The Ordinary

You’re never too far from a raw bar in Charleston, but when you want to turn a casual meal of oysters and shrimp into an event, head to The Ordinary on King Street. This 1920s bank-turned-restaurant serves a wide range of seafood dishes, but the main reason to come here is for the shellfish towers, which you can get in one, two, or three layers. Order a drink and a tower, and a few shared plates like the crispy oyster sliders and banded rudderfish with shiso and ponzu. The architecture of the building is an event of its own, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a skylight above that fills the big space with light. Oh, and there’s an old grand bank vault door that now serves as a passage between the kitchen to the oyster bar.