The Resy Hit List: Where In Charleston You’ll Want to Eat in February 2025

There’s no place quite like this in Charleston. Chef-owner Thai Phi has captured a big-city feel — bright pink and blue lights accent the dark, moody dining room — with sophisticated cocktails to match, like the Yuzu Disco with dark rum, calamansi, lemongrass syrup, and tonic. Phi pulls from his Vietnamese heritage and Bay Area upbringing in dishes like his signature garlic noodles topped with pork, pickled red onions, sriracha, parmesan, and oyster mushrooms, and steaming hot bowls of pho during his Wednesday night Pho King pop-ups. Phi’s creations have evolved significantly from humble beginnings as a food trailer at the nearby College of Charleston, into the city’s “ultimate fun restaurant,” per Resy writer Stephanie Burt.

Chef Anthony Marini tested the waters in Dec. 2024, turning The Pass, his knockout neighborhood sandwich shop, into a full-blown chef’s table joint when the sun goes down — meet The Italian Boy after dark. There’s one seating a night, at 7 p.m., with a chef-selected Italian menu. Offerings shift, but early tastes included two takes on sandwiches (that’s the Italian Boy’s day job, after all), like an inventive spicy zucchini gratin with stracciatella and sun dried tomatoes, tucked into a crispy seeded roll. Fresh pasta, like housemade cavatelli tossed with a rich pork sugo rounds out the meal, before Marini sends you off with a cannoli and a nightcap.

It would be hard to walk into this unassuming dining room, tucked into the corner of a newly up-fitted strip center, and not find something that grabs your attention. Styled as a “modern steakhouse,” your options include caviar, lobster and tomahawk steaks. The raw bar stocks fresh specialties pulled from the seas, from stone crab to shrimp cocktail. The wine list features selections under the Angel Oak label, sourced from the ownership group’s Argentine vineyards, along with a generous array of wines by the glass. Cocktails lean classy with bits of flair, like I’ll Take Five, described as a “Pisco sour with Dave Brubeck.” (And along with several others, it’s available N/A.)

Those of us who’ve followed Hector Garate’s barbecue pop-ups rejoiced in February when he finally opened the doors to his West Ashley restaurant. Channeling the flavors of his native Puerto Rico, Garate dishes out variations on ubiquitous Southern ‘cue with a little more flair. We’re talking sofrito-infused pintos and all-star smoked beef cheeks so tender that you won’t even realize brisket is nowhere to be seen on the menu. And don’t miss Garate’s housemade sausage, whole-hog pork, and barbecue hash — an uber-savory traditional South Carolina side, made with chopped meat, pan drippings, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and more. Palmira may be a ways off-peninsula, but it’s worth the trip.

No reservations. More info here.

Speaking of Lata, his ode to fresh seafood, mostly pulled from Charleston waterways, continues to make this King Street hall one of the most welcoming spots in town. Sidle up to the marble bar or grab a Resy and take your pick from oysters farmed in the Carolinas or delicate preparations of fresh-caught bluefin tuna, snapper, triggerfish, and more. Can’t decide? Dial up a seafood tower, which is pretty much what it sounds like: multiple tiers of select seafood from the raw bar with all the fixings (that’d be lemon, cocktail sauce, and mignonette).

In 2023, Jason Stanhope departed FIG after 16 years, during which the restaurant and his menu as executive chef piled up accolades. Now, Stanhope is hoping to recapture some of that magic at not one or two, but three concepts operated by The Pinch boutique hotel at the corner of King and George streets.  Expect a comfortable, casual setting with a handful of craveable dishes that both frame Stanhope’s interpretation of New Southern cooking and that will warrant a return trip: lobster bucatini, a burger, grilled triggerfish, crudo, biscuits, deviled eggs, and more.

It’s just a few steps off Coming Street, but this petite French eatery tucked into a modest 19th-century Charleston house feels miles away from the hubbub of downtown’s most popular tourist district. Once seated, chef-owner Jill Matthias’ handwritten “menu du jour” walks you through the day’s offerings, including delicately prepared seafood, seasonal produce, fresh pasta, and desserts to round out the meal. The bottle list is ample, with a few wines available by the glass. Impressed? Check out Chez Nous’ sister, Malagón, run by Matthias’ husband, chef Juan Cassalett.

The team at Chubby Fish has expanded into a neighboring Charleston single house, with a brand-new bar and cozy dining room. The new space is perfect for those awaiting a table at the no-reservations hot spot next door or anyone looking to settle in for a few drinks. And the cocktails are well worth a visit. The menu highlights highballs, or what bar manager Christian Favier is calling “long drinks” that plays with different influences and showcases one of the area’s only Japanese highball machines, a device that chills, carbonates, and dispenses a perfectly balanced beverage. Chef Carlos Paredes joins Seahorse from The Obstinate Daughter, creating a compact seafood-focused menu that’s a collab of flavors from his native Peru and the proven creativity of chef James London, recently named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist.

Find more info here.

One of Charleston’s best bars and best patios are located a block off lower King Street at a postcard-pretty Beaufain Street trattoria that’s become a reliable go-to for locals since opening in 2016. Chef Michael Toscano strikes the careful balance of comfort and hospitality with knockout menu offerings — one of those places where you can be 100% content ordering the same thing every time or criss-crossing the menu with each trip. Housemade pastas like duck confit agnolotti and spicy squid ink spaghetti with shrimp get things started, with splurge-worthy chops and a textbook chicken Parm holding down the main offerings. Grab a spot at the deep marble bar or on the patio to enjoy that Sbagliato or trust the barkeep with a selection from the generous wine list — by the bottle or glass. Short on time? Check out Toscano’s latest concept next door: Blanca Estrada, a nascent taco spot inspired by his mother’s Mexican roots.

This might be Charleston’s longest-running restaurant, in operation by the Barber family since 1945. For generations, Bowen’s has lured Charleston-area residents for family dinners, weddings, parties, community and political events, or just to watch some of the best sunsets around. Enter by the stairs and walk past the oyster room, where steamed bivalves are available by the half tray, full tray, and all-you-can-eat. (Oysters, harvested right off the marsh during “R” months, when they’re in season, are the main event here.) Upstairs in the dining room, seafood platters, Frogmore stew, shrimp and grits and more await.

Find more info here.

Perfectly sized and situated a few minutes’ drive from downtown nightlife hubs, you’ll walk into this cozy corner dining room and immediately feel at home. The Italian menu is divided, helpfully: pizza, not pizza, and dessert. The pizzas are 10-inch Neapolitan-style, with a chewy, slightly charred crust, with traditional faves like the Kevin McAllister (“A lovely cheese pizza, just for me!”) and more experimental, like the Cheli featuring lamb sausage drizzled with hot honey and chermoula. Show up during happy hour for $5 cocktails (spritz, Negroni, and more), $6 house wine, and sub $10 snacks, like basic pizzas and meatballs.

Refreshing and new-feeling without being too fancy, this strip-mall sushi spot in the heart of downtown is a local favorite for a reason. For lunch and dinner, some of the best sushi flows from the quick sushi bar, alongside a few more complex offerings like housemade katsu and tempura plates. And while you might be there for the nigiri or rolls, the bite-sized shrimp shumai dumplings are some of the best in town. The spot took on a new life since a full renovation during COVID by its multigenerational family owners and regularly fills up, so grab a Resy now.

Tucked steps away from the picturesque Kiawah River, the flagship restaurant of the new Dunlin hotel was one of the splashier openings of 2024, despite being a short drive from downtown. Chef Michael Deccio, most recently from Thomas Keller’s Michelin-starred Surf Club Restaurant in Florida, has created an impressive, yet comforting, menu stretching from raw bar to duck confit. Expect nods to Southern standards (Cheerwine has appeared as an ingredient, after all), with luxe beach club touches, including a sunny dining room with a comfy bar.

It’s always a party vibe at this upper King Street wine bar. Maybe it’s a chill night with good friends, gathered around the spacious bar, with owners Femi Oyediran, Miles White, or the welcoming staff, ready with the perfect approachable bottle. Each weekend, the “Good Neighbor Sunday” series makes it an al fresco parking lot party with local food trucks and friends posted up outside. It’s all about community, music, and a solid wine selection at Graft. Having given the people what they want since 2018, Femi and Miles earned themselves a nomination in the 2025 James Beard Awards for outstanding professional in beverage service. Be sure to keep tabs on the Graft IG for the latest updates and for the next Good Neighbor Sunday lineup.

This newly renovated space in Cannonborough-Elliotborough is poised as downtown’s splashiest new space. Opened in November by Uptown Hospitality Group along with Southern Charm stars Austen Croll and Craig Conover, expect a darker, moodier vibe than Uptown’s other local establishments (Bodega, Share House, Uptown Social). The menu offers familiar bar choices like a shrimp cocktail, wings, and burgers, each dialed up a few notches. Cocktails lean classic with a handful of house-special spritzes. But they’re turning the dials on the drinks as well, like the Pornstar Martini, a Tito’s martini zhuzhed up with Chinola, vanilla, and Champagne foam.