The Royal Tern

We have visited The Royal Tern on many occasions! Atmosphere is light, smells Heavenly, service is consistent, FOOD is excellent. Lots of flavor, nice portions, beautiful presentation. Thank you Ben and John for always saying hello, floating the room, and making sure everyone is satisfied! You can definitely tell you care! Will definitely be back!

Celebrated my girlfriends birthday here and had a great time! For once we showed up somewhere early and they were quick to seat us. There really isn't a seating area to wait and the bar is also available to be reserved so I recommend showing up as close to on time as possible so you're not awkwardly standing in the middle of the room waiting on your table. We were lucky enough to book the patio which was closed in and heated. And when I say heated it felt just like being in the main room if not warmer so don't be afraid to book the patio even on colder months. Only issue with the patio is that it's hard to hear your server and vice versa which makes for some awkward stairs and smiles since you have no idea what the other person asked :) Our food was outstanding. In fact it was the appetizers and desserts that really stole the show for us. Oysters Rockefeller aka Royal Tern Oysters were on point. My absolute favorite was the PEI Mussels! The best broth I've ever had on mussels ever! I took the spoon and drank it like soup it was so good! We also tried the Royale from the raw bar which was a pleasant punch of a palate cleanser. Our Blackened swordfish was just ok it was split and prepared well just didn't do it for us...we should have got the Halibut...next time! Then came the desserts! Another great pastry chef can be found here! The creme brulee was on point but surprisingly enough it was the angel sponge Birthday cake that really did it for us with a side of some amazing caramel glaze type of sauce from one of the other seasonal selections of desserts. All in all it was a great time and we will definitely be returning!

We had a great time here. My husband and I met another couple for dinner at a recommendation from A friend. We had the biscuits and they had the clams as appetizers which we all thoroughly enjoyed. The ribeye, fried shrimp, and swordfish were also delicious. The restaurant inside is beautiful and I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived and how nice the building was. Even down to the french fries, everything was delicious! This is definitely a must visit if you’re on the island. The atmosphere is perfect for date night or meeting with friends.

Sometimes, on a review, I have a lot to say. This review goes like this: "This restaurant in all aspects at evert turn for every minute you are there is a culinary treat". It's worth changing cities you live in. Simply put.... do yourself and your friends/family a service and eat there fast and frequently! A+!

I probably eat dinner at the Royal Tern at least once a month. Every dish on their menu is excellent (trust me, I've eaten them all). I consider the royal tern oysters to be one of my favorite bites of food. I order them every time I dine here. My other favorites include the beef tartare, the curry shrimp appetizer, the yeast rolls, and the lobster poke.

You are doing yourself a disservice if you do not check out The Royal Tern when visiting John’s Island/ Kiawah. From the ambiance, to the excellent service, to the outstandingly fresh cuisine, we truly had a meal to remember. The hostess was wonderful and helpful when accommodating us, even when booking a reservation at the last minute. Herman was our waiter and took such great care of us the second we walked through the door. His knowledge of the menu, along with his suggestions when asking our own personal preferences was impressive. To say we enjoyed every ounce of our drinks and meal is an understatement. Herman took the time with us to explain the dishes and was very attentive during our meal. We never had to ask for a single thing while we ate here. On top of the excellent service, the drinks and cuisine will definitely have you coming back for more. We started our meal with cocktails and the freshest oysters. Having traveled up the East Coast many times, these oysters were some of the best we have ever had (with a variety to choose from)!! It was almost impossible not to stop there and have oysters for the rest of the meal. Highly suggest adding the Royale oysters in addition to the freshly shucked raw oysters. We then went to heaven when we dove into the PEI mussels. The mussels were voluptuous, juicy and full of flavor. The white wine, garlic cream sauce was addictive and paired perfectly with bread for dipping. The entire meal was outstanding, but these mussels were our favorite part. By far the best mussels we have ever had!! We then had the seared scallops with orzo. It was a perfect medley of seafood, vegetables and flavor. The flavors of the lemon cream and basil oil were balanced and not overpowering. It was an excellent dish and one that we will order again. No a single drop of food was left on our plates (and not a single picture was taken of it because we truly could not wait to dive in). To finish our meal, we had the vanilla bean crème brûlée. It was absolutely delicious and the best ending to an unforgettable meal. Every time we visit the area, we will without a doubt be dining here again. Both managers were friendly and spent time checking in on our dining experience. We truly felt like we were part of their family here. It was a wonderful experience that we cannot wait to have again!

Seated at the bar w reservations - service was fantastic and lacked nothing! Caper crusted halibut was a delicious standout- served over a light medley of lima beans, corn, bacon, peas, etc. Sauce was divine - fish perfectly cooked and meaty - capers were ground up almost like a rub. Desserts were both good - a hearty peanut butter cup - heavy on the peanut flavor/light on chocolate. A dense peanut cake with a creamy whipped like peanut mousse? If you love peanut- this will be a hit! The berry shortcake was great - the cream on the bottom so, so good. Really chic and stylish space- dinner for two FYI. A few appatizers and drinks was $220 before tip FYI. The market price of the halibut, whole fish, and scallop dishes weren't listed on the menu, but all ran $40