Best Restaurants in Charleston SC (2025)

Mike Lata’s seminal bistro still defines Charleston seasonality with nightly menus and a deep wine program honored by the James Beard Foundation. Frequently recommended by Eater and Southern Living, it’s a benchmark for Lowcountry cooking with polish and soul.

A lively seafood hall in a restored bank from the team behind FIG, celebrating Carolinas merroir with raw-bar towers and impeccable fish cookery. Regularly cited by Food & Wine and Eater as essential, it’s where oyster culture meets warm hospitality.

Chef James London’s tiny, no-reservations spot runs on daily dock-to-table menus and partnerships with local fishermen. Featured by Bon Appétit and praised by Charleston City Paper, it’s exuberant, inventive seafood that still feels distinctly Charleston.

A neighborhood bistro with refined instincts: house pastas, soulful mains, and a thoughtful wine list. Named to The New York Times Restaurant List and a constant on Resy roundups, it delivers comfort and craft without pretense.

A diminutive two-story restaurant with a hand-written, six-item menu posted daily. Celebrated by Condé Nast Traveler and local critics, it channels southern France, northern Italy, and northern Spain while sourcing from Lowcountry farms and waters.

From the husband-and-wife team behind the Short Grain food truck, this Park Circle favorite serves New Chinese American dishes with local produce. Frequently highlighted by Eater and Southern Living, its karaage, dumplings, and cocktails keep the room buzzing.

David Schuttenberg’s loud, hot, vibes-forward Sichuan spot on James Island balances punchy heat with careful technique. Lauded by Eater and The Post and Courier, it broadened the city’s palate while staying rooted in Charleston’s community of makers.

Since 1946, this marshside institution has defined oyster-roast culture. A James Beard America’s Classics winner and a fixture in Eater guides, it’s the place for steamed local oysters at sunset and no-frills platters that taste like the coast.

In a former body shop, locals pack in for chargrilled oysters, fried chicken, and rosé on tap. A past Bon Appétit Best New Restaurants honoree and perennial local favorite, it’s unfussy, lively, and unmistakably Charleston.

A multigenerational Eastside restaurant preserving Gullah Geechee flavors—crab rice, okra soup, fried whiting—celebrated by The New York Times and supported by preservation grants. It remains a vital stop for understanding Charleston’s living culinary history.

Chef Nikko Cagalanan’s Filipino restaurant melds Lowcountry ingredients with dishes like pancit and arroz caldo. Named one of Eater’s Best New Restaurants in America and praised by The Post and Courier, it’s joyful, personal, and distinctly Charleston.

From the Chez Nous team, this intimate Spanish tapería and market pours all-Spanish wines and serves classics like tortilla, pulpo, and croquetas. Endorsed by Condé Nast Traveler and local editors, it’s a spirited slice of Spain on Spring Street.