Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Hilton Head

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in Hilton Head? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

River House - Montage Palmetto Bluff

4.9

4.9 (501)

$50 and over

American

Bluffton

About the restaurant

River House does have a dressy casual dress code consisting of no shorts, flip flops, baseball hats or tank tops in the dining room for the gentlemen. Comparable attire for the ladies. Children under 16 are exempt. We do offer complimentary pants to guests that may need them.
River House corkage policy is a maximum of 3 bottles per reservation without management consent at $35 per bottle.
River House has a 24-hour cancellation and No-Show Policy consisting of $25 per person plus a 18% SVC Charge.

In the South, there’s an intimate connection between the table and the land. Our fertile soil feeds corn and cattle. The palmettos provide cover for quail and game. And the ocean provides its bounty with the incoming tide. The River House is a culinary celebration of this relationship and our professed love for the land and waters of the Lowcountry.

Top review

Rebecca

Dined on Jun 12, 2025

The service and food were both fantastic! Everyone was very attentive and thoughtful. The food was delicious. Highly recommend!!

The Studio, An Artistic Dining Experience

4.9

4.9 (1754)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

Entice Your Senses While You Dine in our Fine Art Gallery. Innovative International Cuisine featuring Local Seafood, Grassfed Beef as well as Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten Free Menu Options. Also offering Live Musical Entertainment, Artists Creating at the Easel, Patio Seating

Private Dining Room Available for up to 35 People

Wine Spectator Award of Excellence

Top review

Diana

Dined 1 day ago

Cosy, small, welcoming with delicious food. We have been several times and both the service and food have been excellent. This last visit I ordered the grouper and each bite was amazing. From the warm bread with garlic infused oil and butter to the bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. Start to finish was yum!! Look forward to my next visit to this restaurant.

Celeste Coastal Cuisine

4.7

4.7 (1125)

$31 to $50

American

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

Experience Celeste Coastal Cuisine, a hidden gem on the north end of Hilton Head Island. Celeste offers a unique blend of Cajun-Creole influence, complemented by an excellent wine selection, a full bar, and outdoor seating. The menu features a variety of enticing options, including succulent scallops, blackened red fish, and expertly prepared steaks. Signature dishes like jambalaya and crawfish étouffée ensure there's something to satisfy every palate. The inviting decor, accented with New Orleans-inspired touches, creates a warm and welcoming environment for relaxing evenings, whether indoors or on the veranda. Guests can join nightly at 5 PM for dinner and enjoy live music every weekend in the spacious bar and lounge. Don’t miss the Sunday brunch from 11 AM to 2 PM, featuring favorites like Crab Cake Benedict. Escape the tourist rush and unwind for an enjoyable evening out. Reservations can be made by calling 843-802-4744 or visiting celestehhi.com.

Top review

LizVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Wonderful cocktails and desserts. One order was incorrect and second dish was undercooked. Great atmosphere, sizable portions but a smidge pricey.

The Bluffton Room

4.9

4.9 (2290)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Bluffton

About the restaurant

At The Bluffton Room, we serve inspired American cuisine prepared with the finest ingredients in an intimate and vibrant atmosphere in the heart of Old Town Bluffton. Our well crafted cocktails, gracious service and tableside preparations evoke the feeling of a classic dinner party.

Please note that due to the size of our dining room and our tableside service, the restaurant is not suited to children under 13 years of age. Thank you for your understanding.

Top review

DavidVIP

Dined today

My only complaint about the Bluffton Room is that its hard to get a table! Worth the effort though as it is consistently the best food in general and steak in particular in the area....great spot!

Chez Georges Bistro & Bar

4.8

4.8 (1458)

$30 and under

French

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

Chez Georges Bistro & Bar is a delightful French bistro in the heart of Hilton Head Island. With a warm atmosphere and a menu of classic French dishes made from fresh, local ingredients, it’s an ideal spot for a romantic dinner or special occasion. The intimate setting and attentive service create a Parisian cafe experience. Enjoy a variety of classic dishes like steak frites, coq au vin, and bouillabaisse, complemented by a selection of fine wines and cocktails. Whether celebrating a special moment or simply indulging in a delicious meal, Chez Georges Bistro & Bar is the perfect destination for a memorable dining experience.

Top review

London

Dined 4 days ago

We had an amazing experience at Chez Georges. Our food was an experience to say the least and our service was INCREDIBLE. It was a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday!!

Ruby Lee's

4.8

4.8 (420)

$31 to $50

Southern

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

The new Ruby Lee’s on Wild Horse!
The new Ruby Lee’s offers more of what patrons of Hilton Head Island have come to love and expect in the past: delicious southern cooking and a comfortable yet stimulating atmosphere that offers the perfect way to enjoy sports or outstanding blues, jazz and soul from local and regional artists. If you’re not familiar with Ruby Lee’s, it’s a locally owned restaurant, started by Tim Singleton (known to Low-country residents as an athlete and head coach). The restaurant is named for Singleton’s late grandmother who is the inspiration for the Southern-style menu. The new and revamped version of the original; yet it still captures the Southern feel-good themes that have an uncanny way of making you hungry for fried chicken, shrimp and grits, corn bread, and sweet tea the moment you walk in the door. If, for some reason, you’re not quite ready to eat after walking in the door of Ruby Lee’s, you’ll notice a pang of hunger once you look at the menu.

Top review

David

Dined 5 days ago

Great experience with jazz, fried chicken, and wonderful folks.

Charlie's Coastal Bistro (L'etoile Verte)

4.9

4.9 (5781)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

Focusing predominately on fresh local seafood with a French, Lowcountry flare, Charlie’s is the place for good food, good wine and unforgettable memories all enjoyed in a quaint French country atmosphere.

A Savannah native, Charlie Golson’s interest in the French language and culture took him to Paris. After a long stint in the fast paced hotel kitchens of Washington DC, he was ready to move back closer to home. It was at that time he was able to open up a one room French bistro. The restaurant has grown over the years, but the ‘Green Star’ remains steadfast in offering the finest ingredients the Low country has to offer with a menu that is hand written daily. Resort Casual.

Top review

Gwen

Dined 2 days ago

Very pleasant restaurant experience , excellent service, delicious food

The Ribaut Social Club - Anchorage 1770

4.6

4.6 (517)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Beaufort

About the restaurant

Ribaut Social Club is a restaurant and social space for Beaufort locals and visitors to mingle over cocktails and impeccable regional cuisine.
Our aim is to capture the incorrigible spirit and convivial atmosphere of the original Ribaut Club, established at the Anchorage in 1891. In its heyday, the Club hosted performances, grand parties, dances and even gambling—a raucous getaway from buttoned-up social strictures of the time. Today, guests can cocktails and dinner with unrivaled water views or a sophisticated brunch surrounded by 300 years of Beaufort history.

Top review

Denise

Dined 6 days ago

This was our second anniversary dinner here, and we have decided this will be our special anniversary dinner every year. Everything from start to finish was above and beyond.

Olive & Fig Mediterranean Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (432)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

It was Chef Munjid and his wife Tammy’s dream to one day be able to open their own Mediterranean restaurant and share his cuisine with the world. That dream is now a reality with Olive and Fig Mediterranean Kitchen. Together they take great pride in making each plate transport you to the Greek Isles or the banks of the Mediterranean Sea where some of the finest cuisine is served. We are excited to bring you some flavors from the Mediterranean and we hope you enjoy!

As we are in our peak season we are requesting that you have patience as our cuisine is made to order. You will find no precooked items and we do not use microwaves or steam tables to heat or store food. In addition, no frozen items except those that should be such as French fries or ice cream desserts.

We take pride in our quality and request if have any concerns or not satisfied please ask to speak with Tammy the owner.

Thank you for choosing us as part of your dining experience. We look forward to serving you!

Top review

HowardVIP

Dined on Jun 17, 2025

Great restaurant, we always enjoy. Tasty menu and attentive service. Highly recommend

The Market Cafe at Michael Anthony's

4.9

4.9 (1639)

$31 to $50

Italian

Hilton Head Island

About the restaurant

Michael Anthony’s Market Cafe, the sister restaurant to Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana, features casual, trattoria-style dining for lunch and dinner plus an Italian specialty shop. Located just across the breezeway from Michael Anthony’s, we cater to almost all of your culinary desires.
Here we showcase a menu of lighter fare including sandwiches, salads, pasta, pizza and smaller portions of our chefs’ acclaimed meat and seafood dishes. We also have Italian coffees and a full bar. "Hilton Head Monthly" readers have voted us their “Favorite New Restaurant” and “Favorite Lunch Place.”
Join us for Happy Hour (4:30pm-5:30pm), when we offer specially-priced cocktails, wine and perfectly-sized snack plates.
Or stop in and browse our carefully-curated specialty foods. They include cheeses, fresh meats, house-made pastas, olive oil, tomato products, heat-and-serve entrees and homemade desserts.
Please visit our website or call for dining reservations.

Top review

Viorel

Dined 2 days ago

The Gemelli was excellent and fulfilling and the friendliness of the personnel was outstanding

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