Everything We Did, Ate, and Loved in Charleston: My Honest Itinerary & Favorites
Charleston is a creative city. People are out doing things. They’re making things. They’re showing up and showing out.
We flew in on Thursday afternoon, and after a little debacle with my bag (if you follow me on IG, you know), we checked into The Dewberry on Meeting Street, which came highly recommended by a client of mine, Jason Burke.
He told me, and I quote…. “You have to stay there. It’s like stepping into a scene from Mad Men.”
TL;DR: Everything we did, rated
The Dewberry Hotel — 4.4/5
The Dewberry Spa — 3.75/5
Magnolia’s — 3/5
Sorrel — 4.5/5
Chez Nous — 4.5/5
Sermet’s Courtyard — 5/5
Harken Cafe — 4/5
Farmer’s Market — 4/5
The Battery — 5/5
Isle of Palms & Sullivan’s Island — 4.5/5
Cypress Gardens — 3/5
The Citrus Club — 4/5
He wasn’t wrong — The Dewberry has this incredible art deco, mid-century modern feel to it.
Everything about it feels incredibly timeless and chic. The staff was warm and friendly, the lobby was to die for, and we loved their rooftop bar: The Citrus Club for lunch.
For dinner on the first night, we went to Magnolia’s. And here me out… while the food was good, it did have a touristy vibe to it. I got the feeling it's everyone's "check off the list" spot if you've never been to Charleston before if you know what I mean.
The next day was the heart of why I’d come here… working with my client, Caroline, on her brand and content.
We met at her office and spent the morning optimizing her bios, updating her website, and mapping out her big-picture goals. We also edited a few of her scripts for upcoming voiceover videos, with the goal of helping her bring more of her Substack writing into her short-form video content.
After our morning work sesh, we walked to Sorrel for lunch, then headed to her house for the afternoon to film more content and experiment with angles. It was such an inspiring and full day! My cup runneth over…
That evening, on her recommendation, we had dinner at Chez Nous, a charming little spot tucked away in Charleston.
I dressed up in a vintage ‘90s dress I’d thrifted at Sprezzatura in Plymouth, which I’d shared on my Instagram stories earlier. We sat at the communal table — which, if I’m being honest, felt a little cramped sandwiched between two bigger parties — but it was still lovely.
Chez Nous posts their daily menu on Facebook, so we’d already scoped it out beforehand. It’s a fixed menu with just two choices for each course. We both went with the shrimp and rice dish, which was absolutely delicious.
On Saturday, we had the whole day wide open.
We started with a couples massage at The Dewberry’s spa. While the amenities were pretty minimal (no pool, sauna, or steam room), the space was gorgeous, and the staff was wonderful and super accomodating.
Afterward, we wandered through the farmer’s market, did a little shopping downtown, and strolled all the way down Meeting Street to the Battery before looping back up King Street. Walking through Charleston reminded me so much of Beacon Hill, just painted in pastels.
In the afternoon, Trevor took me out to Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. We didn’t stay long, just enough to jump into the ocean. An ocean dip is always my favorite part of any trip. And here the water was as warm as bathwater!
That evening, we went to dinner at Sermet’s Courtyard with my client Caroline and it ended up being my favorite meal of the trip. There’s a whole story behind that place, and I’ll be sharing it soon on Substack (I’ll link it here once it’s live). Suffice it to say, it was a fabulous way to close out our time in Charleston.
On our last morning, we stopped at Harken for coffee before heading to the airport. We ordered the breakfast sandwiches, and while they were delicious, they were SO hard to eat! Be warned lol. I had to use a fork.
All in all, Charleston truly felt like a dream. Creative, cinematic, full of charm. The kind of place where magic feels possible.
Honorable Mentions from My IG Followers
Here are some of the most-loved Charleston spots my followers on Instagram recommended; we didn’t have time to try them all, but they’re on my list for next time:
The Ordinary — seafood, highly recommended
Husk — came up again and again for dinner
The Obstinate Daughter (Mount Pleasant) — raved about as incredible
FIG — multiple mentions for a nice dinner
SNOB (Slightly North of Broad) — classic Charleston pick
Hall’s Chop House — steakhouse favorite
Leon’s Oyster Shop — casual spot for oysters and fried chicken
Edmondston-Alston House — historic house tour
Bakehouse Charleston — coffee and a bite
Pineapple Fountain & Rainbow Row — iconic photo spots
82 Queen — Southern cuisine
Black Magic Café — breakfast spot
Kudu Coffee — good local coffee
Folly Beach — another beach day option
Candlefish — beloved candle shop on King Street
Post House Inn — came up several times for brunch and vibe
Gibbes Museum of Art — art lovers’ choice
Charleston Artist Collective — local art
Merci — French-inspired dinner
Vern’s — modern American
The Grocery — dinner spot
Pearlz Oyster Bar — oysters and cocktails
The Gin Joint — creative cocktails
Chubby Fish — seafood, no reservations
Melfi’s — Italian, need a reservation
167 Raw — ceviche and seafood
Church and Union — dinner
Tattooed Moose — casual dive
International African American Museum — called a must-see
Kiawah Island — recommended drive
The Co-Op — sandwiches and frozen rosé, especially on Sullivan’s
Longboard (Sullivan’s) — seafood
Off Track Ice Cream — dessert near King Street
The Darling Oyster Bar — oysters
Sorghum & Salt — dinner spot
The Restoration — rooftop bar and hotel
Bartaco — lunch
La Farfalla — a family favorite Italian pick
Seabrook Island — another beach day alternative
Shop My Favorites From This Trip
