Lowland
Lowland
Lowland
Lowland
Housed in the beautifully restored 1834 Lequeux-Williams House, just across the cobblestoned alley from The Pinch Hotel, Lowland serves Southern cuisine in one of the most charming spaces in town. There are two bars, a clubby tavern on the first floor as well as a jewel-like one on the second floor, a parlor room, and a formal dining room upstairs. The design features wide plank floors, Venetian damask wallpaper, a wood-burning fireplace, and a hand-painted mural on the second-floor dining room that depicts a pastoral scene. It’s a true feast for the eyes with plenty of touches from vintage posters, Audubon-style prints, to taxidermied animals. Despite the stunning design of the rooms, the centerpiece here is the cooking. Executive Chef Mark Dion adds an innovative touch to traditional Southern cuisine, from Cheryl Day’s beloved biscuits served with a farmer's cheese and a tangy pepper jelly to a crispy quail bathed in a creamy garlic sauce to a tile fish with creamed corn. Dion and team like to play with unexpected flavors that tweak the best of Southern classics. Save room for dessert like a blueberry pie and buttermilk panna cotta. Or perhaps just an after-dinner drink? You’ll be hard-pressed to leave Lowland, which has been called “a nightly Southern-inspired dinner party.”
Address: 36 George Street
Vern's
Vern's
Don’t let the casual American bistro vibes fool you. Bethany and Executive Chef Daniel Heinze, who spent some time at cult favorites like Jon and Vinny's and Animal in Los Angeles before returning to downtown Charleston, serve some of the most innovative cuisine in the Holy City. Located in a corner building in Cannonborough, Verns serves dishes like charred sourdough, bright salads, and pasta dishes with the best seasonal ingredients in a homey dining room. The wine list changes daily and offers a wide selection of wines from old-world producers as well as from new organic and biodynamic vintners.
Address: 41 Bogard Street
Chez Nous
Two appetizers. Two entrees. Two desserts. There’s little choice on the daily menu at Chez Nous, but no matter the dish, it is guaranteed to be seasonal and crowd-pleasing. Expect European classics informed by what’s fresh from the markets, like crispy, grilled branzino and leeks, and veal stew with mushrooms. The charming spot, located in a small house with a welcoming dining room, provides one of Charleston’s most romantic settings.
Address: 6 Payne Court
Kultura
Kultura
Before Nikko Cogalaga was a James Beard finalist, he was a trained nurse who learned to cook from his grandmother in the Philippines. Today, he is at the helm of Kultura, a festive, family-style restaurant that dishes out Filipino classics like pork asado and snapper with red curry. While downtown Charleston has no shortage of delicious, innovative Low Country cooking, Kultura is helping to usher in a new generation of multi-culti cuisine into the Holy City. This popular spot offers a traditional, communal feast on Sundays where guests are encouraged to eat with their hands. The operation will move to a larger spot in the fall.
Address: 73 Spring Street
Chubby Fish
Diners start lining up outside at 4 pm to snag a table at Executive Chef James London’s dock-to-table seafood spot. And for good reason. London, a native who attended the College of Charleston, creates a daily menu (written out on a chalkboard) of seasonal standouts like fish curry, spicy garlic shrimp, and crispy triggerfish tempura.
Address: 252 Coming Street
Dap's Breakfast and Imbibe
FIG
Located on Meeting Street, FIG helped put Charleston and perhaps the state of South Carolina on the culinary map. A bastion of Low Country cooking, every dish is rooted in Southern cooking prepared through a cosmopolitan lens. Guests can tuck into favorites like blue crab ravioli, ricotta gnocchi, and lamb bolognese and chicken liver pate. FIG stands for “food is good,” and here it’s outstanding.
Address: 232 Meeting Street
Daps Breakfast and Imbibe
For those who like brunch, head to Daps, which does you one better: it serves breakfast all day. Try the Cinnamon Toast Crunch sticky bun, the Fruity Pebble pancakes, or the mushroom toast. And they even serve breakfast wines, plus on-tap mimosas and sake-infused Bloody Marys. It’s a delicious way to brunch any time of the day.
Address: 280 Ashley Avenue
Welton's Tiny Bakeshop
Welton's Tiny Bakeshop
The husband-and-wife team behind this tiny bakery (less than 1000 sq. ft) worked all over the world (including at the award-winning Hartwood restaurant in Tulum, Mexico) before putting down roots in Charleston, South Carolina. Crowds come early for their delicious baked goods like peanut praline croissants, olive oil cake, and honey pie with buttermilk, as well as excellent coffees and teas, including a popular mint macha.
Address: 682 King Street
Leon's Oyster House
Since 2014, Leon has been a local favorite serving Southern classics like oysters, fried chicken, and beer in a former auto body shop in Upper King Street. Here diners can enjoy oysters any which way— raw, grilled, fried— washing it down with frozen rosé and G&Ts. There’s also small plates of hush puppies and clam wraps to share. This always-packed spot serves lunch into dinner. Take a seat at one of the picnic tables outside and indulge in a late afternoon of casual, Low Country vibes.
Address: 698 King Street
Jackrabbit Filly
Merci
Located in a 1820s Federal-style house in Harleston Village, this recent addition to the Charleston culinary scene is a jewel box. The pretty dining room, with an eclectic mix of vintage furniture and artworks, features only 20 seats with a tiny bar and fireplace. The food is French-inspired with hearty dishes like duck, foie gras, and steak tartare, as well as an ever-changing menu of small plates.
Address: 28 Pitt Street
Jackrabbit Filly
An ideal spot for large parties, Jackrabbit Filly specializes in heritage-style, New Chinese-American cuisine that the chef Shuai Wang learned from family recipes. Choose from chirashi rice bowls, crab rangoon cheeseball, peanut noodles, as well as shared, small plates of shrimp wontons and crispy pork dumplings in a casual setting in North Charleston. (The owner couple also runs the award-winning Kings BBQ in town.) At lunchtime, the restaurant serves Japanese fried chicken over rice with a soft egg, shaved cabbage, and lemon mayo.
Address: 1083 E Montague Avenue
Rosemary Rose
Rosemary Rose
Rosemary Rose
Rosemary Rose
This expansive rooftop offers the best views of the Holy City. Inspired by the joie de vivre way of life on the French Riviera, Rosemary Rose rooftop lounge and bar invites you to linger over expertly made cocktails and small seasonal plates like tuna carpaccio and stuffed zucchini blossoms. Guests can find a spot on the banquettes inside and watch the light of the golden hour stream in or sit outside underneath the scalloped shape umbrellas, near the gurgling fountain and olive trees, and take in the sunset firsthand. Balmy cocktail hour here turns into an electric evening with DJs spinning the curated soundtracks to set the always festive mood.
Address: 529 King Street
Babas on Cannon
Obstinate Daughter
Located on Sullivan's Island, just outside Charleston, Obstinate Daughter (the OD, as locals refer to it) is known for its wood-fired pizza, fresh homemade pasta (especially the pappardelle), fresh seafood, and a plentiful raw bar. The casual Nautical-inspired dining room always seems to be bustling with residents and tourists alike. Whether you’re in the mood for a few oysters and a glass of wine after a day at the beach or a celebratory meal, or a relaxing brunch, the Obstinate Daughter offers something special for everyone.
Address: 2063 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island
Babas on Cannon
Inspired by the all-day cafes of Europe, Babas is where the cool kids of Charleston gather. Besides the fun people watching, Babas is the place to enjoy an expertly prepared espresso with avocado toast (spiked with lime and Aleppo pepper) in the morning. At night, enjoy an aperitif or glass of wine from a highly curated wine list. Pair with some small plates of caviar and kettle chips. The owners host many culinary pop-ups, so there’s often a friendly crowd milling about. There’s also another cafe on Meeting Street.
Address: 11 Cannon Street
Tutti
Timber Pizza
An outpost of the Washington D.C. pizzeria recently opened its doors on Meeting Street in Charleston. The Neapolitan-style pies can be topped with ingredients like peaches, strawberries, sour cream vide chicken, and Peruvian sweet peppers. There’s also salads and empanadas and gluten-free dough— wash it all down with the draft beers, wines, and creative cocktails.
Address: 741 Meeting Street
Tutti
After hosting pizza pop-ups at their cult favorite Graft Wine Shop and Bar, owners Femi Oyediran and Miles White decided to open their own place next door. This bright space is always buzzing with diners enjoying thin, crusty pies with bottles and glasses from their thoughtfully curated, biodynamic wine list. There’s house-made ranch and hot honey for condiments, salads, and cannolis for dessert. It’s a first-come, first-served policy.
Address: 700 King Street
Husk
Roseline
Roseline, a funky wine bar on the corner of Rose and Line streets in Cannonborough, is tiny, clocking in at 429 square feet. But that’s part of the charm— it’s a place where guests get to know their neighbors over champagne, spritzes, sake, wine, or even a Guinness. This is a charming spot to soak in the golden hour with your favorite libation before dinner reservations.
Address: 125 1/2 Line Street
Husk
Husk is one of the restaurants that put Charleston on the map back in 2010 when the original chef, Sean Brock, was proselytizing to the culinary world about the importance of heritage cooking and heirloom ingredients. It still serves some of the best Southern dishes like Frogmore rigatoni with rabbit andouille and shrimp and pimento cheese with buttermilk biscuits. But we love it for brunch. Think oat griddle cakes, a BLT with a fried egg, fried chicken, and a spicy Bloody Mary garnished with a slice of fresh ham— this is the South.
Address: 76 Queen Street
Graft Wine Shop
Faculty Lounge
This is a classic IYKYK sort of spot. There’s no sign at the entrance, and regulars shout their usual orders to the bartenders. Don’t be intimidated by the cool kid vibes; this modest spot offers a lot more than cans of PBR and cheap shots. There’s a decent selection of wines and innovative cocktails that feature exotic ingredients like blue spirulina, agave, and beets. The Branca Menta espresso martini riff is one of the best in town. There are also local DJs and free hot dogs to add to the festive vibes.
Address: 391 Huger Street
Graft Wine Shop
Although this is mostly a bottle shop, there is a small bar where customers can pull up a stool and sip some wine, listen to some vinyl, and perhaps strike up a conversation with the friendly owners, who are more than happy to walk you through the funky wine selection. The prices are just as friendly, so guests can get a little adventurous in their ordering.
Address: 700b King Street
Seahorse
Seahorse
Brought to you by the owners of Chubby Fish, Seahorse is a darkly lit bar with heavy velvet drapes and nautical paintings. Lined in velvet with low lighting and antique marine life paintings, this tavern-like spot is the ideal place to pregame before your table at Chubby Fish opens up. There’s a changing menu of small plates from chef James London, but guests come for the sea-inspired cocktails like a smoked olive martini as well as fizzy concoctions from the Japanese Suntory highball machine.
Address: 254 Coming Street
Chico Feo
The surfer-like vibes of this casual bar in the back of a house in Folly Beach belie the ambitious cooking happening here. The menu is a mash-up of Caribbean and Southeast Asian flavors like mahi mahi fish tacos, a Korean pork bowl, and sesame noodles, which guests can enjoy at one of the few picnic tables. There’s often live entertainment on the porch, and now there is Vino Feo, a small window wine bar serving special vermouths and natural wines, and pinxtos on Sundays through Tuesdays. It attracts a restaurant industry crowd on their off days, which only adds to the welcoming community vibes.
Address: 122 E Ashley Avenue, Folly Beach
Meet Maura
Before heading up content at Method Co., Maura Egan was a longtime travel and lifestyle editor who worked at The New York Times Magazine as well as Departures, Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, PRIOR, among other outlets. She has been lucky enough to have travelled the globe reporting on food, style, design and culture and the talented people behind it all.