The Resy Hit List: Where In Charleston You’ll Want to Eat in June 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.

The Archer landed on Meeting Street last year, from the team at neighborhood favorite Berkeley’s. Slightly more upscale than its North Central sibling, look for The Archer to have the same go-to hangout vibe, but with the dials turned up a few notches. The spring menu featured a walnut Bolognese, seared duck frites, crispy mushroom fritti, and one of Charleston’s best burgers. The summer favorite Ambiguous Bird cocktail remains on draft (rum, coconut tea Campari, pineapple, and lime), available alongside old and new world wines by the glass and bottle. 

Slightly North of Broad (or S.N.O.B. for the cheeky ones) has been a Charleston mainstay for more than 30 years. With industry pro favorite chef Frank Lee in the kitchen until 2016, it became known for bulletproof reliability for cherished traditional Lowcountry fare like shrimp and grits and barbecued tuna. Lee was a farm-to-table champion long before it became a trend; it was just the right way to cook. Now owned by the Hall family, executive chef Russ Moore is carrying the torch, and the standards remain high. Charlestonians know S.N.O.B. is also a go-to during the day, where a three-course lunch lets diners a chance to experience Moore’s stewardship of this Southern kitchen, where delicate preparations of proteins and vegetables compete for top billing.

What if we told you the new ramen place and the new fried chicken place you’ve heard about in North Charleston were the same place? At the latest restaurant creation from chef Joe Nierstedt, who previously operated Kinfolk on Johns Island, patrons will find a selection of three bowls of ramen noodles, lightly breaded chicken sandwiches, and fried chicken, along with sides and starters that benefit both vibes. Think: from okonomiyaki to waffle fries. The tantanmen ramen arrives rich and creamy, underscored by sesame and topped with chile threads, while the shoyu bowl lands with a bite from the soy sauce and pork broth, topped with braised and sliced pork belly. Curious cocktails like the sakura Negroni, which blends the Italian classic with cherry blossom (the namesake sakura) in a clarified milk punch, smooth things out. 

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By day, frozen drinks spin behind the outdoor Bower bar, begging you to grab a patio table with friends, maybe a few house-brewed beers (Something Cold is an old reliable), and definitely some of chef Bob Cook’s unconventional bites. There are no skips on the menu, with options ranging from shrimp toast to the EO burger, other sandwiches, and even fried chicken. At night, the long wooden bar and generous dining room tables inside where to stop with a date or bring the whole crew. Cook’s flavors lean toward the unexpected, like the piquant papaya salad, the Korean meatball, or the housemade kettle chips sprinkled with vinegar and fish sauce — the stuff of salt-and-vinegar fans’ dreams.

Chef Jason Stanhope, the former Beard Award-winning chef who previously led kitchens at FIG and Lowland, will soon make his mark on Sullivan’s Island, taking over Sullivan’s Seafood and Bar. With new owners, including Stanhope as a partner, the goal is to fine-tune things at a destination already popular with tourists and locals alike.  Stanhope pledges to return the Middle Street space to the earlier “Sullivan’s Fish Camp” brand, which it took on after an extensive 2022 overhaul that evokes the requisite down-home, fish camp, 1970s-esque dining room. On the menu, that means perfectly fried shrimp, hush puppies, and other fresh-catch offerings. Stop by Mondays for half-off bottles of wine under $60.

This neighborhood bistro in a recently updated (and designer-appointed) Charleston single house in Harleston Village has been eagerly awaited by neighbors and the throngs of folks who have lined up for Merci’s various pop-ups leading up to the opening. Chef Michael Zentner’s seasonal menu includes snapper crudo in ajo vierge, focaccia  stracciatella, slow-cooked chicken, and beef Wellington for two. Grab a Resy starting seven days in advance.

This teeny Park Circle bakery is open only three days a week, and the Cakette faithful show up to wait in line all weekend long. Owner-baker Courtney Colangelo stocks her pastry case Friday-Sunday with her cult-favorite vegan cinnamon buns, savory cheddar jalapeño scones, focaccia, cookies, and more — some with a glittery sugar sprinkle for an extra dash of whimsy. Join the line early to make sure you get the choicest slice of cake or irresistible fruit galette before Colangelo sells through her creations. Check the Cakette IG for updated specials and the newest fun additions to the retail offerings, which feature women-owned brands from Charleston and beyond. 

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Chef Ken Vedrinski made his return downtown official in March, opening on Rutledge Avenue near the hospital district, aiming to capture the spirit of small-scale Italian cooking. Vedrinski hooked a loyal following with Lucca on Bogard Street before decamping for a couple projects on Isle of Palms, including Coda del Pesce. The menu at Volpe will shift through Italian American favorites, including small plates, seafood and other proteins, Vedrinski’s popular pasta, and more. (Maybe even the gnudi that earned Vedrinski a victory on “Beat Bobby Flay.”)

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.

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The owners behind Pasta Beach (a beloved pasta restaurant all over New England) partnered with a Roman chef (Andrea Congiusta, who previously helmed Rome’s Il Pagliaccio), and the result is this King Street beauty. A number of different spaces await: will it be the downstairs dining room, upstairs lounge, the central bar, or perhaps the cozy, captivating patio? The menu shows Italian fingerprints in dishes like housemade pasta and lamb with artichokes, alongside beef Wellington and lobster tartin on focaccia. At the bar, try drinks like the Charleston Water, made with rye and sweet peach tea, or peruse the wine list, which features Italian and other Old World offerings as well as quite a few domestic pulls.

Meander off Coming Street and down Payne Court to find this cozy French eatery in a traditional Charleston single house — one room wide with a side porch — complete with a perfect patio and a petite bar tucked under the stairs. A bit of a hidden gem that everyone knows is great, the menu, handwritten daily, charts your course for the night: two small plates, two mains, and two desserts (ordered à la carte, bien sûr). Entrées lean toward delicate fish and seafood, and veggies minimally prepared to allow seasonality to shine. 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. 

Heading into its 13th year — a lifetime on the fast-changing King Street — “modern Asian” spot CO reopened earlier this year after a top-to-bottom facelift. That means the joint’s happy hour, a locals’ go-to, is back, serving up bites ranging $4 to $8, like pork belly buns, mango summer rolls, beef and kimchi dumplings, and tuna tataki. Happy hour or not, you’ll choose from zingy cocktails like a blackberry bourbon fizz with lychee and a jalapeño guava margarita. A block from the College of Charleston campus, grab a Resy and you’ll likely find yourself alongside students, professionals, and tourists — an increasingly rare phenomenon on King Street. 

The guys at Graft Wine Bar have teamed up with chef Anthony Guerra of Raleigh’s Oakwood Pizza Box to create an instant neighborhood-favorite, conveniently opening next to the wine bar on upper King Street. Set apart with its distinctive square pizzas, Tutti allows guests to get creative, with additions like sesame seed crust, shallots, Calabrian chiles, pepperoni cups, and more piled on 18-inch pies.

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This downtown tapas spot has everything you need if you’re looking for something new. Just a few blocks from King Street, Spanish-inspired specialties flow from the kitchen with Lowcountry flair, like local shrimp, crudo, an Iberian twist on pigs in a blanket, and all the gildas — like a perfectly composed skewer of anchovy, olive, and pickled pepper — we challenge you not to order another round. Securing a Resy is a surefire way to a good time, but the lively courtyard provides the ideal space to enjoy a bev and await your spot. Behind the bar, Spanish vermouth and Sherry tempt curious patrons, whether poured into a citrusy spritz, or served neat.