Charleston
Across the Ashley River. Folly Beach tiki bars, sunset terraces, and the most relaxed Charleston drinking pace. Best in summer. Save this neighbourhood guide before your next night in Charleston.
Downtown · $$$
Husk's bar room.
Upper King · $$$
Charleston's most awarded cocktail bar.
Upper King · $$$
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu.
Upper King · $$$$
Oyster bar with a serious cocktail program.
King Street · $$$
Restaurant-bar with a French-influenced cocktail menu and a neighbourhood-feel crowd.
You'll find Cocktail Bars, Craft Beer, Hidden Gems and Rooftop Bars here, all tightly clustered enough to walk between in a single evening. That's the value of a neighbourhood guide: pick a starting room, end up four bars in, and never get in a cab. Every recommendation below is independent — barsforKings doesn't take payment for editorial placement, ever.
The order below is a working ranking, not gospel. Read the notes, pick the room that fits the night you're planning, and treat James Island like locals do — start early, walk between rooms, end somewhere quieter than you started.
A working editorial ranking. Walkable in a single evening — pick your starting room and let the neighbourhood do the rest.