Thoughtful modern Southern cooking that follows the season and celebrates regional ingredients.
Charleston’s culinary scene
Charleston Restaurants
Choose a Charleston restaurant for dinner, from classic dining rooms to neighborhood favorites worth booking ahead. Compare the atmosphere and approximate walk from 163 Queen Street, then follow each restaurant’s website or reservation link.
The Charleston Table
A Charleston essential: thoughtful food, a distinctive experience, and reservations that require planning.
An enduring Charleston favorite for polished Lowcountry cooking, from fried green tomatoes to the local catch.
A polished French brasserie in a historic bank building, with classic dishes, raw-bar preparations, and a particularly good apéro hour.
A beautiful Italian dining room for fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza, refined seafood, and a serious Italian wine list.
Southern hospitality and Lowcountry classics in a restored Victorian house.
S.N.O.B. is a dependable downtown classic for seasonal Lowcountry cooking in a relaxed bistro setting.
High-level Southern dining and polished service in a classic Charleston room.
From the Water
A deservedly popular raw bar and seafood restaurant with a beautiful, energetic dining room. Join the relatively short waitlist, then expect a text when your table is ready.
Seafood in a restored turn-of-the-century warehouse beside the City Market, with a classic raw-bar-and-fish-house spirit.
Seafood in a dramatic former bank building—great for a group and always worth a look at the raw bar.
Oysters, crab claws, and a generous menu in a beautifully renovated antebellum home.
Chubby Fish
A no-reservations seafood favorite built around the day’s catch. Go early and be ready to wait a little.
A casual seafood stop for oysters, local fish, and a lively raw-bar dinner.
A convivial oyster-bar choice for a casual seafood dinner right in the historic district.
A Night Out
A polished downtown steakhouse for a classic, celebratory night out.
A polished downtown steakhouse for prime cuts, live music, and a celebratory Charleston dinner.
A classic Market Pavilion steakhouse for a polished dinner of prime cuts, seafood, and attentive service.
Refined, seafood-forward dining in the historic James Gregorie House, with a lovely chef’s counter.
Contemporary American cooking in a striking former church—go for the room as much as the dinner.
Italian-inspired comfort food, classic cocktails, and a polished neighborhood feel.
A lively French brasserie with an easy all-occasion menu.
Coastal Italian cooking with handmade pasta, seafood, and a convivial Mediterranean point of view.
A Little Unexpected
An intimate, thoughtful choice for a special dinner with a seasonal point of view.
An off-the-beaten-path favorite with a balanced, tasteful menu and a relaxed but special feeling.
Big, energetic flavors and a fun change of pace from more traditional Charleston dining.
Greek cooking, generous hospitality, and a lively atmosphere that makes dinner feel like an occasion.
The beloved Fast & French: a relaxed French café for a simple, dependable downtown meal.
Art-deco atmosphere, bright pasta, fancy pizza, and an easy choice when you want an evening away from downtown.
Fried chicken, oysters, frozen drinks, and a crowd-pleasing, casual night out.
Fresh, bright, vegetable-forward cooking in an easygoing downtown room.