167 Raw moved from a tiny room at 289 East Bay Street, now 167 Sushi Bar, to a long narrow 19th century building on King Street with original brick walls and a walnut bar. It takes no reservations. City Paper readers voted it Best Oysters and Best Raw Bar in 2026, and on r/Charleston the tuna burger is the dish people name.
167 Sushi Bar is the sushi and yakitori room from the 167 Raw group, in the East Bay Street storefront where 167 Raw itself began before moving to King Street.
39 Rue de Jean is a French cafe, brasserie and bar on John Street just off Upper King, with exposed brick, a patio and a private room upstairs. Explore Charleston reported in spring 2026 that it was marking its 25th anniversary with themed wine dinners and expanded lunch. It belongs to Holy City Hospitality, a Charleston group, and City Paper readers voted it Best French in 2026.
82 Queen is the Lowcountry restaurant on Queen Street that City Paper readers voted Best She-Crab Soup in 2026. The top answer in a r/Charleston she-crab soup thread agrees. Opinion on the rest is split: it is offered as the most Charleston restaurant in one thread, and in the same thread a commenter says it is not as good as its reputation.
BellyUp! Charleston / Over 50
Good places to eat and drink in Charleston, minus the nightclubs. When a spot gets loud later or draws a lot of kids, the card tells you.
5 spots
Circa 1886 is in the original carriage house of the Wentworth Mansion, built in 1886. Executive Chef Marc Collins has led the kitchen since 2001 and the room offers two six-course tasting menus beside an a la carte list. Executive Pastry Chef Ashley Cardona was named Pastry Chef of the Year at Stars of the Industry 2025. The Garden Room seats 8 to 12 for private dinners. Owned by Charming Inns.
A small Folly Beach room with a courtyard out back that the street does not show. The saloon quotes Charleston Magazine on its own site: 'a haven for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores alike, with sidewalk booths and a sunny back courtyard'. City Paper's Top 50 for summer 2026 says co-owner and chef Lesley Carroll rotates the menu with the seasons, with dishes such as red curry mac and cheese and Tom Kha Gai gnocchi. The Post and Courier's food editor calls it his Folly Beach favorite.
Chef and owner Patrick Owens opened Langdon's in 2003, and it has stayed a dinner-only fine dining room in the Shelmore Village shops since. The site describes classic fine dining that fuses Lowcountry cooking with wider influences. It sits under Owens Dining Group, which also runs Opal in Mount Pleasant.
The room traces back to a casual neighborhood restaurant that first opened on this spot in 1988. It now runs as a modern fish camp led by chef and partner Jason Stanhope, whom the site calls a James Beard award-winning chef. He buys from Abundant Seafood, Kindlewood Farms, Tarvin Seafood and Lowcountry Shellfish. A side patio can be bought out for up to 24.
Wild Olive opened in 2009 on Johns Island, in what its own site calls Charleston's farming community. Executive chef Brad Grozis and general manager Jason Parrish have both been with the restaurant seventeen years. House-made pasta is the center of the menu. The site says the kitchen recycles and composts 85 percent of its waste, about 1,000 pounds of raw material a week, and describes itself as 'farm to table, but table to farm'.
The same over 50 spots, sorted by the reasons people actually pick them.
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