10 of The Most Romantic Restaurants in Charleston 🌹
Anyone looking for a romantic dinner spot in already romantic, picture-perfect Charleston won’t have to look far to find a place with delicious food and a great atmosphere for you to enjoy with your boo. But finding the *best* place in town can be tough because there are so many amazing dining options in this historical, coastal town. So, we have curated our personal list of the 10 most romantic restaurants in Charleston you’ll want to visit with your sweetheart.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 10, 2022 and last updated on April 3, 2023. Please refer to restaurant websites and social media pages for the most up-to-date information.
For more recommendations on where to eat and drink around Charleston, check out our city page.
Photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Magnolia’s
185 E Bay St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-7771
This low country fine dining restaurant is guaranteed to hit all the right romantic notes. With Magnolia’s chic dark-walled dining room, stunning local art and gorgeous iron and woodwork, the interior is sure to craft that romantic vibe. But a visit to Magnolia also means tasting some of the best food in town like their low country bouillabaisse or shrimp and grits. Weekend brunching is also a great time to experience the romantic ambiance of Magnolias over a shared plate of their fried oysters or a plate of fried green tomatoes.
Photo credit: tastemakerschs.com
Frannie & The Fox
181 Church St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 414-1673
If sitting by a crackling fireplace outdoor underneath twinkling lights is your idea of romantic, you will love Frannie & The Fox. This gorgeously appointed restaurant oozes romance and they even serve up the quintessential sharing food here, pizza. Order the Taleggio pie with burnt honey and black pepper to share under the stars here. If brunch is more your romantic vibe, you and your sweetie can share a light dragoon punchbowl on one of Frannie & The Fox’s comfy couches while you decide between the blue crab fritters and the buttermilk pancakes.
Photo credit: charlestoncvb.com
Slightly North of Broad
192 E Bay St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-3424
SNOB, as this favorite of Charleston is also called, is one of the most romantic restaurants in Charleston for lunch and dinner because the cozy booths, delicious food served and live music make it a perfect spot to snuggle with your sweetie. This lively bistro offers plenty of tasty options to share at a romantic brunch with their three-juice mimosa trio that pairs perfectly with SNOB’s charcuterie plate. Evening lovebirds may want to snag Un Beso (“a kiss”), an aperol cocktail, to the sound of local musicians while they decide which of SNOB’s many amazing dishes to choose.
Photo credit: Opentable
Church and Union Charleston
32B N Market St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 937-8666
Housed in a spectacular old church building, Church and Union’s stained glass and gothic architectural design easily catapult it into our list of one of the most romantic restaurants in Charleston. From the chic bench seating along the wall to the vast open bottle shelving behind the bar, every detail here wows you, but is still understated at the same time. Diners here rave about the heavenly lamb burger and the handmade braided ravioli, but eating and drinking anything here is an ethereal experience when the light cascades through, adding dramatically colored light to the whole place.
Photo credit: foodle.pro
Fig
232 Meeting St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 805-5900
Unassuming Fig, facing a corner and without a graceful southern entrance like other romantic restaurants, does everything else right. Spending an evening here in the intimate dining room, visitors will love noshing on the award-winning lowcountry seafood here like the flounder with creamed spinach and country ham or the sauteed soft shell crabs. The food and the cocktails here all reflect the best of the season so lovebirds wanting to share a libation in this cozy place can ask for the current offerings for the freshest flavor served up in Charleston.
Photo credit: usarestaurants.info
The Establishment
28 Broad StCharleston, SC 29401
(843) 789-4028
For a thrilling night at one of the best romantic restaurants in Charleston, book a cozy booth at The Establishment for spectacular seafood in this upscale spot. Named for being “between Church and State” (streets), The Establishment’s atmosphere is at once intimate and spacious with kitchens that are open so you can see the well-trained chefs preparing dishes. Visitors here love to order the crab gnocchi appetizer and the flounder grenobloise main. Since everything here is so fresh and gorgeously presented, a visit to The Establishment is a perfect option for an amorous duo’s dinner.
Photo credit: bostonchefs.com
Peninsula Grill
112 N Market St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-0700
This gorgeous Charleston destination oozes romance from the moment you waltz through the iron gates. Guests here can dine on caviar or lobster three ways al fresco by candlelight under the swaying palms of the Courtyard. Or you can choose between eating inside at an intimate table for two or inside by the champagne bar. The outstanding food here lands the Peninsula on four-star lists every year, but don’t miss out on their legendary ultimate coconut cake for dessert, a 12-layer masterpiece that is perfect to share (but it won’t be any less romantic to enjoy it alone).
Photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Chez Nous
6 Payne Ct Charleston, SC 29403
Lovebirds looking to focus just on each other will love Chez Nous. This home reinvented as a restaurant only offers two appetizers, two entrees and two dessert options daily so with less menu perusing there will be more time to gaze into each other’s eyes. It feels like you stepped into a timeless French bistro here, complete with hand-scripted menus daily, small tables and even romantic patio seating. But the food is not small on flavor and recent favorites include fried grouper and a decadent fig custard.
Anson Restaurant
12 Anson St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-0551
If you’re ready for a sexy and classy evening, look no further than Anson. Their wine list is top-notch (with certain selections even available in half-bottles), as are their cocktails, but it’s all about the food.
Start off with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts (with fish sauce, chilis, scallions, and cashews) or the Fried Green Tomatoes (with bacon jam and pimento cheese…quit drooling). Then attack the entrees with gusto and chow down on the Pan Seared Scallops (with sweet corn succotash, shishitos, scallion, tomato, and a miso vinaigrette) or the Filet Mignon (with roasted tomato, parmesan, gruyere, and chimichurri…maybe some Chili Crisp Butter while you’re at it). If you somehow still have room, treat yourself to the Pecan Pie A’La Mode or the Duck Fat Apple Streusel with vanilla ice cream and thyme caramel.
Felix Cocktails et Cuisine
550 King St #100, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 203-6297
Nowhere in the world is more romantic than France, so you already know this charming French brasserie is as dreamy as anywhere you’d encounter along the Seine.
The Brasserie Club is simple but executed perfectly, with impossibly juicy grilled chicken, thick-cut bacon, tomato, arugula, parisian ham, and a jalapeno-leek aioli with a perfect kick on a buttery brioche with a side of fabulous pommes frites. The Raclette Burger is another treat, with two short rib and brisket patties, caramelized onion, raclette, and dijonnaise on a sesame bun with the frites. If you and your date are feeling like lighter fare, check out the Salade de Chèvre Chaud: tossed arugula, candied pecans, pickled onion, and champagne vinaigrette served with warm chèvre toast point that are an absolute flavor bomb.
Don’t forget to enjoy the Espresso Martini, Smokeshow, or Gin Old Fashioned to give your meal a perfect accompaniment.
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