|
Places to Dine
There are many great places around town to eat -
these are some of our favorites.
Al Di La
25 Magnolia Road, Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 571-2321
Though not walking distance (located West Ashley, an
easy 10 minute drive) it is well worth the short drive to
this wonderful Italian bistro. Great service, great menu,
reasonable prices and very reasonable wines make this one of
our favorites. Chef John Marshall recreates authentic dishes
from his time spent cooking in some of Northern Italy's
finest restaurants. Excellent and very reasonable wine list,
the menu varies seasonally and always pleases. A top
recommendation.
Basil
460 King Street
(843) 724-3490
Thai in Charleston? You bet, and excellent. They have
their own style and it's all good. An easy walk from
Charlotte Street Cottage, this casual spot has great food
and an energetic but not hectic atmosphere. You can sit at a
table or at the food bar and watch your meals prepared
through the glass. No reservations but get a drink at the
bar and watch the crowd as you wait for a table.
Charleston Grill
205 Meeting Street
(843) 722-4900 Located
in the Charleston Place Hotel, this beautiful room features
intimate fine dining for that special dinner when you want
everything just right. More formal dining with attentive
expert service, a top notch menu and great wines. 8 block
walk.
Cru Cafe
18 Pinckney Street
(843) 534-2433
We love this place and keep going back for their
excellent food and pleasant ambience. Tucked on a small
street near the market, it is in a wonderful old Charleston
row house and when the weather's nice you can eat on the
porch. Great spot for lunch while you're out walking the
downtown area - best burger in town. Go back for dinner -
everything on the small menu is good. 8 block walk
Fig
132 Meeting Street
(843) 805-5900
When we're not at Cru, we're at Fig it seems. Great
space, nice bar, excellent service and of course, the food
is great. Tuesdays they have live jazz, too. Emphasis on
fresh, quality local ingredients artfully prepared and
presented. We love the steak tartare and the warm salad of
shrimp and radicchio is to die for. The menu varies with the
seasons to take advantage of what the local farmers have to
offer. If they have the pork belly, don't hesitate - just
get it. See the menu here. 6 block walk.
Fleet Landing
186 Concord Street
(843) 722-8100
Believe it or not, in a city surrounded by water, this is the only place to get decent food while looking out over water! Fleet Landing specializes in seafood, as expected, and does a pretty good job. Large and busy but not hectic, you can go with a large party or just the two of you. Small tables are outside directly over the water where you can watch the pelicans working harder than you for a meal and you might see dolphins if you are lucky. A mix of local fare and standards, with soups, salads, a good burger, lots of seafood entrees including the classic fried dishes, and kids and lunch menus. Great happy hour to end the day. An 8 block walk. Read more on their website.
Fulton Five
5 Fulton Street
(843) 853-5555 OK,
we'll give them another chance. This used to be our favorite
a few years ago and we thought they went downhill, but
recent dinners there have convinced us that they are back
and better than ever. Friendly, knowledgeable and
unpretentious service, great wine list, cozy intimate
atmosphere and excellent Northern Italian food speak for
themselves. Our friends were trying to get us back there and
they were right. Try the mushroom salad, the gnocchi, and
ask for some suggestions from the staff both for food and
wine - you won't be disappointed. 10 block walk.
Lana
210 Rutledge Avenue
(843) 720-8899 And when
we're not at Fig . . .
Reincarnated in a beautiful new location on the corner of
Spring Street and Rutledge Avenue, Lana has become a very
popular neighborhood spot. The food is excellent, the
service friendly and attentive, and check out the wine from
Croatia - it's a pleasant surprise. We find ourselves eating
here more and more. Great lunch menu, too. A longer walk or
take a cab.
Kennedy's
60
Calhoun Street
(843) 723-2026
Just around the corner from Charlotte
Street Cottage, Kennedy's is a great place to start your day
if you want your coffee/espresso made for you and a fresh
pastry sounds good. Excellent baked goods, they also have
prepared foods to bring back to the cottage for dinner in
the patio area, or you can sit and have a nice lunch. While
you're there, pick up some more wine and some cheese for
your evening before you head out on the town. A block & a
half walk.
Market Pavilion Bar
225 East Bay Street
(843) 266-4218 Located
on top of the Market Pavilion Hotel, the Pavilion Bar offers fabulous views of downtown Charleston with the harbor as a backdrop. Great place to have lunch on a warm Spring day or to have a cocktail as the sun goes down, the food is good and the bar has great cocktails that you can enjoy outside under an umbrella. Popular early evening spot to meet your friends. Read more on their website. 8 block
walk.
Moe´s Downtown Tavern
5 Cumberland Street
(843) 577-8500 Recently opened by the owner of the popular Moe´s Crosstown Tavern (714 Rutledge Avenue), this is a variation on a sports bar/pub. If plasma screens showing football and other sporting events drive you crazy, this place is not for you. But this is great pub food and 14 beers on tap. The menu is more eclectic than you would normally expect and this is one of the best burgers in town, with interesting variations (eg. goat cheese and poblano chile). Excellent home made fries and "chips", one of our favorites, accompany the great sandwiches, burgers and wings. Home made ice cream for dessert! 9 block
walk.
Peninsula Grill
112 North Market Street
(843) 723-0700
All you need to know: this is the only Relais & Châteaux member hotel and restaurant in downtown Charleston. That means a consistently high level of service. Located in the Planters Inn on the North end of the Market, this is probably the most beautiful dining room in Charleston. Excelent for a special occasion, a quiet and elegant dining experience will be yours along with an extensive and high quality wine list. Listen to the servers´ recommendations; they know what they are doing, and by all means save room for the signature desserts. Here is their website. 8 blocks
Raval
453 King Street
(843) 853-8466
Also on Upper King Street, Raval sits right across from Basil and is another great casual place to grab a bite with friends. Offically a Tapas and wine bar, they specialize in small plates and Spanish wine. Rich, dark oak paneling and barstools around high wooden tables next to the bar create a warm and friendly place to talk about your day and plan your evening over a light meal and some great wine. If conversation goes long, order some more and make this your main meal. The new rear lounge is open Thursday through Saturday and sometmes features live music. A 5 block walk.
Rue de Jean
39 John Street
(843) 722-8881 We
send many of our guests here to start their vacation. Only a
three block walk from Charlotte Street Cottage, this French
bistro offers a spacious comfortable dining room, a great
bar and a varied menu for an easy dinner after a long flight
or drive. Great mussels, a plat du jours and great fries.
S.N.O.B.
192 East Bay Street
(843) 723-3424
A popular spot on "restaurant row" in
the heart of the action, SNOB delivers consistently good
fare with a southern touch for lunch and dinner. If you've
been out all day and need to eat NOW before you walk back to
Charlotte Street, bet on this pick to welcome you out of the
madness and give you a solid dining experience.
Dave´s Carry-Out
42 Morris Street
(843) 577-7943
If you would like to see what the real charleston cuisine is like, and/or you want to bring something back to the cottage and eat lunch on the patio in the sun, check out Dave´s. The little store front is actually a step up from their old location on Rutledge. Much happier with their new landlord, they turn out basic but delicious platters of fried fish and shrimp, fish sandwiches, wings and other lowcountry southern cooking. Open Tuesday - Saturday, with lunch specials through Friday, this is the real deal. We love the shrimp and fish platter with fries. 7 Block Walk.
|
