19 upscale rooms in Charleston, editor-picked. occasion rooms in Charleston — destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Charleston food.
Chez Nous ★ 4.7
upper-king · 6 Payne Ct, Charleston, SC 29403
Chez Nous in Charleston runs a two-protein, two-pasta, two-starter handwritten menu daily out of a cottage on Payne Court since 2014. Six tables, no menu repeats.
Tip: Book on Resy weeks ahead. The room is tiny and tables turn slowly.
Vern's ★ 4.7
upper-king · 41 Bogard Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Dano Heinze and Bethany Heinze's Vern's in Charleston runs a 30-seat tasting room on Bogard Street since 2022, picked up a Michelin Guide nod in 2024 with personal service.
Tip: Resy bookings open 28 days ahead and go in minutes. Walk-in bar seats sometimes free up at 17:00.
Slightly North of Broad ★ 4.6
downtown · 192 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401
Slightly North of Broad in Charleston has run on East Bay Street since 1993. Frank Lee's reworked shrimp and grits became the canonical restaurant version of the Lowcountry plate.
Tip: Brunch and lunch are easier seats than dinner. Bar seats are walk-in only.
The Obstinate Daughter ★ 4.6
sullivans-island · 2063 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island, SC
Jacques Larson's The Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan's Island opened in 2014. Italian-Lowcountry crossover with wood-fired pizzas and seafood pastas, named for a Revolutionary War cartoon.
Tip: Book on Resy. Lunch is the easier seat; dinner books out 30 days ahead.
Sullivan's Fish Camp ★ 4.6
sullivans-island · 2019 Middle Street, Suite A, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
Jason Stanhope and partners reopened Sullivan's Fish Camp on Middle Street in Sullivan's Island in 2022. James Beard winner Stanhope brings FIG-level cooking to a casual fish-camp setting.
Tip: Book on Resy. The bar serves the full menu and turns faster than the dining room.
Wild Olive ★ 4.5
johns-island · 2867 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
Wild Olive on Johns Island has run handmade pasta and Italian-Lowcountry plates from a converted barn on Maybank Highway since 2009. Chef Jacques Larson's first restaurant.
Tip: Reservations required almost every night. Book at wildolive.com.
Estadio ★ 4.5
upper-king · 122 Spring Street, Charleston, SC
Estadio in Charleston runs Spanish tapas, vermouth on tap and a sherry programme out of a Spring Street corner spot since 2023. Daytime pintxos and natural-wine evenings.
Tip: Book on Resy. Bar seats walk-in. The sherry list is the deepest in the city.
Sorghum & Salt ★ 4.5
upper-king · 186 St Philip St, Charleston, SC 29403
Tres Jackson and Brooks Reitz's Sorghum & Salt in Charleston runs vegetable-forward small plates from a renovated St. Philip Street spot since 2017. Local farms, no fixed menu.
Tip: Book on Resy. Vegetarians get the deepest menu in the city here.
Maison ★ 4.5
upper-king · 708 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Maison in Charleston runs French bistro plates from a King Street corner since 2023. Steak frites, escargot, French country wines; one of the city's most-watched newer rooms.
Tip: Book on Resy. Wednesday and Thursday seats are easiest; weekends fill 30 days out.
Wild Olive ★ 4.5
johns-island · 2867 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
Wild Olive on Johns Island has run handmade pasta and Italian-Lowcountry plates from a converted barn on Maybank Highway since 2009. Jacques Larson's first restaurant.
Tip: Reservations required almost every night.
167 Sushi Bar ★ 4.5
downtown · 289 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401
167 Sushi Bar in Charleston runs a 22-seat sushi counter on East Bay Street since 2022. Same team behind 167 Raw, using daily Atlantic catch for traditional-style nigiri.
Tip: Book on Resy. Mon-Sat lunch and dinner; the counter seats are the best.
The Royal Tern ★ 4.4
johns-island · 3005 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
Brannon Florie's The Royal Tern on Johns Island opened in 2019 as a fancy neighbourhood eatery on Maybank Highway. Local seafood, raw bar and a wood grill anchor the menu.
Tip: Book on the website. Dinner only, closed Sundays.
Melfi's ★ 4.4
upper-king · 721 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Melfi's in Charleston runs upper-King-Street red-sauce Italian and Roman-thin-crust pizza out of a clubby tin-ceiling room since 2018. The Indaco team's casual sibling.
Tip: Book on Resy. Walk-up bar seats serve the full menu.
Melfi's ★ 4.4
upper-king · 721 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Melfi's in Charleston runs upper-King-Street red-sauce Italian and Roman-thin-crust pizza out of a clubby tin-ceiling room since 2018. The Indaco team's casual sibling.
Tip: Book on Resy. Walk-up bar seats serve the full menu.
82 Queen ★ 4.2
downtown · 82 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401
82 Queen in Charleston has poured she-crab soup for 40 years from three historic buildings on Queen Street with a courtyard garden under a magnolia tree. Lowcountry institution.
Tip: Book on OpenTable. Courtyard seats are the best in the house.
Poogan's Porch ★ 4.2
downtown · 72 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401
Poogan's Porch in Charleston has run since 1976 from a restored Victorian on Queen Street. Lowcountry brunch institution with shrimp and grits and house buttermilk biscuits.
Tip: Book on OpenTable. Brunch on weekends draws a queue from 10:00.
Poogan's Porch ★ 4.2
downtown · 72 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401
Poogan's Porch in Charleston has run since 1976 from a Victorian on Queen Street. Lowcountry brunch institution with shrimp and grits and house buttermilk biscuits.
Tip: Book on OpenTable. Brunch on weekends draws a queue from 10:00.
82 Queen ★ 4.2
downtown · 82 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401
82 Queen in Charleston has poured she-crab soup for 40 years from three historic buildings on Queen Street with a courtyard garden under a magnolia. Lowcountry institution.
Tip: Book on OpenTable. Courtyard seats are the best in the house.
Hyman's Seafood ★ 4.0
downtown · 215 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
Hyman's Seafood in Charleston has fed the city from a Meeting Street row of historic buildings since 1890. Five generations of family ownership and a queue that wraps the block.
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 17:30 or expect a 45-minute wait. Hush puppies are free.