Go Global With Great Places to Eat in Greenville, SC
Greenville’s dining scene is exploding. Diners can find everything from fine-dining restaurants to casual cafes popping up all over the city, and thanks to the number of entrepreneurs and chefs who have relocated here over the years, it’s becoming more diverse than ever before. Here’s a look at some of the fabulous places to eat in Greenville, SC.
Global Flavors in Greenville
Greenville native Christen Clinkscales attended university less than an hour away from her hometown before relocating to New York City, where she learned to cook and became heavily involved in the food scene.
Family brought her back after 11 years, and she was concerned she’d miss New York City life. “I was kind of worried that when I moved home from New York I’d be bored,” she says. “In New York, there is always something to do or new to try.”
But she’s been pleasantly surprised: “I am definitely a big-city girl at heart, and that’s why it’s wonderful to see how much Greenville has grown.”
That growth, she says, has brought a boom in local creativity as well as attention from prestigious chefs in larger cities. “Part of a small town getting bigger is that we have local spots where everybody knows everybody. We also have a lot of interest from bigger cities wanting to start restaurants here and opening second locations.”
As a way of reacquainting herself with Greenville’s eateries, Clinkscales launched an Instagram page, @christeneats, upon her return to the city; she’s currently running a series called “Greenville A to Z.” Her first pick? Aryana Afghan Cuisine.
“To have Afghani food is unique,” she says. “It’s really cool we have somewhere unique like that.”
Another eatery serving hard-to-find international dishes is Keipi, so named for a feast tradition in the country of Georgia, from which the restaurant’s dishes come.
Lieu’s Chinese Bistro serves entrees like Cantonese crispy duck, and nationally recognized sushi restaurant O-Ku added a Greenville outpost to its existing locations that include Nashville, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. (In 2024, O-Ku’s owners were semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Award for outstanding restaurateurs.)
Depth of Field
When searching for great places to eat in Greenville, get ready to discover plenty of European flavors.
Italian restaurant Jianna is helmed by chef Michael Kramer, who has worked under Wolfgang Puck and as executive chef at the renowned McCrady’s in Charleston. Jianna’s kitchen has turned out tender, decorative housemade pastas, oysters on the half shell and modern Italian dishes for seven years.
In the 11 years he’s resided in Greenville, Kramer says, the dining scene has changed quite a bit. He acknowledges the influence of global cuisine, but in his mind, the main difference is increased depth in the city’s offerings.
For instance, Greenville boasts a pair of French eateries: Passerelle Bistro, which serves Gallic highlights, and Scoundrel, which was a 2024 semifinalist for best new American restaurant, according to the James Beard Foundation.
Kramer points out that depth especially applies to beverage programs; he names Scoundrel as well as The Anchorage and Jones Oyster Co. as examples.
Spanish restaurant Paloma’s bar program includes red and white sangria, sherry and sparkling wine, along with a fabulous food menu.
For a sweet finish, bakery and coffee shop Old Europe bakes a variety of European-style pastries.
Finally, regional farm-to-table eatery Topsoil Kitchen & Market landed a third local James Beard nomination. Savory menu items include sunchoke and sunflower seed dip with chile oil, duck breast from Noonday Farm in nearby Landrum, and local pork chops from Feather Creek Farmstead with asparagus gratin.
Of course, be sure to save room for pecan-hibiscus panna cotta, a mandarin-beet popsicle or cold brew crème brûlée – as well as the huge variety of delicious dishes diners can track down in Greenville.
Get to Know Greenville, SC
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