How to get a seat at the hottest tables in the Holy City

The lowdown on Charleston reservations

Charleston, South Carolina dinner reservations

The hustle and bustle of dinner time is alive and well at Indaco.

Photo by Andrew Cebulka

Table of Contents

What’s harder? Getting a dinner reservation, parking on King Street, or navigating beach traffic?

Today we chose reservations, and are here to help you out and find all the options for eating in the highly-awarded Charleston food scene.

CHStoday Islander 71

Sign us up for a reservation at Islander 71 for a big platter of fried shrimp, please and thanks.

Photo by Islander 71 Fish House

Booking programs

For today’s appetizer, we are serving up the apps that are most popular for booking in Charleston.

Resy | This program is popular across the peninsula to book hot spots ahead of time.

OpenTable | We like to use this app for the ability to search for the exact time, party size, and date your group needs.

CHStoday dinner reservations

The bar seats at Melfi’s look incredibly comfy.

Photo provided by Mefli’s

Be a bar regular

Most places will serve a full menu at the bar and you can get to know the staff a lot more than sitting alone. Fun fact: by doing this we have gained a lot of story ideas for what you read in CHStoday.

Here are some of our favorite barstools in the Holy City:

Halls Chophouse | The chophouse has multiple bars serving up a great burger for those who want a quick bite.

Melfi’s | This restaurant has a stunning wood bar to try its mouth watering pizzas.

Sorelle | Grab a seat at the bar for your best shot at trying the Italian flavors of this new eatery.

Take it to go

When all else fails, grab your picnic basket and head on over to White Point Gardens or Pitt Street Bridge for a carryout picnic.

More from CHStoday
Dip your toes into “phillumeny,” aka the practice of collecting matchbooks, while you explore CHS and support local businesses at the same time.
Several Charleston restaurants are offering special Lunar New Year menus.
Spending Valentine’s Day at home? Here’s how you can still have a special night without breaking the bank, hiring a sitter, or even leaving your couch.
Get in on the outdoor-lover fun or elevate your SEWE experience with one of these several events happening around the Holy City.
Bareo, a new concept from the team behind Kultura, is opening on Spring Street and aims to be a spot to celebrate good food and friendship.
We’ve rounded up the top things to do and places to eat if you plan to spend Valentine’s Day in Charleston.
Whether you’re planning a wild weekend of wildlife interaction or a quiet evening admiring fine art, The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition has something for everybody.
Use this guide to spot a variety of birds along the Charleston shore, in the sky, and on land.
Celebrate Mardi Gras with king cake in the Holy City.
The grand opening of the Alpine event is on Friday, Feb. 6 in Northern Italy. We’re imagining how it would go down in the Charleston area.