It is very rare that a restaurant checks all of our boxes. Even more rare for us to frequent the same place two times in one trip. 167 Raw is definitely an exception. We had been wanting to try their new Bar 167 and had never had time to wait for 167 Raw (they do not take reservations) So we put in our name at Raw and walked over to Bar 167 to grab drinks while we waited for our table to be ready. Bar 167 is stunning. So well designed with a Mediterranean flair. We sat up on the rooftop, enjoyed our beautiful drinks and relaxed until receiving the text to come back to Raw.

We were sat at a high top table at the window. Perfect people watching spot and enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant while having enough privacy to enjoy our conversation. Our server was a delight. He had great recommendations and we ordered every. single. one.

Starting the night with a dozen oysters is always the right choice. Being a little bit of purists, we prefer our oysters with just a drop of lemon juice and usually forgo the accompanying sauces. However, the dipping sauce that came with the oysters, some magical mix of vinegar and dill and lemon, was so delicious that we dipped our spoons in and ate it just plain and vowed to try it on our oysters the next time we came. Following the oysters was the Crudo of the day. This raw fish topped with a chili crunch and pistachios is the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. Liz and I each took a bite and then just stared at each other. What. The. Actual. Heck. Amazing. Next came the Tuna Tataki. A large piece of fresh tuna, breaded and flash fried to quickly cook and crisp up the outside but leave the inside raw. It was delicious. So tender. Perfect amount of crunch. Perfect balance of flavor. We finished the night with the Lobster Tostada. The lobster itself was perfection, but it really was competing with the other flavors of the toppings and while all delicious, we probably won’t be ordering it again in the future.

Overall we LOVED this spot. Our server was fabulous and every item he recommended was absolute perfection. The atmosphere of the restaurant is upbeat and energizing. I’d say it gets a 8.5 or 9 out of 10. We loved it so much and wanted to try all the things on the menu but didn’t want to overdo it so… we went back two nights later.

Two Nights Later:

We did almost the same thing. Started at Bar 167 for drinks, went back to 167 Raw when our table was ready. This time we tried some drinks at Raw. The 167 dirty martini: a tequila martini, so smooth, topped with oyster brine and an oyster on the side. The appeal of this drink was that it came with an oyster, but let me tell you it was SO smooth. And a martini with tequila, very interesting. The saltiness of the oyster brine with the sweet earthiness of the tequila… magical. The other drink we ordered was a special that evening and definitely is now one of our favorite cocktails of all time. The Army/Navy cocktail: gin, amaro, lemon juice, bitters. The way the almond flavor came through and blended perfectly with the herbal gin… perfection.

We ordered TWO dozen oysters this second night and topped half of them with the delicious dill magic sauce. Oysters were followed again with the crudo and the tuna tataki. To throw in something new we added the King Crab Mafaldine. Perfectly cooked pasta. With a creamy sauce from heaven and large lumps of king crab. I’m sure everyone thought we were crazy as we sat there in silence, savoring every single bite of that pasta dish, eyes wide with disbelief at the flavors that were catapulting us into food euphoria.

Our server the second night was equally as fabulous. The atmosphere just as electrifying. We LOVE 167 Raw. I will be back in Charleston in 3 weeks and we already have plans to visit AGAIN and try their other restaurant 167 Sushi.

167 Raw… Thank you