11 stellar special-occasion restaurants in Charleston

An evening at Maison is the next best thing to a celebratory night in Paris. The acclaimed French neighborhood brasserie serves gussied-up comfort food like foie gras, a ratatouille tart, and, yes, even escargot. For toasting, there’s an exceptionally well-curated French wine list. It’s known to get loud and lively inside so if you prefer a calmer night out, book a table on the pretty patio instead.

If sipping premium sake and feasting on exquisite raw fish is your idea of a celebration, O-Ku’s your spot. This elegant pan Asian restaurant with brick walls and sleek black interiors is arguably the classiest sushi joint south of the Mason-Dixon Line. O-Ku stands for glamour in a city where shorts and flip-flops are often part of the going-out dress code. So dress to the nines when you book a table at this chic Japanese favorite.

This rustic-but-refined beachside spot is known for killer Southern-style seafood like butter-poached lobster tails and crab cakes, plus “best ever” collard greens that live up to their name. It’s a relaxed backdrop for a family-friendly celebration, more sophisticated than some of its Shem Creek counterparts but still casual enough for shorts—and antsy children. There’s something for everyone here, making it especially ideal for larger get-togethers.

Brasserie la Banque is a French restaurant made for anniversaries and special date nights. The classic Broad Street brasserie, just steps from iconic Rainbow Row, is named for its previous life as a city bank. The menu was designed by French chef Jeb Aldrich and features traditional faithfuls like steak frites, duck breast cassoulet, and bouillabaisse, plus more innovative fare and a raw bar—this is Charleston after all. Before or after dinner, impress your date with a drink at Bar Vauté. Decked with Art Deco furnishings, it’s one of the only below-street-level bars in the city.

Raheel Gauba and Maryam Ghaznavi brought hard-to-find Pakistani classics to downtown Charleston in May 2023. And even though it’s a new addition on the city’s restaurant scene, Ma’am Saab is already a celebration hotspot thanks to its trendy jewel-toned interiors and spice-forward dishes like lamb biryani and chopped bone-in goat with ghee, tomatoes, and ginger. Bring a crew, get ready for a family-style celebration, and enjoy homey Pakistani hits with a dash of Southern charm.

A spectacular stained-glass mosaic fuels the charm (and the Instagram cred) at this beloved special-occasion spot. Tempest is led by Top Chef alum Jamie Lynch and also known for an exceptional hyper-local seafood menu filled with triple-tiered towers stacked with fresh local shrimp, middleneck clams, and more. If you’re drinking, consider toasting to your night with one of the restaurant’s many excellent seafood-friendly wines—Tempest has one of Charleston’s most robust selections.

A quintessentially Lowcountry celebration, complete with touches like crisp white tablecloths and views of horse-drawn carriages, set this city mainstay apart. Anson perfects Southern classics like fried green tomatoes, she-crab soup, and all sorts of fried, steamed, and fileted seafood—a shout out to Charleston’s rich maritime roots. The restaurant’s gilt-trimmed dining room is where you go to dial up the romance, but the first-come-first-served bar is better for a more casual occasion.

Suburban Daniel Island has plenty of restaurants. But The Kingstide may be the only culinary destination with real special-occasion status. The light-filled spot regularly attracts downtown diners for highlights like decadent oysters Rockefeller, dressed up with hollandaise and bacon, and the lardon-laced Brussels sprouts. Reserve a table on the patio and your celebration will come with sweeping Wando River views.

Acclaimed chefs like Robert Carter, Sean Brock, and Graham Dailey all have history at this Southern fine-dining legend. Elevate any special occasion with elegant dishes like smoked heritage duck breast and pan-seared scallops, and don’t skip the restaurant’s famous 12-layer coconut cake if you’re here for a birthday. The dimly lit dining room and Champagne bar scream romance, and the courtyard, surrounded by greenery and twinkling lights, is one of the city’s most charming outdoor dining spots.