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Charleston, South Carolina
Elevated American fare.
Reserve your table in the heart of King Street. Dry-aged steaks, coastal seafood, and a 400-label wine list curated by our sommelier.
Chef's Selection
Our kitchen sources from local farms and waters daily.
Charred local shrimp, herb butter, grilled sourdough.
$28
Summer succotash, champagne beurre blanc, micro herbs.
$36
Stone-ground grits, pickled mustard greens, natural jus.
$44
The Kitchen
Chef Marcus Cole sources from farms within 150 miles of our King Street kitchen. Every dish tells the story of the Carolina Lowcountry.
Hand-selected Prime cut, aged in-house. Finished with roasted bone marrow butter and Maldon sea salt. Served with roasted garlic confit.
$68
Wild-caught from the Gulf, roasted in the wood-burning oven. Meyer lemon, capers, olives, and extra-virgin olive oil from our Charleston supplier.
$52
House-made torchon, 48-hour preparation. Brioche toast, Sichuan-pepper gel, pickled black walnut, and aged sherry vinegar.
$28
Classic French preparation with South Carolina blue crab. House-made cream, tarragon oil, and a grilled claw garnish. Tableside pour.
$22
USDA Prime Angus, 28-day wet-aged. Carved tableside with three house sauces: chimichurri, Bordelaise, and a smoked au poivre.
$145
Liberty Duck leg, 36-hour confit, finished under the salamander. Beluga lentils, roasted cherry gastrique, and microgreens from our rooftop garden.
$46
Events & Gatherings
From intimate anniversary dinners to corporate retreats and rehearsal dinners, Ember & Salt offers three distinctive spaces. Our events team handles every detail, from custom menus to curated wine pairings and floral arrangements. We host 200+ private events each year.
Main Dining Room
Seats 80The Cellar
Private — 12 to 20 guestsThe Garden
Seasonal — seats 24
Marcus Cole
Executive Chef
The Kitchen
"Every plate I send out has to tell the guest where it came from."
Marcus Cole grew up in McClellanville, SC, shucking oysters before he could read a menu. He trained under three Michelin-starred chefs in Lyon before returning to the Lowcountry to open Ember & Salt in 2011.
His menus change with the tides and the seasons. In winter, you will find dry-aged beef and braised game. In summer, the kitchen tilts toward the coast: raw bar towers, chilled crab bisque, fire-roasted whole fish. Nothing arrives on the plate that did not arrive at the back door that morning.
A James Beard Award nominee in 2023, Cole has been recognized by Food & Wine as one of the South's most important culinary voices. He is a founding member of the Charleston Farm-to-Table Coalition and sources exclusively from partner farms within 150 miles of King Street.
The Cellar
Our 400-label list spans Burgundy to Barossa, with deep verticals in California Cabernet and Champagne. Sommelier Diane Fitch joined Ember & Salt in 2014 after six years at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in New York. She has received Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence three years running.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
2019 · Napa Valley
$380 / bottle
Burgundy — Pinot Noir
Domaine Rossignol-Trapet
2021 · Bourgogne, France
$210 / bottle
Chardonnay
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
2020 · Bourgogne, France
$480 / bottle
A taste of what awaits
What Guests Say
“The dry-aged ribeye is simply the best steak I have had outside of New York. The bone marrow butter alone is worth the trip to Charleston.”
“We celebrated our anniversary in The Cellar. Chef Cole sent out an extra course as a surprise. The sommelier's pairing was flawless. We will be back for every milestone.”
“Hands down the best restaurant in Charleston. The lobster bisque with the tableside cream pour is theatrical and delicious. The service is impeccable.”
“I hosted a corporate dinner for 14 in the private room. Everything was perfect. The team handled our dietary restrictions without a single complaint.”
As seen in
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Stories from the kitchen, cellar, and table at Ember & Salt
Our sommelier walks through the reasoning behind each pairing on the current tasting menu — and what to order if you prefer to build your own flight.
Read MoreEvery Tuesday morning, our executive chef visits three local farms and a coastal fishery. Here's what that process looks like and why it shapes the menu.
Read MoreSome dishes have been on our menu for years because guests refuse to let us retire them. We asked our regulars to share what keeps them coming back.
Read MoreJoin Us Tonight
Dinner service begins at 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday.
