Disclosure: Dinner at Circa 1886 Restaurant was hosted as part of a media visit organized by Explore Charleston. As always, all opinions are my own.
Charleston is packed with great restaurants, but Circa 1886 caught my attention for its mix of fine dining and history.
The restaurant is tucked behind Wentworth Mansion in a former carriage house, and over time, it has become one of the city's most respected dining rooms, earning both AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four-Star recognition.
On my first visit to Charleston with my girlfriend, Kel, dinner at Circa 1886 was an early highlight. One thing I noticed right away: unlike most tasting-menu spots, Circa 1886 lets each guest choose a different tasting menu or skip it and order à la carte.
We decided to take advantage of it, and each ordered a different tasting menu. I chose the Ashley, while Kel went with the Cooper. That way, we could try all 10 courses between us instead of just five.
At the time of our visit, both the Ashley and Cooper tasting menus were priced at $135 per person, with optional wine pairings for $225. For diners considering the experience, ordering different menus is a fun way to sample 10 courses instead of just five. It ended up being one of the highlights of our weekend in Charleston.
The tasting menus are named after the Ashley and Cooper rivers that surround the Charleston peninsula, another subtle nod to the city's history.
Dining Inside Charleston's Historic Carriage House
Circa 1886 shares the grounds with Wentworth Mansion, but has its own space in a beautifully restored carriage house just behind the hotel.
The name comes from 1886, when the mansion was completed for cotton merchant Francis Silas Rodgers. More than a century later, the carriage house became Circa 1886 Restaurant, preserving a bit of the property's history and offering one of Charleston's most intimate fine-dining experiences.
We booked a Saturday reservation for 5:45 p.m., which meant we could settle in at a quiet table for two by the back windows before the dining room filled up. As the evening went on, I noticed two couples nearby celebrating anniversaries. Circa 1886 is the kind of place people pick for special occasions.
The atmosphere felt refined but welcoming. The dress code is resort casual, and while most guests dressed up a bit, it never felt stuffy.
Throughout the evening, each course was introduced with a brief explanation that added context without slowing the meal. The pacing felt relaxed, giving us plenty of time to enjoy each course before the next arrived.
Soft instrumental music played in the background-think The Piano Guys and their classical versions of familiar songs-which added a subtle, elegant touch to the evening.
Cocktails
Before food arrived, we each ordered one of the restaurant's signature cocktails.
I went for the Peach Tea Sour, made with bourbon, peach, black tea syrup, and egg white. It was well-balanced, with plenty of bourbon and just enough fruit and tea to keep it refreshing without being too sweet.
Kel picked the Midnight on King, a mix of tequila, crème de mûre, agave, and milk-washed blackberry. It was fruit-forward and silky. Both cocktails set a great tone for the meal ahead.
An Amuse-Bouche
Before the tasting menus began, our server brought out a complimentary amuse-bouche.
A small bowl of butternut squash and coconut curry with miso was comforting, while the warm pancetta hush puppy on the side added a savory contrast.
It was a thoughtful first bite and a good sign that the kitchen likes to put a creative spin on Southern cooking.
Ashley Tasting Menu
I chose the Ashley Tasting Menu, which began with seafood and progressed to richer meat dishes.
Bread Service
Each tasting menu began with a warm piece of laminated brioche and lemon-chive butter. The bread was light, buttery, and flaky, with just enough citrus in the butter to keep things fresh.
Kaluga Caviar
The caviar course got me excited for the rest of the meal and showed just how much care went into each dish.
A piece of toast was sandwiched between a generous dollop of Kaluga caviar and cauliflower mousse, with a pool of scallion oil.
Corn crema and a pinch of espelette brought everything together, creating layers of creamy, briny, and slightly sweet flavors that worked beautifully.
This was one of my favorite savory courses of the night.
Faroe Island Salmon
The salmon came with daikon radish salad, Szechuan tomato tea, and uni butter. The flavors were delicate, with a hint of Asian influence. It was well prepared, and a little understated compared to the bolder dishes that followed.
Duck Breast
The duck breast was perfectly cooked and served with asparagus, elderflower pink peppercorn strawberries, duck jus, and tarragon middlins porridge.
This dish was a good example of how the kitchen combines Southern ingredients with a modern touch.
Lamb Chops
If I had to pick a favorite savory course, it would be the lamb chops. They came with spring pea purée, a berbere crust, smoked eggplant hash, and basil. Everything was balanced, letting the lamb shine.
A Study of Vanilla
Dessert really stole the show. "A Study of Vanilla" explored the ingredient in several forms: vanilla custard, Valrhona Opalys mousse, vanilla wafers, and a faux vanilla bean made of dark chocolate.
It was more complex than I expected and easily one of the best courses of the night.
Cooper Tasting Menu
While the Ashley Menu leaned toward seafood before moving into meats, the Cooper Menu showed a different side of the kitchen, with everything from earthy vegetables and Royal Red shrimp to antelope and Mishima Reserve beef.
Celeriac & Truffles
The first course brought together pistachios, pickled mustard seeds, dill, and a yuzu truffle vinaigrette. While the celeriac and truffles looked beautiful, this was the one course that didn't quite appeal to us as much as the rest.
Royal Red Shrimp
The Royal Red Shrimp ended up being one of our favorite seafood courses of the night. Kel loved the shrimp's natural sweetness, while I kept coming back to the creamy stracciatella mousse that brought the modern Lowcountry dish together.
Broken Arrow Ranch Antelope
The antelope course was a nice surprise, paired with buttered turnip purée, Dijon, chow chow, and green apple Pinot Noir syrup. It showed that the kitchen is willing to go beyond the usual steakhouse options.
Mishima Reserve Beef
The Mishima Reserve beef was richly marbled and served with roasted beets, summer squash purée, and beef bacon demi.
While earlier dishes zigzagged in and out of our comfort zone, the beef was right in it and cooked to a perfect medium-rare.
Strawberry Shortcake Soufflé
Dessert was a vanilla bean soufflé with Grand Marnier ice cream and strawberry syrup. Like the rest of the Cooper Menu, it made the most of seasonal ingredients and was light and elegant.
Should Couples Order Different Tasting Menus?
Absolutely. We traded plates throughout the evening, each taking a few bites before the next course arrived.
One of my favorite things about Circa 1886 is that you don't have to order the same tasting menu as your dining partner. Kel and I were able to try 10 different courses instead of just five.
Sharing bites let us compare flavors, discover dishes we might have missed, and leave feeling like we'd really experienced the kitchen's range.
If you're dining as a couple and enjoy trying new things, I recommend ordering different tasting menus, just like we did.
Know Before You Go
- Address: 149 Wentworth St, Charleston, SC 29401
- Reservations recommended
- Dress code: Resort casual
- Tasting menus: $135 per person (at the time of our visit)
- Wine pairing: $225
- Website: circa1886.com
Our Favorite Courses
Dave's Favorites
🥇 A Study of Vanilla
🥈 Lamb Chops
🥉 Kaluga Caviar
Kel's Favorites
🥇 Mishima Reserve Beef
🥈 Royal Red Shrimp
🥉 Duck Breast
Final Thoughts
Dinner at Circa 1886 was a highlight of our first trip to Charleston-the mix of historic setting, thoughtful service, and inventive Southern cooking made for a memorable evening. Ordering different tasting menus let us experience a much broader range of the kitchen's creativity.
If you're celebrating a special occasion or just looking for one of Charleston's top fine dining experiences, I'd recommend ordering different tasting menus if you're dining as a couple. It's a simple idea that turned an excellent dinner into one of the most memorable meals of our trip.
Are you spending a few days in the city? You can pair dinner here with some of our other favorite places to eat in Charleston.
