everything is sourced regionally, barring exceptions like chocolate and coffee. A large chalkboard lists the ever-changing artisanal dishes available, as the menu sometimes varies twice daily. Supper favorites include seafood such as snapper, catfish, and flounder, frequently paired with heirloom vegetables. Try the fried-chicken skins or skillet of smoky bacon cornbread—both are terrifically popular. The building itself, balcony intact, dates to the late 19th century, and the freestanding bar beside the restaurant is lined with 100-year-old exposed brick and several Kentucky bourbons and whiskeys. If you can't score a reservation, Husk Bar next door is arguably just as good for intimate drinks and a burger.
76 Queen St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- The Husk burger, modeled after In-N-Out's famous offering
- The throwback stand-alone bar with its great bourbon menu
- Smoky bacon cornbread for a side
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$$$$ | North Central |
The third entry in Brooks Reitz's geographically constrained restaurant empire (you can stand on Upper King Street and see all three venues at once), Melfi's is as evocative as the chophouse and oyster garage that preceded it. Styled after a quintessential Italian-American dining room, Melfi's mischievous streak darts through the shaken Negronis, and ends with the restaurant's excellent Roman-style pies.
721 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Known For
- Generically named but fantastically made "Beautiful Lettuce Salad"
- Overstuffed leather banquettes and barstools
- Lively, fun-loving atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Upper King |
Once the local darling among the Indigo Road properties, which also includes Oak Steakhouse and O-Ku, the Macintosh lost some of its luster over the years, but a string of new executive chefs put the one-time trendsetter on a path back to relevance. The menu is still rife with house classics, including gnudi, strip steak, and the Mac's ever-popular truffle fries.
478 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Creative seasonal starters
- Bone marrow bread pudding for dessert
- Sophistication without pretense
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch except for Sun. brunch
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$$$$ | College of Charleston Campus |
Located on-site at the Wentworth Mansion, this former residential home is full of hand-carved marble fireplaces and stained-glass windows. The locally sourced menu is designed as a journey through South Carolina history, with dishes like heart of palm soup and venison loin that highlight ingredients used by presettlement Native Americans along with ones that celebrate the Lowcountry's Gullah-Geechee culture, like shrimp and rice grits. For those looking for an intimate, romantic meal, the low lighting and quiet comfort of Circa 1886 is hard to top.
149 Wentworth St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Outdoor dining in the courtyard
- City views from the cupola atop the mansion
- Local crab and clam pie
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Closed Sun. No lunch, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Upper King |
Thanks to its impressive 28-day-aged USDA steaks, Halls Chophouse is regarded as one of the top steak houses in town. The 28-ounce Tomahawk rib eye, the New York strip, and the slow-roasted prime rib are especially recommended. The bustling bar is a good place to rub shoulders with a variety of well-to-do locals. A heads-up: the service borders on excessive (or is it obsessive?); the staff takes uncommon heed of its guests, though the lavishly prepared steaks offer the restaurant's greatest source of hospitality.
434 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Hopping upscale bar scene
- Sunday brunch featuring live gospel singers
- Amazing variety of steaks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Downtown Historic District |
This Charleston classic remains unchanged by time: lazily spinning paddle fans, lush palm trees, and exposed brick walls. The kitchen serves up regional classics like a Lowcountry boil and bacon-wrapped stuffed rabbit loin. If you want a traditional dinner, there are thick cuts of steaks and chops with your choice of sauce and side dishes like fried Brussels sprouts and creamy white corn grits. For dessert, the pecan pie baked with bourbon brown sugar caramel and the high-rising peanut butter pie are like rich Southern blessings.
199 E. Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Live jazz and bluegrass music at the bar
- One of the city's finest Sunday brunches
- High-rising peanut butter pie for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Downtown Historic District |
The theme at this extremely popular—and worthy—tourist destination is evident in the vivid paintings of white magnolia blossoms that adorn the walls. The menu pays homage to classic dishes like fried green tomatoes with white cheddar grits, caramelized onions, and country ham. Lunch is a more affordable way to sample the best of Lowcountry cuisine.
185 E. Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Collard-green-and-tasso-ham egg rolls that spawned a Southern-fusion revolution
- Daily vegetarian entrée showcasing local produce
- Affordable Sunday brunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | North Central |
After helping to establish the Ordinary as one of the city's finest restaurants, chef Vandy Vanderwarker set out on his own to create an exquisite salute to classical French cuisine. The energetic dining room is relatively casual, but the technique is decidedly not; known as a chef's chef, Vanderwarker is revered for his tartare and fish quenelles. Don't miss the cocktails, either.
708 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Unapologetically rich dishes
- Stupendous cocktails
- Cozy outdoor patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
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$$$$ | South of Broad |
In a 19th-century bank building, this ornate dining room juxtaposes antique crystal chandeliers with contemporary art. Reserve a table on the third floor for the full effect and the best vistas. It's pricey, but the filet mignon with foie-gras-and-black-truffle butter is excellent, and the side dishes, like creamed spinach, are perfectly executed. Favorite appetizers include beef carpaccio and Gorgonzola fondue. The service is professional and cordial under the leadership of executive chef Jeremiah Bacon.
17 Broad St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Excellent wet- and dry-aged steaks
- Burgers ground with a blend of strip, brisket, and fillet
- Massive, carefully selected wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Market |
This fine-dining stalwart melds Lowcountry produce and seafood into traditional but inspired dishes, at once eyeing the past and the future. The dining room fixtures (walls covered in olive-green velvet and 18th-century-style portraits, with wrought-iron chandeliers on the ceiling) serve as an excellent backdrop for Angus steaks, jumbo sea scallops, and Berkshire pork chops. A permanent tent allows for courtyard dining, rain or shine. Finish your meal with the decadent coconut cake that helped put Peninsula on the map. The servers are pros; the personable sommelier makes wine selections that truly complement your meal, anything from bubbly to clarets and dessert wines.
112 N. Market St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Sought-after coconut cake dessert
- Special-occasion splurging
- Knowledgeable and friendly sommelier
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Market |
Local artist Honey McCrary spent over a year building the 700-square-foot undersea mosaic on the ceiling of this seafood eatery. The beautiful artwork is reason alone to step inside, and it underscores the effort and intention put into the overall design and menu at this fine-dining haven along the City Market. The simple menu features 10 shareable plates—including ceviche with the day's catch—and five fish entrées, including seasonal specials like red drum.
32C N. Market St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Simple yet quality menu of seafood favorites
- Lightly fried flounder over an oyster stew reduction
- The bomboloni pastry, smothered in chocolate glaze
