Charleston: A Trip to the Holy City
Charleston holds a special place in the hearts of the Respoke family, as it is our flagship location open year-round. Charleston is known for its shopping, charm and history. There is so much to unfold around every corner, making it one of the most unique places to visit. We have curated a list of the best hotels, activities, and dining that you can reference for your next visit to the Holy City. The best part? All of these recommendations are doable in a pair of our Respoke shoes and ready-to-wear items!
Accommodations:
Upon arriving in Charleston, we recommend staying at the Dewberry Hotel, Hotel Bennett, or The Restoration, as they are all in the heart of downtown Charleston. They are also the hotels we believe will give the utmost southern hospitality during your stay.
The Dewberry not only has the best rooftop bar in Charleston known as a Citrus Club, but also has a lovely dining area in the main lobby of the hotel. Before bed, place an order of their chocolate chip cookies with warm milk– all homemade and made to order. Trust us when we say it’s the best nightcap you’ll ever have. The Restoration hotel also has a lovely rooftop known as The Watch that is a bit more casual. Take in views of the city while munching on some of the best sea food bites. Hotel Bennett is home to one of the most popular pink bars in the city, perfect for pre-dinner cocktails. They also have a luxurious rooftop pool accompanied by a rooftop bar.
Food:
For a sit down breakfast, we recommend Another Broken Egg located in the heart of the market area downtown, and Millers All Day located at the bottom of King Street. For a quick grab and go, we recommend the Mercato at Sorelle on Broad Street, Mudhouse Coffee (located right next to our boutique) or Caviar & Bananas.
For lunch, we recommend putting your name in at 167 Raw on King Street and strolling to all the shops while you wait for your table (yes, there will be a wait, but it’ll be worth it). Blind Tiger has an amazing outdoor patio with live music that’s more casual, and is also great for both lunch and dinner.
Felix, located on Upper King, also has a great lunch and dinner menu, and the best french onion soup in Charleston.
We recommend getting pre-dinner oysters at The Darling and an oyster shooter (if you’re feeling wild), then walking across the street to Halls Chophouse for one of the best dinners.
Want to venture off of King Street? Head over to Marbled & Fin, Charleston’s newest steakhouse. Every meal starts off with a complimentary summer cocktail (or mocktail) accompanied by a complimentary lite bite.
Looking for an out of this world dining experience? Book a reservation at Sorelle for dinner, the best Italian restaurant in Charleston. Make sure to ask for the dessert that has the olive-oil in it (it changes monthly), and thank us later.
Love the thought of being teleported to Italy but in an environment a little bit more casual? Make sure you check-out Pelato, Charleston’s most recent Italian restaurant addition. We recommend starting off with the Frozen Limonchello Drop, and finishing with the Frozen Espresso Martini.
Activities:
A sucker for romance? Then you must be familiar with The Notebook. Take a morning trip to Cypress Gardens and spend your afternoon learning the history behind Boone Hall.
One of the most desired things about Charleston is the local boutiques. Spend a day walking up and down King Street and admiring the local artists and business owners. Make sure you pop into Respoke!
The weather isn’t in your favor? We recommend visiting the Aquarium downtown, and one of the many history museums!
Looking to surf the waves? Get on over to Folly Beach early one morning to beat the afternoon crowd. If you’re looking for a day that is more on the quiet side, venture on over to Sullivan’s Island.
Don’t want the night to end? We recommend taking a walking ghost tour through the city!
We hope that you enjoy your stay!