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Charleston's best seafood and fine cocktails. - The Establishment, Charleston, SC

The Establishment

4.8 (2843)
$50 and over
Seafood
28 Broad St, Suite 100, Charleston, SC 29401-3004

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Great for fine wines
Everything at The Establishment begins with well-sourced ingredients from sea and field. Through developing relationships with local farmers and fishermen, our ingredients will be consistently seasonal, fresh, and pure. Chef Elliott Howells' menu will always reflect a clean, focused, and balanced approach, delivering a selection of thoughtful and refined cuisine.

Located in Charleston’s historic French Quarter a few blocks away from Rainbow Row, Charleston City Market, and Waterfront Park, The Establishment features an award-winning wine cellar, over 150 bourbon and whiskey offerings, and a lively bar scene complete with daily happy hour. We feature Live Music every Friday and Saturday starting at 8:00 PM, featuring multiple local artists performing an array of musical genres. Our private dining rooms are perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or business meetings. We look forward to hosting you for a casual night out or an elevated dining experience.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Elegant Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Elliott Howells
  • Private party facilities
    The Establishment offers incredible, local seafood paired with an award-winning wine list. If you’re looking for elevated cuisine paired with fine wine, or for a room that is perfectly situated in Charleston’s French Quarter, look no further than The Establishment.
  • Private party contact
    Shane Diviney: (865) 292-1218
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown Charleston
  • Cross street
    On Broad Street between Church and State
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Summer Spirits Series Part 2-Not Your Mother’s Gin

    $150.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Jul 31, 2025 only
    Thursday, July 31 - Not Your Mother’s Gin Back by popular demand, this event is all about gin. Not Your Mother’s Gin, but the delicious versatility of gins from all around the world. From classic London Dry to modern, floral, citrus-forward, or herbaceous expressions, you will leave the evening a Gin lover. This 6-course tasting dinner presents a signature cocktail that showcases the complexity of each gin, and a spirit sidecar served neat for a pure tasting experience. Paired with unique dishes from Executive Chef Elliott Howells, this will be a sensory-driven evening where cuisine and cocktails come together in perfect harmony. Guests will be guided through the tasting by spirits experts, sharing the story behind each spirit–its origin, distillation process, unique anecdotes, and tasting notes. Tickets are $150 per guest (all-inclusive of food, beverages, taxes and gratuity). Attend all three events and receive a $50 gift card. Space is limited so please book quickly! You may book through OpenTable, The Establishment website, or call us at 843 789 4028. All ticket prices include taxes and gratuity. Sorry, no menu substitutions / adjustments for this experience. Cancellations will be honored until 12pm July 24th, 2025. Cheers!
    Summer Spirits Series Part 2-Not Your Mother’s Gin Photo
  • Summer Spirits Series Part 3-Spirits of Japan

    $150.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Aug 28, 2025 only
    Thursday, August 28 - Spirits of Japan Japan is secretly one of the most diverse distillers of whiskies in the world, from traditional to contemporary innovations and beyond. Unlike the previous two Summer Spirits Series dinners, this 6-course tasting dinner will feature neat pours of each spirit to experience the extraordinary complexity, with craft cocktails to greet and send off your evening. Executive Chef Elliott Howells will offer a taste of the rich history that defines Japanese culture for each course pairing. Guests will be guided through the tasting by spirits experts, sharing the story behind each spirit–its origin, distillation process, unique anecdotes, and tasting notes. Tickets are $150 per guest (all-inclusive of food, beverages, taxes and gratuity). Attend all three events and receive a $50 gift card. Space is limited so please book quickly! You may book through OpenTable, The Establishment website, or call us at 843 789 4028. All ticket prices include taxes and gratuity. Sorry, no menu substitutions / adjustments for this experience. Cancellations will be honored until 12pm August 21st, 2025. Cheers!
    Summer Spirits Series Part 3-Spirits of Japan Photo

Private dining

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What 2,843 people are saying

The Establishment reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Seafood

  • Charleston

    Best Overall

  • Charleston

    Best Food

  • Charleston

    Best Service

  • Charleston

    Best Ambiance

  • Charleston

    Innovative

  • Charleston

    Hot spot

  • Charleston

    Great for fine wines

  • Charleston

    Romantic

  • Charleston

    Good for special occasions

  • Charleston

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Establishment in Charleston consistently delivers a "wonderful dining experience" with "amazing food and service." Guests appreciate the "creative and fresh menu," complemented by "excellent cocktails." The ambiance is "romantic" with live music enhancing the atmosphere. Notably, staff members like Nathan and Tanner ensure "exceptional service." Highly recommended for special occasions.
2,843 Reviews
  1. Grace VIP

    Atlanta2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant was fantastic. The food and drink combinations were adventurous and surprisingly worked well! Will go again when in Charleston. Easily my favorite.

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  2. Ed

    South Carolina1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our first visit. We will definitely return. The jazz pianist was great. The fish which were flounder and grouper dishes were absolutely perfect. The fish portion size, texture, and flavors great. It was all perfectly prepared. It really was the best fish that my wife and I have eaten. The plating and especially the sauces were excellent. The gnudi appetizer was a most impressive start. The cocktails were such a delightful surprise. Once again. Some of the highest quality most inventive cocktails that we have ever enjoyed. It was a very memorable evening that we will anticipate repeating very soon.

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  3. Greg VIP

    South Carolina13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience at The Establishment. From start to finish the service, food and experience it exceptional.

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  4. nick VIP

    Central Kentucky2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and exceptional service! Perfect for couple celebrating.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Natalie Taylor

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Looking forward to our next visit already. We have been to The Establishment twice in 3 weeks and were able to try a lot of their ever-changing menu. The items we did get both times and will order again are the oysters, the yellowtail tataki, and the crab gnudi. The other small plates we tried were excellent and we have a few more to test out still. The eggplant side was a surprise hit and will be added to the rotation. The ghost greens salad was fun but really big. We had 3 different entree fish dishes there - halibut, scallops, and flounder - and all were cooked to perfection. This place is a dream for pescatarians. As for cocktails, we tried 5 on the menu and all were amazing. The Poet might be a favorite but I don’t think one can go wrong here.

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  6. Daniel

    South Carolina1 review

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Cocktails and service were good but the food wasn’t anything special.

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  7. Andrea

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    wonderful atmosphere, excellent service, friendly employees and delicious food.

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  8. Amy VIP

    Kansas City / Kansas13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe the food, the experience, the service. Everything was beyond expectation. Everything we ordered (which was a lot) was amazing. Fresh, cohesive flavors, beautifully plated. Service was knowledgeable, funny and attentive. Drinks were composed and delicious. We will definitely be back again and again. Sometimes a second or third visit doesn’t feel as special as the first, but this was our 3rd dinner and it was just as amazing as the others.

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  9. Celeste

    South Carolina5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The food and service were excellent. We have always thought the restaurant is too dark.

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  10. Andrew VIP

    New Orleans / Louisiana115 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always a great dining experience. The cocktails were well balanced and refreshing. Food is impeccable. My wife's favorite in Charleston!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Establishment is rated 4.8 stars by 2843 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. South Carolina
  4. Charleston
  5. Downtown Charleston

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Establishment

28 Broad St, Suite 100, Charleston, SC 29401-3004

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    On Broad Street between Church and State
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown Charleston
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Elegant Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Elliott Howells
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    The Establishment offers incredible, local seafood paired with an award-winning wine list. If you’re looking for elevated cuisine paired with fine wine, or for a room that is perfectly situated in Charleston’s French Quarter, look no further than The Establishment.
  • Private party contact
    Shane Diviney: (865) 292-1218
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