Reviews for Circa 1886 Restaurant in Charleston, SC
So here is my problem with this place. Charleston offers so many great places to eat. Unfortunately, now, every time I visit... this city, I must go to Circa 1886. It's not an option. I have been to this restaurant twice and all I can say, both times itwas quite possibly the best dinning experiences of my life! Food 10, Ambiance 10, Staff 10, Service 11. Love this place. Read more
Seriously one of the best culinary experiences we’ve ever had. We both ordered the “Chef’s Tasting Menu”. Each course... was so unique and delicious. Our server Emily was a pro! She was attentive and yet gave us time to enjoy each course. Read more
Amazing atmosphere this place really takes your breath away when you step up / inside of it. The restaurant is tucked in the... back of the property in its own little building but walking through the mansion and courtyard really sets the vibe. Diningstaff is what you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. Formal and polite, welcoming and excited to share anexperience with you. The food was incredible . Chef clearly did his homework and pulls inspiration from some of the greatestrestaurants in the country with his own spin on things. The pimento cheese caviar grilled cheese is a whimsical play on asouthern classic only 'dressed up' The menu has a few different experiences in it each paying homage to a differentculture. Everything sounds phenomenal so its difficult to pick one over the others. Dessert were 50/50 the african milk tartalthough breathtakingly gorgeous was lacking in flavor in most components but the apple souffle (server's suggested) was quitetasty and well executed 10/10 Will be back next time we're in town for certain. And tell everyone going to visit they NEED tocheck this place out. Read more
This is a beautiful restaurant, with a beautiful meal and knowledgeable servers! The whole evening was great! The drinks, the... food, the service… all incredible. A nice treat on our Charleston vacation! Definitely book your reservations ahead… andmaybe try multiple desserts because they were incredible and I was jealous of other tables desserts (even though ours wereamazing and beyond delicious!) The chefs tasting menu is a combo of items from each of the four influence menus. We chose toeach pick an influence category and build our own meal. There wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t good! Read more
My husband took me out for my birthday tonight and the night was so wonderful. Our waiter Brian was very knowledgeable about... wines and food. He was very attentive and friendly. We both had the venison which was to die for. I had the pear rum cake whichthey brought out with Happy Birthday on it. They also brought us a complimentary glass of champagne. The ambience was sobeautiful and cozy. If you're in Charleston definitely give them a try. Read more
Went for New Year's Eve dinner for two at Circa 1886. The good: -Our server was friendly and attentive and had some wine... knowledge -Lobster bisque and the souffle were both excellent -A gluten free diner was readily accommodated -Alcohol free dinerswere thoughtfully accommodated The bad: -Many dishes appeared to have sat out or under warming lights for long periods of time(skins and condensation had formed, etc) before service -Staff delivering dishes to the table seemed to be extras helping outand did not know anything about the dishes -Fish sauce used in the chicken sausage dish was cloying and overpowering, smelled upthe entire dining room anytime it was served throughout the evening -The beef cheek main course was good but among the mostvisually unappealing entrees I have ever been served at a fine dining restaurant, and was served with an inedible, almostuncooked single Brussels sprout (I really did try to cut it and eat it but literally could not) I am certain that some of thisexperience was related to staffing shortages on a busy holiday but nonetheless will probably not repeat at $513 for twoincluding drinks and gratuity. The bar set elsewhere in Charleston is simply too high. Read more
Amazing. The service, the food, the atmosphere, the parking(being downtown), everything. Amazing. Laura was our hostess and a... great one at that. We got the Chef's tasting menu with wine pairing. The food was exquisite. I was trying things that I've neverhad before. Hands down, one of the finest restaurants in Charleston which means Circa 1886 is one of the finest restaurantsanywhere. An added bonus was when Charles came up to our table and told us the story behind Head Chef Marc Collins inspirationfor the grilled cheese entrée. Ask him about it if you go. Read more
Food was good and the service was outstanding! All the servers were well versed on their food and had great house... recommendations as well as some noted personal favorites. John Riddick was our server and was so informative. He told us thehistory of the Mansion and was particularly helpful and knowledgeable on the wines. We enjoyed the wine pairing for the chefsmenu and he also made some great recommendations outside of that. Really enjoyed it and look forward to returning next time weare in Charleston! Read more