The 10 Restaurants That Defined Charleston Dining in 2025

Settled into a quiet corner of a residential neighborhood, the serious offerings that earned Vern’s a Michelin star belie a polished but comfortable dining room that invites local diners and visitors alike. Fresh crusty sourdough with allium butter awaits, along with spot-on raw tuna with Calabrian chile and citrus. Crafted by chef-owner Dano Heinze, who opened Vern’s with wife and wine director Bethany in 2022, Vern’s selections seek to maximize quality ingredients with minimal preparations. That means pay special attention to even the simplest-sounding salads and veggies. A “bitter lettuces” number with cheese and breadcrumbs is usually on standby. Or when the time is right, dressed local tomatoes speak to the season. Housemade pasta creations range from light to hearty, like campanelle with rabbit and vacche rosse Parmesan. Bethany’s wine list, which leans toward small-scale  producers, changes often.

In October, Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, leader of New York’s Eleven Madison Park, kicked off a yearlong residency at The Charleston Place hotel. The four-course $135 prix fixe experience endeavors to take advantage of Charleston’s “connection to the land and sea, and its culinary traditions.” Perusing the menu gives diners a hint of Humm’s plant-based cuisine explorations, which spotlight sustainable and impact-conscious selections. The meal offers tastes like local crudo, rich ricotta gnudi, celery root schnitzel, and roasted chicken presented tableside. Diners also have the option of a seafood tower selection, carrot tartare ground to order at the table (you’ll see!) and a smoked sturgeon and caviar presentation for the table. After the meal, prepare yourself for desserts like a baked Alaska for the table — a flambéed treat.

Chef Jason Stanhope became captain of Sullivan’s Fish Camp just before summer 2025, taking over the popular island eatery that pays a nod to workaday seafood outposts tucked along creeks and rivers throughout the Carolinas during the pre-war era. But this is Sullivan’s Island, so things will be stepped up a notch. We’re talking unique snappy starters like beet carpaccio and clam and fish chowder, perfectly crispy shrimp, or a knockout fish sandwich. Sullivan’s was an island staple restaurant for 35 years, reinvented by new owners in 2022. This year, Stanhope brings his bona fides — including a 2015 James Beard Award for FIG, and opening Lowland in 2023 — to Sullivan, adding flourishes to the throwback fish camp, like hushpuppies doctored up with mashed potatoes to ensure a pillowy bite. And true to form, South Carolina-ground corn meal forms the crust of that hushpuppy, as well as the fried fish and shrimp.

Wild Common was another of the Charleston trio bestowed a Michelin star in 2025, but fans of chef Orlando Pagán know he’s been firing on all cylinders for some time now. After training in South Florida and working in San Francisco, Pagán landed in Charleston at chef Sean Brock’s McCrady’s Tavern in 2019 before helping open Wild Common and garnering honors, including a Beard Foundation semi-finalist nod for Best Chef: South in 2021. Today, Wild Common serves one of the most creative tasting menus for the money, at $95 per person. Inventive riffs on pho, local oysters, and even chicken wings get things started before seared scallops and dry-aged strip steak make appearances. Optional supplements create additional opportunities to witness Pagán’s skill, like a caviar-spiked “eggs Benedict” or Australian wagyu.

The guys at Graft Wine Shop teamed up with chef Anthony Guerra of Raleigh’s Oakwood Pizza Box to create an instant neighborhood-favorite, which conveniently opened next to the wine bar on upper King Street in early 2025. The goal: create a casual, low-frills spot where you could get a killer pie while enjoying a fancy Barolo or a cheap domestic beer in an icy mug. (Or, why choose?) The vibe is similar to next door, where conversations among Charleston neighbors spill out onto the sidewalk. Among the salads, big fat romaine leaves are assembled as a great Caesar, and even the house salad checks all the boxes. Of course, Tutti sets itself apart with distinctive square pizzas, fermented longer and cooked in olive oil. (You can get a knockout round pie as well.)  Get creative with additions like sesame seed crust, shallots, Calabrian chiles, pepperoni, and more on the pies. Also: Don’t forget the cannoli.

No reservations.  More info here.

The New York Times really just confirmed what Charlestonians have known for some time when it named Chubby Fish among its 50 best restaurants in September. No reservations at this Elliottborough hot spot at the corner of Coming and Bogard streets: Instead, visitors queue up to enter starting at 5 p.m., choosing to hang nearby or step next door to Seahorse, the team’s newest addition, a teeny cocktail and seafood bar. Inside the main event, diners choose from staples like slider-sized caviar sandwiches, seasonal local seafood delivered daily, and even housemade pastas. This is all to say: You really can’t go wrong with anything plucked from chef-owner James London and chef Carlos Paredes’ menus. Drinks? They’ll bring them to you on the sidewalk while you wait or gladly replenish your A+ chilled selection at the table.

Find more info here.

Baker Allison Anspach may be a relative newcomer to Charleston, but Grit Bakery has already attracted legions of fans coming for pastries as close to perfect as you’ll find in the Holy City. Wednesday-Sunday, head to 601 Meeting St. for shattering croissants, sweet buns, savory biscuits, and everything in between. And we haven’t even mentioned the bread, baked fresh and in-house: baguette, sourdough, and other specialties like focaccia and sourdough made with local blue corn grits from Marsh Hen Mill. Real talk: Grit is one of the only bakeries in Charleston baking and selling baguettes — it’s hard work! Don’t forget to peep the daily $5 special. 

Find more info here.