24 Best Restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina

The menu may be nearly illegible, the space minuscule, and locating the tucked-away location like finding Waldo, but the food is almost always sublime. Each night only two appetizers, two entrées (like snapper with white wine sauce or gnocchi with chanterelles), and two desserts are offered. Sharing multiple dishes is a good option.  If the dining room feels too snug, head to the outdoor patio, perfect for dinner or brunch.

Executive chef and owner Kevin Johnson's outstanding restaurant sits in impressive quarters near the corner of Cannon and King Streets. The menu suggests a humble, considerate approach, as the dishes represent local flavors: the wood-roasted carrots come with feta, raisins, and pistachio crumble, while the wood-roasted whole fish is delivered with salsa verde. The high wainscoting and tall shelving filled with jams and jellies, pickled vegetables, and vintage kitchenware add to the earthy, unassuming presence.

This ambitious Italian osteria serves inspired pastas and small plates that may be the city's most flavorful Italian fare. Co-owner and chef Michael Toscano melds far-flung ingredients into cohesive dishes—a bucatini blends chili, basil, and provolone with octopus and sweet peppers, or opt for squid ink spaghetti with shrimp and jalapeño pesto that leaves a lasting flavor memory.

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.

Chef Nico Romo made his name at King Street's longstanding upscale seafood restaurant, Fish, before harnessing that name to venture out on his own in Mount Pleasant. Fortunately, his menu still combines his passion for local seafood with his knowledge of French cuisine, although with perhaps a few more liberties taken. Entrées emerge from the wood-fired oven and are best preceded by oysters from the raw bar that anchors the open dining room.

Although it's billed as a pizza parlor, this neighborhood trattoria stuns taste buds with its entire menu, including anchovies in pepper and grapefruit and entrées like swordfish with horseradish mustard. The thin-crust pizzas are complemented by an impressive selection of natural wines and a daily cocktail special.

Mount Pleasant's culinary ambitions perhaps reach their apex at the Shellmore, an unassuming wine bar with a chalkboard menu and some of the most romantic nooks in town. Chef-owner Eric Milley always has cheese and cold shucked oysters at the ready, but devotees know he's prone to work wonders with hulking cuts of beef, including prime rib and veal chops.

The creation of Dano and Bethany Heinze—who amount to downtown Charleston's culinary royal couple, having made their names at the much-missed McCrady's—Vern's is one of the many high-end restaurants in the American South masquerading as a cozy neighborhood joint. But don't let the chalkboard and uncovered tables fool you: Interpretations of local produce here are among the city's best.

In a city revered for its local seafood, a Nantucket transplant has managed to turn its Charleston satellite location into the city's most respected oyster bar. Look for the antique scuba diver's helmet over the door, but show up before the lunch opening or during the midafternoon lull if you want to nab a lobster roll or a platter of little neck clams without a wait—it's first-come, first-serve. If you do have to wait, their Bar 167 just around the corner will keep you lubricated. There's also a 167 Sushi Bar on East Bay St. 

Against a backdrop of classic French-bistro style—think gleaming wood, cozy booths, and white-papered tables—Charleston's night owls feast on such favorites here as steamed mussels in a half dozen preparations. Order them with pommes frites, as the French do. Each night of the week there's a special, such as the popular bouillabaisse on Sunday. If you're seeking quiet, ask for a table in the dining room on the right. It's noisy—but so much fun—at the bar.

Begin your meal here with a half-dozen raw oysters, then fill up with a platter of ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. That's the concept behind this raw-bar-meets-BBQ joint that sits directly on the water, above a water sport outfitter and within sight of shrimpboats. It’s so chill there’s a note on the menu allowing customers to buy the kitchen a round of beers ($10 for six; $20 for 12). The local spot is a sister concept by the chef/owner of nearby Ella & Ollie’s.   

Situated in a restored and windowed corner building, Chasing Sage sets the stage for just about any dish to look good, but the seasonal cooking here would probably taste just as good in the dark. (In fact, when the restaurant's opening was delayed for one year by the pandemic, its vibrant to-go program proved as much.) Order as many vegetable-forward small plates as you can.

Off a little alley in a restored indigo warehouse, Coast Bar & Grill has a stripped-down look with exposed brick walls and wood columns. Wood-fired seafood and heavy sauces are staples, but lighter dishes like fish tacos and ceviche make it a standout. Highlights include braised grouper served with tasty herbs, shiitake mushrooms, and decadent bacon-and-cheese grits, as well as the lobster and crab gratin, which comes complete with Parmesan mashed potatoes. The place can be noisy, but it's always fun. (It transforms into a boisterous bar in the later hours.) You can watch the cooks in the heat of the open kitchen in the front room or go in the back dining room where it is cooler. There are usually half-price wine specials, and there's live music on Sunday evening.

The signature oyster presentation at this upscale seafood spot in a historic single house includes caviar, chives, and champagne. This delectable mouthful sets the tone for further treats to come, including spicy tuna tartare and an impeccably fried flounder with malt vinegar fries. It's a few steps out of the way on Calhoun Street, but worth the walk—and a perfect reservation before a show at the Gaillard Center. 

The wood-fired oven is on full display at this Italian-leaning eatery that churns out decadent pizzas—including one dripping with taleggio and burnt honey—and shareable plates like blue crab fritters and a platter of rich pork and beef meatballs sizzling in a cast-iron skillet. Spacious, green-cushioned, round booths are the choice seating inside, but if weather allows, ask for a table in the lovely courtyard, a space shared with the Emeline Hotel.

You couldn't be blamed for thinking that this burger joint has been here for nearly a century—it's designed to look that way, and the effect works. Leather booths, checkered tablecloths, and plenty of black-and-white imagery create the perfect scene in which to sip a martini before chowing down on a sandwich. Proprietor Brooks Reitz is also the brains behind Melfi's and Leon's (as well as his nationally available Jack Rudy tonic syrup), and his talent for blending aesthetic good taste and flavorful style ensures that Little Jack's stays busy with regulars.

This upscale Pakistani restaurant opening in the space where Jestine's once served red rice and chicken livers quietly signaled a transition for Charleston from a place with excellent distinctive cuisine to a cosmopolitan city with both deep culinary roots and a growing international scene. The kababs, chicken tikka, and biryani were immediately among the most buzzed-about dishes in town after Ma'am Saab debuted in 2023. A hip soundtrack and cool neon lighting help set the tone. 

Set in a pale yellow building on Society Street, Muse lays bare Mediterranean stylings in sophisticated, relaxed quarters. The menu offers standout versions of classic fine-dining fare like veal scaloppini and a grilled pork chop, as well as the signature dish: a delicious, scarcely fried sea bass, served with head and tail intact, over a ragù of butter beans and pancetta. The bar functions as a drawing room, permitting easy introductions and closer inspection of the restaurant's impressive, 100-plus-bottle wine list.

This relaxed waterfront spot offers up fare from land and sea alike. Start off with hush puppies served with sweet honey butter and a bowl of she-crab soup, then move on to the Edisto Creek shrimp basket or the fresh catch of the day. Sit on the deck when weather permits, and, if it’s a weekend, enjoy the live music. Add a specialty cocktail to start and a slice of key lime pie to finish and you have vacation dining done right.

Locals and visitors alike tend to (mistakenly) overlook this Mount Pleasant staple in favor of the more stylish picks downtown. Chef Ben Berryhill leans on his Texas roots to formulate a South-by-Southwest approach, cooking venison sausage, double-cut pork chops, and rib-eye steaks on a wood-burning grill he calls "The Beast." Also sample savory beef empanadas or large "fork-and-knife" tacos from the bar, and head out to the outdoor patio for a beer or beverage. The nightlife here is lively.

This unassuming café set in a one-time bungalow is the island's go-to breakfast spot for omelets, biscuits, and piles of pancakes. Lunch and dinner offerings shift to an array of sandwich options, seafood entrées, and fried platters. It's kid-friendly and has a dine-outside deck, but come early if you don't want to wait for a table for brunch.

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. Shareable plates include a signature seafood tower and roasted clams, shrimp, and oysters.