4 days ago
Where To Eat In Charleston Right Now
The charming exterior of Italian restaurant Sorelle. Sorelle
Charleston may have slipped to No. 3 on Travel + Leisure's 'Best Cities in the U.S.' list—edged out by Santa Fe and New Orleans—but let's be honest: it's not the charm that's lagging. It's the metrics. Locals know this city is in the midst of a culinary moment that rivals anywhere in the country.
The city's lingering reputation as a hub of Lowcountry dishes like shrimp and grits, no longer tells the full story. Recently, a Senegalese-born chef opened a West African atelier in a residential spot. A Puerto Rican pitmaster redefined barbecue with beef cheeks and sofrito beans. A moody little French boîte on a quiet corner somehow feels like a Parisian night in the Lowcountry.
Meanwhile, the classics are getting creative. Seafood arrives lacquered in beet butter or paired with Txistorra sausage. Steakhouses serve dry-aged Wagyu alongside wedge salads injected with blue cheese. And in a town steeped in tradition, it's the risk-takers—from a Chopped champion plating smoked-caviar arroz caldo to chefs blending Chinese flavors with Southern barbecue—who are attracting national acclaim and full tables.
Here's where to eat in Charleston right now.
Merci, a French spot, recently opened in downtown Charleston. Lindsey Shorter Photography
Merci
Opened in March 2025 by chef Michael and designer-partner Courtney Zentner, Merci is a 26-seat European-inspired bistro housed in a restored 1820s Federal-style home. The menu blends French technique with Southern and Italian touches: think stracciatella-stuffed focaccia with Benton's ham and hot honey, plus roast chicken, leeks in vinaigrette, and a pastry-perfect beef Wellington. Courtney's vintage-chic interiors, antique accents, and six-seat bar make dinner feel like a stylish dinner party in motion—equal parts Parisian elegance and Lowcountry hospitality.
Estadio
Chef Alex Lira brings Southern ingredients into a Spanish framework at Estadio, a lively tapas spot anchored by a bullfighting mural and an open kitchen. Shishito peppers, head-on shrimp, and local vegetables rotate through the menu, which nods to both Andalusia and the Lowcountry. The Crispy Black Carolina Rice with scallops and clams is a standout, as are the Txistorra Pigs in a Blanket. And the patatas bravas, with their pitch-perfect crunch and alioli, are a nostalgic snack evocative of your first backpacking trip through Spain.
The upstairs bar at Bar 167. Bar 167
Bar 167
The original 167 Raw still draws tourist lines down the block, but those in the know head to Bar 167—a Mediterranean-inspired offshoot where cocktail lovers and seafood fans put their name in early. Upstairs, the bar turns out some of the city's most inventive drinks, but the food is just as compelling. Salt-and-pepper calamari arrives crisp yet tender; the jumbo lump crab sandwich is unapologetically generous; and a bright watermelon-feta salad topped with (optional) poached shrimp might be the perfect dish on a sultry summer night. Add in a rotating selection of oysters, raw bar towers, and one of the city's most fun bites: Siberian caviar and parmesan custard served in a salted waffle cone.
King BBQ
Corrie and Shuai Wang, owners of North Charleston's popular Jackrabbit Filly, opened King BBQ in a casual diner-style space in late 2023. Landing on Bon Appetit's list of the 20 Best Restaurants in 2024, Wang's second project offers a Southern-inflected reference to the foods of Shuai's upbringing. Shuai merges traditional Chinese flavors with regional smoking techniques in dishes like soft and meaty spare ribs. Other standouts include five-spice duck legs, piquant Dan Dan noodles, and shrimp toast sliders, all washed down with 'trashy-fancy' cocktails.
The dining room at night. Andrew Cebulka
Marbled & Fin
One of the best new restaurants to open last year, Marbled & Fin transformed a former dry-cleaning factory into a sleek, modern steakhouse, thanks to The Neighborhood Dining Group. The menu spans wet- and dry-aged USDA Prime, plus Australian and Japanese Wagyu. While beef is the star, a crisp head of 'wedge' salad injected with blue cheese and topped in Benton bacon crumble, and a shrimp cocktail finished with freshly shaved horseradish, prove the sides can steal the show. A newly launched brunch might be the most decadent in town. Just budget accordingly—polished service and premium cuts don't come cheap.
Palmira
In a part of Charleston long underserved by standout barbecue, Palmira has become a major draw for West Ashley locals—and now, for everyone else. Pitmaster Hector Garate, originally from Puerto Rico, blends Texas and Carolina techniques with bold island flavors: adobo-rubbed pork, sazon-spiced ribs, and sofrito-simmered beans. He built his first smoker by hand and has only been studying barbecue for four years, but in 2024, Texas Monthly named Palmira the best BBQ restaurant in America. Favorites like whole hog, barbacoa, and meltingly tender beef cheeks go fast, so show up early.
Dishes at Wild Common. Ryan Belk
Wild Common
Chef Orlando Pagán opened Wild Common in February 2019, earning him a James Beard nomination in 2022. Working inside a lofty candlelit space in the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood, Pagán can be spotted in the kitchen nightly by those who nab a front-row counter seat. The short, four-course seasonal menu changes often, though it recently included a gorgeously marbled Australian wagyu steak and addictive Carolina sourdough bread made with Carolina gold rice.
Legami
Legami delivers an immersive Italian escape in downtown Charleston. Set within a meticulously restored 19th-century building, the space features hand-painted, palm-lined walls, Carrara marble tables, pastel banquettes, and a lush enclosed garden. The upstairs cocktail bar feels like a secret, with its plush seating and dim, romantic lighting. Handmade pastas anchor the menu, with standout mains including seafood tagliolini, braised octopus with peas and capers, and Mediterranean lamb in a red wine reduction boosted by an olive-hazelnut tapenade. A thoughtfully curated raw bar and daily crudo selections pair seamlessly with playful cocktails for one of Charleston's most stylish and satisfying dining experiences.
Fabulous arroz caldo at Kultura. Ruta Smith
Kultura
Chef Nikko Cagalanan, a Filipino immigrant, left nursing to open Kultura so he could cook the nostalgic dishes of his childhood. He made the right decision, given a slew of accolades including earning a nod as South Carolina's best Filipino restaurant in 2022, winning the 'Chopped' championship on Food Network in 2023, and soon after, landing a James Beard nomination. Cagalanan gives traditional Filipino dishes a modern twist, like his grandmother's arroz caldo which he tops with smoked caviar, mushroom XO, and chili crisp.
Chubby Fish
The secret's out on Chubby Fish. This corner seafood spot doesn't take reservations, so diners start queuing at 4 PM to grab one of the first seats at 5 PM—but it's worth the wait for James London's inventive dishes like the fried oyster roll, charred lamb ribs with romesco, and grilled wreckfish drizzled in beet butter. While you're waiting (or want to bypass the line altogether), step into Seahorse, the sleek new cocktail bar next door led by veteran bartender Christian Favier. Sip a smoky olive martini while enjoying small seafood plates; it's both a stylish waiting room and destination on its own.
Sorelle's beautiful second floor dining room. Peter Frank Edwards
Sorelle
Since opening in 2023, Sorelle has remained one of Charleston's hardest-to-snag reservations. Spread across two restored historic townhomes, the space is dressed in Italian marble, mohair-velvet and leather banquettes, and a sweeping hand-painted forest wallpaper by MJ Atelier. It's a setting that balances old-world elegance with modern polish. Chef Nick Dugan blends Southern Italian flavors with Lowcountry ingredients, turning out standouts like the 'pillows of gold' ricotta tortelloni and a seared Bistecca alla Fiorentina built for sharing. Downstairs, the marble bar buzzes with aperitivo energy—perfect for a spritz and snacks before dinner or a nightcap after. Wine lovers will appreciate the sharp sommelier team and one of the city's strongest Italian lists.
Bintü Atelier
Owner-chef Bintou N'Daw opened this Line Street gem in July 2023 to bring the often-overlooked cuisine of West Africa to Charleston. Born in Senegal and raised in France, N'Daw spent years cooking in New York City before relocating South during the pandemic. A chance vacancy became the home for her namesake atelier, where she draws connections between West African traditions and Gullah Geechee foodways. Dishes use local ingredients like black-eyed peas alongside homeland staples such as fonio and palm oil. A BYOB policy helps keep prices accessible, though since landing on Bon Appetit 's Best New Restaurants list in 2024, the place hasn't seen a slow night.
