Charleston is quickly becoming my favorite city to visit for a weekend getaway! With about a four-hour drive from where we live, it’s a fairly easy trip down and back. My husband and I got to sneak away to the holy city for two nights at the end of January to attend a friend’s wedding and have a little parent’s weekend away. The food and beverage scene in Charleston is truly incredible and with each visit, we like to try new restaurants. For visiting in late January, we lucked out with gorgeous weather!
Where We Stayed
Moxy Charleston Downtown – For this trip, we chose to stay at the Moxy, which is a Marriott property. It has a modern, industrial vibe and we loved it! It was perfect for just the two of us and was walking distance from King Street/downtown. It was north of King Street so a bit of a walk from the main part of downtown. It felt safe during the day and evening, but I would not feel comfortable walking back late at night. For this reason and the room size, I don’t think we would stay here if going as a family and bringing our young kids, but it was perfect for us for two nights. The rooms are small but reminded me of staying in NYC. The top floor was the best. It included a bar, roof top with fire pit, workspace, and ample seating to hang out.
Breakfast & Brunch
Island Provisions – For breakfast and delicious coffee on Saturday morning, we started at Island Provisions. This was a nice walk from our hotel and a relaxing, easy start to our day. I could tell it was a local favorite. Their iced latte and iced chai were amazing. We ordered the quiche, salmon toast, and green with envy smoothie. All three did not disappoint! We ate on their porch, and I have to note my love for their paint colors – very low country/Charleston.
Post House Inn – Before leaving town Sunday, we drove over the river to Mount Pleasant for brunch at Post House Inn. This is an actual inn that also includes this restaurant. Located about 15 minutes from downtown Charleston, it’s a nice drive over the Ravenel Bridge and located in Old Village Historic District, which is a lovely area to just drive around and admire the beautiful homes or take a walk on Pitt Street Bridge.
From the cuisine to the gorgeous interiors, Post House is definitely Instagram-worthy (which I believe is how I initially discovered this restaurant.) This was our second time here and after our last visit, we knew we wanted to return. I think you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. I loved their bloody Mary and full southern breakfast. It was the best way end our trip. I’d love to go back another time for a lunch or dinner.
Dinner & Drinks
The Cocktail Club – We stopped in Friday night on our way to dinner for a happy hour cocktail. Located on King Street, it has a vintage, speakeasy vibe with a rooftop terrace and offers a fun cocktail menu.
BAR167 – This was our first time here and we loved it. The restaurant is tucked away off of King Street on Fulton Street, on the lower part of downtown. It offers Mediterranean cuisine and small plates, both favorites of ours. Seated at a cozy window table, it was the perfect date night spot. I had the Cini Tini (dirty martini with olive oil and feta stuffed olives- amazing) and we shared the caviar donut and focaccia to start. I would rate our experience a 10/10 and would love to try their sister restaurant, 167 Raw, on a future visit.
Republic Garden & Lounge – Should I recommend going here? I think it depends on what you are looking for. But I will say, for the two times we have been, we have enjoyed ourselves! This is a well-known hot spot in downtown Charleston, also on King Street. You can almost always find bachelorette parties and young people there. We stopped in after dinner, before 9pm so it was not busy. We each ordered a drink and found a table outside in the garden/patio area. They played the best grand-millennial hits. It was fun to people watch and chat with others.
Where We Shopped & Walked
One of my favorite things to do in Charleston is walk around the historic downtown! There are of course a ton of activities in and around the area, but we have found that we enjoy to simply walk around and pop into different stores or restaurants. There are many self-guided walking tours and guided tours as well, which I’d love to do on a future trip.
While strolling and snapping photos of the beautiful homes and quaint streets, we will stop into different shops along the way. These were some of our recent favorites we have visited-
Candlefish – This is a cute candle and gift shop located at the corner of King and Wentworth Streets. My new favorite souvenir to bring home from vacations are pieces of art or prints specific to the destination. I landed on a print of matchbooks from local Charleston establishments from Matchbox 912.
Preservation Society of Charleston Shop – Also located on King Street, this shop offers an array of goods specific to Charleston, including books, jewelry, home goods. Something that caught my eye were the old maps of Charleston.
Buxton Books – This bookstore is another great place to stop in when walking around downtown. We picked up a book for our boys here on our last trip.
Until next time Charleston! Already dreaming about my next trip.
xo Ash