Charleston, South Carolina is one of the country’s best cities for foodies. Charleston boats loads of Michellin-starred restaurants, the most delicious and decadent Southern fare and fresh seafood caught earlier in the day. One of our favorite things to do when we visit is eat and drink our way through the city. Read on for the ultimate list of where to eat in Charleston, South Carolina. (And, don’t forget to read our full Charleston Travel Guide!)

Burwell’s: Burwell’s in the historic district of Charleston is one of the best culinary experiences we’ve had in a long time (& we eat around the world for a living!). Burwell’s is a modern yet cozy steakhouse where the seafood manages to shine as much as their delicious steaks.

We ate at Burwell’s for dinner on a Saturday night and each dish was more delicious than the last. We started with two dirty martinis before diving into some shrimp cocktail, which was locally caught, as well as oysters. The menu was pretty vast, with loads we wanted to try. So for appetizers, we also ordered their deviled eggs, which Burwell’s is known for. This dish is so popular that until recently, they had one person on staff dedicated just to peeling eggs! These deviled eggs truly lived up to the hype. They were topped with candied bacon, and the filling was perfectly seasoned. While we only meant to have a bite each to keep room for the rest of dinner, we devoured the entire plate!

Next, we had the she crab soup, which is a soup Charleston is famous for. We’ve had it several times now during our trips to Charleston, and we really loved Burwell’s version of it. They served it alongside a bottle of sherry that you can sprinkle into your soup to your content.

For our mains, we went with some of the restaurant’s specialities. Part of what we loved about Burwell’s is that they have a very comprehensive use for all parts of the cow, not just the filet. They take other cuts of the cow, which is above USDA prime quality, and cook and season them to perfection. With that in mind, we ordered the wagyu hanger steak to share, as well as jumbo diver scallops. The hanger steak was the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth cut of steak that was so rich in flavor. While we were pretty full by the time we got to our mains, we did a good job cleaning our plates. Luckily, I ordered the scallops, which are on the lighter side. They were seared and carmelized, and also melted in your mouth. They were served with super flavorful mushrooms and sweet potatoes.

We were coaxed into dessert by our very persuasive waitress, and while I really didn’t have room for dessert, I’m glad they brought out two of their house specialties. Our favorite were the Charleston s’mores, which was like a homemade girl scout tagalong with giant pieces of marshmallow inside and benne wafers, which are a wafer Charleston is known for. We also had a cinnamon toast crunch cake that the chef had recently invented.

This was such a great dining experience that we are recommending it to all of our wedding guests who come in from out of town in April. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation!

The Darling Oyster Bar:   The Darling Oyster Bar is ideally situated on King Street, which is where most of the bars and restaurants in Charleston. We loved the design of this seafood restaurant, which had a Hamptons-meets-Charleston vibe to it.

They had a great cocktail menu and really awesome oysters. Would suggest you pop in at the bar for an aperitif and oysters even if you don’t get a full meal here because it’s memorable. We’ve gone twice to Darling now. The first time, we sat at the bar sipping dry rose and eating delicious, fresh oysters. On the second trip, we made a dinner reservation with my parents and sampled loads of different seafood. Each time was delicious and memorable.

Dinner At Anson: We got into Anson at the last minute for dinner and we are so happy we did. This Charleston institution is their version of a classic steakhouse, but it’s much more charming. Sit upstairs which has smaller rooms beautifully decorated.

If you eat one food in Charleston, let it be their crispy flounder. I am not even typically a flounder fan, but this dish was out of this world good. It is slathered in an apricot shallot sauce and has an apple fennel slaw and it is just divine. You should also start with their she-crab soup which was mind-blowingly awesome. We split the soup because it is heavy. So good. We also had the steak as an entree.

Brunch at Husk: Husk is a Charleston institution. This restaurant serves up rich and delicious Southern fare in such a cute setting. We made a reservation for brunch and sat out on the patio sipping on cocktails in the sun. We ordered a mix of dishes to try such as the pancake (delicious), eggs, bacon and brisket.

Nico Oyster Bar: Our final dinner in Charleston was absolutely amazing. After biking over the bridge to Mount Pleasant, we had dinner at Nico Oyster bar. Make a reservation to sit at the bar so you can watch the action of oyster towers being made at the raw bar.

We ordered a few glasses of dry French rose and a giant seafood tower for dinner, which is my idea of my favorite meal. The tower, pictured, had oysters, shrimp cocktail with a great seasoning on it,clams, periwinkles and scallop escabeche. Each of the fish was of the highest quality and the presentation was some of the best we’ve seen. We also loved their accoutrements for dipping sauces etc, which made eating the oysters fun.

Dinner at Bowen’s Island Landing: Get ready for a casual fish dinner with stunning sunset views at Bowen’s Island. This fish shack on the water serves up low country boil, shrimp, fried fish and other fare but the real star is the sunset. Time your visit so that you are seated in place for the night’s sunset.

The Best Bars in Charleston

The Belmont: Head to this fancy cocktail bar for some of the best drinks you’ll experience. Be sure to sit at the bar, because then you’ll get to interact with your bartender, who can create custom cocktails for you based on your preferences.

We loved the vibe at The Belmont, which had vintage stamped ceiling and exposed brick walls. The bar had a really cozy feel to it which I really appreciated.

We sat at the bar and told the bartender what we were looking for and had some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. I started with the Bells of Jalisco, which has tequila, mezcal, jalapeño honey and lime, and it was like the best spicy margarita in history. I also had the cielo, which was a mix of vodka, St. Germain and grapefruit, also wonderful. We also had their porchswing drink, which is very popular. It has Aperol, St. Germain, grapefruit and cava. My fiancé had two brown drinks — Manhattans with the bartender’s rendition base don what he was in the mood for.

They also have the most amazing bar menu featuring homemade pop tarts. Once you walk into the bar, you can smell them baking and it is just delightful, adding to the cozy feel. We got a banana nutella one and a brie and raspberry one, and it was just incredible.

Gin Joint: For more fancy cocktails, walk over to Gin Joint, which feels like you are stepping back into time in the 1920s. Gin Joint has dozens of different gins and other spirits and a menu of the most eclectic cocktails. Here’s what we sampled: my first cocktail is one of the most creative cocktails I’ve ever had. It has cream cheese washed gin with lime and seeds in it, giving it the savory and salty taste of an everything bagel. Have never had a drink like it before, and somehow it worked. My fiancé did the bartender’s choice, where you give the server two words to describe what you are looking for and they make you a drink using their creative license. He said Smoky and Bold and got an awesome smoky Manhattan with bacon flavoring.

We had one last drink to split which unfortunately is no longer on the menu (they switch it up pretty regularly in order to capitalize on what’s in season). The drink was a fun one, coming with an ice cube made of ice-cream that melted into the drink and sweetened it once you poured the cocktail over it. It was perfect for the Charleston heat and we loved the theatrics that came along with it. We also had the pimiento cheese to nibble on that came with a pretzel flatbread of sorts as well as the yummiest blistered shishito peppers. Would highly recommend all!

Cocktail Club: If you’re looking for a spot that’s a bit scene but serves up great drinks, we highly recommend Cocktail Club. This loft0style bar is super cozy and chic. It has high ceilings and brick walls with exposed wood ceiling beams. We also loved their lighting fixtures and the fact that they have lot of cozy little spots to sit, creating different vignettes. The menu boats tons of creative craft cocktails that we happily imbibed.

Red’s Ice Bar: We parked our bike at Red’s Bar on Shem Creek, which is this amazing beach bar on the water with cheap drinks and a great playlist. We sat on the balcony drinking spiked seltzers and watching the boats go by on the water when we spotted a bunch of dolphins playing just next to the restaurant.

 

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