Luxury Oyster Bar the Quinte Suddenly Shuts Down in Charleston

Oyster bar the Quinte (36 George Street, Charleston) announced it is taking a leave of absence following the departure of its chef Nicolas Quintero. The PR group representing the restaurant sent the following statement to Eater:

The Quinte is temporarily closing to revamp its kitchen offerings to further enhance the guest experience that it’s become known for. With the departure of Executive Chef, Nicolas Quintero, they will be taking this opportunity to relaunch the oyster bar alongside their tavern and signature destination restaurant, Lowland, set to open this fall.

Sources close to the Quinte say that the closure came as a surprise to the staff this week.

The swanky raw bar came from Philadelphia-based hospitality company Method Co., which runs the connected boutique hotel the Pinch. The Quinte opened in November 2022 and quickly gained a reputation for a seductive setting and hyper-local seafood. Reservations were difficult to snag at the beginning.

What will be next for the tucked-away space on George Street? The statement doesn’t give us much insight, but we’ll keep an eye out.