South Carolina’s 10 Most Romantic Coastal Restaurants Make Date Night Feel Like A Getaway

Who needs a fancy anniversary when South Carolina can turn a random day into date night by the water?

Add a glowing sunset, salty air, and a table with a marsh view, and the evening already feels like a tiny escape.

Shrimp boats drift past, pelicans skim the docks, and the scenery keeps finding new ways to steal attention. Dinner hardly needs extra help!

Historic harbors and breezy rooftops keep the mood easy, while fresh coastal dishes give couples plenty to linger over.

By the time dessert arrives, heading home may feel like the least romantic option.

1. Fleet Landing Restaurant & Raw Bar, Charleston

What if dinner came with a side of maritime history?

Fleet Landing Restaurant in Charleston serves exactly that kind of evening from a former U.S. Navy building completed in 1942.

The concrete structure extends over the waterfront on a reinforced pier, while oversized windows open the dining room toward Charleston Harbor.

That mix of history and open water gives the setting a character that feels unmistakably South Carolina.

Southern seafood still carries the meal. Charleston shrimp and grits remains on the current menu alongside fresh fish, whole fried flounder, crab cakes, seafood pasta, and seasonal vegetables.

Outdoor seating adds harbor air when the weather cooperates, while indoor tables keep the view in play through the broad glass.

The restaurant sits at 186 Concord St, close to the foot of the City Market and within an easy walk of Waterfront Park.

The Pineapple Fountain, harbor promenade, and nearby historic streets make it simple to turn dinner into a longer date without moving the car again.

Reservations are accepted and can fill well ahead on busy weekends, so planning early makes sense for a sunset meal. The setting works just as well for an early supper as a later evening reservation.

2. Ladys Island Dockside, Beaufort

Just imagine for a second a sunset that seems painted just for you.

Lady’s Island Dockside in Beaufort sits directly on Factory Creek, with views toward the Woods Memorial Bridge, downtown, working docks, and the changing marsh.

The restaurant opens daily for evening service, and its screened porch keeps the waterfront close even when the air turns cooler.

The menu covers far more than one style of seafood. Current choices include shrimp and grits, crispy scored flounder, crab cakes, seafood pasta, grilled shrimp, fresh fish preparations, and Southern-style seafood platters.

Seasonal specials add variety, while soups, salads, vegetables, and classic sides make it easy to build a lighter dinner when the mood calls for one.

The setting works especially well before dusk, when reflections begin to stretch across Factory Creek.

Beaufort’s historic district is just across the bridge, so an afternoon among old streets, galleries, and waterfront paths can lead naturally into dinner without making the day feel overplanned.

You will find the restaurant at 71 Sea Island Pkwy. Indoor tables and the screened porch both keep the creek in view, but the waterfront seats make the changing sky part of the meal.

A short pause by the creek before going inside helps separate the meal from sightseeing. Give the evening room to unfold slowly, because the scenery rewards staying through the last light.

3. Skull Creek Boathouse, Hilton Head Island

You would take the words right out of my mouth by calling sunsets here legendary.

Skull Creek Boathouse on Hilton Head Island faces a wide stretch of water where boats pass, dolphins are sometimes visible, and evening light settles across the creek.

Glass-walled indoor seating and a large patio keep the view central, while the waterfront lawn gives couples another place to pause before or after dinner.

The current menu moves easily between Lowcountry favorites and sushi.

Fresh fish, shrimp, crab cakes, seafood dishes, ceviche, and creative rolls make sharing simple, especially when two people want to try several flavors instead of ordering the same style of entrée.

Hushpuppies, pimento cheese, vegetables, grits, and other sides round out the coastal lineup.

There is one planning detail worth knowing: reservations are not accepted. Seating is first come, first served, so arriving before the busiest sunset window can make the evening smoother.

The restaurant is at 397 Squire Pope Rd and currently serves lunch and dinner daily, with Sunday brunch starting earlier. Seasonal live music sometimes adds another layer to the waterfront setting.

Hilton Head’s extensive bike-path network also gives couples an easy way to turn the meal into part of a larger outing.

4. Drunken Jack’s Restaurant & Lounge, Murrells Inlet

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, how pirates ended up in a seafood story?

Drunken Jack’s in Murrells Inlet has leaned into that playful coastal identity since 1979.

The restaurant sits directly on the MarshWalk, a half-mile wooden boardwalk beside a natural saltwater estuary where marsh grass, fishing boats, and wading birds keep the view changing through the evening.

Murrells Inlet also carries the long-standing nickname Seafood Capital of South Carolina. Seafood remains the center of the current menu.

Fried and grilled selections, shrimp dishes, fresh fish, oysters, sandwiches, and rotating specials give couples plenty of directions to go, while hushpuppies and familiar Lowcountry sides keep the meal tied to the coast.

Large windows and outdoor seating make the inlet part of the experience rather than a distant backdrop.

The restaurant is at 4031 US-17 BUS and opens daily. A pre-dinner walk along the MarshWalk adds water views before the table, and the same path works just as well afterward when the boardwalk settles into evening.

Weekdays generally make the area easier to explore at a slower pace than major event weekends. The inlet’s open horizon gives sunset plenty of room to spread across the water.

5. RipTydz Oceanfront Grille & Rooftop Bar, Myrtle Beach

Call me crazy, but dinner tastes better with waves crashing below.

RipTydz Oceanfront Grille in Myrtle Beach sits directly on the oceanfront beside the Boardwalk, with multiple levels of seating and broad Atlantic views.

The building is large, but the upper outdoor spaces still create a sense of separation from the busiest street activity below.

The current menu mixes seafood with familiar comfort dishes.

Shrimp, calamari, fresh fish, burgers, tacos, salads, and shareable starters cover a wide range of appetites, while desserts give couples an easy excuse to stay through the shift from daylight to evening lights.

The setting does much of the romantic work without requiring a formal dining room.

The nearby Myrtle Beach Boardwalk makes planning simple. A walk before dinner can include ocean overlooks, arcades, shops, and views toward the SkyWheel, while a post-meal stroll keeps the Atlantic in sight.

Early evening works especially well because the ocean is still visible before the beachfront lights take over. Oceanfront seating keeps the shoreline close even as the boardwalk grows busier.

RipTydz is at 1210 N Ocean Blvd. Rooftop conditions can feel cooler and breezier than street level, so an extra layer is useful outside the warmest months.

6. River Room Restaurant, Georgetown

I’m still trying to wrap my head around how old brick can feel so cozy.

River Room Restaurant in Georgetown occupies an 1880s commercial building along Front Street, giving the dining room a genuine historic backdrop rather than a newly created theme.

The waterfront location looks toward the Sampit River, where boats and the Harborwalk keep the scene moving beyond the windows.

Seafood has anchored the menu here since 1984. Current lunch and dinner choices include shrimp and grits, grouper, shrimp platters, crab dishes, soups, salads, fresh vegetables, and other Lowcountry staples.

The selection is broad enough for a leisurely dinner without depending on one signature plate to carry the experience.

Georgetown itself adds another layer. Founded in 1729, it is the state’s third-oldest city, and the blocks around Front Street mix historic buildings, small shops, galleries, and riverfront views.

The Harborwalk behind the commercial district makes a natural before-or-after dinner route without requiring a second destination.

The restaurant is at 801 Front St and currently operates Monday through Saturday. Reservations are not taken, so arriving before the busiest dinner period can make the evening more relaxed.

A window-side meal, a slow walk beside the Sampit, and the warm texture of the old building give this stop a quieter kind of romance than the larger beach destinations farther up the coast.

7. Water’s Edge, Mount Pleasant

Have you given any thought to dining beside a working shrimp fleet?

Water’s Edge in Mount Pleasant sits directly on Shem Creek, where commercial boats, kayaks, paddleboards, and marsh wildlife share the same narrow waterway.

Large windows and outdoor seating keep the creek visible, giving dinner a distinctly South Carolina Lowcountry setting without needing much decoration indoors.

The current menu covers fresh fish, shrimp, crab cakes, seafood pasta, flounder, salads, vegetables, and several familiar Southern sides. That range makes it easy to keep the meal light or turn it into a longer dinner with shared starters and dessert.

The kitchen also offers non-seafood choices, so the waterfront setting does not limit the table to one kind of order.

Before dinner, Shem Creek Park is an easy addition. Its boardwalk and walking trail extend along the marsh, creating close views of the creek, docks, and surrounding wetlands.

Sunset can light the grass and water at the same time, which makes the area especially appealing for an unhurried evening walk.

Water’s Edge is at 1407 Shrimp Boat Ln. Downtown Charleston sits across the Cooper River, but there is plenty to do around Shem Creek without leaving Mount Pleasant.

Build the date around the waterfront itself, then let dinner finish the evening instead of treating the restaurant as a quick stop between larger attractions.

8. Tide To Table, Pawleys Island

Would you believe me if I told you a whole island brags about being shabby?

Nearby Pawleys Island has long used the unofficial motto “arrogantly shabby,” and Tide To Table fits comfortably into the area’s relaxed coastal character.

The restaurant sits at The Oceanfront Litchfield Inn, just north of the island proper, with Atlantic views that give dinner a noticeably different mood from a marsh or harbor setting.

Current dinner service focuses on local seafood and seasonal ingredients. Fresh fish, shellfish, vegetables, and changing coastal preparations keep the menu tied to what is available rather than locking it into one fixed lineup.

Breakfast is also served daily, while the more formal dinner schedule runs on selected evenings.

The Pawleys area has deep resort history. The island developed as a summer retreat generations ago and remains closely associated with wide beaches, salt marsh, and the classic rope hammock.

A shoreline walk before dinner fits naturally with that slower tradition, especially outside the busiest summer weeks.

Tide To Table is at 1 Norris Dr in the Litchfield Beach area, using a Pawleys Island mailing address. Spring and fall bring comfortable temperatures for couples who want ocean time without building the evening around midday heat.

9. Koko’s On The Pier, Folly Beach

The rebuilt Folly Beach Fishing Pier reaches 1,045 feet into the Atlantic, and Koko’s on the Pier sits directly at the oceanfront landmark.

The restaurant opened in March 2026, replacing the former Pier 101 space with a colorful island-inspired concept while keeping the panoramic beach setting intact.

Food stays casual enough for a beach date. Current choices include coconut shrimp, grouper bites, seafood platters, rice bowls, Lowcountry shrimp and grits, sandwiches, tacos, and several desserts.

Indoor and outdoor seating keep the ocean close, and the pier itself gives couples an obvious place to walk after the table is cleared.

Folly Beach still leans into its longtime “Edge of America” nickname, and Center Street is only a few steps away with small shops and an easygoing beach-town rhythm.

Sunrise works beautifully for an early visit, but dinner brings its own appeal as the light softens over the sand and pier structure.

Koko’s is at 101 E Arctic Ave and currently opens daily. Summer parking near the pier can become competitive, so earlier arrival can reduce unnecessary circling.

Once the car is settled, the beach, pier, restaurant, and nearby streets are all close enough to explore on foot, which helps the date feel like one continuous coastal outing rather than a series of separate stops

10. The Boathouse At Breach Inlet, Isle Of Palms

Let’s be real for a second about wild water views.

The Boathouse at Breach Inlet sits at the edge of Isle of Palms, where the island meets Sullivan’s Island across a fast-moving tidal channel.

Screened waterfront seating, a window-lined sunroom, and elevated outdoor space make the inlet visible from several parts of the property. Sunset across the marsh gives this final stop a classic South Carolina coastal finish.

The current menu centers on seafood, including fresh fish, shrimp, scallops, crab cakes, oysters, hushpuppies, vegetables, grits, and other Lowcountry sides.

The restaurant opened in 1997 and continues to emphasize seafood sourced from the surrounding region when available. Vintage nautical details inside connect the room to the waterways outside without overwhelming the view.

Breach Inlet also carries notable history from 1776. An attempted crossing toward nearby Sullivan’s Island showed just how difficult the tidal channel could be to navigate.

The currents remain strong today, and local rules prohibit swimming and wading in the inlet for safety.

The restaurant is at 101 Palm Blvd. A beach walk elsewhere on Isle of Palms works well before dinner, while the inlet itself is better admired from shore or the restaurant.