Charleston's restaurant scene moves fast. These are the best restaurants that opened in the last two years, ranked on the same evidence as everything else on the site.
Updated October 2026
← Back to all rankingsMerci is a small European-inspired neighborhood bistro in downtown Charleston’s Harleston Village, opened by chef Michael Zentner and his wife Courtney in March 2025.
Hours, prices and booking details are from our 2026 checks. Confirm with the restaurant before you go.
The all-Italian wine list is curated by co-owner Ariana Bolchoz.
Hours, prices and booking details are from our 2026 checks. Confirm with the restaurant before you go.
Left the podium this month: Chef Daniel Humm x The Charleston Place (was #3, no longer ranked in this category).
Where the top-ranked spots in this category are, from downtown to the islands. The number is each restaurant's overall rank in Best New this month.
Each card shows the evidence behind the rank: critic and local-guide coverage (linked), diner ratings, recent news and staying power. We log every list, award and rating with its date and source, apply the same rules to every restaurant, and refresh the ranking monthly. Arrows compare each restaurant with last month. Read how TasteSignal ranks restaurants.
As of October 2026, Merci is #1 in TasteSignal's Best New ranking for Charleston, SC, followed by Cane Pazzo and Tutti. Why it leads: critic recognition from Condé Nast Traveler, James Beard Foundation and 4 other outlets in the last five years.
Every restaurant in the category is ranked from named, dated evidence: critic and local-guide coverage, diner ratings on Google, Tripadvisor and Yelp, recent news and how long it has stayed on critics' lists. Our confidence in this category's data is 90% this month. Rankings refresh monthly.