Start slowly

Coffee & lunch

Everything between waking up and dinner: coffee worth walking for, sandwiches, pastries, markets, and a few useful stops close to home.

Coffee being made

Second State Coffee

70 Beaufain Street5 min walk

Excellent pour-over coffee, all the familiar variations, and savory and sweet pastries—just a block away.

Coffee in a cafe

Queen Street Grocery

133 Queen Street2 min walk

A few doors down for sandwiches, crêpes, and a charming neighborhood atmosphere. Also useful for take-home wine and beer.

Cafe interior

Harken Cafe

62 Queen Street10 min walk

A cozy all-day café with breakfast, lunch, wine, and astonishingly good pastries.

Lunch counter

Circe’s Grotto

85 Wentworth Street10 min walk

A strong choice for sandwiches and panini, made with fresh bread and deli meats sliced on site.

Bakery pastries

Le Chambertin

113 Church Street14 min walk

An authentic French bakery and gourmet grocery for baguettes, pastries, quiche, soups, and macarons.

Millers All Day

Millers All Day

120 King Street8 min walk

A beloved all-day breakfast room for biscuits, eggs, bakery treats, and a more substantial morning meal.

Babas on Wentworth

Babas on Wentworth

115 Wentworth Street7 min walk

An all-day café for espresso, house-made pastries, breakfast tacos, and a slow start.

Benne's

Benne’s

112 North Market Street14 min walk

A casual Market-area choice for a classic Charleston breakfast, lunch, or easy grab-and-go bite.

Bakehouse Charleston

Bakehouse Charleston

160 East Bay Street16 min walk

Housemade pastries, breakfast biscuit sandwiches, quiche, and coffee near the waterfront.

Beech Cafe

Beech Cafe

260 East Bay Street20 min walk

A lighter, fresh option for açaí bowls, smoothies, avocado toast, and coffee.

Clerks Coffee Company

Clerks Coffee Company

181 Church Street16 min walk

Solid coffee, house-made pastries and biscuits, and an easy downtown breakfast before heading out.

Poogan's Porch

Poogan’s Porch

72 Queen Street8 min walk

A Charleston standby for a more leisurely Southern breakfast or weekend brunch in a restored Victorian house.

Brown Dog Deli

Brown Dog Deli

225 Calhoun Street13 min walk

Creative sandwiches, smoothies, açaí bowls, and specialty coffee in a fast, casual setting.