50 Best Cocktail Bars in Charleston

“Doar Bros. absolutely delivers on every level.
From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm, stylish, and inviting the kind of place where you instantly know you’re in for a great experience.

The drinks were exceptional. Beautifully presented, perfectly balanced, and clearly crafted with attention to detail. You can tell there’s real passion behind the bar. Every sip felt intentional.

Service was just as impressive friendly, attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely welcoming. The team made us feel taken care of from start to finish.
Food, service, atmosphere all five stars. Doar Bros. isn’t just a spot to grab a drink; it’s a place you want to linger and enjoy. Highly recommend and can’t wait to come back!“

“Had brunch today. Food was good. The chicken and waffle was really tasty.“

“What an amazing place! Went without reservations..told them it was my 70th birthday! Got a great table for 2 in back dining room…food was amazing! Our waiter Brian was the best! When I was disappointed that the didn’t have an apple dessert I wanted he had someone go across the street to get me one with a candle on it! And Josh brought us a glass of champagne… they didn’t know us …just met us.. and treated us to make my night extra special! Try High Cotton you will love it! ( we had the Filet and crab cakes)“

“Fabulous. And if you're impatient, the sro.. best service in the house!“

“OMG, The food, service and overall experience was amazing. Dan and the guys behind the bar made sure it was an excellent experience. Will be going back every year on St. Patrick’s day.🍀“

“Ordered the tennis anyone cocktail and ceviche tacos - both were fantastic. That said, I ordered the ceviche tacos for lunch - they were under the shareable section of the menu. I was thinking there would be 2 normal size tacos. When they arrived I nearly spit my drink across the table because I was laughing so hard. There were 3 teeny tiny tacos. Delicious tacos but think a heads up that they are baby tacos would have been useful. Left with my stomach empty but heart full thanks to the view and delicious cocktail.“

“I just realized that despite all the times I’ve been here, I’ve never left a review. I want to take a moment to highlight two people who are truly the reason I keep coming back and why I recommend this place as often as I do. Maddison and Meghan are some of my favorite people I’ve ever met in the food and beverage industry. Their customer service, depth of food and beverage knowledge, and overall grace are unmatched. They are what make the Living Room what it is.“

“I found out about Southbound, through my job. I had to go do some work there, and found the owner and everyone there, super friendly. Most people at restaurants ignore working people while they are there. As my 42nd anniversary was quickly approaching, I decided to give this place a try. Some of my past picks, have not been the best. Southbound cleared EVERY hurdle I have about restaurants. From the moment we approached the restaurant, great service began! While coming thru the gate, the hostess yelled out, "HEY LARRY" and then said, "This must be your beautiful wife"! Like CHEERS, it felt great to go somewhere, "Where everybody knows your name" We were seated and got to view the open fire oven. I had dropped off 42 roses the week before for them to put on our table, for my wife. Tropical storm Debbie, and downtown flooding prevented us from going exactly on our anniversary. I was worried that store bought roses, would not last thru the weeklong delay, Joel assured me everything would be taken care of, and not to worry. As we were seated, there on the table, sat 42 roses. Fresh, and arranged with baby breath flowers included. I was told the young lady with the hostess had arranged them. They were gorgeous! They also had an anniversary card on the table from them, not something I had dropped off. The service was tremendous, the food indescribably outstanding! I have only had steak Tar Tar once before in my life, and was greatly afraid to try it again, as the first time was awful. It was superb! They take great pride in the presentation of their food products. I felt like I was in an episode of Master Chef. We had the steak, as well as the Sea bass, okra, corn, sweet potatoes, and the Caramel cake. Everything absolutely wonderful! This was a truly wonderful and memorable dining experience!! I would give 100 stars, and a Siskel and Ebert two thumbs up! There was only one thing I was disappointed about. No sweet tea! Were In Charleston SC, no sweet tea. Everything else totally made up for it though. The staff even had everyone present sign a menu, wishing us a happy anniversry1 I will most definatly go there again for a special occasion. Thanks to Andrew, Joel, and the entire staff, for making this night special!!“

“The atmosphere was nice the food was amazing and the drinks were delicious! Also the dessert was yummy! Nice place to relax eat good food and unwind!“

“Stopped by on a whim. Excellent drinks, good food. Corn bread WONDERFUL surprise.“

“Unique cocktails; friendly knowledgeable waitstaff“

“Lowlands was a fantastic find! I chose it because it was within walking distance to an event, though it wasn’t initially recommended. I was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance, food, and exceptional service. We sat at the upstairs bar, where Avery took great care of us. Thank you, Avery, for making such a great first impression! We’ll definitely be back.“

“Inventive twists on classic cocktails. We decided to check this place out as it was around the corner from our hotel and we were not disappointed. We tried several drinks between us and my favorite was the dream girl, which was a savory flavored daiquiri that sounds weird but works so well it had me wanting more! Duffy the bartender was great at explaining all the flavors and gave us some great local Charleston tips too!“

“The staff was amazing. It was our anniversary and the GM personally came to our table and poured us a glass of Champaign to celebrate. They also gave us a free dessert. The hostess, wait staff, and GM all took time to wish us a happy anniversary. The food was amazing as well! Overall it was a great dining experience!“

“We enjoyed oysters, yellowfin tuna, clam chowder, steak and the fish basket plus some delicious drinks! Service was amazing as well as the entire experience. Highly recommend!“

“New rooftop bar at the Nickel hotel on King street. It was my second time there so I came by after work to check out the vibes and it didn’t disappoint. The decor is charming and very chic, offers bar seats, some booths and sections indoor as well as some couches and outdoor tables. They have these fire-pit tables which was a nice touch with the cool nights. I sat at the bar this time and ordered a last word that was spot on. Snapper crudo was light and fresh, and the fried pastry was crispy, creamy and delicious. Their menu is small but had some good options across the board.
The prices were expected as it is a nice rooftop cocktail bar in downtown Charleston. Overall it was a nice time and I find it suitable for all types of groups for good vibes. 😎“

“Absolutely love this spot. Jorge makes some of my favorite cocktails in Charleston. I genuinely tell my friends I hope he’s working every time we come! Dive feel with fantastic service, dim ambiance, great for a date night or cocktails with friends. Oh also happy hour deals slap and I love the $5 surprise cocktail.“

“Wonderful ambiance and service. Fantastic drinks!“

“Gin in my favorite libation…I’ll have to frequent this tiny bar more often.“

“Exceptional wine selections in self serve machines and an owner that is extremely knowledgeable about wines throughout the world! Great service and a wonderful positive vibe. I can't wait to go back!“

“We're from Louisville so we're used to southern hospitality and charm. Hyman's were above and beyond. Genuinely amazingly friendly and hospitable. The gm was on the floor, as I understand he is most nights, and personally came by and personally thanked us for coming in and choosing them. The service was fantastic and the food was great. They have an extensive menu and 4 different fresh fish on the menu that can all be prepared almost any way you want. fried, broiled, Cajun, scampi, jerk. Choose whatever you want. The hush puppies are fantastic and everything was well presented and well cooked. Pricing is very reasonable but not cheap, nor should it be for the quality of food and the exceptional service. Meals were about 25 to 30 bucks a person. That's pretty typical for a slightly higher end experience in most Midwestern towns and far far cheaper then the 40 to 50 a person you would pay at a more say "exclusive" restaurants. If you want posh elegance that's not what they offer. If you want great food, amazing hospitality, reasonable prices, and straightforward seafood you'll regret it if you don't visit Hyman's at least once during your time in Charleston. It's located right down by the old market, so spend the day/afternoon walking the battery and shopping the market, and then stop in for an excellent dinner. Expect about a 45 min to 1 hour wait. Since it's literally 3 min from the market you can put your name in and then browse the market. There is a convenient public parking garage about 4 minutes walk away. Thanks for the hospitality!!! Most friendly dining experience my family has had in years!“

“Had a fish sandwich. Collard greens, slaw, fried oysters, and calamari. Outstanding. Collards off the chart. Service even better. 15/10 recommend.“

“Stepped out of our typical places to eat to try Azur and we were really impressed. Food, drinks, and service were all top tier. Pedro and Chris were great bartenders who made sure our experience was absolutely excellent.“

“This is a MUST!! It’s like a beautiful art museum as soon as you enter, beautiful exhibits!! It’s definitely a VIBE, mature crowd and the food was delicious!“

“literally everything we had here tonight was fantastic. the calamari strips are some of the best calamari I have ever had. the drinks were wonderful. I had this seard fish with the succotash which was so good. my boyfriend had the pot roast melt and loved it. the owner was absolutely fantastic. we will definitely be back repeatedly!“

“Amazing birthday celebration dinner.“

“Natalie was amazing. Great food recommendations! Nice conversation and vibe. Enjoyed the experience.“

“We had the most amazing night celebrating our 10th anniversary. The entire team went above and beyond and we left feeling so filled with joy—and OUTSTANDING food. Flavors that we never will forget and memories for a lifetime. WC team, thank you for making our first night in Charleston one we will never forget.“

“Incredible food with wonderful southern charm. Server and hostess were incredibly courteous. Great service, we had Dillon. I loved the halibut and spouse had the prime rib. Both of us put this food toward the top of our experiences.“

“This food was absolutely amazing! I split the scallion oil noodles with my friend (who is non-vegan and from China) and she was really impressed with how authentic the dish was. The portions of king pao mushrooms and general tso’s tofu were great too; I ended up with enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Updated from previous review on 2026-03-23“

“Share Our Suzy is incredibly grateful for Swig & Swine and their continued partnership in presenting our annual Denim & Diamonds event. Their commitment to supporting local breast cancer patients and giving back to the community means so much to our mission. Because of partners like Swig & Swine, we are able to provide real support to women in the Lowcountry during treatment. We are thankful for their generosity and for standing with us year after year.“

“Best seafood ever and I don’t particularly like seafood, but this was exceptional“

“The food was very tasty. We had the hot stone and it was such a fun experience. I asked the hostess and our server about their favorite cocktail and they both said the same thing - spring fever. It was also delicious. The crème brûlée was the best I've had in years. Our server was the perfect combination of peppy and competent.“

“Great music, happy hour, and staff!“

“Always amazing!! Cooking class with Chef Tyler was so fun!! Zero George is our go to in Charleston!“

“Thank you for having Charleston Society of Horror yesterday for our monthly meeting! We had a wonderful time. The food was great, service was even better and we will be back.“

“Our bartender Dave was absolutely fantastic. We were visiting Charleston for the weekend for Valentine’s Day and heard through word of mouth how good The Peacock was. We arrived and Dave immediately stood out — warm, funny, & attentive, to the point where we left for dinner and came back for a night cap. The Peacock is lucky to have him.“

“I have a long, productive day where I celebrating accepting a new job with CPI Security and hanging out with Dad today who lives adlund the corner on Society. Both my parents came here back in the 60's. It was phenomenal and very enjoyable! They staff killer - very friendly. Also, I'm a former craft cocktail bartender with a fairly refined palette and that Manhattan was fire! 🔥✌🏼“

“The food was incredible and our server, Courtney B was outstanding!! Courtney helped us select the perfect items and she made it fun!! Awesome!“

“We visit Le Farfalle every time we visit Charleston, as it is a tradition for me and my son. We love the food and the atmosphere. We can’t wait to have many more trips together to enjoy there.“

“Had a great experience and stay… we enjoyed our time at the pool bar. Bartenders were very engaging and friendly.. great group and they make great drinks. Cozy and quaint.. just wish they played music around pool and not just on the bar side.“

“Very cool atmosphere! Very romantic! Live music, great food! Definitely 5 stars from me! ⭐️“

“We adored this place! We accidentally found the downtown Charleston location during our stay there at a close AirBNB! We visited 3 times in our 2.5 days there. Then, we passed by the John’s Island location on our way to Kiawah and decided to make the 25 min drive the next morning for our coffee and pop tart fix! Great coffee, service, pastries, toasts and local drink and food finds!“

“My daughter and I stopped in tonight for a light dinner. It didn’t disappoint. The staff was amazing, especially Eric & Jacob. The food was tasty and my espresso martini (with peanut butter tequila) was a hit. Thanks for the hospitality and good times.“

“The Belmont is an amazing experience! Amy and her crew are absolutely lovely people! Very personable, warm and professional. The drinks are made perfect every time and the food is excellent! Once you visit the Belmont, you will find that it is simply the best in Charleston!“

“Had an absolutely amazing dinner at Matador! Delicious food and drink and we were SO lucky to be served by Sam! He told us incredible stories and gave us tons of tips of what to do! He absolutely made our dining experience something extra and I hope his manager knows what gem he is!“

“I have visited several times, always outstanding phenomenal service!!!! Definitely recommend making reservations, It’s such a treat to go here. The atmosphere is relaxing, and a beautiful ceiling downstairs. Bar tender(s) is super friendly. Favorites include: roasted oysters, short ribs, fish is always cooked perfectly. And, don’t pass on the crispy shoe string fries!“

“I’ve been in here a number of times for coffee and to do some work. Usually a fairly quiet spot plus their coffee is great. If you have a sweet tooth give the peanut butter mocha a shot, it’s incredible. Friendly staff and great coffee, highly recommend Babas if you’re downtown!“

“This might be my new favorite bar in town? The vibe was excellent, comfortable seats, and great service. The drinks were simply BEAUTIFUL and SO good! I tried a few things and they were all done to perfection. Highly recommend but almost want to keep it to myself!“

“Visited this place with my bf!! Very good food!! Was greeted by a lovely host who gave us a menu to order being that we were ordering to go!! Then we ended up placing our order with the very nice bartender behind the counter. Not even 5mins he acknowledged us so we just ended up placing our order with him. Food came out fast and correct as well. Will be returning!!!! With or without my bf lol !!!“