The west side of the lower peninsula, down to the City Marina. The old Marina Variety Store reopened here in 2026 as Fin & Crab, and a 1922 corner store on Queen Street makes crepes.
Babas on Wentworth is the newest room from the Charleston cafe that started on Cannon Street. Explore Charleston says it opened in January 2026 as a European-inspired cafe in a 1931 building with an outdoor patio. It runs from morning coffee into evening drinks. The group's Meeting Street cafe was reported closing at the end of September 2026, with a move to 1011 King Street.
Explore Charleston describes the aim as seasonal, local produce cooked to be nourishing, with a wide range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes and a staff trained to guide guests through allergens. There is a dedicated kids menu ... almond butter and jelly, veggie sticks, fruit bowls.
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.
Costa is a coastal Italian restaurant on the ground floor of The Jasper at the west end of Broad Street. It is part of Easton Porter Group, which also owns Zero George. Dinner only, Tuesday through Sunday.
Fin & Crab is the upstairs restaurant at the City Marina that was the Marina Variety Store, a breakfast spot started in the 1960s by 'Big Mike' Altine. Cindy and James Capps, who own Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill in Southport, North Carolina, bought it in November 2025 and reopened on 23 January 2026. Much of the staff stayed, including longtime cook Earl Felder, whose pancakes are still on the menu. Booths were swapped for tables to open the water views. Salty Mike's, the dive bar downstairs, reopened the same day.
Le Farfalle is Chef Michael Toscano's Italian restaurant on Beaufain Street, a block off King. The venue describes a modern approach to authentic Italian cooking. The patio and bar stools are kept for walk-ins. Dinner only.
Merci calls itself the little bistro on the corner of Pitt and Montagu, deep in residential Harleston Village. It serves dinner four nights a week. Next door at 17 Montagu, Petit Merci opens by booking only.
A scratch ice cream shop just off King Street that makes both traditional and vegan ice cream. The venue says the dairy base is milk, cream, egg yolks and cane sugar, and the vegan base is raw cashews, organic coconut cream, organic avocado oil and cane sugar.
A corner store with a griddle, on a residential corner away from the restaurant streets. The shop says it opened in 1922 and has been an apothecary, a full grocery and now a corner store making crepes, hot-pressed sandwiches and all-day breakfast with craft beer and wine. The Post and Courier's alphabet guide says children once walked to the corner of Queen and Logan streets for candy after school and neighbors came by in the evening to watch the news over a cold beer. The paper says it is owned by local actor Rob Bouton and that Bill Murray comes in for his namesake crepe.
