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This is one of my favorite places to go for dessert (dinner is excellent, too, but this particular time is for dessert). The Some More dessert is phenomenal. This time we sat at the bar. The bartenders were wonderful- great service and very personable! I decided on an espresso martini, which was delicious and paired wonderfully with the dessert. A beautiful restaurant and a great way to end the evening.
The food was delicious! Service was good. The Pavlova was delightful. The ceiling of the restaurant is beautiful. They give the ladies roses at the end of the meal and you get a little shot of liquor. I appreciated that they poured a glass of water for my daughter so she didn't feel left out. I would order the flounder, calamari, salad, again. The fish tacos were not my favorite. The tortilla was not all warmed through and a little dry, but everything else was out of the park.
I wish I could give 6 stars. I can't remember our servers name now but she was fantastic! The restaurant was having an event inside so we sat out on the patio and felt like we got. a lot of special attention! We learned so much about the restaurant and chef Jamie Lynch - and then got to meet him! What an amazing experience. And I haven't even gotten to the food yet! Everything was superb. The ocean rolls, the shrimp entree, the cacio e pepe with handmade noodles - wow. But the best thing we ate was the side of vegetables! They were so perfectly cooked and coated in butter, what more could you want! And can't forget the sunburst lemon dessert that was so delicate and tangy, and the dessert cognac service! What a fun way to end the night. I can't recommend this place more. Thank you thank you thank you!
After having this splendid dining experience, I believe the OpenTable hype is real. The service and food for our in-laws wedding anniversary dinner during our travels visiting Charleston waterfront surpassed any expectations. This is the first time I would consider 6 out of 5 Stars rating. This was literally last minute scheduling too while our kids were playing couple minutes away at the water fountain. First time Ive experienced champagne upon arrival and cognac after dinner. Hard to beat. On behalf of my loved ones from Portland Oregon, many thanks and cheers.
What a treat! We visited Tempest on a rainy Friday that made us miss our reservations. We had let them know and when we arrived a half hour late found they had reserved two spots at the bar for us. Very thoughtful and a great solution! The restaurant itself is beautiful. The lowered glass ceiling is gorgeous and the driftwood piece at the end of the bar is tremendous! Our dinner was excellent. The N/A-negroni mocktail was a fun start, with its hint of orange and floreal. We shared the tasty calamari and each devoured a beef dinner: I enjoyed the steak frites, medium rare, with shoe string fries; he loved the short ribs with mashed potatoes. Great meal, nice staff. A new favorite!
Amazing spot to take my family while they were in town visiting us. We ate on their patio with a party of 7 including a 1 year old. The patio allowed him to stay entertained watching people walk by. Being outside, we felt relaxed and not like we were bothering anyone if he squealed. The barramundi was a favorite - wonderfully flakey and paired nicely with the sweet potato.
My boyfriend and I chose to celebrate his birthday here while we were visiting Charleston because of all the great reviews. The food definitely lived up to the hype--we ordered the tuna, swordfish, bolognese, and the s'mores dessert. The tuna and swordfish were by far our favorites, and everything came out surprisingly quickly. Unfortunately, the service left us disappointed. I mentioned multiple times when making the reservation and upon arrival that we were celebrating a birthday, but it was never acknowledged. We felt like we were simply shuffled in and out rather than welcomed or made to feel like we were celebrating a special occasion. To make matters worse, we overheard a nearby table celebrating an anniversary receive a description of an off-menu dessert and a complimentary dessert, while our celebration wasn't acknowledged at all. The food was excellent, but for a restaurant with such a strong reputation and at this price point, I expected a more thoughtful and consistent dining experience. Because of the lack of hospitality, I don't think we'll be returning.
We had an amazing experience at Tempest during our weekend in Charleston. Our Uber driver recommended and we were able to walk right in on a Friday night - though I think that was pure luck since it seems quite popular! The location is so unique and the beautiful art inside attracted us in. The staff was super friendly and helpful throughout the whole meal. I very much enjoyed a pasta dish and wine, but my favorite part was at the end of the meal. We were surprised with a complementary port, a flower to take home, and a copy of The Tempest that served as a guest book. So cute and unique!
We arrived to an empty restaurant. We were quickly attended by the host and server. The music played through the speaker is upbeat and the lighting is appropriately dimmed for dinner with a lit candle on each table. The menu has drastically changed from a fish-centered menu to a menu with sparse fish entrees - there is but one now. Guessing there has been a chef change and they are trying to make the restaurant food choices their own. The roasted shrimp were very tasty. Would recommend. The fish tacos are very nice. Good balance of flavors. The cacio e pepe is fine. Too much butter - greasy. Not enough pecorino. This is not the same restaurant that was once voted best restaurant by USA readers in 2020. The Tempest of today is not sure what it wants to be. It has elements of Italian, elements of a steak restaurant, very limited seafood entrees, etc. It should change its name to Miscellaneous from Tempest, because the menu does not have a clear focus. We asked to change the preparation of the Filet Mignon to have an au poivre sauce with shoestring potatoes. Irish potatoes have a cabbage flavor and the texture is off-putting. The shoestring potatoes were great, the filet mignon was tender and had a great flavor but needed more au poivre sauce. The Mahi Mahi was good, but it doesn't knock it out of the park. Do not ask for a half portion of pasta because that is not allowed. Do not ask for traditional mashed potatoes because they are pre-prepared and the kitchen cannot accommodate. It's comical to see all of the ocean decor on the walls with this no longer being a fish-focused restaurant. The "tradition" of giving ladies roses, men cigars, and a taste of brandy has been downgraded to carnations and no cigars. Truly an inferior substitute. There were nicer flowers on the tables at Chik-fil-a on our drive to Charleston. If the feel of this new version of Tempest is to be an upscale, sophisticated dining experience, carnations are not the flowers to favorably impress. The bar is still wonderful and making excellent drinks. Cheers. The desserts were on par for previous visits. EASILY the highlight of the meal. The s'mores dessert is phenomenal the chocolate ice cream is the most creamy and most rich ice cream I've had in a long while. In short, skip dinner here, but definitely order dessert. Our server was very friendly as was the host. We are now in the market for an excellent seafood restaurant in Charleston - this is sadly no longer it.
I've been to the Tempest before and enjoyed it, but not as much this time. The food was so-so for my group. I really liked the oysters, but the pavlova was hard. Why even serve it if you know the humidity makes it impossible to enjoy? Odd! Ordered a wedge salad, and nothing on the menu stated that onions were served with the salad. Why?? I would have ordered without the onions, but no, the salad came out with raw onions all over it. Too many to pick off to the side, so I had to send back and wait for another. By the time my salad came out for the second time, the others in my party had already finished theirs. Just seemed like an uneven night. The manager apologized for the salad and dessert and offered a complimentary dessert to make up for it, which was appreciated. With so many great dining choices in Charleston, missteps like this are tough to make me want to try again anytime soon.
right off the bat, we experienced a bit of hostility from the host. when we told her the name for the reservation, she gave us attitude and said "are you sure it's not for Church and Union." we had to point out the name to her as if she was purposely trying not to see it. other than that, the service was amazing. our server was so sweet and continued to fill up our waters when they'd get low. for the appetizers we got the fried calamari(8/10), the shrimp(6/10), and the ocean rolls(8/10). for the main i ordered the barramundi. the sweet potato had a lot of flavor and the kale on top was a nice touch. the fish itself didn't have a lot of flavor (7/10). as for dessert, we got the special lemon meringue, which is perfect if you love sweet, and the s'mores, which is perfect if you love a more heavy flavor, both so delicious. the place had great music and it was so asthetic. i recommend!
Had such a great time here! We had reservations so we were sat immediately & all our food came out at a reasonable time. Speaking of the food - out of this world. I'll be thinking about the braised short rib until I'm able to come back. At the end of the meal they gave the girls in our group flowers and all of us a brandy to sip on... such a cute thing that they do complimentary! Highly recommend the smores dessert
1 year ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Amazing food, service and atmosphere, wish i got more photos! Hubby surprised me here with reservations for my birthday and we loved absolutely everything!! Can't wait to come back!! Definitely check it out if your in Charleston! read more
3 years ago
The service, food and atmosphere were all great. We had the tuna tartare, flounder and crab cakes. All fantastic. The crab cake may be the best I have ever had. We made our reservation on open table the same day. This will be highly recommended to friends and family! The Cognac and rose were a really nice touch! read more
3 years ago
The Ambiance was nice, the service was mediocre. There was a good deal of waiting for the food. The pancakes were yummy, burger was not good, lobster roll not good, shrimp and grits not good and crab cake not good, but the roasted oysters yummy. read more
1 year ago
6 years ago
This restaurant just opened in Charleston and I had to try it out. We did not come for dinner but rather just sat at the bar because the wait time was too long without a reservation. This place was poppin! Joe was our bartender, and he was great. He guided us through the menu and all his recommendations for food and cocktails were excellent. We ordered a few things on the appetizer menu. The absolute best item was the umami tuna bombs. This one quite possibly one of the best appetizers I have ever had. Super worth the price. I also had a cocktail called Harriott's. Definitely super good if you like spicy. The atmosphere is super fun and the decor is nice. They have an elaborate and beautiful mural on the ceiling that really makes the space unique. read more
This may very well be my new favorite restaurant in Charleston. We decided to try a mid-week date night here and got a 6:30 reservation on a Wednesday. The staff showed us to our high top table and we immediately remarked how we liked the ambiance - it has the old church feel of 5Church but is much more intimate. Neither of us knew much about the menu- we picked out the octopus and ceviche small plates ourselves and our server Jenna guided us to the swordfish and the grouper for our main courses. We ended with possibly the best restaurant dessert I've ever had- the "some more". The octopus was really nicely cooked which is hard to find. The ceviche was a bit of a smaller portion and what struck us about it was that it had more of a cucumber flavor than the typical citrus flavor. Both were quite nice; I would order the octopus again but might switch out the ceviche next time for something different. Both fish mains were absolutely great in their own way. I've never had swordfish that was so tender and flavorful. If you had given me a blind taste test I never would have guessed it was swordfish- I would definitely order it again. But the winner was the grouper. Amazingly cooked with a chimichurri sauce and chili oil with bits of orange- it's a lot of different flavors but comes together in a very tasty balance. We both loved it and would order it again in a second. At this point we were both blown away. And then for the icing on the cake, we order the "some more" for dessert (again, at our server's recommendation). It was the most delicious restaurant dessert I may have ever had. I would put it against Peninsula Grill's coconut cake - and I don't say that lightly. To end the night Jenna brought complimentary cognac, a cigar and a rose. It was an interesting touch. We really enjoyed our evening and can't wait to return. TLDR; this place is amazing. Get the octopus, the grouper and the "some more" dessert. The staff and ambiance is great. read more
Business owner information
Tempest C.
Ross,…
So impressed with this spot -- we stopped in when our car broke down. We thought we'd get a drink and an appetizer while we waited for triple A, and they really turned the night around! They had no space, so the 5 of us sat at the bar (it's a full service bar) -- and the staff and service were amazing!! DRINKS: The Duke: I was expecting a stronger, smokier drink -- but was pleasantly surprised by the sweet and light ginger-forward cocktail (with flaming rosemary!) BEER & WINE: the palm ale was tasty, the rosé cider was nice and light, and my mom enjoyed her Chardonnay THE FOOD: MUST TRY: Saffron Cavatelli: So good we ordered TWO!! We loved it -- and my family doesn't like walnuts, but you really can't taste them. I will dream of this pasta. Tuna bombs: comes with three and each are prepared differently -- all amazing and very savory BREAD: some of my favorite bread of all time -- consistency is like a challah bread with a slight sweetness and it's laced with salty nori (seaweed) and the whipped butter on the side also has some nori on it. AMAZING. Snapper: light, perfectly cooked, flavorful with a potato risotto (which is not your typical risotto so don't expect that!) Bok choy: two words: CRAB BROTH. Just get it. GOOD: Roasted cauliflower: a good side, but with the other dishes blowing me away, this was just okay! I would love to come back for the strawberry shortcake or the seafood tower! ALSO with our check they gave us a cigar and two roses -- a lovely touch to the end of our meal. Seriously they turned a bad situation into one of our favorite dining experiences! 5/5 recommend :) read more
2 years ago
Had a great meal here on President's Day weekend with help from our server, Jule. We managed to get outdoor seating and despite intermittent heavy rain, stayed dry and warm out there. Cocktails were great and the sea weed bread was so good we asked for more. Loved the monkfish liver pâté. The smores dessert was wonderful. The real stars of the show were of course the fish entrees. My favorite was the crusted swordfish. Seasoned to perfection, a little spicy, and cooked to be buttery soft, not like a swordfish steak. A perfect meal and very reasonably priced for an upscale restaurant. read more
5 years ago
Came for dinner and found the best restaurant in Charleston. We came back the next day to try even more of their menu. Highlights from our two meals are the roasted seafood platter (mussels, oysters, shrimp, crab....everything) SO good, also the raw seafood tower with fresh local oysters (good luck deciding between the two - no wrong choices!), the nori rolls and the fresh ice cream dessert. The team here is friendly, personable and authentically welcoming. The main dining room fits about 30-40 people which felt comfortable and not "packed" or "lost" in a sea of tables. If you can't get a table reservation, the bar has at least 12 stools that are first-come. If you're visiting or if you live here, this restaurant is a gem that needs to be experienced. read more
Great experience! Service was incredible and the restaurant was beautiful. The food was incredible! My favorite was the flounder dish - I personally felt that the risotto was salty for my liking. The sourdough rolls were INCREDIBLE and I highly recommend ordering the potatoes and dipping the bread in that sauce!!! Loved the pretty flower given to each person at the end of dinner service read more
Tempest knows how to entertain! From the welcome glasses of Cava to the cigars & cognac at the end of our dinner their presentation is impressive. The ambience is nice with beautiful stained glass mosaic ceiling, dim lighting and cozy seating. Our server was attentive and pleasant . We ordered the lobster appetizer and grouper for dinner. While the lobster was not the greatest (did not taste fresh) overall the meal was good. The kitchen kindly accommodated our low carb requests and we did enjoy the meal and overall dining experience. The Tempest is fairly new so will give them a try in a few months:) read more
2 years ago
the tuna tartare was excellent and a reasonably sized portion, served with perfectly crisp chips. the steak and eggs were served with the eggs a bit runny, and we were not asked how we wanted steak or eggs cooked... but the saddest part was actually the french toast. from now on, i will ask if it is crispy and crunch, or soft. these were soft, with not even a crackle of crispyness. it was custardy bread with a sweet glaze. it was yummy but not crisp or like toast at all. could totally be a preference thing, but not how i prefer my french toast read more
6 years ago
Freaking fantastic from start to finish!!!! Y'all this place is the absolute best, the story and experience are not matched anywhere in Charleston. If you don't know Tempest is a Shakesphere play (I didn't know this so don't be ashamed of you don't either). What I do know is the restaurant fully embodies the story telling experience and is totally on theme. The mosaic on the ceiling is like nothing I've ever seen before. The aesthetic and decor is welcoming and comfortable. The atmosphere and service was engaging and elegant. We came here for my birthday and sat at a very comfortable booth/banquet under the mosaic. Our server was super knowledgeable and described his favorites in the menu and answers every question we had. We were with my son and the chef was able to accommodate his dietary restrictions without hesitation. Due to the occasion we stated with two glasses of Champagne and the Tempest Tower. The tower was EPIC! You can't go wrong with a seafood tower and this one did not disappoint. Beyond the usual suspects there was a Wahoo ceviche that's was so bright and flavorful and a house poached tuna salad that was to die for. For entree I went with the Tilefish over potato risotto and didn't leave a bite. We also got a side of the Roasted Cauliflower which is quickly becoming my favorite vegetable. Desserts were divine..... house made ice cream and the Tempest Some More which as the name implies was a s'more like concoction. Im not one to ruin surprises but the ending of the meal and the continued story was just incredible. No where else in Charleston sends you home with gifts which really put this experience over the top and solidified my true 5 star rating. I love this place and can't wait to return. Thank you Tempest for the amazing birthday! read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
Please DO NOT judge the book by its cover. My husband and I were here in Charleston just for the weekend. We came to the market and came across this restaurant that have snapper, hard to find by the way, Menu shown outside. Even though we didn't have reservations on a friday night they accommodated us. Long story short; I would like to thank Wes for everything food and service is excellent couldn't ask for more. Please come by you won't regret it. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
I think this place was the highlight of my Charleston trip! The bartender from their sister restaurant, church and union, recommended this place, and I'm so glad I made a change in my dinner plans to do so. My server/bartender was wonderful. He checked in at the perfect times, carefully watched for when to bring my next course, gave me more information about the wine selection, and even gave CHS recommendations. I had the 3 course economy gastronomy, which is a great deal at $60. First course was the yellowfin tuna tartare, second the casaracce pasta, lastly the Some More dessert (I don't normally go for chocolately dessert but this was amazing). At the end of the dinner, my server brought me a rose to take home as well. A sweet touch to end the evening. I sat in the first floor bar area, and it was casual and calm. The ceiling has a beautiful mosaic above to look at, and the bar seating is large and comfy as well. Overall, the owners knocked it out of the park at The Tempest! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Loved the fingerling potato's, fish options and chicken and dumplings! Service was lovely &Tempest haz such fun traditions and an amazing mosaic ceiling! read more
3 years ago
So me and my friend went to dinner tonight for Mother's Day and I wouldn't recommend going here for the price or quality of the food or service. I ordered Tuna and it came with beets, and asked for a substitute due to I'm allergic to beets and they stated no substitution. We ordered an appetizer and it didn't come before our entrées. My friend order the ribeye, We could have bought a bigger and thicker ribeye at a Harris teeter for half the price. I can say my drink was great though I got the Harriott. There were only 4 people sitting at the bar which was including us. The bartender was slow and was not very attentive. read more
4 years ago
6 years ago
Omg! Amazing place - food was one of the best we have had. Fish of the day was red snapper prepared whole with green and red salsa for sauces - and some smoked rock salt to add more flavors - cilantro, mint and other greens on the side. The appetizer was great as well - 3 different kinds of tuna... will definitely come back!!! We had Caroline as our waitress who was amazing and very helpful with drink choices and food. read more
3 years ago
Again, great experience. Great service, tasty brunch, wonderful atmosphere. I will say brunch can be rough due to the noise from multiple bachelorette parties seated around you (lots of yelling and very loud talking) but our waiter was very accommodating and attentive, the food tasted delicious, and the venue was beautiful. My only gripes are the noise level (not really the restaurant's fault) and the shrimp not being devined. The tempest tower was delicious but it was quite unappealing to see the shrimp poop still on. Other than that, a delicious and wonderful experience. read more
This review is strictly for brunch. This was my second time having brunch here and I was nervous that it may not meet my expectations because the first time was so good. Luckily, my nerves were unwarranted, it was just as delicious as the first time! Was too excited to eat, so unfortunately, no picture of the pancakes, sorry about that. I can't say enough good things about these pancakes, just get them, you will be thanking me. They are fluffy and delicious and filling and served with a ton of butter! My husband and sister went with the mushroom omelette which came with hash browns and sour dough toast. I also got a side of bacon. The bacon was just ok and a little salty, probably wouldn't order that again. The omelettes were on the salty side but still amazing. And those hash browns, omg! Service was outstanding, as usual. The outside covered area is our favorite place to sit no matter the weather. We've never been too hot or to cold. The bathroom is always clean and a pleasure to use. read more
Business owner information
Tempest C.
Thanks so much for your review, Patti! We hope you'll come back to…
3 years ago
4 years ago
Tempest was the perfect pleasure for Charleston Restaurant week! I was excited to be seated under the stained glass ceiling, but they ended up leading us to the second floor, and I'm so glad they did. It has a clean, cozy feeling. The noise level can be a bit high, but the service is friendly and a good time. The small details of our evening, such as a complimentary bourbon tasting to finish off the meal, brought back memories of dining in Scandinavia. The food was incredible - especially the oysters, steak, and chocolate cake! We definitely will be back. read more
Business owner information
Tempest C.
Cecilia, we are so happy you were able to join us during Restaurant…
4 years ago
What a wonderful way to finish the evening! Little touches from the beautiful mosaic glass ceiling inside to the bill coming in a copy of Shakespeare's "The Tempest", this place has outdone itself. I came here with two very dear friends as we were in town for a conference and this place did not disappoint! We started out with ceviche and steak tartare. Both dishes were delicious. The ceviche was light and refreshing, and the steak tartare was perfectly seasoned. The capers gave the occasional surprising "pop" and the salt that helped lift up the tartare. We also had a half dozen oysters. The three sauces that came with them were all great, but my favorite was the mignonette. It was citrusy and accentuated the brininess and the subtle sweetness of the oysters perfectly. My friends both ordered the snappers for their entree and I had a taste of the Charleston gold rice. It was absolutely delicious. Creamy and savory and it reminded me of a good congee or risotto. I had the monkfish chop in laksa curry. The monkfish was delicious and clean in its flavor. However, I will say that I wish the laksa curry packed more of a punch and flavor - I am used to the Malaysian laksa type of curry and I think this was a little too toned down for me. I still enjoyed the dish very much. The star of the dinner, though, was the jerked cauliflower. It packed all the flavors of the jerk seasoning without it being overwhelmingly spicy. The way it was roasted gave it such great texture and every bite was an umami bomb. To finish off the dinner we shared the honey pot de creme with black sea salt. The sea salt elevated the sweetness of the pot de creme and it was the perfect way to end a meal. The restaurant also has a tradition of offering the ladies a rose and the gentlemen cigars to finish the meal! These little touches, along with the food and service, are the reasons why I will be back to Charleston and this restaurant!!!! read more
Business owner information
Tempest C.
Hi William, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a…
3 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
A very cute restaurant. Service was excellent. Food was fresh and delicious. Complimentary bread and started with the Tempest Tower. Top tier had chilled lobster. Second tier had a seafood salad, mushroom truffle salad, and ceviche. (All we're good but that ceviche!! Amazing) Bottom tier had oysters and clams and a bowl of shrimp. The oysters were very tasty. The umami tuna bombs were okay. One of them was really really good. The bok choy was good, but the sauce it came is was absolutely to die for. We used that sauce to ladle over our fish. The snapper was good and tasted very fresh. The drinks were good and at the end of the meal they have complimentary shots of a very smooth cognac and a rose for each lady. As I mentioned in the beginning, the service was sooo good. They give a military discount of 50% off which is very generous as well. This will be a regular stop any time I'm in the Charleston area. read more
Business owner information
Tempest C.
Hi Christina! Thanks so much for leaving a review for us. We're so…
4 years ago
Dear Business Owner- as requested I emailed you on Oct 27 with the information you requested. I haven't heard back. read more
Business owner information
Tempest C.
Hi L.C., thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I'm…
More info about Tempest
32 N Market St
Ste C
Charleston, SC 29401
French Quarter
Directions
(843) 996-4966
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http://www.tempestcharleston.com
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Ask the Community - Tempest
Is there a dress code?
No, like others have said Charleston casual is good enough. I dressed up, but you don't have to.
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