Ansonborough

Planters Inn sits right near Charleston's City Market. The 64-room hotel is a restored 1884 building designed to look and feel like a Charleston mansion. The hotel's beautiful garden was created by landscape architect Sheila Wertimer, whose handiwork you'll see around town. The rooms and suites here feature 10-foot ceilings, custom crown molding, and handcrafted, four-poster beds. Planters Inn is also home to the Peninsula Grill, where you should go for dinner, followed by coconut cake.

The Grand Bohemian Hotel has a combined rooftop bar and restaurant with a great surrounding view. The decor is a combination of rustic and sleek touches that just works. The glass interior of Élevé is spacious and even if you're posted at a bar stool, you feel like you're sitting outside. (And if you actually want to sit outside, Élevé has a small terrace.) In addition to being a nice drinks spot, the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Arguably one of the best restaurants downtown, Fig is run by self-taught chef, Mike Lata, who is also the mastermind behind The Ordinary. The restaurant is big on working with local farmers, growers, and purveyors, which is reflected in the seasonal dinner menu here: king mackerel tartare, summer vegetables with porcini, baked black bass with baby fennel, pan roasted ribeye with sherried onion. Come hungry.

167 Raw’s original location is on Nantucket: Owner Jesse Sandole opened the place after years of running his father’s famous seafood and meat market there. The Charleston outpost is situated in a cozy space (with a cute little outdoor patio) that’s significantly brightened by the subway tiles lining the walls in all directions. The straightforward menu is all about New England dishes like clam chowder, lobster rolls, fish sandwiches, and a serious seafood plate, with a few geographic detours for dishes that emphasize fresh catches, like tacos, ceviche, and poke. It’s relatively new and still pretty hot, so expect to wait if you don’t arrive early—they don’t take reservations.

There are so many great casual restaurants in Charleston, but if you're looking for something more elegant, head to the Peninsula Grill at Planter's Inn. It's a white tablecloth restaurant with a romantic, candle- and lantern-lit courtyard attached. The dinner menu is seasonal and largely Southern, with a world famous coconut cake for dessert.