50 Best Cocktail Bars near Sullivans Island

“Group of 7 with 2 birthdays, and we were greeted with a complementary round of mini frozen painkiller shooters! Our server was incredibly knowledgeable and helped us through the menu, she clearly enjoys her job!! I ordered the Wreckfish special; incredible! Others in our group loved their meals as well. We will certainly return on our next visit.“

“We ate here yesterday after spending some time at the beach. The staff welcomed us and our pooches with enthusiasm and we found the food to be wonderful. We'll be back here for sure.“

“The food was pretty good.“

“the food and the staff are all amazing! thoroughly enjoyed it!!“

“Spent several late afternoons/early evenings at Doar Bros. last week and had a great time! Jake and Stephen are artists in creating phenomenal craft cocktails! JD, one of the owners, very personable and welcoming! All great guys! If you're in to cocktailing, no trip to Charleston is complete without a stop at Doar Bros.! Cheers!“

“The food was excellentellent and the atmosphere was great. Was a great dining experience for our mother-daughter trip to Charleston“

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

“My husband and I sat at the bar and were pleasantly surprised by the cocktail engineers helping us navigate our lunch. We started with drinks and an order of calamari; prices seemed high, but we are always willing to pay for superb experiences, after all, this is our first time in Charleston, thus our first time at Bar167. The place was packed; everyone was chatting with one another, along with the friendly staff. Between my husband and I, and the new friends we made, I think every cocktail on the specialty menu was made and sampled. The cocktail engineers were knowledgeable, attentive, and welcomed all the questions (no matter how dumb they were). We had the crab roll and the fish sandwich – did not disappoint! CAN I JUST TELL YOU, the damn Tzatziki Drink was unexpectedly amazballs.
This was a great place, if we are ever in the area again, we will be there“

“The Dewberry Charleston's rooftop Citrus Club is stunning, and I am totally obsessed with this place. I recently visited with my boyfriend + some friends of ours while in Charleston, SC and we had the absolute best experience!! Our waitress was so sweet - she was attentive, kind, and took excellent care of us during our visit. The atmosphere inside of the Citrus Club is so chic and luxurious, but their outdoor rooftop space is the reason you must visit. There are perfect views of Charleston's incredible architecture from every single angle of their rooftop (as pictured in this review). You are at the best spot in the house, regardless of where your table is located. For cocktails, I highly recommend their Spicy Margarita. Regarding their food menu, their Grilled Seasonal Vegetables and Hamachi Tataki are both excellent! :-) We will be back, Citrus Club - thanks for the hospitality!“

“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.🍀“

“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.“

“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!“

“Amazing food and awesome staff. Highly recommend.“

“Dalila's was stop number 2 on our DIY Cocktail Crawl. We were told it was somewhat of a dive bar and very small. Small but MIGHTY! 💪
The atmosphere was fun and unique and the bartenders were friendly.
We were only in for 1 drink, but easily could've stayed longer.
🍹I had the Pin Up from their Happy Hour Menu (Monday - Saturday 5-7pm). It was very reminiscent of a Pornstar Martini, just lacking the vanilla, but this was GOOD! So fresh and so full of real flavor, not just sugar. I'd 100% order again.
🍵 Hubby had The Cougar and also enjoyed it.
They had a Pizza Martini on special that I would've tried but I wasn't feeling savory. Maybe next time?
Definitely put on your list to hit up for happy hour!“

“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.“

“The dining area of the Lobby of this hotel is an awesome experience. The service culture and southern hospitality of the staff make this place a crowd favorite. The food is excellent. Sections of classic favorites like avocado toast or unique selections or just some oyster are all delicious and served with an informed smile. Make this a goto if your in the area.“

“Wonderful ambiance and service. Fantastic drinks!“

“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!“

“Gorge was possibly the greatest host I’ve had At a bar. We mentioned it was our first time and he generously gifted us a shot that was absolutely wonderful. Each drink is so layered and personable that I feel like I’m tasting a story. Making this my weekly regular, even if just for Gorge’s superb company. What an incredible team and gem of a speakeasy. I understand what’s it’s like to really taste liquor instead of just consume. Amazing!!!“

“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!“

“Unique cocktails; friendly knowledgeable waitstaff“

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

“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!“

“Great steak! My wife and I had a med-rare filet, and it was delicious. The filet came with three different choices of presentations. The service was excellent, and the Owner stopped by to introduce himself and to ensure everything was what we expected. We will return to Burrells on our next visit to Charleston.“

“Great food! You can tell the products are fresh and made with pride! Had the tuna eggroll special, best one I've had! Sat outside but fans were on and was a nice night. Service was good. Will go back when visiting SC again!“

“Amazing food and drinks with great service.“

“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! 🔥✌🏼“

“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.“

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

“Amazing birthday celebration dinner.“

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

“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.“

“Not just a meal, but an experience. My taste buds are still craving everything at Wild Common. I would go back in a heartbeat. The food, wine som, creative cocktails, and atmosphere are 5 stars!“

“Phenomenal food and atmosphere. Get the “dessert bread” appetizer if you come. Had the grouper on special and it was incredible“

“Loved it. Great staff & awesome late night options. Cocktails were incredible!!“

“Always a pleasure to visit Beautiful South. The staff is all friendly, attentive, and accommodating. And the space is inviting and alive. The dining area has a more cozy section with booths and a buzzier section with small tables, but we always enjoy the spaceous bar, where Johnathan and Gabriel make excellent drinks (on and off menu) and are genuinely hospitable fellas. All of the food is cooked with care, good luck trying to decide what to eat without doing a complete tour de force of the menu. Beef dumplings are extremely flavorful, don't be scared of the rose water - it's just a hint but a unique and memorable one. The green beans are good enough to eat a popcorn bucket full. And the Hunan chicken is unctuous and saucy and just delicious. Did I mention there is plenty of convenient parking? What more do you want?“

“We went just for drinks on the rooftop bar, but the service was wonderful and the rooftop was a very relaxing space! We went around 9pm on a Wednesday, so it was pretty slow. The drinks were fantastic! I suggest taking the elevator up if you’re a bit tired from the heat though, it is 3 flights up! I would definitely go back.“

“Wonderful experience last night. We had a surprise birthday party for my wife in the event was fantastic. I particularly appreciate the staff at the restaurant playing along to ensure the surprise as well as the continuous attention to being sure that we were having a great time.“

“Great food! We came for lunch and ordered the combo meal. It was a good price and generous portion! Everything tasted amazing! The salsa is a cooked salsa where the peppers and tomatoes are roasted giving great flavors! Nice cozy atmosphere with friendly staff.“

“My husband and I had a delicious meal with friends here tonight !! Our server Alicia was so wonderful and allowed us time to relax, visit and enjoy our meal ! They have an extensive wine list and cocktail choices! So nice to have this great Italian restaurant in our area !!“

“Bar Vaute is speakeasy that nails both atmosphere and execution. The cocktails are nothing short of exceptional, with a menu that balances classic elegance and inventive flair. The bartenders are a standout, especially Lara, who’s not only skilled but brings a warm, welcoming energy.

Even when it’s packed (which it often is), service remains impressively quick and attentive. Seating is limited, and the space can get loud due to the close quarters—but that’s part of the charm. If you’re looking for a unique, intimate spot with top-tier drinks and a speakeasy ambiance, Bar Vaute delivers. If you happen upon the French quarter while you’re in Charleston give this place a shot. 🍷“

“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!“

“Hands down the best customer service I’ve had in a very long time. Before I’ve even got my food. The manager is cleaning tables, passing out food, seating people. I’m big on judge of character and constantly observing. Really like what I see.“

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

“Anniversary Dinner. Great food (Snapper Salad, Skirt Steak, Pompano). Service was excellent and pleasant atmosphere. A pleasant surprise. We had never been here.“

“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.“