14 Best Bars in Charleston, South Carolina

This establishment characterizes the craft cocktail movement with its "farm-to-shaker" seasonal selection of creative concoctions. The bar showcases exposed brick walls and wooden beams inside its lounge areas, though warm evenings are best spent outside on the rooftop patio. Inside, some of Charleston's best bartenders muddle and shake clever mixtures like the Dad Bod (Demerara rum, rye whiskey, Falernum, grenadine, and lime) and the Double Standard (a blend of serrano pepper--infused gin and cucumber vodka).

You'll do well just to find this place. Tucked into an alley behind the Walgreens at King and Calhoun streets, Burns Alley offers cozy quarters for sports fans in need of cheap beers and a giant projection screen. A small upstairs area overlooks the action, offering a premium vantage point during crowded evenings.

This friendly watering hole with 40 draft beers on tap offers a late-night menu of wings and pub grub. Live music on weekends and ample screens for sports events make this a popular hangout for the college crowd.

A local landmark, the city's oldest extant gay bar hosts lively karaoke parties, DJs and dancing on weekends, and boisterous drag shows.

Dollar bills cover just about every square inch of the Griffon, helping the bar achieve nearly legendary status around the city. Its wood interior is dark, dusty, and well worn yet charming. A rotating selection of draft beers comes from local breweries like Westbrook, Coast, and Holy City. It's a popular lunchtime and happy-hour watering hole and hosts live music on weekend nights.

The longest continuously operating restaurant and bar in South Carolina, Henry's has evolved since 1932. On the first floor is a large horseshoe bar and dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the Market. The second floor is a classic jazz bar with exposed brick and rafters and dim chandelier lighting. A few steps up is a rooftop deck and an enclosed dance lounge that attracts a younger crowd on weekends.

One of the driving forces behind Last Saint was the desire to create an all-star bar team: its members reliably put out some of the city's most sophisticated cocktails, even if they're often tinged with tropical silliness.

Atop the Market Pavilion Hotel, the swanky outdoor Pavilion Bar offers panoramic views of the city and harbor, set around the hotel's posh swimming pool. Enjoy appetizers like lobster ceviche and duck nachos with a specialty mojito or martini. The dress code dictates no flip-flops, baseball caps, visors, or tank tops.

Come here for the raw or steamed oysters—fat, juicy, and plucked from the Louisiana Gulf, Nova Scotia, and various points in between. Try the oyster shooters: one oyster in a shot glass, topped with Absolut Peppar vodka and a few squirts of spicy cocktail sauce. Consider it an opening sortie before your dinner reservation around the corner at Husk or Oak.

This bar atop the Historic District Hyatt House serves beer by the ounce from their 70 taps, allowing patrons to sample ad infinitum. Its biggest draw, however, is the view. From its ninth-floor vantage, it's the highest rooftop bar in the city.

Have a cocktail and appetizer as you watch the colorful sunset behind the church steeples. There are actually two bars at this venue atop the Vendue hotel; the lower Deck Bar has tables and chairs shaded by umbrellas, but the view of the water is partially obscured by condo towers. Keep going to the upper-level bar, which offers a 360-degree panorama and an open-air atmosphere. You'll find live music by local and regional bands on weekends.

This bar offers fine service to sailors, college kids, and out-of-towners alike, with cheap domestic beer and old-fashioned cocktails. Situated beneath the Marina Variety Store restaurant—itself a Charleston landmark dating back to 1963—Salty Mike's provides a crusty, no-frills ambience and a dreamy seaside view of the Ashley River and Charleston City Marina.

Enjoy Irish music by local group, the Bograts, on most weekends at this rollicking, traditional Irish pub. If you're hungry, dig into the Irish nachos—cubed potatoes, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, and ranch dressing—with a Guinness or Harp.