Charleston’s Coziest Coffee Shops
One of our favorite activities during the cooler months of the year is enjoying tasty coffee and pastries at some of the best coffee spots around town. Read on to find our picks for cozy, friendly coffee shops sporting winter treats of all kinds!
Sightsee – Owned and run by one of the friendliest couples in town, Sightsee boasts high-quality roasts prepared with love and delicious pasties from local bakery Wild Flour. Take a minute to peruse their adorable interior while waiting for your drink, or check out one of their weekend pop-ups featuring fantastic local vendors of all kinds, from plant purveyors to tarot card readers.
Babas – With an array of AM snacks like breakfast tacos and hazelnut pound cake available for dine-in or pickup, Babas has plenty of options for every kind of morning person. They also make our very favorite coffee drink in town: a peanut latte made with their own house peanut milk. Rich and nutty without being too sweet, it’s a perfect chilly-morning drink.
Clerks – This stylish coffee shop attached to the Hotel Emeline on the market serves up a standard coffee bar menu that also features specialties such as grit cakes and other tasty savory pastries, alongside some novel coffee drinks amped up by house-made syrups. Perfect for folks staying near the market area, the sleek interior will have you wanting to linger just to lounge and people-watch!
Second State – Tucked off of sleepy Beaufain Street, Second State has been hosting Charleston’s coffee snobs for almost a decade, and features a perfectly simple, welcoming interior where it serves up unfussy coffee drinks made from its own brand of beans. A perfect destination for the coffee purist, Second State is the perfect quiet spot to meditate on your morning while enjoying the varied tasting notes in a handcrafted cup of joe.
Harbinger – With a massively inventive menu of pastries alongside Methodical coffee and espresso, Harbinger boasts some of the best seasonal specials of any coffee shop in town. Owned and run by a female team, everything about Harbinger – from the decor to the names of their tasty bakery options – is rooted in a spirit of charming comfort. Their many plant-based offerings also make this a great stop for folks following a plant-based diet!
As the holidays approach, so our minds turn to what to gift our loved ones this year! If you’re racking your brain, consider sending along a little piece of Charleston with one of our curated gift boxes! These bundles of foodie joy contain everything needed to give that special someone a taste of the Lowcountry right in their own kitchen. Got someone on your list that’s planning a Charleston trip next year? Send them a Charleston Culinary Tours gift card and ensure that they’ll make some amazing and delicious memories while they’re in town!