Food & Wine this week unveiled the winners of its 2025 Global Tastemakers Awards, celebrating the most unforgettable food and drink experiences across the U.S. and around the world. Both the City of Charleston and downtown restaurant Lowland were honored by the periodical.
The City of Charleston was named the 6th best U.S. City for Food & Drink, while Lowland was named the 4th Best U.S. Restaurant.
Here's what Food & Wine had to say about each:
City of Charleston
- "Restaurants in Charleston could easily just lean on the port city’s natural beauty and famously warm hospitality. But diners can expect so much more, like the freshest local seafood, a robust cocktail culture, and plenty of Lowcountry cuisine. To get a taste, make for classics like The Charleston Grill, FIG, and Leon’s Oyster Shop, and mark your calendar this November for the return of the Food & Wine Classic."
Lowland
- "James Beard Award winner Jason Stanhope opened Lowland last year as an ode to Lowcountry cooking. It’s part of The Pinch hotel, a boutique property recognized by the Michelin Guide, but Lowland truly stands alone, with a historic 19th century home next door. The restaurant climbs two stories worth of dreamy interiors, filled with warm brick, handsome fireplaces, patterned wallpaper, and a mossy mural that crawls the walls. You can expect refined Southern comforts, from local oysters to farmer cheese biscuits to a thick tavern burger."
Now in its third year, this annual list spotlights the top 165 culinary destinations, from restaurants and bars to cities, hotels, cruises, airlines, and airports. The honorees were selected based on a global poll of 400+ chefs, travel experts, writers, and wine pros, with final rankings determined by Food & Wine editors and our Global Advisory Board.
The complete list of winners and award methodology are available at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers, with highlights featured in the May issue of Food & Wine, on newsstands April 18.