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    Proof

    4.1 (243 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Proof Photos

    Business Info

    PROOF ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Proof

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    Reviews With Photos

    My elephants keeper
    Carly M.

    This is my second time at Proof and 1st time ordering the elephants keeper. The drink itself takes about 20 minutes to be ready to serve. So while waiting you get an MGD pony to pass the time. It was worth the wait and worth the price. It's a very small place that is all about the upscale cocktails. I haven't been disappointed yet and I would visit again when I am in town!

    Boiled Peanuts
    Tasha F.

    Cool, small bar on King St. We stopped by during their late night hours and ordered 2 drinks from their specialty cocktails, and the bartender made me a Paloma. My friend ordered "My Elephant's Keeper" from the menu, was told it takes 10 minutes to make, and it did. Interesting concoction. The staff was very polite.

    Pink Rabbit
    Young K.

    Very nice mellow vibe. My friend and I stopped here for cocktails and sat at the bar. The bartender was super sweet and had a great sense of humor. I got the Pink Rabbit, and if you like a fruity gin cocktail. I highly recommend! Overall, 8.5 out of 10!

    Specials for Christmas
    Yirel M.

    This is my second time in Charleston and I always come to Proof. The drinks are so crafted and the bartenders super experienced in what they do. The bar is intimate and in the midst of so many other popular restaurants and bars. Do yourself a favor and bar hop, but make sure you always make it back to proof!!

    Ambiance
    Bonnie J.

    These are the best made cocktails. I had a French 75, a drink I order often. It was so well done, I ordered a 2nd. The bartenders are precise and put on a good show as they prepare the cocktails. We have been cruising King Street for a couple of nights. This is the spot.

    Hendricks drink. Forget the name. It was great.
    James S.

    Best cocktail bar in Charleston, hands down. Came here all three nights on our last trip to town. Small setting, not packed in like sardines though because they only let you in if there's an open seat. It's pretty dark inside. I really enjoyed the playlist, especially what one of the bartenders referred to as the "emo Sunday" mix. There's usually 2 guys running around making sure everyone is taken care of and two guys crafting some amazing cocktails behind the bar. The menu is great because it's all sorted by the main spirit in the drink, so all your gin drinks are near each other, all your rum drinks, etc. Each drink is more inventive than the last, just check out the menu I posted from my visit. I spent three nights here with two other people, everyone trying each other's drinks, so I tried somewhere around 12 drinks and there was maybe one I wouldn't order again, just due to my own personal preferences. I tried really hard not to order the same thing twice, but couldn't help myself with getting the Oui Chef again after having it about 2 years earlier and loving it. You'll see a very sweet looking drink in my pictures with strawberry and mint on top, but that one actually had little sweetness at all and was very forward with some Mexican spices if I remember correctly. Everything is so inventive and well executed. These guys take their cocktails seriously. Best part of all, in a day and age when cocktails in a city like Charleston start at $15 a piece, Proof's average drink is $12-13. I know I dropped $20 a piece for drinks at the Citrus Club just before coming here. This won't hurt the wallet nearly as much. I can't say enough good things. Get to proof and try something fun or even their version of your favorite classic.

    Knuckleball
    Scotty C.

    I can't even begin to explain how much I love this bar. I've never had a drink I didn't like here but my favorites are the sazerac... so simple but nails perfection here, and the knuckleball... wildly creative and unique with a pickled peanut snack at the end. Speaking of snacks, they've got small food items on the menu. I don't know how they do it but their boiled peanuts are the best I've had to date and perfect for sharing over a cocktail or two. If you're looking for a heartier dish, come on Fri or Sat night when Two Nixons takes over the tiny kitchen with Ramen... this is ending soon so your mileage may vary but I highly suggest you make it in for a bowl. The folks behind the bar are the coolest mofos in town. They play the best music, and you'll never be elbow-to-elbow with Chad trying to order shots because they only allow enough people in the bar to sit down and be comfortable. You'll never see them close for a hurricane unless the bar is actually underwater and if you're not convinced yet then proof isn't the bar for you.

    Clive V.

    Great cocktails!! N'uff said here! I wish I lived closer so I could come more often! Alas, I'll be back!

    a glass of wine and a drink on a table
    Melinda R.

    First round: Martinez, old fashioned Second round: French 75, clover club The Martinez is served with amazing cheese I can't remember the name but it's perfect even better than an olive I mean welcome to the 20's y'all. Old fashioned strong and sturdy. French 75 is my go to. I can't go somewhere and not order. It was perfect very lemony and the champs was just right to give it that fizzle. The clover club was by favorite drink. If you're put off by fruity, don't be with this. It's not overpowering. We were going to a different establishment a few blocks further away but when I walked by proof I just knew it was my vibe from the get. It's sophisticated and classy. The playlist is on point. Everything here is a 10.

    Classic speakeasy decor

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    3 years ago

    Eh. Nothing special. Drinks average, service average. Ambiance cool, but overall would skip

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    2 years ago

    GREAT service with a large menu of specialty cocktails so there's "something for everyone" here!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Proof

    How often is there live music here? In town for a few days and really want to hear some good live jazz standards.

    On Monday nights.

    View All 2 Questions

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    The Rooftop at the Vendue

    The Rooftop at the Vendue

    3.5
    (798 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Kelly was amazing. Fantastic service, drinks, and food highly recommend in Charleston…read more This place has everything, cocktails, apps, bearded dragons, a disco ball filled with a fantastic Skyline Aviation cocktail. The ambiance is perfect for a day or night out. You can see the bay on the roof top across the street getting a little busy. Great show and atmosphere.

    This place has so much potential that it doesn't live up to. Starting off strong it's right beneath…read morea beautiful art gallery, which created an exciting aesthetic before going up to the rooftop. The roof top however gives off more of a college/dive bar vibe despite having a great view of the city. When we went on Monday only one bar, the downstairs one was open. Despite there being servers it didn't seem that anyone wanted to take tables so the solution was for guests to order drinks/food at the downstairs bar and bring it up to the deck themselves. While the bartender was nice, fast, and good at her job everyone else around her just didn't seem to care to provide service. The chips on the trio platter were beyond stale and since servers didn't care to serve the top deck tables were left unbussed and dirty. Not sure if this experience was a case of severe understaffing or just negligence on the management. I'd recommend going to literally any other rooftop bar for a more elevated experience where the staff actually wants to serve the guests.

    Photos
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    The Rooftop at the Vendue
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    Proof - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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