The 20 Best Places to Drink in Charleston SC
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The best places to drink in Charleston SC, according to the experts: James Beard Awards, Eater, and Esquire have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Graft Wine Shop comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Charleston and Johns Island.
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The Darling Oyster Bar and Recovery Room Tavern hold the next two places. Eater shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with James Beard Awards next.
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Rank 1. Graft Wine Shop
Wine Bar
The awards
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- Eater 13 Essential Charleston Bars for Cocktails, Beer, Wine
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service · Femi Oyediran and Miles White
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The awards
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The awards
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Rank 4. Edmund's Original
Beer Bar
The awards
- AAA Three Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- Eater 13 Essential Charleston Bars for Cocktails, Beer, Wine
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Rank 5. The Grocery
Mediterranean
Charleston's Lowcountry pantry filtered through a Mediterranean lens, The Grocery is a neighborhood restaurant where seasonal produce and local seafood share the menu in ways that feel natural rather than calculated. Fried oysters with deviled egg sauce have been here since day one, which tells you something about the kitchen's instincts. The room runs warm and unhurried, the kind of place locals treat like a standing reservation they never made.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Esquire Esquire: The Dirty Green Tomato · The Best Martinis in America
- Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler: 40 Best Restaurants in Charleston
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Esquire The Dirty Green Tomato · The Best Martinis in America
- Condé Nast Traveler 40 Best Restaurants in Charleston
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The awards
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The awards
- Eater Where to Drink in Charleston Right Now
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. East
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Rank 8. babas on cannon
European Café
Menu painted on the front windows, high tables, espresso foaming in the morning and a cocktail shaker going by afternoon: Babas is a small all-day European-style cafe and bar that operates on a pleasantly loose schedule. The kitchen moves from overnight oats and baked goods at breakfast through deviled eggs and a caviar sandwich later on, which is a pretty wide range for a room you could cross in six steps.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Charleston
- Eater Eater: 13 Essential Charleston Bars for Cocktails, Beer, Wine
- Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler: 40 Best Restaurants in Charleston
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Charleston
- Eater 13 Essential Charleston Bars for Cocktails, Beer, Wine
- Condé Nast Traveler 40 Best Restaurants in Charleston
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Rank 8. Bin 152
Wine Bar
The awards
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The awards
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Rank 8. Lost Isle
Southern
Everything cooks over open white-oak fires behind a tattered ranch house on Johns Island, sailcloth and outdoor chandeliers overhead, the smoke visible from the road. The chef grew up in North Georgia and knows his Lowcountry, so collards and roasted clams show up alongside chimichurri and tamarind. The New York Times put it on their 2024 Restaurant List. Arrive hungry enough for the charred semolina sourdough that lands first, and don't skip the carrots.
The awards
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Eater 13 Essential Charleston Bars for Cocktails, Beer, Wine
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Rank 8. Paddock & Whisky
Creative Cocktail Bar
The awards
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Rank 8. Seanachai
Traditional Irish Pub
The awards
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The awards
- Eater 13 Essential Charleston Bars for Cocktails, Beer, Wine
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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Rank 8. The Belmont
Tavern
The awards
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The awards
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Rank 8. The Gin Joint
Craft Cocktail Bar
The awards
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The awards
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The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
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The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide