Paulie’s Fine Italian — Restaurant in Charleston

We were super excited to try this new restaurant! We had reservations, they sat us at a high top. We started with French 75s, when we were waiting to be seated I saw several people had cocktails so I assumed they would be good. French 75s were not very good. They had way too much lemon juice and too much gin, needed more prosecco. The balance was very off. We ordered the prosecco on tap afterwards and that was much better. We started with the wood-fired oysters and oyster shooters. The wood-fired oysters were VERY good, very savory and had lots of flavor. Cooked to perfection. On the other hand, the oyster shooters were not very good (and we are raw oyster lovers). The menu says that they had lemon and chili oil, which sounds good, but when they brought them out they said they had prosecco. We tried them and were optimistic, but they had a sweet finish on them which did not pair well with the oyster flavor itself. It would’ve been much better if it had been kept on the savory side, maybe leaned more into a mignonette flavor? I had the mussels and added pasta, they were cooked in a white wine saffron broth. Honestly, it had WAY too much rosemary and the broth did not taste like saffron at all. The broth tasted like a chicken broth with lots of herbs. Still very good, but did not taste like the description on the menu and had way too much rosemary. Bread tasted like burnt smoked grill, even when I put it in the broth it continued to taste like burnt grill. I did ask for some Parmesan to go on the noodles (once I reached the noodles), and I kept having to ask for more as they kept bringing a small tablespoon amount. My partner ordered the 20 layer lasagna which was fabulous. However, it did not taste like bolognese sauce even though it said it had bolognese, tasted like marinara with meat sauce. The salad with the lasagna was perfectly balanced and delicious. The tiramisu cheesecake looks super good but the lady finger was ROCK HARD. Just tasted like regular cheesecake, the tiramisu flavor was only in the sauce on the bottom of the plate.

Overall, for a new restaurant it was very good! I’m someone with a chef’s palate who can tell when things are off, so this is just my honest tastebud perspective. I think some of the flavor descriptions on the menu could be more refined. I understand they are still refining things and I am super excited to see...

I had the pleasure of dining at Paulie's while visiting family in Charleston, WV last week (July 22nd). We started with the Brussel Sprouts as our appetizer, followed by the Burrata Salad, and I had the Sunday Ribbons Pasta dish while my friend had the Linguine Meatballs. Everything was absolutely amazing from the Chardonnay to the Chocolate Martini (my dessert). The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful, warm, inviting yet edgy. Chef Paul and Chef Josh stopped by our table to ensure our experience was everything we'd hoped for and more. Our server was Claire and she did a fabulous job of making sure we had everything we needed but also made sure she didn't interrupt our conversation as we hadn't seen eachother in over a year. I have dined all over the world from Greece to India, Aruba to Amsterdam ect. and while the bread, our Appetizer, salads and drinks were fabulous I can honestly say the "Sunday Ribbons" was the best Italian dish I have ever eaten and maybe the best dinner I've ever eaten anywhere. I shared some with my friend Victoria and she was also amazed and even messaged me the next day to say she couldn't get it out of her mind (and we know our food and restaurants trust me), it was that good. I do not have the luxury of living close to Paulie's but I can assure you I will make it a "must have" everytime I return to Charleston! If I could, I'd give 100 stars for the "Sunday Ribbons," and I've never said that about anything I've ever reviewed. It's no wonder Chef Paul has won the "James Beard" award. His talent is almost beyond measurement, and I wish Paulie's Fine Italian restaurant all the success it has coming! Bravo Chef Paul and Chef Josh, what a fabulous duo you make, and congratulations on providing not only Charleston but the state of West Virginia, another amazing dining...

My husband and I had such an amazing experience at Paulie’s! From start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. The food was absolutely delicious—we started with the fried cheese curds (so good!), my husband ordered the chicken parm, and I had the lobster bow ties pasta. Every dish was packed with flavor and perfectly prepared.

Our waiter, Chris, was phenomenal—attentive, friendly, and really made our night enjoyable. Chef Paul himself even came around to check on tables, which gave it a personal and welcoming touch.

The atmosphere is also something special. The inside design makes you feel like you’ve stepped out of WV and into a big city Italian restaurant. It’s modern, unique, and creates the perfect backdrop for a fine dining experience.

We couldn’t leave without dessert, so we took a slice of tiramisu cheesecake to go—WOW. Rich, creamy, and the perfect sweet ending to the night.

On top of it all, the prices were very reasonable for the quality and presentation you get. This is definitely a new go-to spot for us, and I can’t...