Charleston

Brunch at The Darling

December 20, 2019

HOLY Bloody Mary! The Darling Oyster Bar is known for being one of the most beautiful restaurants in the Holy City and for serving a very over-the-top Bloody Mary during Sunday brunch. Already a Charleston classic, brunch at The Darling offers two of the best things Charleston has to offer – brunch and seafood – at the same time!

The Darling Oyster Bar allows seafood lovers to sit and watch local shuckers prepare thousands of East Coast oysters each day. The charming restaurant serves up the best of the Charleston seafood scene with briny delicacies like oyster shooters, King Crab parfaits, and local littleneck clams. Blending classical preparations and exciting new flavors, this King Street favorite pays careful attention to local ingredients and sustainability. The restaurant space is chic and stylish yet utterly unpretentious. Booths are minty green and resemble boat seats, the floor-to-ceiling curtains are made of sailcloth, and the floors are adorned with white honeycomb tile floors. It is definitely one of the most Instagrammble spots in the Holy City!

Brunch at The Darling is offered on Sundays from 11am-2pm, and it’s a fabulous brunch menu. It is known for serving “The Captain,” a Bloody Mary that is practically a meal in itself. Y’all it is seriously SO GOOD! The cocktail includes a massive king crab leg, a lobster claw, shrimp, a hushpuppy, celery, olives, and wedge of lime.

If you are not a fan of Bloody Marys, I recommend the Fish House Punch on draft. It’s a perfect mix of Gosling’s Gold Rum, cognac, créme de péche and lemon – a recipe adapted from “The Fish House” fishing club from 1732.

Alongside classic seafood favorites like ceveche, lobster & king crab rolls and shrimp and grits you’ll find distinctly Southern fare like a fried chicken biscuit slathered with house made honey hot sauce and Geechie Boy grits with sweet pepper relish. Get the grits people, you will not regret it! If you prefer a more traditional breakfast dish, try the fluffy french toast smothered in maple whipped cream and topped with mixed berry compote.

I know there are tons of amazing brunch spots in Charleston, but I recommend you head to brunch at The Darling to slurp up fresh salty oysters and the best Bloody Mary in town!