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
Citrus Club is the bar on the eighth floor terrace of The Dewberry hotel on Meeting Street, which calls it the highest rooftop bar in Charleston. Lunch reservations run from 12 to 2. It was the Rooftop Bar runner-up in City Paper's 2026 readers' poll.
Coterie describes a lush courtyard and an intimate dining room on Warren Street in Radcliffeborough. Resy's write-up points to small plates with a Southern fusion bent and house cocktails. A lower-priced happy hour runs 5pm to 7pm.
Daps opened in 2018 on Ashley Avenue and calls itself a beloved neighborhood spot for breakfast, brunch and lunch. It also caters.
OK Donna opened on 20 December 2025 from Joey Goetz, Megan Hill and Hank Weed, the team behind Bar George and Last Saint, with chefs Mason Morton and James Ostop. It calls itself a neighborhood restaurant. Pastas are made in house, the pizza is Sicilian style, and the lasagna layers egg yolk pasta with red sauce, ricotta, bechamel and mozzarella. There are about 80 seats indoors and out.
A Charleston-born taqueria group that also has rooms in Folly Beach, Summerville and Asheville. Explore Charleston points to the 100 percent vegan scratch-made guacamole, vegan black beans, build-your-own nachos, burritos and rice bowls, and the crispy avocado taco. The downtown room has a large back patio and a kids menu.
The same over 50 spots, sorted by the reasons people actually pick them.
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