Charleston Bar Guide
30+ bars across Charleston's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Charleston's bar scene matches its dining. The Cocktail Club has held a James Beard semi-finalist nomination most years since 2013. The Madeira tradition that defined Charleston drinking in the 1700s came back as a polished cocktail layer. The Lowcountry-rye-and-bourbon culture sits next to it. The bartenders are warm. The rooms are beautiful.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. King Street is the cocktail spine. Upper King is the newer creative-class strip. The French Quarter holds the heritage colonial bars. Cannonborough is the indie cocktail-room quarter. James Island has the Folly Beach tiki bars.
Cocktails run $13 to $17. Tipping is 20 percent. Most bars run to 2am. Reserve The Cocktail Club, The Bar at Husk, and The Ordinary on weekends.
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Cocktail Bars in Charleston
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Charleston
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Charleston
Romantic spots
After Work in Charleston
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Charleston
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Charleston
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Charleston
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Charleston
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
The Bar at Husk
Husk's bar room. James Beard winner for restaurant. Long bar, Southern-spirit-forward cocktail menu, and one of the most beautiful bar interiors in America.
The Cocktail Club
Charleston's most awarded cocktail bar. James Beard semi-finalist multiple years. Long marble counter, leather banquettes. Reserve.
Proof
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu. Twenty-eight seats. The bartenders rotate the menu monthly. Reservations recommended.
The Ordinary
Oyster bar with a serious cocktail program. James Beard winner. Long marble bar, classic-cocktail-leaning menu. Reserve.
Felix Cocktails et Cuisine
Restaurant-bar with a French-influenced cocktail menu and a neighbourhood-feel crowd. Best for a long Friday-evening dinner.
Bar Shrubs
Cocktail bar inside a converted shotgun house. Twenty seats. Vinegar-and-syrup-based shrub cocktails. The most adventurous menu in Charleston.
Neighbourhood Guide
King Street
The cocktail spine running through downtown. Heritage cocktail rooms, polished hotel bars, and the densest concentration of awarded bars in South Carolina.
Upper King
The newer creative-class strip north of Calhoun. Speakeasies, restaurant-bars, and a thirty-something local crowd.
French Quarter
The heritage colonial district. Heritage hotel bars, candle-lit dining rooms, and the most romantic drinking quarter in Charleston.
Cannonborough
The indie cocktail-room quarter. Boutique cocktail rooms, neighbourhood pubs, and the most adventurous food in Charleston.
James Island
Across the Ashley River. Folly Beach tiki bars, sunset terraces, and the most relaxed Charleston drinking pace. Best in summer.
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