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

The Establishment

4.8
4.8
2659 Reviews
$50 and over
Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 34 times today
Experiences are available.
  • 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.
Private dining

Private dining

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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
    (843) 789-4028
  • 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
  • Neighbourhood
    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

  • Ring in the New Year at The Establishment!

    US$200.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at The Establishment - Indulge in an unforgettable three-course dining experience curated by Executive Chef Elliott Howells. Guests will select from an exceptional menu of first and second course options and conclude on a sweet note featuring a decadent dessert assortment/pâtisserie. Each course will be paired with a curated wine or liquor option. We are also offering luxury menu enhancements and additions for each course! This exclusive dining experience is priced at $200 per person, including three courses, wine or liquor pairings, taxes, and gratuity. This cost does not include enhancements or additions. No refunds after 12/25/2024. Join us as we welcome 2025 with elegance!
    Ring in the New Year at The Establishment! photo

What 2,659 people are saying

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
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Hot spot

  • South Carolina

    Romantic

  • South Carolina

    Seafood

  • Charleston

    Best Overall

  • Charleston

    Best Service

  • Charleston

    Best Ambience

  • Charleston

    Innovative

  • Charleston

    Hot spot

  • Charleston

    Great for fine wines

  • Charleston

    Romantic

  • Charleston

    Good for special occasions

  • Charleston

    Lively

  • Charleston

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Establishment offers a "fabulous" dining experience in Historic Broad Street, with "excellent" food, attentive service, and a delightful ambiance featuring live piano music. Guests rave about standout dishes like the Gnudi and whole fish. Although some find portion sizes small, the overall experience is "amazing" and highly recommended.

2,659 Reviews
  1. iwanD

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent! As always. The food, the service and quality of both is always the very best!!

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  2. Akilkenny

    VIP

    Kansas City

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nathan was a great waiter, he had great energy and was very helpful in helping us choose what to order! Everything was delicious

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  3. Emanuel

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing experience! The food was superb and service was impeccable! Highly recommend and looking forward to returning.

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  4. Pat

    Charleston

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of our favorites in Charleston! The food, the vibe, and the service…always consistent and never disappoints!

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  5. Janet

    VIP

    Charlotte

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding dining experience at The Establishment- Ambiance; Service and Food were all incredible!! This is a beautiful restaurant with several differs dining areas! The from desk staff were warm and welcoming.! Once we were seated our server, Annie, came over to introduce herself! She was fun, energetic and absolutely adorable and charming while also very efficient!! Please ask for her-you won't be disappointed! The Sommelier came to help us decide upon a bottle of wine. He was very pleasant and professional and passionate about the restaurant (with good reason)! we selected our wine stand enjoyed the pleasant vocal entertainment in our dining room! Annie returned and we again had fun and interesting conversation before.ordering our dinners. We shared the "Gnudu" for our appetizer-OMG it was ethereal-sosoeft, light and pillowy-absolutely to die for!! I ordered the Tilefish with Pretzel Spaetzle which was delicious. The Hubs ordered the whole fried fish! He loved it!! While this is a pricey restaurant, it is well deserved for a social night out! This was our second visit and definitely won't be our last! It's a definite for our next trip to Charleston, we just hope that Annie will still be there because someone is going to snatch that girl up-she is special indeed! Go to The Establishment--you will be so glad that you did!

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  6. Phil

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This place was amazing! My wife and I had a fantastic time. The service was great and our server Nehemiah was outstanding. The food was fantastic and we will definitely be back soon!

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  7. Weldon

    Charleston

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Head chef can be a bit picky when a customer may ask for a favor - favor like splitting a meal - last visit a request to have kitchen split meal but head chef refused to split meal in kitchen - meal had to be split at table (?) - just seems at this type of establishment they would accommodate the customer (?).

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  8. Josh

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a wonderful anniversary date at the Establishment. Staff went above and beyond to make it special, in addition to fantastic food and great atmosphere. A much nicer, moody, fancy vibe inside than you’d guess from the website.

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  9. Harry

    Cincinnati

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    When you make a reservation at establishment like this, you expect the food to be good. It was. It was excellent. Now here are the small things. The ambience is outstanding. The server was extremely knowledgeable. Everything that we had came together like a symphony. The manager came to the table and offered us a glass of cava for our anniversary The price point equates to the quality of the food. From The service to the ambience this restaurant gets it and as a former restaurant owner, I appreciate the fact that they not only put out great food. They paid attention to all of the small details. 

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  10. Pierre

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Greetings from Chicago!   Nehemiah made our dining experience at the Establishment unforgettable. His warmth, professionalism and impressive knowledge of the menu and wine list stood out. The Sauvignon Blanc he recommended paired perfectly with our meal. If Nehemiah is your server, you’re in for a treat! Thank you for making my birthday extra special!

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FAQs

The Establishment is rated 4.8 stars by 2659 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 34 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
  • Neighbourhood
    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
    (843) 789-4028
  • 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
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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