The Resy Hit List: Where In Charleston You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

The latest venture from Kultura, Bareo, too, captures the contagious energy of co-owner chef Nikko Cagalanan, a 2024 James Beard Emerging Chef finalist. When the first restaurant he and his wife, Paula Kramer, run together moved up the street, they flipped the space into an entirely new bustling urban watering hole, which opened in February 2026. Expect seafood onigiri (filled rice balls) and hand rolls, dumplings, and more. If you haven’t seen it already, the kakigori piles high shaved ice with flavors like coconut and pandan in a very delicious (and Instagrammable) treat that is an homage to Japanese influences in Cagalanan’s native Philippines. Beverages lean tropical with herbal undertones, like the Golden Hour, which promises Arnold Palmer, but with green tea — offered with an optional aperitif lift from Cocchi Americano. 

Walk into Sushi-Wa and you’re in the hands of generous chef-owners Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler, who offer a sushi experience unlike anywhere else in Charleston. Five nights a week, Sushi-Wa serves just a handful of guests some of the best sushi in town, omakase style — a traditional Japanese chef’s choice format. Murakami and Schoedler make the tough decisions for you, though enticing (and worthwhile) upgrades will be up for grabs, like A5 wagyu nigiri. Bar offerings focus on sake, with large and small-format bottles. Again, let Kazu and Chris be your guides. 

Even with its national profile, the low-key digs of this Cannonborough-Elliottborough spot don’t immediately telegraph how epic chef-owner Dano Heinze’s menu can be — serving up offerings you didn’t even know you needed in your rotation. Dishes include snails, fresh crudo, a simple-but-rewarding steak, and handmade pastas like gnocchetti. And that classic but inventive approach extends to the wine list, curated by Dano’s wife and business partner, Bethany. What gives? The couple spent time in famed Charleston locales like the now-defunct McCrady’s before a California sojourn that wound them back east to Charleston. That bicoastal experience has helped shape Vern’s well-deserved reputation, and made it a local gem.

Charleston’s newest local haunt, opened in December on upper King Street in the North Central neighborhood, brings together a supergroup of restaurant partners and cocktail/culinary creatives. The brainchild of co-owner Megan Hill, bar director Joey Goetz (Bar George, Last Saint); and chefs Mason Morton and James Ostop (Bar George, pop-up Lupara), and Hank Weed, this fits the bill for after-work bites or an evening out. Opening menu highlights include arugula potato chip salad, “ikea meatballs,” and riffs on rustic red sauce favorites. That means mafaldine Stroganoff, spicy pork “spaghettoni,” chicken Milanese, and more. Behind the bar, dirty martinis are finished with Calabrian chile; you’ll also find a yuzu marg and cherry Negronis. 

Tucked into a circa-1820s building in the heart of Harleston Village, this 26-seat dining room offers nightly menus like a crowd-favorite steak tartare, pitch-perfect charred cabbage Caesar, squash gratin with crab, and crispy duck ballotine. But the beef Wellington for two is the dish you’ve probably already heard about: a generous tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelle and draped in golden-brown pastry, embellished to underscore the craftsmanship of the medium rare beef that reveals itself after a tableside presentation.

Palmetto Cafe’s perfectly relaxed breakfast, brunch, and lunch vibe is exactly what you need, trust us. Seated inside the garden solarium just off the Charleston Place lobby, the airy dining room is the ideal setting for a treat-yourself family morning or a dialed-in lunch experience for colleagues and catch-ups. Breakfast features a slate of fresh juices along with “Wellness & Balance” offerings, like a local egg frittata and acai bowl. Similarly, lunch leans on salads and greens, like a seafood salad and bufala burrata. (Don’t worry, you can still get your full breakfast plate or the steak frites you’re craving for lunch.) Brunch means an expansive buffet along with the a la carte menu. Go ahead; grab that Resy.

Chef Jason Stanhope became captain of Sullivan’s Fish Camp just before summer 2025, taking over the popular island spot that nods 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 snappy starters like beet carpaccio and clam and fish chowder, perfectly crispy shrimp, or a knockout fish sandwich. Of note, Stanhope earned a James Beard nod for FIG in 2015 and opened Lowland in 2023. Those bona fides add a few flourishes to throwback fish camp. For example, South Carolina-ground corn meal forms the crust of pillowy hushpuppies, fried fish, and shrimp.

The New York Times really just confirmed what Charlestonians have known for some time when it named Chubby Fish among its 50 best American restaurants. No reservations at this Elliottborough hot spot at the corner of Coming and Bogard streets; visitors instead 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. 

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Chef Alex Eaton leans on experience and local purveyors as the culinary director for La Cave and its sister restaurant, Felix Cocktails et Cuisine. With comfortable dishes that offer a chance to settle in, La Cave serves up classics and inventive treats, from boeuf en croute to caviar profiteroles. Try new tastes like Provençal Tarvin shrimp, bouillabaisse, or raclette atop short rib burger patties (a Felix import). Or pick a creative riff on a go-to like duck confit gnocchi, filet mignon tartine, or poulet rouge. You know the wine list is lengthy (with plenty of bubbles), and being tied to Félix, the cocktails will be on point — like the Jean de Florette, with vodka, Lillet rose, fig syrup, passion fruit, and lime over crushed ice.

Chef Anthony Marini’s “panino and provisions” opened across the Cooper River in late 2025, answering the call from his downtown outpost, where he also operates The Italian Boy after dark. Marini promises “unapologetically interesting sandwiches,” like the “TACONY-6931,” with prosciutto, hot coppa, roasted garlic whipped ricotta, marinated tomatoes, and pistachio pesto, all on focaccia. “Such a Nice Italian Boy” is the closest to your classic Italian, piled with mortadella, hot and sweet soppressata, burrata (!!), veg, and sharp provolone on ciabatta.

Find more info here.

It’s safe to say Sorelle has settled in on Broad Street, becoming one of its buzziest spots since opening in early 2023. Downstairs, visitors are welcomed into the first-come, first-served bar area; or grab a Resy for your spot in the plush upstairs dining room, with picturesque views of the historic “Four Corners of Law.” The menu is currently executed by chef Nick Dugan. Start with a cocktail like the Sorrento Sun, with mezcal and Luxardo bianco, then move on to antipasti and snacks like burrata di bufala, followed by memorable pasta creations like the “Pillows of Gold” ricotta tortelloni, creamy pasta sprinkled with prosciutto cotto and kissed with balsamic.

The vibe inside may match the playful mural that greets visitors on North Charleston’s Reynolds Avenue, but don’t be fooled: Inside, you’ll find seriously good ramen, karaage, cocktails, and more. Proprietor Weems Pennington began experimenting with making fresh noodles and grew Weems Ramen from a sought-after pop-up into its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, opening in late 2025. On the menu, the shoyu ramen is most traditional, while the miso bowl offers a richer, heartier broth. Sides offer additional simple, but worth-it, flavors to round out the table, like the pickled wood ear mushrooms. But be sure to peep the karaage (fried chicken), which is offered dusted with “snow cheese,” aka, frozen cheese powder, adding a little sensory experience to the already-satisfying hard-fried chicken thigh.

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Chef Daniel Humm’s one-year residency motors on, with the famed Eleven Madison Park leader blending high-level creations and Lowcountry foodways. The four-course prix-fixe ($135) includes dessert — a fun baked Alaska with apple ice cream and caramel on a mid-October visit. Diners select courses from offerings that highlight delicate preparations like silky ricotta gnudi, miso cod, and celery root schnitzel (not surprising, given Humm’s sustainability focus). Excellent wine pairings are available ($95), but don’t miss the cocktail menu for creative options, both boozy and NA.

The newest location of the wildly popular market first launched in the Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston opened its doors in downtown Summerville in January 2026. A 25-minute drive from the O.G., Flowertown’s Odd Duck set up shop in a c. 1873 Victorian house, giving it a decidedly homey feel — the perfect pairing for OD’s comforting lattes and breakfast sammies. But it doesn’t stop with sandwiches and fresh pastries, Odd Duck stocks a slew of local and hard-to-find goodies like Sarah’s Dumps, Edisto Gold honey, and more. Be sure to check the specials board for seasonal offerings, and don’t forget to grab a bottle of wine or six-pack of local brews to take home.

Find more info here.

Get a taste of warmer seasons to come at one of Mex1’s locations (the second is on Sullivan’s Island), each filled with fun, beachy vibes. You’ve got your Resy: Now, grab a seat, some fresh guac, and a marg, and you’re on your way. Tacos served as a platter or a la carte make the job of choosing easier, which is helpful because how can you commit with options like crispy Baja fish, bangin shrimp, or carnitas options? Mix it up with a Mexi-Cali burrito stuffed with steak, guac, and fries, or the lightly fried bangin shrimp quesadilla. Once you’ve sampled the classic margarita, check out the pineapple-habanero or mezcal marg for a change of pace.

Chef Mike Lata showcases the freshest seafood, mostly pulled from Charleston waterways, at this King Street seafood hall. Sidle up to the marble bar or grab a Resy with a friend 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? It’s time for a seafood tower, which is pretty much what it sounds like: tiers of select seafood from the raw bar with all the fixins (that’d be lemon, cocktail sauce, and mignonette — housemade vinegar dressing perfect for briny oysters).