Another time and another amazing culinary experience but this time as a family. While we all choose different plates, we tasted each and every one of them. This time we had: Escargot Vol au Vent Steak Tartare Grilled Octopus Pan Roasted wild Rockfish Lobster ravioli Braised Lamb Neck Grilled Veal sweetbread Pan roasted Duck magret Some outstanding wines to accompany the dishes. A plate of few cheeses from California and Quebec. And to close this amazing meal, a Napoleon, Caramel ice cream and Chocolate torte. As always the food was just amazing and when it comes to the service, the entire Team is there to provide you with the best experience ever. This restaurant is the best in the neighborhood and way much better than other supposed French inspired restaurants. Having been in Michelin star restaurants, Charleston would deserve at least 1 star.
Tracy Wagoner
The Charleston was highly recommended and I planned our anniversary weekend around having dinner here. We arrived and were promptly seated at a beautiful table. The restaurant was pure class and elegance. The first courses were delicious with my husband and I trying a variety of dishes. I ordered some the quail and was surprised to see how undercooked it was. Being this was my first experience with quail I decided to defer to the chef’s expertise and ate a few bites. That was a huge mistake. A few hours later I’m hit with the most unpleasant symptoms you can conceive. I spent most of the day laying on the bathroom floor with food poisoning. This made for a very unfortunate first anniversary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Lawrence Kovacs III
Best dinner we’ve ever had in our 30+ years in Baltimore. Top 3 we’ve ever had globally with our travels. We came for my birthday this evening and it was fantastic. Don’t even take the menu. Listen for the house staff to explain to you the chef specials for that evening, which aren’t on the menu, and run with those. The jalapeño risotto with the jalapeños coming from Ms. Wolf’s garden was extraordinary and not listed on the menu. The sweet potato tart dessert was knock your socks off and just take over the Thanksgiving table, knock out the pumpkin pie level incredible. Also not listed on the menu.
Trust the house staff with all of your choices and recommendations. Your pallet will thank you and love the wonderful culinary creations the team at the Charleston creates.
12 out of 10 rating and will return. Ms. Wolf is amazing and has surrounded herself with an equally incredible and capable team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zeyo Deyo
It’s the kind of place I’d happily recommend to friends for a night out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Ryan Smart
We came for my wife’s bday with a group of 8. It was pretty last minute and they were able to accommodate and set up a 4 course menu for us in 24 hours. Food and service both a 10/10 we thoroughly enjoyed everting. Thanks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Dykeman
The Charleston is fixated on being “classic” that they fail to excite. The biscuit which started the meal was probably the worst biscuit I’ve ever had, hard to eat it was so dry. Other than that, The food is all fine but it you have had it a hundred times before and to be honest, probably better prepared. They gave me the butt end of the duck so it was chewy and the fat was not properly rendered. It was served with port wine and figs like every duck dish from 1986. The service was fine and the restaurant was nice with classic fine dining vibes. The worst part of my meal was that there was some sort of twig or stick in my pasta. I brought this up to the girl that took my plate but she just giggled and said “maybe they thought it would be a nice garnish.” Seriously?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Zachary
Actually a relatively good value for fine dining. 4 courses (+ dessert) was plenty of food. Standouts for me were the steak tartare, the truffle fettuccini, and the vanilla bean creme brûlée. I did the wine paring and it was again relatively good value compared to many other places, I'm glad I got it. Excellent service and atmosphere as well. We were seated in the dining room and the atmosphere was quiet enough to have a conversation. I'd love to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare
Zenith Sarvo
Good, solid service. Such a fantastic place to visit.
Jessica Crowder
This is a review I did not want to write, but am sharing for the benefit of those with or with loved ones who have food allergies and are considering dining at the Charleston...
I absolutely loved the Charleston. It has been my favorite restaurant for a long time. Each dining experience has been exceptional. Of Chef Wolf’s cooking, I have nothing but the highest praise.
My son recently requested to have a fine dining experience for his birthday. His preference was the Charleston given my high praise; however, he is anaphylactic to peanut, tree nut, and shellfish.
I noted their FAQ on their website says they accommodate food allergies, but even so, booked and reached out via email to confirm they could accommodate in advance.
The manager, Peter, called me to discuss. He was very kind and informative. He conveyed the Chef’s apprehension, provided the “lay of the land” in the kitchen, and asked more about the nature of my son’s allergies. Our conversation left things open ended, but with likelihood favoring that it would not work. Even so, Peter said he would return to Chef with what he learned of my son and I could consult my son’s allergist with what I learned of their kitchen/menu offerings and for me to reach out the next week.
Pursuant to our discussion, I followed up via email on Monday with three questions: 1. What type of peanut oil did they use on site to inform the allergist (highly refined, etc)?
2. In the event it did not work out for us to dine now, would it be possible in the future when menus change, etc? For example, we have had many restaurants provide us a great kindness in offering for us to come off-peak hours to accommodate, use different frying oil or separate fryers, bake items instead of frying - etc. Peter had mentioned they use corn oil at times. Thus, I was curious if Charleston would ever be willing to do something similar.
3. In the event they cannot accommodate, could they recommend a place of their caliber to reach out to that may be able to accommodate?
Chef Wolf called me that evening. She advised me that she is quashing the inquiry now. No more involvement of her managers or wasting my time involving his doctor. No, she does not feel comfortable cooking for my son given the seriousness of his allergies. No, she will not recommend another establishment because she would not “put someone else in that position” and frankly it was “unfair” of me to have asked her. She quipped about how she was impressed any restaurant had accommodated and had “all these fryers” to their avail to do so, etc.
Saying no, that she does not feel comfortable - okay. That is fair and reasonable. We are quite accustomed to hearing that response. It is also where it should have ended.
To say it was unfair of me to have asked and that she would not recommend another place for me to try because she wouldn’t put them in that position as though my child is some kind of pariah - it was an oddly hostile and rather hurtful response. It is also why I will not be returning.
Thus, if you or one of your loved ones have a serious food allergy - you can try to contact Charleston to see if they will accommodate as their website suggests they will. I hope they can. However, if they cannot, I hope their refusal is far less charged than the one I experienced.
Food: 5
Service: 2
Greg Jenkins
Beautiful restaurant..great service.not all dishes were that as expected..my pompano ( rarely on a menu), was rather dry and boring.all and all good experience but still overpriced
Incredible experience, food, and menu. Everything we ate was incredible, but highlights were the fried oysters, halibut, and an (off menu) crab linguine dish. Normally dont like to be confined with prix fixed but their flexible approach and breadth of menu makes it work perfectly. Love this place and will return when I am back in Baltimore. Not cheap unless you compare same meal to other large cities.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Clauss Frei
The food was great, service also great)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah Lane
I chose to do a four-course menu with wine tasting and was very pleased. I got the corn chowder, veal pasta, goat cheese pasta, and grilled red snapper. They were all delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Abhisek Nandy
So i came here to celebrate the birthday of my fiance, this restaurant is the most fun and tasty fine dining experience that I ever had. I ordered a 5 course meal I believe my fiance had 4. Dish after dish i cant find words to describe other than culinary perfection. The front staff worker named Eliza was extremely kind, jovial and made us feel super welcome. We were also greeted by the chef even though it seemed to be super busy and the chef was an absolute delight to meet.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Renate Heinz
The lobster-topped starter glided in with elegance, and the main—maybe duck or venison—delivered rich, balanced flavor without heaviness. Service had a polished warmth that felt genuine, and the Harbor East ambiance gave the dinner a refined, quietly luxurious pulse.
Another time and another amazing culinary experience but this time as a family. While we all choose different plates, we tasted each and every one of them. This time we had: Escargot Vol au Vent Steak Tartare Grilled Octopus Pan Roasted wild Rockfish Lobster ravioli Braised Lamb Neck Grilled Veal sweetbread Pan roasted Duck magret Some outstanding wines to accompany the dishes. A plate of few cheeses from California and Quebec. And to close this amazing meal, a Napoleon, Caramel ice cream and Chocolate torte. As always the food was just amazing and when it comes to the service, the entire Team is there to provide you with the best experience ever. This restaurant is the best in the neighborhood and way much better than other supposed French inspired restaurants. Having been in Michelin star restaurants, Charleston would deserve at least 1 star.
The Charleston was highly recommended and I planned our anniversary weekend around having dinner here. We arrived and were promptly seated at a beautiful table. The restaurant was pure class and elegance. The first courses were delicious with my husband and I trying a variety of dishes. I ordered some the quail and was surprised to see how undercooked it was. Being this was my first experience with quail I decided to defer to the chef’s expertise and ate a few bites. That was a huge mistake. A few hours later I’m hit with the most unpleasant symptoms you can conceive. I spent most of the day laying on the bathroom floor with food poisoning. This made for a very unfortunate first anniversary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Best dinner we’ve ever had in our 30+ years in Baltimore. Top 3 we’ve ever had globally with our travels. We came for my birthday this evening and it was fantastic. Don’t even take the menu. Listen for the house staff to explain to you the chef specials for that evening, which aren’t on the menu, and run with those. The jalapeño risotto with the jalapeños coming from Ms. Wolf’s garden was extraordinary and not listed on the menu. The sweet potato tart dessert was knock your socks off and just take over the Thanksgiving table, knock out the pumpkin pie level incredible. Also not listed on the menu.
Trust the house staff with all of your choices and recommendations. Your pallet will thank you and love the wonderful culinary creations the team at the Charleston creates.
12 out of 10 rating and will return. Ms. Wolf is amazing and has surrounded herself with an equally incredible and capable team.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s the kind of place I’d happily recommend to friends for a night out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
We came for my wife’s bday with a group of 8. It was pretty last minute and they were able to accommodate and set up a 4 course menu for us in 24 hours. Food and service both a 10/10 we thoroughly enjoyed everting. Thanks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Charleston is fixated on being “classic” that they fail to excite. The biscuit which started the meal was probably the worst biscuit I’ve ever had, hard to eat it was so dry. Other than that, The food is all fine but it you have had it a hundred times before and to be honest, probably better prepared.
They gave me the butt end of the duck so it was chewy and the fat was not properly rendered. It was served with port wine and figs like every duck dish from 1986.
The service was fine and the restaurant was nice with classic fine dining vibes.
The worst part of my meal was that there was some sort of twig or stick in my pasta. I brought this up to the girl that took my plate but she just giggled and said “maybe they thought it would be a nice garnish.” Seriously?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Actually a relatively good value for fine dining. 4 courses (+ dessert) was plenty of food. Standouts for me were the steak tartare, the truffle fettuccini, and the vanilla bean creme brûlée. I did the wine paring and it was again relatively good value compared to many other places, I'm glad I got it. Excellent service and atmosphere as well. We were seated in the dining room and the atmosphere was quiet enough to have a conversation. I'd love to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare
Good, solid service. Such a fantastic place to visit.
This is a review I did not want to write, but am sharing for the benefit of those with or with loved ones who have food allergies and are considering dining at the Charleston...
I absolutely loved the Charleston. It has been my favorite restaurant for a long time. Each dining experience has been exceptional. Of Chef Wolf’s cooking, I have nothing but the highest praise.
My son recently requested to have a fine dining experience for his birthday. His preference was the Charleston given my high praise; however, he is anaphylactic to peanut, tree nut, and shellfish.
I noted their FAQ on their website says they accommodate food allergies, but even so, booked and reached out via email to confirm they could accommodate in advance.
The manager, Peter, called me to discuss. He was very kind and informative. He conveyed the Chef’s apprehension, provided the “lay of the land” in the kitchen, and asked more about the nature of my son’s allergies. Our conversation left things open ended, but with likelihood favoring that it would not work. Even so, Peter said he would return to Chef with what he learned of my son and I could consult my son’s allergist with what I learned of their kitchen/menu offerings and for me to reach out the next week.
Pursuant to our discussion, I followed up via email on Monday with three questions:
1. What type of peanut oil did they use on site to inform the allergist (highly refined, etc)?
2. In the event it did not work out for us to dine now, would it be possible in the future when menus change, etc? For example, we have had many restaurants provide us a great kindness in offering for us to come off-peak hours to accommodate, use different frying oil or separate fryers, bake items instead of frying - etc. Peter had mentioned they use corn oil at times. Thus, I was curious if Charleston would ever be willing to do something similar.
3. In the event they cannot accommodate, could they recommend a place of their caliber to reach out to that may be able to accommodate?
Chef Wolf called me that evening. She advised me that she is quashing the inquiry now. No more involvement of her managers or wasting my time involving his doctor. No, she does not feel comfortable cooking for my son given the seriousness of his allergies. No, she will not recommend another establishment because she would not “put someone else in that position” and frankly it was “unfair” of me to have asked her. She quipped about how she was impressed any restaurant had accommodated and had “all these fryers” to their avail to do so, etc.
Saying no, that she does not feel comfortable - okay. That is fair and reasonable. We are quite accustomed to hearing that response. It is also where it should have ended.
To say it was unfair of me to have asked and that she would not recommend another place for me to try because she wouldn’t put them in that position as though my child is some kind of pariah - it was an oddly hostile and rather hurtful response. It is also why I will not be returning.
Thus, if you or one of your loved ones have a serious food allergy - you can try to contact Charleston to see if they will accommodate as their website suggests they will. I hope they can. However, if they cannot, I hope their refusal is far less charged than the one I experienced.
Food: 5
Service: 2
Beautiful restaurant..great service.not all dishes were that as expected..my pompano ( rarely on a menu), was rather dry and boring.all and all good experience but still overpriced
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible experience, food, and menu. Everything we ate was incredible, but highlights were the fried oysters, halibut, and an (off menu) crab linguine dish. Normally dont like to be confined with prix fixed but their flexible approach and breadth of menu makes it work perfectly. Love this place and will return when I am back in Baltimore. Not cheap unless you compare same meal to other large cities.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was great, service also great)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I chose to do a four-course menu with wine tasting and was very pleased. I got the corn chowder, veal pasta, goat cheese pasta, and grilled red snapper. They were all delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So i came here to celebrate the birthday of my fiance, this restaurant is the most fun and tasty fine dining experience that I ever had. I ordered a 5 course meal I believe my fiance had 4. Dish after dish i cant find words to describe other than culinary perfection. The front staff worker named Eliza was extremely kind, jovial and made us feel super welcome. We were also greeted by the chef even though it seemed to be super busy and the chef was an absolute delight to meet.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The lobster-topped starter glided in with elegance, and the main—maybe duck or venison—delivered rich, balanced flavor without heaviness. Service had a polished warmth that felt genuine, and the Harbor East ambiance gave the dinner a refined, quietly luxurious pulse.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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