Tempest - Charleston

We went to Tempest for their prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner. It was one of the only restaurants with reservations still available for Thanksgiving dinner. The hostess seemed annoyed that we arrived prior to our reservation time and asked to have a drink at the bar. The food portions were small, but that would have been ok if the quality was better. My mum had the beet salad, risotto, and Black Forest mousse. I had the squash bisque, swordfish, and fall harvest dessert. It was all mediocre at best.

Joseph our server was excellent. We had a discussion about No Stuffing with the Thanksgiving dinner. Chance that I had the same conversation with thew fellow who was sitting next to our table with his family. Just happened to be the owner who got some Thanksgiving stuffing from his other restaurant and gave me a take-out box to bring home. Is that hospitality or what? Made our Thanksgiving.

Two out of the three of us did not enjoy their entrees. Our daughter had a chicken entree that she said was overly salty, My husband had the flounder entree, and while he said it was good, it was a very skimpy portion. We all enjoyed our salads and the bread, and our daughter enjoyed the dessert. I ordered the crab cake which was very good, but it could have been excellent with a little less heat (which overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the crab). Also, we were charged $18 for a Manhattan drink for which I had requested to be made with house bourbon (a little steep, I think). The atmosphere was nice, but we had to ask our server to turn down the volume of the music a little so we could enjoy our conversation. It was a nice touch to bring us a rose and complimentary cognac after the meal. All in all, it was not a bad dining experience, just not a great one.

One of the best meals I've had in Charleston! The bread was to die for, the potatoes were perfectly crispy and the s'mores dessert was fabulous. Everyone was so incredibly kind and I'm already looking forward to going back!

We had a group of 9 for dinner last night at The Tempest. Our experience at Tempest was excellent. In particular, the fixed price menu was a winner that encouraged everyone to try something new. And the atmosphere was perfect for our group. Enough activity around us to be interesting however not too loud for us to be able to have a conversation at the table. Highly recommend The Tempest. I look forward to coming back.