Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Charleston

My good friend invited me to join her for dinner in Charleston where we have both resided for more than 50 years. She chose Muse and made the reservation for an early dinner as that was all that they had open. We arrived on time and got a drink in the bar; and I must say that my dirty martini  was excellent. My friend got the Southern mule which she enjoyed.  After we received our drinks, we were shown to our table. We were told that there were going to be a couple of very large parties in the dining room where we were seated and should we care to move to the patio they would do that. They told us they needed to get our orders very quickly – ahead of the group. So we hurriedly consulted the menu and placed our orders. For starters, my friend ordered the calamari and I ordered the baby arugula salad with blood orange vinaigrette and seared manchego cheese. My friend got eggplant Parmesan which she really likes and has had there many times. I ordered a blackened fish that was served atop Greek style potatoes with seared broccolini. The good aspects of this restaurant are that it is in an old house, which was home to a favorite Charleston establishment back in the '70s and into the '80s. I do not believe in the 20+ years since Muse opened has the decor been freshened up And the painted surfaces and furnishings reflect it. The white tablecloths were very crisp and attractive. The cocktails were delicious and cold and the bartender was very responsive. The salad that I ordered came with canned Mandarin orange sections in it and the vinaigrette had no tang of blood orange juice; however, the baby arugula was quite crisp and fresh while the seared cheese was limp and salty. I was able to get the attention of the server and chose a glass of wine which she recommended in a pairing with my entree. When the fish was brought to the table, the appearance of it looked overcooked. I immediately took a bite and discovered it was very overcooked and was very strong tasting making me think that perhaps it was not fresh and because of these reasons, I sent it back to the kitchen. They offered to remake the dish but I declined and said that I would have pasta and they suggested the pasta carbonara. My friend went ahead with her dinner of eggplant with a side of roasted brussel sprouts. She encouraged me to taste the brussel sprouts, but I found them overly salted. After my friend finished her entree my pasta arrived and I was very disappointed as it was cooked less than al dente and tasted more like limp cardboard. The noodles were coated with a very tasteless sauce that had none of the flavor of cheese, nor of butter, nor of olive oil, nor cream. Small green peas were included in it but they were all very hard and probably had not been steamed or sauteed. Without saying anything, I asked my friend to taste the pasta and she looked at me after doing so and said “it's tasteless.” Adding a bit of salt and pepper did not help. I ate a small amount as I was very hungry and when the manager inquired about my satisfaction with the dish I said that I had not been satisfied with it. He said that he would taste it when he went to the kitchen and then he said that I must have had a very hard day. I felt that was a rather backhanded way of saying that I was a picky diner. The manager did however not charge me for the pasta which I appreciated. I would have paid for it because I had eaten some of it yet was glad to not be charged for it. And of course they did not charge me for the fish. The noise of the two large groups dining in the same room was overwhelming and we found it difficult to have conversation and I wish that we had chosen to be moved. Overall, I found this restaurant to be a great disappointment. I went in expecting to truly love it because my friend loves it. The good aspects of it were very good as noted. However, everything is so uneven and the atmosphere is so tired that it left a very sad impression in my mind. I would never choose to dine here again nor would I suggest...

When was the last time you had dinner reservations and the restaurant reached out to you that afternoon to let you know that due to the festival happening in town, you may want to allow yourself extra time to arrive later that evening? Right away, before I had even stepped foot inside Muse, I was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the staff and the quality of service they wished to provide. And when all was said and done, Muse was easily my favorite dining experience across the five days I recently spent in Charleston.

It's funny because it reminds me so much of a place we used to have in town that was a restaurant built into a home from 1903. That place did not survive COVID years ago, but fortunately Muse is here. And while Muse is not going to sway those diners who value style over substance, it absolutely will appeal to anyone who enjoys well-crafted dishes served by an attentive staff in a charming environment.

I couldn't tell you what the parking is like here since we walked about a mile from our hotel. I don't even know if I saw a parking lot... Muse is located down a one-way side street. The locals undoubtedly know the best way to get here; us tourists would be wise to plan ahead before arriving. (Or just walk. I, personally, need the exercise.)

The antiquated house is narrow, complete with a stairway bannister that makes me wonder how short our ancestors were. Nonetheless, the place is lovely. A small patio greets you outdoors, while a bar rests immediately to the right of the hostess stand inside.

First impressions were impressive as the young lady working the desk on Friday night was poised and professional beyond belief. She was answering phone calls, greeting guests, walking us upstairs and doing it all with an attentive nature that extended to everyone we encountered here.

That especially applies to Jorge. We had so many questions and I think two of us asked about modifications to the dishes we ordered, and Jorge never once wavered in his commitment to providing an incredible dining experience. Kudos to him and his recommendations, too.

Speaking of which, the menu is like an atlas where each destination is somewhere you must visit. I'm not an artichoke or olive fan but did I have multiple forkfuls of the artichoke torta? Oh, absolutely. The halibut and tagliatelle dishes were also polished off in our group, and my swordfish catch of the day qualified as, no doubt, the best swordfish dish I have ever had. How could you top a meal like that? Add in a couple of cocktails from the bar (shout out to the bartender for also mixing a quite tasty sidecar) and perhaps the most satisfying dessert I have had in years.

The Pomegranate Trifle is unlike any dessert I've ever had. You may be wondering why this dessert necessitates its own paragraph in a review but if you've had it, you'll understand. I cannot do this dish the justice it deserves in words. There's just such a jubilee of flavors and textures in play to where you could tell me this dessert is a legit work of art, and I'd tell you we need to get it behind glass at the nearest museum.

And that's kind of emblematic of Muse. From start to finish, the entire visit felt like a masterpiece only experts in the restaurant industry could create. Whenever I return to Charleston, a meal at Muse will absolutely be on...

Vivaldi, Mozart, Brahms…Zimmer, Marsalis, Hendrix…dare I say Taylor Swift? Timeless masters of their art; composing purest emotion into tangible reality. While achieving the highest of recognition for their craft, let us also remember they likely stand on shoulders of giants to reach those heights. Perhaps such is true of Donnie at Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar in Downtown Charleston, SC.

Donnie is a conduit to an impeccable gustatory experience; without him it could not be attained. From the moment we took our seats in the upstairs “piano room” of the house converted to restaurant, Donnie held our attention in one hand…with the other reached in, grabbed hold of our expectations and cast them away. Fully aware of the journey he was about to take us on. He asked us what we wanted to order and before we could even answer, with the confidence of De Niro playing an old time gangster, he collected our menus and politely insisted that we would be leaving it up to him…and so began the game of cat (Donnie) and mouse (us) that has probably replayed thousands of times in that quaint, Charlesto-euro-inspired restaurant.

Considering ourselves to be upper echelon foodies, we played along with hubris as Donnie asked us what spirits we preferred: gin, vodka, bourbon, tequila? His pace of speech quickened to match our response…oh..tequila? Do you like grapefruit? Gathering just enough information to construct palate profiles for each of us.

Time passed and we laughed among ourselves: “my it’s taking some time to make that Paloma”…amused by Donnie’s antics but surely we had read the bartenders mail (which of course includes a subscription to Charleston Style and Design Magazine) and were fully predicting what drinks we would be served.

It was the moment the drinks came that we acquiesced to Donnie’s playbook for it was perfectly attuned to our tastes and absolutely not what we anticipated. We knew we were in good hands and relinquished control of our epicurian destiny to Donnie for the rest evening and he did not disappoint; masterfully orchestrating a personalized menu to evoke a climactic experience.

While Donnie is arguably the star of the show, without his supporting cast of culinary craftsmen he is merely an empty vessel, Shakespeare without Romeo and Juliet, an unrequited lover. It is without a doubt that every detail (well almost, the picture on the wall by the piano was a little crooked) at Muse has been intentionally refined over its tenure as a top restaurant in Charleston. From the decor to the upbeat background music, the friendly and attentive staff, the sear on the one chicken done two ways, the evenly cooked 4 inch thick hunk of halibut, the authentic carbonara, and the list goes on. Bravo! Complimenti team Muse! We look forward to coming back soon! …and if anyone reading this is inspired to pay a visit, remember: do it...