Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
Fine dining in the United States isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; these days, it's all about cutting-edge culinary experiences.
Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, French Laundry, unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.
Between the rise of chefs' tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.
With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Charleston area using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.
Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of June 25, 2025.
Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!
#30. The Darling
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1582 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 513 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Cocktail Bars, Live/Raw Food
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Magnolias
- Rating: 4.4/5 (3229 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 185 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Wine Bars, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#28. The James
- Rating: 4.4/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1939A Maybank Hwy Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Zero Restaurant + Bar
- Rating: 4.4/5 (156 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 0 George St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Slightly North of Broad
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1927 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 192 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Sermet's Courtyard
- Rating: 4.4/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 115 River Landing Drive Ste 101 Daniel Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Mediterranean, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#24. The Royal Tern
- Rating: 4.4/5 (347 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3005 Maybank Hwy Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Wine Bars, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#23. The Select
- Rating: 4.4/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 465 Meeting St. Ste 102 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Coffee & Tea, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Burwell's Stone Fire Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (565 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 14 North Market St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Cocktail Bars, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Betty Lou's Bistro
- Rating: 4.5/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2408 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Establishment
- Rating: 4.5/5 (246 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 28 Broad St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#19. FIG
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1602 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 232 Meeting St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Grace & Grit
- Rating: 4.5/5 (707 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 320 Wingo Way Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Seafood, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Lola
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1025 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4830 O'hear Ave. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#16. High Thyme Cuisine
- Rating: 4.5/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2213 Middle St. Ste C Sullivans Island, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#15. The Obstinate Daughter
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1690 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2063 Middle St. Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Spanish, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#14. R Kitchen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1337 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Circa 1886 Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (386 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 149 Wentworth St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Delaney Oyster House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (255 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 115 Calhoun St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. R Kitchen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (537 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 212 Rutledge Ave. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Stella's
- Rating: 4.6/5 (579 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 114 Saint Philip St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Edison James Island
- Rating: 4.6/5 (300 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1014 Fort Johnson Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, New American, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Sorghum & Salt
- Rating: 4.6/5 (459 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 186 Coming St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Wild Olive
- Rating: 4.6/5 (900 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2867 Maybank Hwy Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Charleston Grill
- Rating: 4.6/5 (414 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 224 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Southern, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Chubby Fish
- Rating: 4.6/5 (382 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 252 Coming St. Ste A Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp
#4. 167 Raw Oyster Bar - Charleston
- Rating: 4.7/5 (3182 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 193 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#3. CudaCo
- Rating: 4.7/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 765 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood Markets, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Halls Chophouse
- Rating: 4.7/5 (3130 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 434 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Jack Of Cups Saloon
- Rating: 4.7/5 (557 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 34 Center St. Folly Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: Indian, Comfort Food, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 319 metros.
