In its early drinking days, Charleston was home to more than 100 taverns, according to Robert Rosen’s A Short History of Charleston. These establishments served colonists looking for conversation, community and, of course, some good swill. Some of those taverns may have been small in size — but they were big in impact, bringing together a fledgling country while serving Dragoon’s Punch.
Today, the city boasts bars of all shapes and sizes, from 25-seat marvels to more intimate spaces. The area’s tinier bars, intentionally or not, pay homage to the city’s early drinking establishments, placing an emphasis on not only cocktails, but connection, too.
Bar Vauté
Located downtown beneath Brasserie La Banque, Bar Vauté, which opened in 2021, is described as a “’bar clandestin’ hidden in plain sight.” Push back a heavy curtain to reveal the art deco-decorated space, dimly lit by candles and, if you arrive early enough, natural light through street-level windows.
The historic, antebellum building at 1 Broad Street dates back to 1853 and it wears its age on its sleeve, where exposed brick walls cool down even the hottest of wandering tourists. Bar Vauté general manager Tanya Thomas said that while the upstairs of the building is all chic brasserie, the downstairs “has a little more grit to it.”
“We’re very much experimental with our cocktail list,” she said. Look no further than a recent creation, the Corpse Reviver #2, made with Botanist gin, Lillet, lemon, cointreau and absinthe. A booze-forward drink, it hits all the right tart and refreshing notes — and would likely knock wind into a corpse or two.
There are classic cocktail options, too, like the Boulevardier, Viuex Carre and French 75. Bar Vauté serves both small and large plates, from a roasted beet salad to steak frites. During the bar’s Apero hour — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday — guests can order $3 oysters on the half shell and a chef’s selection of cheeses.
With so much to offer — and in a tantalizingly hidden location to boot — Bar Vauté draws a mixed crowd, from South of Broad residents to college kids to tourists who see the bar featured on TikTok. When it gets crowded and a line starts to form, Thomas said that the bar sends out complimentary bubbles and blinis with caviar to waiting guests.
It’s all part of the hospitality Thomas said is par for the course for Bar Vauté’s corporate owners, Indigo Road Hospitality Group. “This [Charleston] is really a capital for hospitality,” Thomas said. “I think Charleston is very cognizant of that. They understand, you can go anywhere in Charleston and have a good time. It’s how we’re making people feel that’s special and important.”
Charleston’s Smallest Bar
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to judging a bar by its name, well, Charleston’s Smallest Bar is as accurate as they come. With just four barstools, this bar is tucked away in Hutson Alley, located between 39 Rue de Jean and Coast Bar & Grill.
The tiny space, which once served as storage for restaurant Rue de Jean, has been open for just over two years. Buoys and fishing decor dot the walls, and an in-the-works mural behind the bar features familiar local faces, including Holy City Hospitality founder Michael Bennett and his wife, Amy, and an older gentleman meant to represent both Ernest Hemingway and Captain Harry, a legendary local fisherman.
Hutson Alley Hooch, the bar’s signature frozen drink | Provided
Human resources manager Amanda Grant and marketing and events manager L.A. Thompson said that the space featured a different kind of decoration until very recently — signed dollar bills. “It got to the point where there were so many dollar bills so fast,” Grant said. “And that’s being done really well in some places. And we thought, maybe not us.”
While the dollar bills were taken to the bank (which accepted almost all of the marked-up money) and donated to local charities, the enthusiasm for the small bar remains. Bartender Eddy Giegher is hospitality incarnate, serving up drinks with a smile and a tale or two.
The small bar keeps things simple with canned cocktails, beer, wine and two frozen beverages on tap, including the signature Hutson Alley Hooch. Made with pineapple moonshine, rum, light rum, pineapple juice and coconut cream, it’s perfect for Charleston’s near-constant warm temps.
Hungry drinkers can order small bites, including fried shrimp, crab dip and oysters from neighboring restaurant, Coast.
Grant said that the bar is the ideal spot for folks waiting for a dinner reservation, or for Charleston Music Hall attendees to pop out for a drink during intermission. Guests don’t have to stay put in the bar either; Hutson Alley diners are free to walk up and down the entire alley with drinks in hand.
Saint Urban’s
The son of an architect, Warren Johnson said that he has always been interested in design, art and architecture — especially when it comes to small spaces. “It’s just a huge part of who I am,” he said.
Johnson opened Saint Urban’s in I’On with Chad Besenfelder (who also co-owns I’On’s The Shellmore with chef Eric Milley) in 2023 and he has carefully curated the 367 square feet into a European-inspired wine bar.
Guests can sit at the bar or at a cozy banquette covered in pillows from Denmark, Scotland and London. The rest of the space echoes this European aesthetic — the tiles are from Portugal and the artwork comes primarily from France. Johnson recently traveled to Bath, England to check out some small cheese producers. If you’ve arrived with a larger party and the weather is nice, you’re free to sit on the more expansive outdoor patio, too.
“I was in the restaurant business when I was younger, and loved it,” Johnson said. “It’s a thing that, if you’ve been in it at a certain level, it never gets out of your system. You’re always walking into a space and looking at things with perhaps a different set of eyes.”
Saint Urban’s opened quietly last summer and has grown to include a lengthy roster of regulars. Stop in on a weekday evening and watch friends greet one another and strangers become friendly over a drink or two. A recent visit saw a guest proclaiming that Saint Urban’s “feels like family.”
Guests can order from the small-ish menu of five to six artisanal cheeses from very small producers as well as salamis, jamon, mortadella and pâtés. Grab a glass of wine by the glass or bottle or order a cocktail — Saint Urban’s has a full bar with a limited selection of liquors and liqueurs, but Johnson promised that he could make something anyone would enjoy.
“We designed this place to be its own destination,” he said. Named after the patron saint of vineyards, wines and wine growers, Saint Urban’s is a passion project that anyone stopping by can enjoy.
Johnson said that when Besenfelder pitched the wine bar idea to him he thought on his answer before deciding on a resounding yes. “I said, ‘Yeah, let’s just do something really fun because these are my favorite things.’ I love to entertain, and I love design. I knew that he and I would work so well together and really geek out on the space,” he said. “It’s been so fulfilling.”
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