The Darling Oyster Bar - Savannah

My son and I had the best dinner. The James river and Bay Oysters were delicious. We also had the clam chowder and crab cakes along with oyster shooters. The host and hostess at the door were super friendly. Our waitress Lilly was really great. She was very knowledgeable about the oysters and attentive to us even though the restaurant was very busy. One of the best waitresses Ive had in awhile. I will return to this restaurant every time I visit Savannah.

Such a great find. Avoid a tourist trap on River St and come get a quality experience here. Oysters all were good. The standard James River oysters are clean and balanced, so the happy hour is a great deal. The others all leaned between briny and very briny, where I like more vegetal and floral notes. The mains were standout - in the best kind of way, any flaws in the dishes were outdone by exceptional flavors. The mussels were a very good rendition of what they are supposed to be, even if they were maybe 5% dry. And then some things were impeccable. The catch of the day was a spotted snapper and perfectly prepared with root vegetables and a mash - so great. The creole shrimp rivaled Emeril's in Nola (which I consider a standard bearer). And the fried chicken sandwich was elevated too: crispy, soft and juicy, with a layer of crunchy veg and a super soft bun. The revelation was the lump crab fettuccine with anchovy-chili oil. Yes, could have been more al dente but I had no complaints - the flavors were extremely next level and the pasta cook ended up just absorbing them all. Service was very friendly, attentive and responsive. Would absolutely mark this place for a return.

Darling Oyster Bar nailed it—flawless service, incredible food. Those Bull River oysters were so fresh, and the scallops? Incredible. The lobster roll and crab cakes were great as well. We’ll be back.

I had a wonderful time getting dinner here last night! I sat at the bar and Caitlin was so charming and knowledgeable. All of the food that I got exceeded my already high expectations! I ordered half a dozen oysters to start and they paired wonderfully with the delicious martini Caitlin made me. While I loved all of the oysters, the “little darlings” were my favorite! I also ordered the crab fettuccine. I feel like normally crab pasta dishes have just a little sprinkling of crab, but that was not the case here. Each bite was so flavorful, and my dish had a very generous serving of pasta and crab. The bar and restaurant are both beautiful and while it was busy, the environment was calm with a phenomenal playlist in the background. I would highly recommend!

Dining with Dirk: USMC 250th Birthday Edition The Darling Oyster Bar Our group of four grabbed seats at the bar and decided to take on the menu from top to bottom. Highlights included the fresh catch of the day—Chilean sea bass—along with a dozen oysters, shrimp, cheese grits, mussels, clam chowder, shrimp creole, and frites. Hands down, the shrimp creole and sea bass stole the show. The cheese grits came in a strong second. Surprisingly, while the mussels, chowder, and frites were all excellent, they didn’t quite reach the same level. The oysters, however, stood on their own—peak season and perfectly fresh. A special shoutout to Dan, Cody, and Caitlin, who were outstanding behind the bar—mixing flawless cocktails and timing each dish perfectly The Darling is already running like a well-oiled machine. Twas good & vibes were high. Cheers to good food, great company, and 250 years of the Corps. — Skye Mills, Ryan Kessler, Mia — in Savannah.

Been trying to make it down to try the new oyster bar in Savannah. Definitely glad I tried it. I tried four of each of the raw oysters on the half shell. Definitely have to say the Tybee(local) oysters are supreme. Albeit they are small, Their flavor is full and salty. Had an amazing waitress named Heather that was extremely helpful in describing each of them and was patient as I kept choosing a few more of a different type Will definitely be back and they definitely spared no expense in creating a beautiful and inviting space to dine. 

I had such a great first visit to Darling Oyster Bar. Our server, Marvelous, was warm, welcoming, and so kind. She made me feel right at home and truly elevated the experience. I also enjoyed chatting with Vonny, the oyster shucker, at the counter. He was knowledgeable, fun, and helped pick the perfect oysters based on what I liked! 🦪 Between the service and the food, we’ll definitely be back. Again and again and again! What a fantastic place.

We had two great experiences and visits. The food was awesome, very tasty and fresh. The service was great and friendly. The drinks were hard to put down! Such a relaxing but upbeat environment. Highly recommend and also recommend making reservations because it fills up fast!

Moved to My Favorite Savannah Restaurant I've been in Savannah for over five years and have had the opportunity to enjoy most of the notable restaurants in the Savannah area. The Darling Oyster Bar was incredible. First, the ambiance is great. 20 foot ceilings with beautiful beams and great light fixtures start the vibe. The oyster bar up front and a beautiful bar for drinks in back are warm and inviting. Second, the service we received from Corri was thoughtful and professional. Her personality and attention to detail was outstanding. Third and not last, the food. Ahh, the food. The oyster selection and presentation was great. Soup, we had the clam chowder, was creamy and amazingly flavorful. Scallops, fantastic. Crab fettuccini was cooked perfectly. The avocado toast with Blue Crab made the toast hard to find under the avalanche of crab. We will be back again and again.

The oyster fuck, can't beat 1dollar James river during happy hour. Did an amazing job with the inside design. Staff is attentive and friendly. I enjoyed sitting at the oyster bar and watching them shuck fresh right there.

OMG! The Darling was such an epic experience. I had noticed all the rave reviews after opening and I couldn't hold out and checked them out shortly after opening. I was easily able to get a reservation with no issues. The place was very nice, welcoming and beautifully decorated. Everything we had from the dip, chicken and oysters were AMAZING! The drinks were refreshing. I can't stop talking about this place! I will be back soon.

I went to the oyster bar at Darling this past Friday and had the best time! Oysters were reasonably priced, fresh, and so tasty! All the staff was super knowledgeable in the oysters they had and made great recommendations in addition to catering to my dairy allergy. For a Friday night service was perfectly paced it felt like such a perfect night out. I can't wait to go back for some happy hour oysters soon! this is a new staple restaurant for a Savannah local!!! shout out to Emma for being the best server with perfect timing- every time I needed her she was already there.

Me and 5 others went last night and ate at the oyster bar around 4:30. Our server Emma was attentive, amicable, and had great recommendations. She stayed on top of anything we needed. A gentleman (young with braids) was shucking oysters who name is, I think, Avante (hope that's somewhat right) was knowledgeable and enthusiastic while helping us pick out oysters. We had crab legs, a fried plate, the carb pasta, oysters, and crab dip. Everything was great! But the service we got from Avante and Emma was outstanding. We'll be back soon!

Finally!! They've opened and are as fabulous as their Charleston location. We dined here twice in the last month; top notch experience both times. Very professional service combined with expertly prepared dishes. We took friends who hadn't been to the Charleston location. They were blown away. Have to mention the extensive renovation they did to a historic building: it's thoughtfully laid out and beautifully done. Kudos Darling Oyster! So happy you are in Savannah.

The food, service and ambiance at this newly opened location is top notch. I say at the Oyster Bar and had Five star service from my waiter Michael as well as the Oyster shuckers Walker and Tywuan. Whether it's an anniversary, birthday or just a night out to dinner I highly recommend this place!!

So glad to have this addition in Savannah! It was long awaited and did not disappoint. Everything we ordered was delicious, but I can not wait to come back to try the rest of the menu, and am already planning our next visit. And ask for Rachel, she's the absolute BEST, and our five star experience would not have been the same without her!!

So tasty. Loved the oysters and the crab dip. And the hush puppy that came with the fried shrimp was out of this world. Awesome service. Great atmosphere. Really great spot. Highly recommend.

Great new spot to eat at, everything on the menu is fantastic and so is the service! Inside was suitable for all sizes of parties and kid friendly as well. Great setting for a date night too!