Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Charleston

Located in the historic Planters Inn, across from the Old City Market, this four-star restaurant prides itself on elegant cuisine, traditional Charleston charm and ambiance, and attentive service. House specialties include wild mushroom grits with Lowcountry stew and bourbon grilled jumbo shrimp. Chef Robert Carter is well known for his creative menus, and diners will find it difficult to choose from numerous options. And who can forget their amazing wine list, which boasts over 300 selections. A popular dining establishment with locals and visitors, Peninsula Grill was named one of America's Top 50 Hotel Restaurants by Food & Wine. Reservations are highly recommended.

A restaurant where the presentation of the dish is just as important as its flavor, O-Ku brings authentic Japanese cuisine to busy King Street. If a delicious sushi roll is what you seek, this restaurant has more than enough variety to satisfy you.Make sure to try the yellowtail carpaccio, lobster temaki and the spicy teriyaki pork belly. You can also savor Japanese street food like the duck taco. The hand-crafted cocktails, like the Sata Sangria, Basil Berry Lemonade and The Shogun, are sure to perfectly compliment your meal.

The East Bay Meeting House is a great little bar and cafe, located in the French Quarter. Their cafe opens daily at seven, offering a variety of pastries, coffee drinks and teas. Breakfast and lunch are also served daily, with a variety of delicious sandwiches available. After dark, the bar becomes the main focus, but you can still grab a small plate of food to compliment your cocktail. All of this in a space with wooden furniture and silver candelabras, which gives the feel of old-fashioned salon society.

This popular restaurant is serving some of the best seafood around. This place has made a lot of best-of lists for seafood, and you can order dishes that are fried, broiled, Cajun, Caribbean Jerk and more. Try the restaurant's specialty, the crispy flounder; a whole bone in flounder scored and fried. There are chicken and pasta dishes on the menu as well, if you just can't handle seafood. Plus, the restaurant is a celebrity favorite, boasting visits from everybody from Metallica to Oprah, so you may catch a glimpse of a star. The owners take customer service very seriously and go out of their way to ensure a positive dining experience. Reservations are not accepted so arrive early. Parking is available in the Omni parking garage.

For people who love their food grilled to perfection, Grill 225 is the place to be. With classic wood-paneling and plush interiors, this restaurant is an added glory to the luxurious Market Pavilion Hotel. Seated in the charming ambiance, be prepared to be served delicious steaks by Executive Chef Demetre Castanas. And the quality is incomparable, as the restaurant takes pride in being a 100% USDA Prime steakhouse. The extensive lunch includes delightful Oysters Rockefeller, Kobe beef tartare, fried jumbo shrimp and filet of tuna. Whereas the dinner menu has exotic specialties like prime filet foie gras. And to top it all off, a premium wine list to compliment the flavors. So step in for a steak and enjoy a flavor like no other!

Located on Kings Street, Halls Chophouse pampers its patrons with an impressive selection of traditional American eats and refreshing cocktails in a fine dining setting. The food menu features everything from prime-aged steaks, fresh salads, and soups to succulent chops, appetizing seafood, and decadent desserts. The family-friendly establishment also boasts a special bar menu that includes a decent range of classic pub grubs. Group dining is encouraged here.