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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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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!

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.

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!!

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.

Bar.. 21 and over only to enter proof
Laura P.

This is a bar, mostly cocktails but also wine, beer etc. Love the vibe, the bartenders know their drinks! We got the El choc which I thought would be chocolate tasting and looking but it has creme de cacao in it ( hence the name). The bathrooms share a sink, funky fun setup in general. Thumbs up!

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.

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8 years ago

Best old fashion in Charleston, bar tenders are professionals when it comes to cocktails and unprentenious

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8 years ago

Excellent cocktails and the staff is dedicated to their craft. Half the fun is watching them work!

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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.

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Last Saint - Bar

Last Saint

4.5(64 reviews)
0.5 miEastside

One of our bartenders at dinner recommended Last Saint for a cocktail, so we stopped by after our…read moremeal. The space was super vibey--dark, moody, and filled with candlelight. It felt cozy without being stuffy and was a great spot for people-watching. The cocktails were well made and balanced, and we got lucky enough to snag a table. The space is pretty small though, so by the time we arrived the bar was full and a lot of people were standing with drinks. Even so, the atmosphere was fun and energetic. Definitely a great spot for a nightcap if you're in the area.

My first time visiting a speakeasy since living in Charleston, and the Annex absolutely blew me…read moreaway. From the moment I walked in, the vibe was intimate, beautiful, and the perfect setting for a relaxed Saturday night cap. What made the experience truly special was the bartender. There's no traditional menu, instead, he takes the time to learn what you like and crafts drinks based on your taste. I've never experienced anything like that before. The level of knowledge and creativity behind the bar was incredible. Every drink he made was stunning and tasted even better than it looked. I was honestly so impressed that I couldn't even remember all the ingredients he mentioned because I was too busy being amazed at how good everything was. It was one of those moments where you realize there are real levels to this craft. I walked in thinking I knew a thing or two about mixing drinks at home, and left with a whole new respect for the art of it. The atmosphere, the personal attention, and the quality of the cocktails made this place feel truly top tier. Huge shoutout to the bartender, easily a 15 out of 10. Cool, knowledgeable, and passionate about what he does. If you're looking for an intimate spot for date night or just want to experience thoughtfully crafted cocktails in a beautiful setting, the Annex is the place. I will absolutely be back as soon as possible.

Photos
Last Saint - Bar seating looking toward the front door

Bar seating looking toward the front door

Last Saint
Last Saint - Arcade machine

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Arcade machine

Doar Bros. - Drink - Bourbon and Clyde.

Doar Bros.

4.9(276 reviews)
0.6 miAnsonborough
$$

A great find in the city with beautiful and tasty craft cocktails. The staff was great walking us…read morethrough the menu and giving recommendations of what we might like best. We stopped in for some drinks and snack before dinner and opted for the Middleton and the Ticket to paradise (made with vodka) and a cheese board the snack on. Everything was great, the Middleton tasted like Christmas to me (in a good way!) and the cheese board hit the spot. A great find and can't to try them again!

The last trip to Charleston, we made a reservation for Doar Bros to pop in for a cocktail after…read moredinner. I loved the atmosphere! It's super cozy, very chic, and pretty small. The service was on point and the bartender was killing it at the bar - multitasking making 3 drinks all at once. It was super impressive and I took a few videos of him. I'm giving 4 stars because the first cocktail I ordered was SO SWEET that I couldn't get it down. I tried to drink it but had to send it back. We asked when we ordered about the flavor profile and supposedly it wasn't sweet, but all 3 of us agreed it was way oversweet. My black manhattan was phenomenal and my husband had a mocktail moscow mule that was awesome. Overall, I'd come back again - just be mindful of the ingredients in the drink and modifying as needed for sweetness. Make a reservation if you can!

Photos
Doar Bros. - Best. Bartender. Ever

Best. Bartender. Ever

Doar Bros. - Tiger Style Clarified Nitro Punch & Doar Bros. Manhattan

Tiger Style Clarified Nitro Punch & Doar Bros. Manhattan

Doar Bros. - Bar

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Bar

La Cave - CAVIAR DEVILED EGGS

La Cave

4.4(23 reviews)
0.3 miCannonborough

People are always looking for a great date night place, and I would have to say that La Cave fits…read morethe bill. The interior is very elegant and bathed in low lighting with soft music playing while you dine. It's a little small so make sure you make those reservations! We started with cocktails, and I ordered the Jean De Florette with vodka, lillet rose, fig syrup, passion fruit, lime, crushed ice, and a fleur garnish. The fig syrup was the star providing a nice sweet and earthy flavor. My wife enjoyed the Harvest in Provence with charred corn mezcal, see the elephant amaro, bonal, lime, simple syrup, and a spiced corn garnish. This drink is so smokey but very refreshing. We were brought a complimentary hors derv which was a house made potato chip with tuna and spices. Really great for getting your palette ready for the coming meal. They only do this from 5pm to 6pm. We have had our eyes on the Raclette Burger Slider for some time. The burger was a good-sized slider, about the same size as a single cheeseburger with tons of ooey gooey raclette cheese smothering it. Of course, we had to order the Pommes Frites to go with the sliders and they arrived super crispy with a nice rosemary-lemon aioli for dipping. The grand finale was the Boeuf En Croute which was their play on a beef wellington. The filet was a nice medium rare with a flaky pastry crust and a delicious sauce bordelaise. A great way to finished. With its beautiful decor, great service and good food I would highly recommend this place for any date night!

my friend had the reservation for la cave for about two months now, it was for her birthday. The…read moreday before the reservation, she was called and said that the reservation was canceled. We thankfully got it fixed but when we showed up at the door, they asked for our IDs and we had to wait 10 minutes after our reservation to be seated. we were never informed that it was 21+, it doesn't even specify on the website. And result of this we had to be given wristbands before even entering the restaurant. when we finally entered the restaurant, we were happily guided to a beautiful table. the service was perfect. we got fries for the table and our food came out pretty fast. i got the salad which was okay, it had a interesting vinaigrette but i added lemon which really made it better. i tried my friends slider and it was delicious. the food and service saved this review. the place was gorgeous, i recommend!

Photos
La Cave - Salon privé

Salon privé

La Cave - Apéro board

Apéro board

La Cave - Interiors

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Interiors

The Darling Oyster Bar - Fried oysters, green & hush puppies

The Darling Oyster Bar

4.4(1.7k reviews)
0.2 miRadcliffborough
$$

Yesterday Olivia and I went to look at rehearsal dinner options, and I think we both felt good…read moreabout moving forward with Parcel 32. It's exciting to make another major wedding decision and feel like we're getting closer to having everything come together. At the same time, I've been feeling a little uneasy about some of the budget conversations. Part of it is that I don't always feel like Olivia and I approach spending the same way. One thing that bothered me was that after deciding on Parcel 32, the conversation quickly shifted toward adding things like a photographer for the rehearsal dinner. My reaction was that we should wait until we understand the full wedding budget before making those decisions. There are still major unknowns, especially rentals, and I don't think we really know what the final numbers are going to look like. The same thing comes up with invitations. Olivia wants high end stationery and sees it as an important part of the wedding. I understand the perspective that it's our wedding and that it's a once in a lifetime event. But I also feel like I keep coming back to the budget while she keeps coming back to the experience. What makes me uncomfortable is treating money that appears to be left over in one category as money that's immediately available to spend somewhere else. In my mind, we don't know what we truly have left until the entire budget is finalized. Just because the rehearsal dinner comes in under budget doesn't necessarily mean we should immediately spend that difference somewhere else. Another thing that keeps coming back into my head is that Olivia makes very good money. She's probably making somewhere between $135,000 and $145,000 a year, which is objectively a strong income. So when I hear things like, "Maybe I need a second job to pay for that," my reaction is that a second job isn't really the issue. From my perspective, the issue is spending decisions. When I look at her financial situation, I don't see someone who has an income problem. I see someone who has made a series of expensive decisions that, when combined, created the situation she's in today. The apartment is one example. It was a really nice apartment, but given the amount of debt she already had, I don't think it was the most financially responsible choice. The rhinoplasty is another example. Whether it was personally important to her or not, it was still a major expense added on top of an already difficult financial situation. The dog is another one. I love Rio and I'm happy we have him, but realistically, a dog is another financial commitment that probably wasn't necessary at that point in time. Then there's the Jeep, which is probably the biggest example of all. Individually, each of these decisions can be justified. But when I step back and look at them together, I see a pattern of choosing things she wanted despite already carrying significant debt. That's what worries me. Not because of the wedding itself, but because I wonder whether that same pattern could show up later with vacations, kids, housing upgrades, or other major purchases. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe wedding planning is making me more sensitive to these things. But I don't think my concern is really about invitations or photographers. I think it's about whether we fundamentally approach money differently. The reality is that our families are already spending roughly $225,000 on this wedding. That's an incredible amount of money, and I don't personally feel the need to push beyond that. I want us to have an amazing wedding, but I also want us to be disciplined and intentional about where the money goes. For now, I'm trying to separate what is a legitimate concern about long term financial compatibility from what is simply stress and uncertainty that comes with planning a large wedding.

Breaded AF on the fried seafood. The ratio between breading and seafood was 3 to 1. Breading…read moreoverwhelmed the seafood. Also, our appetizer came out after we were eating our mains; wish I would have refused it. Not cool. The waiter was nice so no complaint there. Really a bummer for a dinner we were looking forward to enjoying.

Photos
The Darling Oyster Bar - Booth seating

Booth seating

The Darling Oyster Bar - Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

The Darling Oyster Bar - Fried seafood platter

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Fried seafood platter

Proof - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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