The Establishment

We had a most excellent experience. From the attentive waitstaff to the unique flavor pairings to the extensive mocktail selection, it was one delight after another! The ribeye was one of the best steaks I've ever had. The barbecue peaches were a surprise hit. The chocolate Angel Food Cake was unique and paired well with the house made peanut butter marshmallow whip ice cream.

The Establishment is primarily a fish restaurant with a short menu, including one steak and one vegetarian entree. So probably not your best choice if you have a hankering for meat or are vegetarian or vegan. Its location on Broad St is very good, with lots of street parking and a parking garage about two blocks away. Very nice decor and a relatively quiet and upscale vibe. Service is very good and the overall impression is smart. We were a party of four, all fish lovers and fish was what we ordered. The triggerfish was excellent, perfectly cooked and helped along by a mild seasoned sauce. The grouper got mixed reviews. It was well cooked but a little bland. One interesting quirk of the restaurant is that you only qualify for happy hour prices on drinks and appetizers if you sit at the bar, if you at a table, no luck. Now that is bizarre. Desserts were good but nothing special. Overall, we liked the restaurant, its downtown prices are high and its menu selections are limited but it has an extensive wine list and knowledgeable staff. We give it four clams on the coveted Five Quahog Rating Scale.

Food was awesome highly recommend the whole fish! Just as important, the service was seriously five star overall. What really stood out though was that we came with our toddler and you would not believe how nice they were about accommodating him. Seriously treated him like he was a VIP. The manager(?) immediately moved us to a table that was lower and the staff offered us multiple different size high chairs or boosters to make him comfortable. I mean this is not a kids restaurant but geez I’ve never been to a “kid friendly” restaurant that was this kid friendly. Thank you guys for thinking of our toddler!!! He loved the pasta with extra cheese as requested too!!

So cross another of the list of Restaurants to eat in SC and this one was a fantastic experience. We came to celebrate a friend's birthday and had a wonderful time. There was a jazz piano playing but it wasn't so loud that you couldn't converse at the table. Drinks were fantastic and there was a wide variety to choose from. Menu changes daily and was hard to choose. Couldn't go wrong with anything.

I had such a wonderful experience eating here! The food and drinks were superb! Dessert was out of this world delicious! Service was excellent; the staff was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. Highly recommend!

My wife and I stopped by last minute to The Establishment, we sat at the bar and were lucky to have Darren take such good care of us. We had just sailed into Charleston the night before in heavy weather, the next day, walking downtown and were so glad we stopped in. We had the most amazing conversation with others at the bar and as we first met Darren shared our names and the name of our boat. We spent 3 hours having the most delightful cocktails and 4 rounds of pairing appetizers and wine, topped off with a decedent brownie and home made strawberry ice cream. What made the night so special is the care and attention the entire staff gave to everyone. The sommelier that helped a few guys eating next to us, was friendly and equally passionate about wine as we are. While we don’t write many reviews, this place earned it. As we were leaving Darrin thanked us both by name and wished us fair sailing, also remembering the name of our boat 3 hours later. Thanks you all for a wonderful onshore experience. One last thought, this was one of the top 5 best cocktails I’ve had. The Gothic.

We had the best time at the establishment. Amazing service, knowledgeable server, delicious food! Such well balanced dishes. Would definitely come again!

It was truly a great dining experience from beginning to end. Made a reservation through Open Table. The restaurant phoned on the day of the reservation to confirm and to inquire if the reservation was for a special occasion. The food was so delicious, the service was excellent, and the ambiance was so warm and cozy. The menu for the day is published daily at approx 2p. Reservations highly recommended. We had an early dinner before the restaurant became full. Valet parking is available, or parking may be secured nearby with a short stroll to the restaurant since downtown Charleston is a very popular and busy place. Recommended dress from nice casual to formal, depending on your dining preference or special occasion. Prices on the higher side of $$ based upon your palate. The seafood is Oh!! so good!! For our meal, we enjoyed the Taste: Gnudi; Savor: Grilled Swordfish and Butter Poached Grouper, and a side of Crispy Artichokes, and a complimentary Sorbet for desert.

I live in Charleston and had not heard of The Establishment but my wife found it on Resy and made a reservation for our 7 person group. So glad she found it!! We ordered a little of almost everything based on Yelp and server recommendations. The watermelon salad and Gnudi are stars! Definitely get the Gnudi - lump crab and delicious creamy flavor and textures. The peaches were very good but if you're choosing the best of the best, go for the others. Would not recommend the pate as it's frankly pretty boring and served with toasted Saltines? The ribeye was outstanding - everyone agreed it was the star of the menu. Scallops were excellent and the whole fish, while a little scary, was a 10 out of 10. The cocktails tend to be a little sweeter than we'd like (especially their take on an Ole Fashioned) but the wine list was extensive with lots of great options. Service was incredible! Great recommendations, very attentive, good sense of humor and accompanied by a full team re: water and table clearing. The location is right off the French Quarter on Broad with valet just across the street. Very cool medium noise level and lower lighting with a full bar and service. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike.

This is one of those restaurants I forget how good they are! Everything was truly top notch, from the service to the food! I will not let it be so long before I go back again this time. We were waited on by Tanner who was so helpful, I needed advice regarding every single course and he was more than happy to oblige. Cocktail suggestion was spot on, as well as the recommendation for the Gnudi - this dish is a MUST get - so light and airy with chunks of crab! We were excited to finally have softshell crab before they are gone for the year and their version was really delicious, simple, but good. Very lightly breaded and fried, but not overpowering with the coating, just enough to provide that crunch you really want, served with remoulade sauce, really delicious! Then he suggested the tilefish for my entree and, again, spot on with the sear on the outside for that texture. My husband had the molquece and it was phenomenal. He finished all the fish in it, but we took home the broth to eat with yummy bread. Part of me says order the bread to go with that broth, but then we never would have stopped eating it and we would have needed to be rolled out of there! House made ginger ice cream that was perfectly creamy and just the right amount of ginger to give you that end of meal satisfaction! Service here is top level, new cutlery every course, drinks arrive on a tray they serve off of and dishes for each course arrive together. This is a fine dining experience without the tablecloths and the pretentiousness. Make it a point to go here!

Outstanding. Excellent service, creative and flavorful food and an excellent cocktail and wine list. Definitely recommend.

I loved every last thing about this place. It was one that I didn't necessarily see pop up in every "MUST eat in Charleston" guide, but whenever I did see it mentioned, it was highly praised. By far my favorite meal during our time in Charleston, and Charleston has some really, really good food! Loved the variety of flavors, the sleek ambiance, and the great service. Sure, it was pricey, but honestly, so enjoyable and felt worth the price tag!

Gnudi excellent with the lump crab. The grouper was out of this world. Great drinks. Very nice restaurant. Don't dress casual you will look out of place. All items in my pictures were cooked perfectly. We also had the bread which were yeast rolls. Friends had the ghost grow salad, enough for 2. I recommend!

This is the only photo I got because I was busy gobbling up all the delicious food. A run down of what was ordered: *Tuna Crudo- very fresh and delicious *Local Tomato Burrata - honestly, pass on this. The burrata was cut up, so mirrored more of a caprese, and it seemed they added lime or some other highly acidic sauce on top of already acidic tomatoes ‍ *Gnudi - THIS DISH WAS LIFE ALTERING GOOD *Ratatouille - great flavor, overly salty *Garlic Chili Shrimp - good not great, kind of rubbery but good flavor Dessert *Chocolate Mousse - absolutely perfect. Very rich so closer to a torte/ganache texture than mousse *Meringue - interesting yet good. A little too sweet for me *Peach Sorbet - surprisingly not super sweet, wonderful flavor with almost a nutty undertone The good news is that the menu changes around daily dependent upon seasonal items. Very much looking forward to going back. The Sommelier, Brian, was quite easy on the eyes too.

This is my third year in a row spending my birthday at the Establishment and it has never missed. Without fail, I always get the scallops - the best in Charleston and I've tried every place. Our server was Daniel and he was very friendly and great. We also love Henry! You can go wrong Tonight's food was top tier. The menu changes weekly and I've kept everyone. I attached a picture of tonight's menu along with what we had Oysters - these are not your dads oysters - they are prepared for you with a chili sauce on top. Definitely has a kick but so good Ghost grow greens - it's a salad, one of the best salads I've ever had but next time I'd get the salmon that my bf got. Salmon - beet cured salmon, no more words necessary. So good. Scallops - has never ever missed. The best scallops in chs, the sauce was "coconut carrot" but it tasted more like ginger Moqueca de peixe- a Brazilian fish stew, it's a tomato based fish soup - one of the less classic items on the menu but it was so good. My bf got it and I probably had at least a third Dessert Macarons - they get them from a local store in Charleston and the flavors are very unique - tonight was: sea salt vanilla (the best), fruity pebble (tasted exactly like the cereal), chocolate raspberry (not their best, I've had it before and it lacks in comparison to the others), earl gray (tastes exactly like a cup of tea, so for me amazing) White chocolate bread pudding - wasn't too sweet but had a lot of flavor, would definitely get again It was my birthday and they brought out ice cream with a candle, so sweet. The ice cream was coconut (I personally am anti coconut everything) but my boyfriend had it and said it was the best ice cream he's ever had

Better Than Sex The Hungry Detective finally made it to to The Establishment...this place is the real deal folks and my new favorite spot downtown. Lauren the bartender was on point and did a fabulous job taking care of us. Let's get down to the food had the gnocchi as a starter and it was so light and fluffy. It just melted in your mouth. What a great rendition. Ordered a whole fish for the main course which was cooked to perfection. VERDICT: Guilty as sin for doing everything to perfection. ***Brian the manager/sommelier suggested a fabulous wine and a true gentleman.

Dining here start to finish was an experience. The space is elegant and intentional. We only had four in our party but the family dining tables have us wanting to return for our next big group outing. A little detail that I loved was that there are spotlights centered over every table so the food and table really come into focus. You can see right into the kitchen which is always a favorite for me - got to come back to sit at the chef's table. My dad is a bourbon guy and Shane was absolutely amazing. He took significant time speaking with him about the selection they have to offer and gave him a few tastes prior to selection. It was easily my dad's favorite part of his trip to Charleston. For food, we got the mussels and gnocchi to start as well as the Brown's Court rolls. The mussels were perfect and the gnocchi melted in your mouth. Our entrees included the chicken, grouper, steak and salad + broccoli and potatoes for the table. The grouper was the crowd favorite. It ate so light and was packed with flavor but honestly that was the theme of the night. Bold statement but our favorite bites actually might have been at the end with the chocolate bread pudding, homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream and apple tart. Just so good with a unique spin on classic treats. The Establishment is doing a lot of good things and we couldn't recommend it more.

Our group had an excellent dinner at the Establishment tonight. The seafood was particularly good! We shared excellent appetizers - Gnudi, Wahoo crudo, and shrimp with artichokes. The Wahoo appetizer was a beautiful medley of contrasting textures and flavors. Our entrees included a Brazilian seafood stew (rich creamy tomato coconut broth), aged ribeye steak, whole fish with green curry rub, and butter poached grouper. The seafood dishes were particularly good. An excellent bottle of wine. Wonderful service.

Second visit was not as good at the first. We were seated in a different area of the restaurant which smelled mildewy. The menu did not speak to me as much as the first time around. The waiter was a little awkward... it felt like he was doing a bit rather than being naturally affable. Their rolls (still fluffy) were smaller in size than I recalled and also called out by the waiter to be made out of house; their macarons were also made out of house... (considering many local restaurants have an in house pastry chef, this was disappointing). My husband said he wouldn't return, I would give them one more try though!

My husband and I had a fabulous dinner last evening. Our waiter Mike was phenomenal. He guided us to a wonderful meal of whole fish, spaghetti squash and an awesome dessert of ice cream!!! Mike was funny,informative and extremely knowledgeable!! We look forward to returning.

Fun spot to go with the ladies! Stopped in for a drink and will definitely be back for dinner! Beautiful restaurant! Drinks were superb!

As we walked in this restaurant was much bigger than it appeared outside. Mickey appointed and comfortable seating. We ordered the Gnudi which is similar to gnocchi on steroids! Soft texture with rich cheese inside...a starter not to be missed. We also ordered the SC Peaches. This was a nice starter with salami and peppers. Great sweet and tangy combination. For our main courses we had the grouper which runs around 5oz. The sauce was savory with Potatos and bacon. The steak tasted like it is grass feed beef so it had a wonderfully unique flavor. The wine list is complete and has some interesting small production selections.

Enjoyable stop for some cocktails and light bites at the the bar last weekend! Great night time atmosphere! For food, my friend and I ordered non-entrees- scallops, tuna, and bread service. All were good, but disappointed in value- in my opinion should be bigger portions or better flavor for the cost. Example: Bread service was $8 for 4 non remarkable, ordinary dinner rolls- may have been bought from a store.

0 regrets coming here for our first dinner in Charleston! Everything was perfect. I recommend literally everything we ordered and I just wish we were here longer so we could try more from the menu!!

Overall: I ate alone at The Establishment on a Friday night at the end of September. I made a reservation online beforehand and I got the option to reserve a seat at the bar. I arrived 15MINS before my reservation and I was able to sit down right away. The inside was dimly light and had an upscale atmosphere. The staff was friendly, and the food was great. If I'm ever back in Charleston, I will dine here again. Food/Drink: I asked the bartender what the fruitiest drink on the menu was and she suggested The Stylist. This drink was fruity without being obnoxiously sweet and it had a slight fizz to it. I would absolutely order this drink again. For my appetizer I ordered the Gnocchi which was also recommended to me by the bartender. I've only had Gnocchi one other time in my life but this one was way better. For my entrée I ordered the Prime Ribeye and it's definitely worth the price. It was a thick juicy steak but I could not finish it all. It also came with brussels sprouts and potatoes which were also delicious. This whole dining experience left me both full and satisfied.

We enjoyed our dining experience. Sully our server was engaging, friendly, professional. The restaurant ambiance, cocktails and Sully made our dining experience enjoyable despite some disappointment in our entrees. The rolls and peach salad were outstanding and very unique. The warm, muggy temperatures in the restaurant made it uncomfortable. I can't even imagine how the staff handles this daily. Next time we will sit in the dining room closest to Broad St. The entrees could have been better. The Jerk spices on the red snapper overshadowed the dish making it too hot. Initially, there was no issue with the spice until I ate from the other side of the fish. Then my lips were on fire and literally turned blue according to my wife. The mojo or other sauces were sufficient. The rice was very good. The red snapper portion, taste (other than the Jerk spices), and presentation was outstanding. The pork chop, in contrast, lacked seasoning, char, flavor and was served lukewarm. Slicing the pork chop like a duck breast doesn't make for a good presentation. We've never seen a pork chop served sliced. The falafel was dry and an odd accompaniment to the pork chop. Our favorite pork chop is served at SNOB; on the bone, with a savory sorghum-mustard glaze and good accompaniments. This pork chop fell far short of that one and others we've had. We opted to enjoy the ambiance, and our funny server Sully. We just didn't have the heart to be critical at the restaurant. This is not a complaint but a suggestion. Please add and include video clips and photos of iconic Charleston landmarks, your restaurant, cocktails, menu items on your large screen video screen. A static beach scene is a missed opportunity to enhance the ambiance of your beautiful restaurant. Take advantage of that. We will return and be careful with our entree selections. We still enjoyed our time together.

We have eaten there twice and the food and service has been fanatics both times. We were seated in different areas both times and the ambiance is different depending on the area but any seat is a good seat here! A must visit and a place where we'll be coming back to soon!

This place was amazing!!! Get: local crudo; tomatoes 4 ways; grouper; T-bone steak; chocolate bread pudding; tiramisu; bread service Avoid: nothing! This restaurant had some of the most amazing flavors in Charleston! The food tasted fresh and bright. Our server was very knowledgeable and took time describing each item we asked about. The bread service is wonderful with warm bread and soft butter. The local crudo appetizer was so fresh and light but intensely flavorful. The tomatoes 4 ways were good but instead of raw the other tomato should be prepared some other way because there was little difference between two of the tomato types. The T bone steak was flavorful and tender but the potatoes were not incredible flavorful. The swordfish was so amazing and the okra was prepared in an interesting but wonderful way. The desserts were fantastic - we got the tiramisu and chocolate bread pudding and both were great. The bread pudding was more like a brownie with caramel but still quite good! Their dessert wine and cocktail selection was also very nice. Can't wait to come back!

This is a nice restaurant with an upscale feel. The wine cellar is VERY impressive looking, but the lack of fine bottles was surprising. The tomatoes four ways appetizer was good, but honestly it was difficult to discern the differences. The differences were a bit too subtle. The crabmeat gnocchi was a nice change from the She Crab soup served at so many restaurants. The gnocchi were puffy clouds and the crab flavor was not overwhelming. Save some bread to sop up the juice. The steak was excellent. The tiramisu was typical, but the chocolate pudding was scrumptious!

We had our anniversary dinner at the Establishment since we had a great date night at this place couple months ago. We had tiradito (ahi tuna ) with a nice sauce to it and it was the only thing we think so good from our meal. We got the SD brown court rolls, whole fish snapper that in need some serious sauce to make it better and grouper. They are out of Macallan 12 each (again) so my husband ordered Macallan 15th. We probably wont be coming back to this restaurant.

Excellent dinner at the bar. All three courses were delicious, service was professional yet friendly and the atmosphere is modern, refined and soothing. I thoroughly enjoyed the bone marrow and frito misto, the grouper in buerre rouge, and tarte tatin with dulce de leche ice cream - nicely over the top. Chenin Blanc by the glass was a good accompaniment, and the open kitchen an added attraction.

Great service and excellent food / cocktails! We got the soft shell crab and strawberry appetizer. Highly recommend making reservations!

Wow! This place did not disappoint. I had the Tile fish and the wife had the Grouper. Both dishes were packed full of flavor. Carrots on the side were so good. Took one star off for bar cocktails. Need a trained mixologist to complete the package.

The Establishment is fantastic!!! We've lived in Charleston for 5 years and this is the best meal we've had. Food, service, ambiance, all first class! Pricey, but no complaints. Go there if you can!

Just ate at the wonderful establishment! Food, Service, Ambiance, impeccable!! Also nice background piano jazz starting at 8pm. Top 5 restaurants in Charleston. Will definitely be back !!

This a a beautiful large restaurant. Our server was top notch. His descriptions and recommendations were excellent. Although, we thought the food was more beautiful than it was tasty. But, overall we still enjoyed the establishment.

Really nice spot, very comfortable and incredibly lovely staff. We went for dinner on a Friday night around 8pm, and it was relatively empty; in a dining room for 40, there were maybe 8 people. The drinks list and wine menu were varied- a bit overpriced. $19 for a glass of cab and $18 for a cocktail. We ordered three appetizers to share- bluefin tuna, the watermelon salad, and the burrata. It was all a bit disappointing- the burrata was light on seasoning with very little naan bread and small portions of cheese. The salad had been prepared the day before- the watermelon had no flavor and was clearly left out for a while. The salad greens weren't crispy and just overall really sad. The tuna was fine- also lacking salt though. The service was great throughout the meal- the food just didn't meet the same level.

went for a private dinner. the mocktail made for me was divine - complex, balanced, and fresh. all the food is fresh and the plates come out perfectly crafted and cooked. would gladly go back.

One of the highlight meals of our trip. Beautiful decor, great service and great food. Large restaurant with a very nice upscale atmosphere. If you want to dress up for dinner you can comfortably do so here, though some go casual too. Our waiter was excellent, very attentive and knowledgeable, and very accommodating of our many questions and requests, true professional! Food was excellent, the gnocchi appetizer is inspired, very memorable. Bread was great. And other dishes were very good. Scallops were another standout, perfectly prepared, and the rice they came with was amazing, another inspired dish. Desserts were also good but not at the same level as the other dishes. Three out of the four of us were celebrating birthdays (within a couple of weeks of each other). And they brough out three additional desserts beyond those that we ordered with candles, a nice touch. Highly recommend it. Great anytime if you can afford it, and if not great for a special occasion.

The food was so good!! I got the crab thing And a side dish with curry which I later replaced it want to my liking. They had no issue doing that for me. The food came quick and I got the ultra respect kind of service that is given to aristocrats. Thankful for the experience!

This is gem of a restaurant in the heart of the pennisula! The have a nice size bar area and very comfortable dining area. The service is impeccable! The entire staff is friendly, knowledgeable and obviously love working here. The food was very good! We did not have a full dinner service, but chose to share several small plates. Everything was fresh and delicious! The menu changes daily depending on what can be locally sourced with a few staples on it. The cocktail list is exstensive paired with cocktails for those who don't drink alcohol. If you have any questions about anything, just ask! They have someone to help with everything. Definitely, give The Establishment a try! We did and now it's one our favorites.

Excellent dining experience. Very attentive service and very tasty cocktails. The taste course was outstanding. The Gnudi, Bay Scallops, and shrimp were delicious and beautifully presented. Our group had the tilefish, swordfish, and Grouper. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. The side of creamed kale was also tasty. The only disappointment was the bread service. The rolls were quite unremarkable and not at all up to the same standards as the remainder of the meal and certainly not worth $8. With that said, this was a five star experience and I highly recommend the restaurant.

This place is SOLID. We are so happy we stumbled upon it when in Charleston! I will note that it is a bit pricey and the portions are not particularly large but the way they prepare the food is worth it. My husband and I split everything so we shared a number of dishes. To start we had the duck which was cooked extremely well, I just wish we had more. We also had the gnocchi which OH MY was the best dish of the night. An absolute show stopper. It was cooked so well and flavorful that we nearly ordered another round of it!! If it was not nearly closing time I would have gotten it for dessert. The weakest of the starters was the carrots. The waiter really sold us on it saying how amazing they were, and how people will order 2 rounds of it. While it was OK it was nothing to write home about. Was done cold carrots with chunks of cheese. It was fine but I wish we got something else. To round out dinner we had the pork chop which was a really nice cut and flavorful. Again, just wish it was a smidge bigger! But maybe that's the fat kid in me? It also came with broccoli rabe and sadly we received mostly stems. We make rabe at least weekly so I was disappointed in this. Perhaps it was because we were late night dining? Overall, loved it, would recommend and will come back next time we're in the area!!

If you are in Charleston this is the place to eat! Absolutely hands down one of the best meals I've ever eaten. I ordered the pressed lamb, my friend had a ribeye. The portions were generous, the flavor was perfect, and the staff were all friendly. Southern food, service and charm at its finest.

I got married 6 months ago with immediate family, but I wanted to find a location for my best friends to come and celebrate our marriage. After deciding on Charleston, we found the Establishment. We rented the beautiful private room and had an impeccable experience from start to finish. Shane, the event lead, was fantastic with the menu and beverage options and made great suggestions on the flow of the event. Paige and Henry were our leads for the evening and were attentive throughout the night. The food was incredible and the fine dining experience was an absolute dream. I couldn't have asked for a better evening with friends and family. The Establishment was the perfect find.

Recommended by our concierge at the hotel bennett. I usually don't take concierge recommendations because they are likely trying to push something local, new whatever. But it sounded nice, he was VERY enthusiastic about the recommendation. The restaurant itself is 20 minutes walk from the hotel, which is fine but we requested something within five minutes. Took an Uber. Atmosphere is pretty cool although a bit loud. Very open, trendy, loudish. Service was reasonable, not good not bad. Wine selection was poor, asked for a wine list of high end bottles, but he looked at me like I had two heads although he did have a list and a massive wine celler on display. We ended up ordering just a very highly priced bottle of something we could get at Costco. Hydroponic, lettuce salad was delicious. The muscles were also interesting, brown beer with some Lardons and onions. The charred bread was great for soaking up the juice. I had a fish stew, Spanish style. It was very creamy, tomato-based but more like a curry. Really good but not exactly a fish stew. More like a fish curry super rich. My wife had the coq au vin. The concierge told this is one of the best he ever had, it was probably the worst I've ever had. It was basically half of a roasted chicken, soggy, full of bones. There was no color on the surface, no crisp on the skin. Not good at all. And extremely dry on the white meat . If you're going to do this, you better either be a French restaurant or do it really well. The live jazz was fun, but when it wasn't playing, the restaurant is extremely quiet with terrible acoustics. Some loud talker right next to us was unpleasant. Summerize: Toursity mixed fare southern peninsula rated by non locals which is why is has more than 3 stars. Would not survive in a smaller town with patrons who know food. Wont come back.

Food is fair at best Presentation good Service is stiff, forced and just not fluid Overall staff is well par as compared to Charleston's best options Open kitchen and it shouldn't be!!!!!!!!!!! What a disappointment Dozens and dozens of better choices within 2 miles

Went here for my Anniversary and all I can say is WOW! The ambiance, the service, the food was all absolutely perfect. We were seated at a lovely booth in the back where the atmosphere was so romantic. Our waiter was so attentive and knew the menu well so he was able to make some recommendations. For starters, we went with his recommendation of the Bay Scallop Bucatini. The noodles were fresh, it had a nice lemony taste, the scallops were delicious and it was topped with caviar. To die for! For our main dishes we got the Grouper and the Flounder with two sides: broccoli and the potatoes. My flounder was perfect. The owner came over with champagne and to congratulate us on our Anniversary. That was a very nice gesture indeed. If you are looking to celebrate something special I highly recommend this restaurant for your occasion. Or if you just want a night out with your significant other to have a romantic Date this is the place. I will be frequenting this restaurant. One of my new faves!

One of the items we ordered was the Grouper entrée. The dish had small boiled whole potatoes with no flavor, sitting in what tasted like thinned out tomato soup. The grouper itself just seemed to be cooked (not seared or fried) with maybe a little salt and placed on top of the whole potatoes. The mussels seemed like the small frozen ones and were placed on top of the grouper. We did not taste any clams or chorizo. This definitely was not what we expected for the price and for this type of restaurant.

This was the best restaurant experience we've had dining out in Charleston. They were able to get us in earlier than our reservation. The menu is so creative and everything we ate from grouper to swordfish was cooked perfectly. The service was top notch and everything was explained in such detail that you could imagine the dish just from our servers description. To top it all off, we dropped a large bill while paying without realizing it and received a call from Shane tell us they had found it before we realized it was gone. They could have easily pocketed it but took the extra steps to find our reservation and number to call us. The integrity of the staff here is truly amazing and an added benefit to a spectacular experience. We'll be making this our go to dinner spot.

I was in Charleston for my birthday and originally had reservations at The Charleston Grill. For some reason, they cancelled our reservation and the hostess who alerted us recommended The Establishment and I'm glad she did. The service from the host stand to our server was amazing. Tanner did such a great job, he recommended the most delicious menu items, thoughtfully explained each one, and picked the perfect wine pairing. To start we ordered the shrimp, gnocchi, and wahoo crudo, all were amazing. For dinner we had the whole fish and scallops, which if you like peas was perfect and light. Dessert was a the carrot cake, homemade strawberry ice cream, and homemade heath bar ice cream. Couldn't recommend this place enough. Tanner rocked and the food was great.

So, I must have walked by this place couple of hundred times and always wondered why there was a menu on the outside of a wall in which I didn't see a restaurant. Then I'd go on my merry way and forget about it after a few bourbons some more laughs farther down the road. This time I decided to investigate and have discovered a wonderful restaurant tucked away down a little entranceway. The place is beautiful and a perfect Charlestonian bland of old and new decor. A dimly lit hallway gives way to a big bar and around the corner is a beautiful dining room. This was my wife's birthday so we decided to start the night with a bottle of vintage champagne a 2011 Cedric Bouchard. a wonderfully "yeasty" yet "minerally" bottle of deliciousness. We decided to go with 2 apps for the table: Scallop Crudo with a touch of citrus and some sea beans and the better dish, the crab gnocchi! Think of gnocchi made with ricotta instead of potatoes and served with a velvety "crab butter"! Our server recommend getting the bakery rolls because we would absolutely want to sop up all the goodness when the gnocchi were gone. He wasn't lying! My tongue beat up my own tonsils it was so good! we could have ended the evening there and it would have been good but NO! there's more. We decided on 3 entrees. 1. Pork Chop with nuoc cham (Vietnamese sauce), broccoli, tossed in some black garlic jus. 2. 45 day dry aged prime ribeye, topped with a chimichurri sauce. Now the server told me that the steak was better than Halls ChopHouse, Im not so sure that the truth but it was a darn fine piece of beef! I'd be happy to eat it again 3. The wreck fish sous vide and poached in butter with a corn velouté and snow peas. Almost had the texture of butter poached lobster. All of the entrees were wonderful. hard to pick a winner there. I can say we chose a 2018 Henri de Villamont Haut Côtes de Nuits Les Damoiseaux to pair with the entrees and this wonderful Burgundian wine did not disappoint! Great light cherry color with the typical minerality expected of the region, a slight hint of raspberry on the palate. An excellent wine that I would add to my cellar at home. We ended the evening with a piece of tiramisu for the table and a couple ounces of Calvados and Cognac. Can't say enough good things about service either. I wish I would have written this review earlier when I could remember the name of the waiter. Steve/David maybe? perfect blend of conversation at the table and leave the table alone to eat and talk. I absolutely hate that it took so long to try them...I promise it won't be that long again before I go back!

So we went here for Valentine's day and were not disappointed. Our server, Tanner, was incredibly educated on the menu and suggested several options. We had a wonderful time and a perfect dinner. The lavender dessert was probably my favorite of my entire life! Tanner did an amazing job with everything and was very attentive. This was one of our most favorite meals of 20 years in Charleston....

Amazing oysters. My favorite so far! The bourbon and whiskey selection is very good. So knowledgeable. Everything was delicious. Service is some of the best. Thoroughly enjoyed a pleasant evening. Will definitely returned.

The place was spot on. Food and drinks were delicious. Mike aka "sully" was a pros, pro. Everyone was gracious and accommodating. We will definitely be back.

I've dined at the Establishment on numerous occasions and can say that it is one of the finest restaurants in the country, hands down. Try "The Poet" for a fun and creative twist on an old fashioned and enjoy the crab gnocchi to start! You can't go wrong with anything on their menu, in particular their seafood offerings. Gorgeous wine menu and exemplary service.

When I go to Charleston. I book at least one restaurant per day. There are so many wonderful dining options, but the Establishment has has reigned supreme as my top selection thus far! Their menu changes, so it's hard to pinpoint an exact favorite, but every mean I have had at this restaurant is a home run. The service is top notch. Their wine manager came out and discussed wine with me for a good 10 minutes and never seemed rushed to end the conversation. He was happy to share all of his knowledge with me, and gave me some amazing wines to try. The ambience is also very elegant. You just can't go wrong with this choice. It is truly a fine dining experience!

We were directed here for the cocktail program, given that we do not want to deal with tiki drinks and screaming college students. The person who directed us here was not wrong. We had The Poet and The Impressionist and they did not disappoint. The Poet is Kentucky in a glass. It had the flavor of the Bourbon Slush I make for Derby, but classed up. And boozed up. The Impressionist was not too sweet, which is saying a lot for a drink with pear purée. We spoke with the bar manager who created them and were really impressed with his care. And his disinterest in whatever tiki nonsense is taking hold of Charleston right now. On the other hand, the restaurant is old school and full of people I would not want to actually know or have to listen to for any amount of time. So have a drink at the bar and move on.