Charleston's 10 Best Italian Restaurants

Italian food is intimate and well-off , like a hug from your grandmother ( but for your taste sensation buds ) . We ate our style through Charleston ’s many Italian offering – from the eminent - terminal to the more quaint neighborhood joints – to bring you the Holy City ’s 10 sound Italian restaurants . ( Note : if you ’re seem for the best pizza in Chucktown , start here . )

Wild Olive

Wild Olive is a perpetual front-runner among Charlestonians willing to aim all the agency over to Johns Island to get a predilection of their unproblematic , classic dishes . The nutrient is traditional Italian with locally sourced Lowcountry ingredient , which means you do n’t need to finger lame for grade the wimp Parmesan like you might at a lesser Italian restaurant . At Wild Olive , it ’s done so dead , it look ( and tastes ) like a work of graphics .

Vincent Chicco’s

insert away in Hutson Alley just off of King St , Vincent Chicco ’s channels the more traditional Italian joint that you might see inThe SopranosorThe Godfather . We ’re talking sinister - and - white tile base , a dark Sir Henry Wood prevention , and outmoded portrayal of the restaurant ’s namesake , who was a famous saloon owner in Prohibition - era Charleston . Although the ambience is old - fashioned , the nutrient is fresh , imaginative , and delicious . We extremely commend the cacio e pepe , which is like a grown - up adaptation of mac & cheese . The restaurant also offers a hebdomadary five - path tasting carte du jour and a attentive wine list .

Trattoria Lucca

Off the beaten course on Bogard St is one of the best under - the - radar restaurants in the Holy City . The menu change regularly ground on what ’s fresh and uncommitted , meaning every time you visit can be a whole new experience . If you really want to process yo’self , we advocate visiting for the Monday night family - style supper . Chef Ken Vedrinski ’s four - course prix fixe menu showcases ingredients that instigate the chef at the second , as well as Lucca ’s hand-crafted pastas and traditional Italian fare .

Coda Del Pesce

Also helmed by chef Ken Vedrinski , Coda Del Pesce ( which means “ tail of the fish ” in Italian ) features a bill of fare that heavily privilege seafood set up in traditional Italian style , usinglocally or sustainably caughtfish . The restaurant looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean from Isle of Palms , which really mother you in the modality for aquatic fare . If it ’s on the bill of fare , we recommend trying the crudo di pesce , which really showcases Chef Vedrinski ’s seafood mastery . The wine pick at Coda is mainly Italian and mostly contain of laborious - to - find varietal wine that have been select by Vedrinski .

Le Farfalle

The new eating place in Charleston ’s Italian scene has already made quite the feeling on the urban center ’s diners , with pic of the jumbo wheel of cheese and gorgeous bar inundate the # CHSeats Instagram provender . It sport one of the heartiest glad hour bill of fare , featuring deep-fried cheese curd , Sicilian - elan fried seafood , or a porchetta melt all for just $ 5 each . The attention to detail at Le Farfalle is impeccable , but we ’d await nothing less from New York - trained chef Michael Toscano . Pro tip : if the weather ’s nice , design to sit down out on the gorgeous courtyard .

The Obstinate Daughter

Although famous for its oven - fired pizza pie , the pastas and small plate are bursting with creative thinking and flavor . The seared Xiphias gladius “ paella , ” served with saffron rice , chorizo , mussel , scallops , and shrimp , is a crowd pleaser , and one of the most unique dishes on the menu . Pair it with a glass of wine-coloured or one of the Italian - exhort cocktail , and voila ! You ’ve induce the perfect meal .

Fulton Five

From the moment you walk down the ivy - lined back street into the eating house , you ’ll sympathise why Fulton Five has been voted Charleston ’s “ most romantic restaurant ” for 17 years campaign . The food is delicious , especially the antipasto spoleto ( romaine clams stuffed with mozzarella and tomato , wrapped in prosciutto and grill , and topped with cauliflower puree … come on ) . So if you really want to impress your touchwood date , this is the place to take ‘em . The carte du jour is fair seafood - hard , including a daily market charge per unit fish special and orichiette aragosta ( lobster , crab , sweet corn , leeks , tomatoes , and fresh peppers in a piquant shellfish cream ) – but if your date does n’t wish seafood , there ’s plenty of other fish in the sea .

Indaco

A more modern take on authoritative Italian culinary art , Indaco is pretty well - known for its crispy woods - fired pizzas , handmade pastas , and fantastic cocktails ( crafted by barroom manager Jared Chafin ) . Indaco also has a pretty legit happy hour menu , where you may get half off all pizzas and antipasti , as well as a few other $ 5 snacks , so you may gratify your Italian craving without breaking the bank . Come for dinner party and receive more strange smasher like fry lapin with kabocha squash and lamb quarters , or lamb abdomen with peas , grilled chanterelles , lapin sausage , and peach mostarda .

Mondo’s

Do n’t be deterred by Mondo ’s position in the “ Shoppes of Folly Road ” strip shopping center . This hidden muffin is actually dish up some deception in the kitchen in the form of penne and homemade meatballs . Mondo ’s may be a small ( some might even say “ quaint ” ) eating place , but it ’s serve up big part with even fully grown flavor . Be sure to skip luncheon before you amount here , because otherwise there ’s no way you ’ll end up your entree .

Bacco

One of the Italian professors at the College of Charleston recommended we go to Bacco for the “ most unquestionable Italian solid food in all of South Carolina , ” and with a recommendation like that , you ’ll unquestionably want to sum this spot to your list . The menu changes regularly based on seasonal ingredient , but you should pop out with sign - made mozzarella ( which comes out still warm from the kitchen ) , then stick to it up with some star sign - made gnocchi Bolognese , and finish with the cannoli . We secure you ’ll feel like you ’ve give out and belong to Italia .

Wild Olive