Welcome to Charleston, where the culinary scene is as colourful as the pastel-painted houses that line the city’s cobbled streets. Are you looking for great places to eat in Charleston? Following our recent visit, I’ve teamed up with my fellow members of the British Guild of Travel Writers to bring you our guide to our favourite restaurants in this charming city by the sea.

The best restaurants in Charleston

From the seasonal soft-shelled crabs to the oysters plucked from the network of the Low Country’s estuaries, seafood lovers will be in seventh heaven in Charleston. Mind you, everyone, from carnivores to vegans, is well-catered here. Gnome Cafe, for example, on President Street near MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) is a particularly popular 100% vegan breakfast and lunch spot. While if it’s steak you are after, head to Halls Chophouse on King Street in the historic district.

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  Soft-shelled crab by Kathryn Burrington

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  Shrimp and grits by Kathryn Burrington

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  Low Country Oysters by Kathryn Burrington

The most iconic Charlestonian dish, however, has to be shrimp and grits. These ground, dried corn kernels are a Southern breakfast staple, an inexpensive meal that originates from First Nations’ culture. The local fishermen first started adding shrimps to their breakfast grits, and their popularity grew. Today, shrimp and grits have gone up in the world, appearing on every upscale restaurant in Charleston offering Southern cuisine. For traditional shrimp and grits, just like grandma used to make, try Pogan’s Porch, while Magnolias offers a more refined setting for their elegant shellfish over grits, which includes scallops as well as shrimps and a lobster butter sauce. You’ll find them both in the French Quarter.

Decisions, decisions! Here’s our pick of the best restaurants in Charleston with some more of our favourite dishes.

The Establishment

French Quater

by Nori Jemil

Millers All Day

King Street

by Stuart Forster, Go Eat Do

Millers All Day is a laid-back place for food and drink at 120 King Street in the heart of downtown Charleston. Essentially an upscale modern diner where you can enjoy comfort food and zinging cocktails, Millers All Day opens at 7 am every day of the week. It’s ideal if you’re looking for a reasonably priced breakfast venue or an unfussy lunch that’ll look good on Instagram.

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  Meet the owners at Millers All Day, Nathan Thurston (chef) with Greg Johnsman (miller), by Stuart Forster,

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  Grits at Millers All Day by Stuart Forster,

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  Brown Coconut Cream Pie, Millers All Day by Stuart Forster,

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  Davey Jones, the bar manager at Millers All Day by Stuart Forster,

The menu includes traditional cuisine from South Carolina. Take your pick from the likes of biscuits and gravy (crumbled sausage in a pepper-rich, creamy sauce that’s spooned onto an American take on scones), bacon jacks as well as shrimp and grits, one of the South’s best-loved delicacies. The grits come from the small batch mill of Greg Johnsman, one of Millers’ co-owners. The cocktails pack a fruity punch and are big on flavour. If you like cake and are need a suggestion on which one to go for, try a slice of the brown coconut cream — the marshmallowy texture is the stuff of dreams.

Read more about Miller All Day on Stuart’s blog, Go Eat Do.

McCrady’s Tavern

French Quarter

by Kathryn Burrington, Travel With Kat

Established in 1778, McCrady’s Tavern, in one guise or another, has been a popular feature of Charleston’s social scene for over two centuries as one of the best restaurants in Charleston, SC. The entrance tucked away in a cobbled alleyway gives it an air of exclusivity. Stepping inside, I find a cosy yet surpassingly spacious restaurant with exposed brickwork, high ceilings, open fireplaces and soft lighting.

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  Filet Mignon at McCrady's Tavern by Kathryn Burrington

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  McCrady's Tavern by Kathryn Burrington

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  Oysters at McCrady's Tavern by Kathryn Burrington

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  Beet salad at McCrady's Tavern by Kathryn Burrington

We are soon seated with wine in hand, as one beautifully prepared dish after another from Chef Sean Brock’s ever-changing seasonal menu appears on our table including freshly shucked oysters, a colourful beet salad and beef tartare with onion bread. A hard act to follow, but my tender and juicy filet mignon with Lyonnaise potato purée, broccolini, maitake mushrooms and a bearnaise sauce is perfect. Each dish is made from sustainable, local produce from South Carolina’s Low Country farmers and fishermen, not forgetting the restaurant’s rooftop garden. You can’t get more local or fresher than that.

We dined in the small private Vintner’s Room. Proprietorial was how we felt; sipping excellent wine from large goblets, we knew we’d joined the right club. But this is Charleston, so any awkward formality was blown away by the friendly, distinctly un-snooty staff.

Chef Michelle Weaver combines a classic training with Southern inspiration producing a menu divided territorially. We ordered crab cakes and charred octopus from Waves & Marsh then from Field & Pasture superb Colorado lamb, prime beef tenderloin…and this is not for the faint-hearted, a whopping 22oz ribeye steak. Key Lime cheesecake and blueberry gateau were toyed with.

We left the restaurant to the sweet sounds of a live band playing soft jazz and walked back to the hotel through the warm Southern night, feeling a part of Charleston.

Looking for a hotel in Charleston? Or, if you are travelling as a family, check out these AirBnB rentals in Charleston.

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