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A round bar with yellow stools.
The bar at Lenoir.
Mike Ledford

9 Ideal Solo Dining Destinations in Downtown Charleston

Big bars, small plates, and communal tables make it easier to dine alone

by Erin Perkins
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The bar at Lenoir.
| Mike Ledford
by Erin Perkins

Dining alone doesn’t need to be lonely. Often, it’s an easy way to try some of the most sought-after spots in Charleston. There are plenty of cozy bars and communal counters to visit — and plenty of friendly bartenders and servers if you want to chat. These restaurants make it easy for solo dining.

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Babas on Meeting

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Time for wine? Or is it time for coffee? Babas on Meeting (and Babas on Cannon) can fulfill either craving, along with pastries, a ham on baguette sandwich, or a big salad. The Meeting Street location has more space, so a better chance of grabbing a seat at the handsome bar.

804 Meeting St Suite 104, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 284-6260
(843) 284-6260

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Edmund's Oast

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The knowledgeable bartenders at Edmund’s Oast can steer you through the extensive, beer, wine, and cocktail lists to find a pairing for your order of spicy Korean meatballs, pickled shrimp, fried chicken dinner, or local fish with papaya salad. This spot has a little bit of everything and plenty of bar stools for single diners.

1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-1145
(843) 727-1145

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The Grocery

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The Grocery excels in highlighting seasonal produce with small plate dishes, so it makes for the ideal place to order two or three items to sample what’s local and fresh. There’s a tucked-away bar and a communal table for diners on their own. Right now, chef Kevin Johnson is putting out barbecue-glazed squash, roasted okra, and green tomato carpaccio.

4 Cannon St, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 302-8825
(843) 302-8825

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Rappahannock Oyster Bar

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Rappahannock Oyster Bar not only has one of the best happy hours around but also one of the largest number of bar seats. Grab a stool and order $2 oysters and deals on drinks.

701 E Bay St No. 110, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 576-4693
(843) 576-4693

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Lenoir

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Lenoir draws from celebrity chef Vivian Howard’s home of Lenoir County, North Carolina, so it’s usually full of fans wanting to try her signature blueberry barbecue chicken wings and other fare, but there’s also a large bar planted in the middle of the dining room. Grab a seat at one of the cushy yellow stools and chat with a bartender about the menu.

68 Wentworth St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 534-9031
(843) 534-9031

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167 Raw Oyster Bar

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The wait for seafood restaurant 167 Raw Oyster Bar is usually long, but if you’re on your own, you can probably squeeze into the long bar for a plate of oysters, a dirty martini (they make their version with tequila), and a lobster roll. Raw bar items are priced individually, so you can build a plate according to your own hunger and preferences. One shrimp and three clams? Sure.

193 King St, Charleston, SC 29401

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Fast & French

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Longstanding cafe Fast & French is a great choice for solo dining because the entire restaurant is a maze of communal countertops. Ask for a seat and listen to the specials of the day (try the coq au vin if it’s on the menu). Most meals come with a soup or salad, so you don’t need a friend to share an appetizer with. The restaurant also stocks newspapers and magazines if you don’t bring your own reading material.

98 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-9797
(843) 577-9797
fast and french building
Fast & French is a Charleston institution.
Erin Perkins

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FIG

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Reservations at FIG are almost impossible, thanks to its stellar reputation, but bar seats are always open for walk-ins. Try to slip in for a lone seat left by an uneven group or other lone customers. This way, you don’t have to share your ricotta gnocchi with lamb Bolognese.

232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 805-5900
(843) 805-5900

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Brasserie La Banque

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There’s so many gorgeous historic details to ogle at French restaurant Brasserie La Banque that you won’t mind sitting at the stunning bar by yourself, plus you get to watch the chefs preparing your steak frites or bouillabaisse behind the counter.

1 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 779-1800
(843) 779-1800

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Babas on Meeting

804 Meeting St Suite 104, Charleston, SC 29403

Time for wine? Or is it time for coffee? Babas on Meeting (and Babas on Cannon) can fulfill either craving, along with pastries, a ham on baguette sandwich, or a big salad. The Meeting Street location has more space, so a better chance of grabbing a seat at the handsome bar.

804 Meeting St Suite 104, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 284-6260
(843) 284-6260

Edmund's Oast

1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403

The knowledgeable bartenders at Edmund’s Oast can steer you through the extensive, beer, wine, and cocktail lists to find a pairing for your order of spicy Korean meatballs, pickled shrimp, fried chicken dinner, or local fish with papaya salad. This spot has a little bit of everything and plenty of bar stools for single diners.

1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-1145
(843) 727-1145

The Grocery

4 Cannon St, Charleston, SC 29403

The Grocery excels in highlighting seasonal produce with small plate dishes, so it makes for the ideal place to order two or three items to sample what’s local and fresh. There’s a tucked-away bar and a communal table for diners on their own. Right now, chef Kevin Johnson is putting out barbecue-glazed squash, roasted okra, and green tomato carpaccio.

4 Cannon St, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 302-8825
(843) 302-8825

Rappahannock Oyster Bar

701 E Bay St No. 110, Charleston, SC 29403

Rappahannock Oyster Bar not only has one of the best happy hours around but also one of the largest number of bar seats. Grab a stool and order $2 oysters and deals on drinks.

701 E Bay St No. 110, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 576-4693
(843) 576-4693

Lenoir

68 Wentworth St, Charleston, SC 29401

Lenoir draws from celebrity chef Vivian Howard’s home of Lenoir County, North Carolina, so it’s usually full of fans wanting to try her signature blueberry barbecue chicken wings and other fare, but there’s also a large bar planted in the middle of the dining room. Grab a seat at one of the cushy yellow stools and chat with a bartender about the menu.

68 Wentworth St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 534-9031
(843) 534-9031

167 Raw Oyster Bar

193 King St, Charleston, SC 29401

The wait for seafood restaurant 167 Raw Oyster Bar is usually long, but if you’re on your own, you can probably squeeze into the long bar for a plate of oysters, a dirty martini (they make their version with tequila), and a lobster roll. Raw bar items are priced individually, so you can build a plate according to your own hunger and preferences. One shrimp and three clams? Sure.

193 King St, Charleston, SC 29401

Fast & French

98 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401

Longstanding cafe Fast & French is a great choice for solo dining because the entire restaurant is a maze of communal countertops. Ask for a seat and listen to the specials of the day (try the coq au vin if it’s on the menu). Most meals come with a soup or salad, so you don’t need a friend to share an appetizer with. The restaurant also stocks newspapers and magazines if you don’t bring your own reading material.

98 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-9797
(843) 577-9797
fast and french building
Fast & French is a Charleston institution.
Erin Perkins

FIG

232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401

Reservations at FIG are almost impossible, thanks to its stellar reputation, but bar seats are always open for walk-ins. Try to slip in for a lone seat left by an uneven group or other lone customers. This way, you don’t have to share your ricotta gnocchi with lamb Bolognese.

232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 805-5900
(843) 805-5900

Brasserie La Banque

1 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401

There’s so many gorgeous historic details to ogle at French restaurant Brasserie La Banque that you won’t mind sitting at the stunning bar by yourself, plus you get to watch the chefs preparing your steak frites or bouillabaisse behind the counter.

1 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 779-1800
(843) 779-1800

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