Circa 1886 Restaurant

My fiancé and I became engaged on 12/22/17 and he planned our celebratory dinner with Circa 1886, and it was nothing short of amazing. Charles was our waiter and provided the best service we had ever experienced. We even called the restaurant the next day to rave about our experience. The service was like clockwork, but we were not rushed. Our glasses never got below half empty and our silverware was replaced with each course. We were given complimentary champagne (regular $34/glass) and customized congratulatory menus to start off the meal. Any questions we had about the menu were answered and Charles provided great suggestions for meals. I ordered the Intermezzo cocktail and my fiancé ordered the featured scotch cocktail, both were great. We ordered the scallops and the beets and chèvre as appetizers. The scallops were cooked to perfection. Very buttery and melt in your mouth- I wish more than 2 came on the plate! The beets and chèvre was exquisite with cool goat cheese sauce. We ate every bite. 2 bite-sized complimentary snacks were provided by the chef- one was a spoon with a cheese cube, almond and cherry, the other was a split lima bean soup. YUM. As for dinner, my fiancé did the 5 course tasting menu (Beef pate, Heirloom tomato salad, pheasant, lamb, pumpkin souffle) and he thoroughly enjoyed every bit. The portions were generous and Charles provided extra plates for me so that I could pick at the different dishes. I ordered the triple potato gratin (I'm a vegetarian) and it was out of this world. Very hearty and yummy. Charles then surprised me with a complimentary dessert course (the smores). Both of our plates were decorated with "Congratulations" written in chocolate- it was a really special touch. When we got the check ($200 with a generous tip included) we felt like the experience and food was 100% worth the money. We will definitely be back and would recommend to anyone and everyone.

The chef is fantastic and very creative like an artist. It is definitely one of the top 2 restaurants in the entire city. The plating and experience was great. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. The food was so delicious. I especially loved the mushroom soup, truffle risotto that the chef customized for me, and the cheesecake ice cream. The tasting menu is very reasonable for what you get. I loved almost everything that I ate. My husband had the Ashley tasting menu. I'm very glad I came. It was in the carriage house of Wentworth Mansion which felt special as well

Fine dining at its best. The service was professional and attentive. The wine list was impressive and included most price ranges. The atmosphere was quiet and comfortable. The food was out of this world.

Amazing dining experience from start to finish. Every course was delicious and carefully crafted. The pork belly sous vide was the best dish I had all week in Charleston. Also, to show you how much they care, the first course (an elevated grilled cheese, the best grilled cheese I ever had) was missing an ingredient, which we did not notice. After we finished the course, they brought out again with the missing ingredient because “they wanted us to experience the true dish”. They could have easily carried on and we wouldn’t have notice. Instead, they chose to do the right thing. You don’t always get that anymore.

We had the Ashley and Cooper menus: all dishes were memorable, the wine pairings were perfect and the deserts absolutely delicious.

Easily top 5 dining experiences in my life. I have never been to a Michelon Star restaurant but if Charleston had their own Michelon star critics in the area, I would imagine Circa 1886 would have a star. It has inspired my wife and I to want to visit French Laundry and Alinea in the next few years. I am a picky eater too but everything was magnificent. They say pictures say a thousand words, but I can attest that the taste made me speechless in the best way possible.