R. Kitchen

Possibly the best kitchen I have ever had the pleasure of dining in. The food was amazing and it was great to watch and hear directly from the chefs as they prepared each dish. We will definitely be back.

One of my favorite restaurant concepts in the country. The culinary team was welcoming, fun and engaging. I love how the tasting menu is unknown and constantly changing. R. Kitchen is a must visit whenever visiting Charleston!

Such an amazing experience! I love the creative freedom the chefs get to explore. Everything we ate was 10/10, full of flavor; almost as if every bite told a different story.

I have been to this location five or six times and every time seems better than the last (which already was a tough act to follow). Whether it’s date night, business dinner or a night out to celebrate with friends R Kitchen will always exceed expectations and provide not only a fantastic meal but a memorable experience as well. From the fantastic playlist to the engagement with the cooks and the intimate space, it is a meal you will enjoy with all senses. The doors open strictly at 6pm or 8pm depending on your reservation. Don’t be late! The cantina across the street is very familiar with the reservation schedule and will be happy to serve you a quick beverage if you need to kill some time, even if it’s just a few minutes.

Amazingly unique culinary experience you don’t want to miss. Extremely fresh and inspired local ingredients, outstanding team of chefs that clearly love what they do. A comfortable atmosphere that is understated and lets the food shine! Definitely can’t wait to hit this place on our next visit!

The food was amazing!! I love that each Chef tell you about their dishes preparation, ingredients,etc. I will come back !

If it is your first time here (downtown location) and you think you've arrived at the wrong place, you're at the right place! Small place so it fills up quick and you need to make reservations ahead of time. Don't hesitate to book the patio. It is enclosed and has the most comfortable seats. If you get a seat at the bar, you get to watch the cooks do their thing and hear their stories - a lot of fun! Dessert looked like a brownie with a scoop of ice cream. Well disguised! It was so tasty. Menu changes every day so you probably won't get that but if you do, enjoy! Expensive but worth it.

Me and my big boi son watched enough hells kitchen and wanted to see some real chefs. The food was delicious and the chefs made us feel right at home. Ish was bussin no cap frfr. Brocolli was def the sigma dish. Thanks for the shot taytay.

Very memorable dining experience in Charleston SC. R Kitchen. Pre-fix menu, changes daily. You have no what you are getting. Rest assured it is all very very good. Prepared with care and whimsy. amazing meal - Chicken Soup, Salad , andouille sausage plate, wreck-fish and puff pastry with apples and brie. Wow. Pics show the whole experience.

Are you kidding me?! How can this be the best experience you'll have in Charleston? Well, I am here to tell you, it definitely will be!! I went during a girls trip, there were 5 of us. We sat at the bar, as I read that was a great place to view everything. True. Every course (there's 5! FIVE of them) is pulled out of the chefs magic hat of a brain on the day of, so you don't know what you're getting until it's in front of you; they don't know what they're making until they do kitchen inventory in the morning when they arrive to the restaurant. R Kitchen delivers the best culinary experience! Every dish is thoughtfully crafted and explained by the chef. You're guaranteed to enjoy everything, picky eaters- something. I recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Charleston. All 5 of us girls agreed it was the highlight of our trip. Do your palate a favor and go enjoy this place!

What a memorable night! I finally snagged a reservation for our anniversary and it did not disappoint. We sat at the bar (which my friend recommended) and loved all the creativity and art happening before our eyes. Everyone was so excited to be there (there were 14 of us for the 6 pm seating) and we all enjoyed asking questions and interacting with all the chefs. We cannot wait to come back!

Great atmosphere - not your regular dining establishment atmosphere. Irreverent, a little loud {the music is for the chefs, not for you }, but terrific food, & such fun. If you like culinary adventures, make a reservation now!

After my last review, the owner contacted me. He was out of the picture for a while and now that he's back, I'm hopeful that this will once again, be one of my favorite Charleston restaurants and experiences! Looking forward to going back in the near future!

I've never experienced anything like R Kitchen in all of my culinary and restaurant experience. Seriously - incredible. What an awesome concept and even better execution! Make your reservation in advance - seating and service is limited! When our ride dropped us off, my husband and I were 100% convinced we had the wrong address or building. Don't worry - you're in the right place. And there are plenty of funny signs and notes on the door to guide you. We had a good laugh at that. Doors open *promptly* at the time of your reservation - usually 6pm or 8pm. Don't try to open the door before, because you can't get in :) You walk in and are immediately by the kitchen, which has a bar for seats and a few tables. There is a back room with additional seating, but you'll want to be seated right up at the front! The Chefs run the night and the service and it is SO. FREAKING. FUN. They make you laugh. They explain all of the dishes. They enjoy themselves, you enjoy yourself. Wine and beer are offered and are served throughout the evening. If you get a bottle of wine, don't worry, you can cork it and take it home with you if you don't finish! The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD. My husband and I devoured every single dish. Everything was thoughtful, creative and incredible. The pictures don't do it justice, but I tried my best. I'm ready to make the trip back up just to visit R Kitchen again. See you soon!

The coveted 5 star review. We had reservations for the 6pm seating on a Saturday night. Doors opened promptly at 6 and not a minute before. We were sat at the bar which was a great place to be to watch the chefs work. The place is small and may only seat 30 people max inside and out back. They have two chefs and an assistant to handle the whole thing. Beer or wine is your only option. 5 courses and everyone is out within 2 hours for the next seating. Everything was spot on from the food to explanation of courses to the presentation. Definitely a place to check out.

Small place so get a reservation. Food and atmosphere are amazing. I will be coming back.

Literally phenomenal. They say this isn't fine dining but it is. The menu is inventive, the plating is playful, the food is delicious and the chefs are really cool. Laid back ambiance and the service is so cool. The chefs come out and tell you all about the dishes and really explain things.

Everything was absolutely amazing! It was also such a fun environment, they said they want it to feel like home and it was definitely super comfortable!

We LOVED R Kitchen. It's very small and not fancy but the food is delicious and beautiful. We started with a broccoli cheddar soup with a "grilled cheese crouton". It was soooo good. Second dish was shrimp salad. I the salad had an Asian flair. I believe the shrimp was poached and it was very light and refreshing. The coolest part was that instead of croutons, the topping was a tempura and sesame (toasted) so that you had a little a little crunch with every bite. The next dish was chicken meatballs with a corn purée. Main course was tenderloin with succotash and microgreens. (Soooooo good!). Final dish was the chefs take on banana pudding. But it was cantaloupe pudding. It was unexpected, refreshing, and delicious! I highly recommend R Kitchen. But you must be a foodie, and adventurous as you don't know what you will get until you get there. So so fun!

Where to start with this meal!! If you want to eat in a kitchen environment with playful banter and phenomenally fresh delicious food this place is for you. The chefs were so great and would recommend anyone looking for dinner and a show. Meal started off with a fresh shrimp salad. Followed by a helluva twist on green eggs and spam with a delectable soup. Off to flavorville we went with mole pork rice and collard greens made to perfection. Steak was next cooked perfectly medium rare with the most flavorful chimichurri sauce I have ever had. As a pallet cleanser we received watermelon with honey and blue cheese. Overall, one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. Make sure you plan ahead though reservations are about two months out. Enjoy this gem of Charleston you will not regret it unless you are a snooty uptight clown then go to the tutie falutie places.

Our friends finally got us into R Kitchen with them! They've been several times and rave every time! We went to celebrate my husband's 30th! It is one of the most unique experiences! 2 sittings per night is it! It's a 2 hour experience! You have no idea what you'll be eating! How fun! You can submit dietary restrictions/allergies upon text when making reservations! We love the small seating, more intimate. The staff was amazing, served us an incredible 5 course meal! I cannot tell you what everything was because I can't remember but it was 10/10. The hummus plate was our table's favorite, incredible spicy hummus that was truly top notch! The menu will never be the same so what a fun experience to go back and get something different every time! I highly recommend for something unique and featuring local produce/product! We will be back!

This is a must try! These chefs are loving what they do at this kitchen. They decide what they want to cook with what they have that day. They all pitch in on service and it went very smoothly. The food was amazing and we will def be back! It gets you out of your comfort zone since you have no idea what you'll be served and likely it will be something you wouldn't normally order yourself but is deliv

I've driven by this place for years and always wondered why there was a line outside. So it's been on my list to try for a while. Anyways we made reservations which you need to plan for a month in advance just fyi. You can't show up or expect to get a table in a week. Upon arrival we were greeted and seated. They offered beer and wine while we waited for our first course. Everything was portioned just right and absolutely delicious! I actually dislike mushrooms but their twist in them omg I think I may like mushrooms now!!! We certainly will be back again, it was fun, flavorful and unique.

Holy cow!!! What an amazing experience that I recommend to anyone visiting Charleston. We were lucky enough to sit at the bar and banter with the chefs, who did everything! Cook, bus, serve, etc. Each course was better than the last. Most amazing bite of Brussel sprouts I've ever had. The vibe was casual upscale, good music & absolutely can't wait to come back. My friend and i stayed until we got kicked out at 11, we were having so much fun with the staff. thank you Lee, Taylor, Jace, & Becca!!!!

Got to try R. Kitchen and boy was it a treat. You can tell the chefs put their heart and soul into each and every dish. It's a five course menu that's chef's choice and it changes daily. So be ready to be adventurous and try the unexpected. At the beginning of each course the chef who prepared that dish stops by and gives you a run down on how they prepared each dish. The shredded chicken was the true knockout of the night. I have never had such simple chicken taste that good. Second table fan favorite was the salad. The pork on pork was delicious. The marshmallow cake was ok as well. The crab soup wasn't flavorful and wasn't a table favorite. We paired all of the dishes with a bottle of white wine. There's indoor and outdoor dining. Indoor is sitting at the chefs counter and watching the chefs prepare the food. We sat outdoors which was more intimate and gave us a chance to catch up. But next time you bet I'll be at that counter watching them prepare each dish. Great spot with friends or a date night. Confit chicken rice with broccolini honey and salt Pork on pork and cauliflower and potato and tumeric and Crab soup, chicken stock in house, mushrooms, Parmesan, local beans Peas, tomatoes, local grown marigold and edible flowers, makes, croutons Marshmallow food cake with Chantilly cream and berry compote

Amazing meal! Chefs last night were Alex and Patrick. Each course was delicious, beautifully plated, and then described by the chef who prepared it. Best dish of the night: open faced beef Wellington. Definitely worth texting them and getting reservations!

My experience was more like a 4.5, but I will round up. We were sat on the back porch and like others have said, I definitely felt like we were missing out on some of the experience. Our service started out very slow, with the server spending so much more time discussing the wine options with the other table out back, when she came to our table, it was, the chefs paired this wine to go with the meal. But, as the meal went on things improved, so I am rounding up. Unlike other places that are a price fixe, R Kitchen doesn't try to make something fancy out of something simple, they believe in the high quality of ingredients to speak for themselves and it works. Food was fantastic and I love that the chefs come out and explain each course to you. I would definitely prefer to sit inside, even if not at the chef's counter to get the true experience.

Incredible dining experience at R Kitchen! It was such an intimate and personable atmosphere with Chef Alex and Chef Chris cooking your meal right in front of you. Both chefs explained each meal they prepared as they plated and served it right to you. The food was delicious and the environment was unlike any restaurant in Charleston. The establishment was quaint and charming, with room for only 15 diners at a time. Make your reservations in advance! Can't wait to return!

We had the best time! We started out on a rocky road with the AC being out, however, the chefs made our experience one of our favorites in CHS! Each course on the 5 course menu was fresh and perfectly tailored to the night. Each serving was amazing and everyone quickly forgot about the heat. The atmosphere was fun and everyone was entertained throughout the meal. The chefs were happy to teach customers about the preparation of each meal. Shoutout to Alex & Chelsea for a great night!

If I could give this place 10 stars I would. Fabulous food, attentive service, wonderful environment and just an awesome experience and so. much. fun! Chef Taylor was simply incredible and the food was devine all the way from the delicious soup to bananas foster like dessert. Wish I had thought to take more pics because the food was not only delicious but it was beautifully presented. Reasonably priced bottles of wine and beer by the can/bottle. What an experience! Call them right now to make a reservation. Cannot wait to go back.

Absolutely amazing dinner and experience! We had such a good time! The chefs were fun and interacted with all of us. I can't wait to go again! This is a chef's choice place. You do not get to choose your meal from a menu though when you make reservations they do ask if anyone in the group has any dietary restrictions or allergies. The chef's counter is the best way to experience this, in my opinion. If you are a foodie, and not a picky eater, you will love this place!

One chef completely grumpy and rude. His service was terrible. The other two were a delight

Quite the fantastic meal. Such wonderful flavors and explanation of cuisine. Best of the best restaurants in the area. Feel good cooking and service.

Summary: definitely skip the drinks. So the quality of the flat rate, multiple course dinner is subjective. I liked about half of the dishes but, for me, about half were things I felt like I could quickly whip up myself. My issue is with the lack of transparency around beverage pricing. My husband had three beers and I had three glasses of wine. I know they were brands available at most grocery stores for about $20/bottle or like $15/six pack MAX. I know this because the cans and bottles were left on the table and then it was an honor system for consumption. We told the server how much we had. We both had the $60 flat rate dinner, those 6 drinks, tipped 20 percent and it was a $300 dinner. If we had known we would have definitely just drank before or after at another venue.

R kitchen is a wonderful experience that is unique every time. We had to reserve a seating months in advance for a group of 10 but it was worth the wait and advance planning. It was really intimate and felt almost like a private party as we had the full room for ourselves. We sat on the main bar and were offered some drinks. I shared a bottle of the rose with a friend and the food started for real. The cheff was super knowledgeable and entertaining and made a unique menu with crab cakes, salad, pork loin, and dessert. I even got seconds on some of the dishes when there were leftovers. I left full and content and ready to come back !

There were 6 of us on a girls' trip and we all sat at the counter. We all agreed it was our favorite restaurant that we visited. Not only was each course delicious it was truly a unique experience. Would definitely return!

Wow!! What a fantastic experience! The food was top notch. But better was listening to the chefs' description of their creations. You could see and feel their passion for the food.

Chef Ross and Chef Lee did a fantastic job! This place is special, it's unique...more than a restaurant, it's an experience, blended in with heart! Food, amazing! If you are in Charleston, this place is a MUST. "J & J"

Wow, this place is incredible! We went for a special occasion dinner and it definitely did not disappoint. It was a very intimate kitchen, and we sat at the bar. The 3 chefs that were preparing the meals for us were very interactive and would describe the meals they each made for us, which was a nice touch. They made different meals each day, depending on the fresh produce and meats they have that day. Everything we had was absolutely amazing. The 5 course meal was diverse, unique, and incredibly tasty. Such a neat place to celebrate a special occasion or just a nice night out. Already looking forward to my next visit!

The services and meal was one of the very best experiences I've had. Chef Shawn and chef Justin did a fantastic job! They made some of the most delicious and memorable food and were quite engaging. Please try this place! You'll regret it if you don't.

Have been here several times and always recommend. Will be back as usual, but will ensure to request to sit inside. 4/5 since we were sat on the patio (which I didn't know was a possibility for a party of 2). This exiles you from the kitchen and you will not be apart of the experience. It was 94 degrees this day and the ac's gave little relief (felt better actually outside with a breeze). You can tell the chefs were rushing through their descriptions so they could go back inside. Food was still top notch (although hard to enjoy hot items including soup and chili seasons steak outside)

The food, the atmosphere, and the entire experience was PHENOMENAL. The staff was very personable, outgoing, and gave off the energy that "we're here for a good time, so y'all should have a good time too." I loved every second of it. Wanted to make my next reservation before I was even out the door!

A Fabulous way to enjoy dinner. Make sure to sit at the chef's table in front to get the best experience. Patrick and Alex make your dining experience amazing.

Staff asked me one month notice of any food restrictions and STILL got it wrong. The one chef even argued with me if "honey really was restricted". The audacity. The other chef mocked me for "not enough protein at dinner" (ironic). He could have prepared more protein if he was so concerned. Food is above average but not worth the price-tag and inconsiderate attitude The staff can dish it out but cant take the heat (you know what I mean)

I have came here at least 5 times and have had a wonderful experience with the food and service every time. However, on this visit I was with a party of 15, which had a reservation. The food was great aside from the dessert which seemed to lack any flavor and the portions seemed smaller than usual. The problem occurred when we went to get our checks and were informed they cannot separate checks with their software system. So we had to pay it all on one bill. It's not a huge deal but more the inconvenienced now having to separate multiple checks amongst ourselves. So if you have a larger party be aware.

Don't waste your money...this place is running on empty...surviving on old reviews. Dead herbs in the flower boxes outside, the place was dirty with a shower curtain half covering the kitchen door. The covered room in the back looked like a crack house, and the dusty plastic plants inside should have made us run. The food was mediocre and disappointing. The chef told a few dirty jokes to "break the ice" and it was embarrassing. If the real chef is still involved with this restaurant, someone needs to step in and turn this place around before it dies.

What a delightful experience! My best friend and me booked an 8pm seating. The doors open promptly at that time. People are encouraged to sit at the bar to see the "show." One of the chefs will greet you and give you a run down of what to expect. Then you will enjoy a five course prix fixe meal. They were gracious enough to make everything pescatarian for me. When each course comes out, one of the chefs will give you a run down on what's in it and what they were thinking when they created the dish. Note, every day is a different menu. But how about the food? It was excellent! Everything was fresh with complex flavors. It was hard to decide out of everything I had what I liked the most. Overall, great unique experience with outstanding food. Highly recommend.

This place is probably the worst value that I've ever experienced at a place. Our overall bill for me and my wife was $300. This included 5 courses: Course 1: soup which was absolutely delicious. Subtle butternut squash soup that was phenomenal Course 2: salad with blue cheese, which the dressing was pretty good but nothing i'll remember beyond this review Course 3: this is where things get bad. My wife is a pescatarian but i eat everything. We both got a plate of pasta, hers was plain penne with cheese and mine had some some sausage on it. This was probably the worst dish i've ever received at an establishment that is priced like upper tier restaurants. The pasta tasted like it came out of a box with a few parmesan shavings, tomatoes, and some cut up sausage on it. There was absolutely nothing to this dish, and given it was the first real dish served after the soup and salad, i was pretty annoyed. Course 4: omfg how can you possibly serve literally 1 oz of steak on top of some sweet corn sauce!! These chefs clearly lost me with this unbelievably bad dish. It was one bite of cold steak...on top of sweet corn sauce...with some mushrooms...wtf. At this point I thought i would be better off burning my $60+ per plate and going to five guys. At least there for $10 you can get a decent meal not served on fucking corn sauce. Course 5: some burnt pound cake with whip creme...meh In addition to this the waitress was super annoyed at having to tell our party what the drinks they had to offer...ONLY TO CHARGE US $300 FOR 16 GLASSES OF BEER AND WINE! The beer was standard cans that you can get from the grocery store and she didnt even bother to pour the wine, just set it on the side of our table and we had to pour our own. For an average price of $18.75 per drink thats absolutely insane. In short avoid this place at all cost. It seems like a cool concept but when you get a tab of $300 you will absolutely feel like a sucker and definitely feel like you have not gotten any value for your money. You are better off spending your money at a place where you can order what you enjoy eating and knowing exactly how much that dish costs. If R Kitchen wants to try out their recipes, let it be with family and friends and not your hard earned money.

Food was amazing! Fun interaction with the chefs! Not to be missed! Everything tasted so fresh.

Really run concept. Would be a great first date spot. The chef and sous chef were great and made the evening entertaining. Overall the food was pretty good. If you have dietary restrictions, the do accommodate which is great but the salad and eggplant for vegetarian left something to be desired. The eggplant was a little bland. Even if I'd had the bacon on the salad, I don't think I would have been impressed as it was pretty basic. The mushroom dish, soup and dessert however were all superb! Portions are pretty small for $50 though and I was hungry within a couple hours.

Great flavor. Spice just right. Love the Volcano noodles. Service timely. Definitely recommend!

Wildly disappointed and expensive. Food was cold. One plate was a simple chicken leg seasoned with just salt and pepper over puréed potatoes. Very basic and our party expected so much more in terms of creativity. The beef served was cooked nice and rare , but very salty. The dessert was a smashed spice cake with strawberry/raspberry drizzle. Cmon. For $60 a head, this doesn't come close to an enjoyable experience.

I didn't know what to expect since my wife made this reservation and I was blown away. The engaging nature of the chefs was just as awesome as the food they prepared. Your taste buds will be dazzled by the textures and flavors they deliver. It was a really cool and unique informal dining experience that you'll enjoy. Make reservations since they do two seatings, one at 6pm and one at 8pm so don't expect to just walk in. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Charleston!

I was expecting so much more. The open kitchen concept is great. But the food leaves much to be desired, pedestrian at best. I was expecting much more in creativity with the food. If you're a true foodie I'd pass this place by. For the price you can find better options in Charleston.

This was an amazing experience the chefs cater to our every need. Very friendly personable experience. The food was absolutely amazing! If I had to give any suggestions the portion sizes were too small in my opinion the food size it should have been doubled. After eating five Appetizer Petit courses I was still hungry but that's just me. However the experience was absolutely amazing and I highly recommend this restaurant

What a wonderful, unique dining experience/adventure! If you are wondering or questioning whether you should check it out--DO IT! We had a 5 course meal and every dish was simply superb--well-portioned, deliciously balanced, and they even took into consideration my moms pork allergy. The chefs, Jon, Patrick, and Courtney, were fun, super talented, and the general atmosphere was relaxed. 10/10 would recommend and will do this again next time I visit Charleston!

We made reservations for the 6pm seating and we made sure to get there early so we could be sure to sit at the bar. Firstly, we were offered beer or wine...they were speaking my language. They offered 2 different reds, a white and a rose. Our chefs for the evening were Chefs Ross, Jimmy, and Raul. Red Pepper and tomato Soup with the most wonderful grilled cheese wedge - Seasoned with a little basil. So yummy! I can't remember what kind of cheese was in it but lemme tell you!!!! It was good! It makes me wanna make soup with grilled cheese! Mushroom with apple and onion chutney and Asparagus This was slightly sweet but balanced with the onion and the large mushroom perfectly cooked. My husband was the first one done, so needless to say he really enjoyed it. Potato Marrows - Potatoes made to resemble marrow bones and Stuffed with confit Pork marinated for 48hr and an aioli. Was delicious Eye of the Tiger (Ribeye) lol I made that part up! Lol Zucchini roll filled with chicken and shallots and Demi. A whole lot of other stuff I didn't catch but just know it was good! I was surprised my husband ate a steak medium temp, but he did it like a champ...and liked it. All in all, a wonderful evening with great food.

Amazing! We heard about this place from a friend and were super lucky to get a last minute reservation. Please add this to your must-eat list while in Charleston! The experience is top-notch and food was SOLID! Don't let the decor or location fool you. Highly recommend!!!