This beautiful bi-level seafood restaurant focuses on catches from the Carolina coast, like smoked oysters with Old Bay saltines, stone crab claws, and seafood towers with oysters, clams, shrimp, and more, along with excellent Old World wines and cocktails. The bar makes some of the best drinks in town — order a daiquiri for a bright way to kick off your meal. What to get: Seafood tower, smoked oysters, cocktails

Chef James London’s lively seafood spot is the hottest table in town; since there are no reservations, plan to arrive around 4:45pm so you can be seated in the first wave of diners. The menu of creative small plates is constantly changing, but the chili garlic shrimp is a mainstay. Order that, along with anything else that sounds good, such as a crudo or ceviche. What to get: Chili garlic shrimp

John Lewis made his name at Austin’s stellar La Barbecue; in 2015, he moved to Charleston and opened this ode to Central Texas ‘cue the next year. There’s a sprawling patio and plenty of indoor seating; order more luscious fatty brisket and Texas hot guts sausage than you think you’ll be able to eat, then round out your tray with excellent sides like creamy potato salad, vinegary collards, and green chile corn pudding. What to get: Brisket, Texas hot guts

An airy all-day cafe with appealing sidewalk tables, Babas on Cannon is the kind of place you’ll want to linger awhile. We love it for breakfast, when a slice of very tall quiche with seasonal fillings and a peanut mocha is the order, as well as for afternoon aperitivos, when you’re going to want the deviled eggs topped with smoked paprika mayo, a delicate ham and butter baguette, and an orange spritz. What to get: Very tall quiche, deviled eggs, peanut mocha

Each day at Chez Nous, a French-leaning restaurant located in an antebellum house, chef Jill Mathias and her team offer six new a la carte dishes for lunch and dinner — that’s it. Choose what you’d like among two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts, and get as much or as little paired with wines as you like. The move is to get the entire menu with your dining companion. What to get: One of everything

Carrie Morey founded her biscuit empire in Charleston in 2005. There are two locations within the city for these tender, buttery squares. You can order a biscuit sandwich like a classic bacon, egg, and cheese; or “little biscuits,” which are just two inches square and come with your choice of flavored butter, like country ham, blackberry, and cheese and chive. What to get: Pimento cheese biscuit; bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit

Located in a cool old body shop, Leon’s is first and foremost an oyster bar, which makes it perfect for a casual afternoon hangout. Order a dozen raw, which come with cocktail sauce, horseradish, and lemon, or char-grilled specimens decked out with lemon, parsley, butter, and Parm. It’s all perfect with a Pimm’s Cup or glass of rosé on tap. What to get: Oysters, Pimm’s Cup

Duolan Li, Josh Walker, and Joey Ryan launched this funky homage to pan-Asian street eats as a pop-up before opening in a converted 1940s gas station in 2012. The success of the delicious shareable dishes like okonomiyaki with bacon, spicy chicken papaya salad, mapo tofu with greens, and daily-changing fried rice has helped the trio expand their brand into Charlotte and Nashville. What to get: Okonomiyaki, mapo tofu