Fresh off an appearance on Top Chef, and two years since its first James Beard Award, Greenville, South Carolina, is ready for the national spotlight. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this city of nearly 80,000 punches above its weight when it comes to drinks, says cocktail consultant Cristina Fink. Culinary-driven beverage programs feature ingredients from nearby farms, concept bars nod to local and far-flung source material, and coffee shops double as alcohol-free social hubs. Community is key, says Fink. “You always hear about Southern hospitality—the idea that you always make room for more people at the table and take care of your neighbors.” She finds that bar and restaurant professionals in Greenville embrace and embody that philosophy. “It’s not just a slogan, it’s the culture here.”
The Rabbit Hole
If Lewis Carroll sent Alice to West Greenville rather than Wonderland, she might have become a regular here. Opened in 2022 by Sebastian Carter, who grew up in Carroll’s hometown in Cheshire, England, The Rabbit Hole riffs on its literary theme with cocktails like We’re All Mad Here (tequila, pandan liqueur, dry curaçao, lemon juice) and Is It You? (bourbon, Aperol, elderflower, grapefruit, honey bitters). “If I’m looking for a good drink, whether it’s a new one or a classic, this is where I go first,” Fink says. There are also shareable dishes like fried olives, charred cauliflower, and chicken tikka kebabs. Decor in the bar and its cozy backroom, The Library, is fittingly whimsical with a lush preserved moss wall, mahogany finishings, and ornately framed rabbit-themed illustrations.
Topsoil
Less than 10 miles from downtown Greenville lies this James Beard Award–nominated restaurant with hyper-seasonal menus. “When they get certain ingredients into the kitchen, they also use them to create cocktails,” Fink says. Highlights include the lavender-scented Narcissa Martini, Rhubarbara (vodka, housemade rhubarb liqueur, pink peppercorn syrup, lemon juice, egg white), and Pie in the Sky (rye, maraschino, fresh cherry juice, and a buttery syrup made from the pastry chef’s pie dough). Topsoil hosts live jazz on Thursdays with half-price wines, and has a monthly plant-based supper club that celebrates produce from its on-site garden and area farms, A monthly wine club features guided tastings of sustainably made bottles hand-picked by the restaurant’s wine director. “It’s locals supporting what’s local—that’s how you build community,” Fink says.
A Masala Mango at Comal 864 (photo by Anthony Marquez); drinks and dinner at Scoundrel (photo by The Powerly Agency).
Scoundrel
Greenville’s first Michelin-starred restaurant has an impressive beverage program, Fink says. “It’s just fantastic. I have never once had a bad drink at Scoundrel.” The elegant downtown dining room serves French-accented dishes like steak frites, aged duck breasts with mustard jus, and perfectly crusty baguettes made with Carolina ground wheat. The craft beer list features South Carolina breweries like Other Lands, Liability, and Double Stamp, plus French label Brasserie des Voirons and—for those with a taste for the classics—Coors Banquet. Cocktails include the Low-Key Trickster (mezcal, aloe liqueur, jalapeno-infused agave syrup, herbal liqueur, cucumber, mint, lime), O-Rend Lichi (lemongrass shochu, aloe, lichi syrup, watermelon, sparkling sake), and The Drifter (a cream-clarified sipper made with rye, lemon, strawberry, cantaloupe, and mango tea).
Comal 864
Started as a pop-up in 2019, this Tex-Mex bar and restaurant now has two locations in Greenville and a James Beard Award nomination for chef Dayna Lee-Márquez. Her velvety birria—served in quesitacos, telera bread grilled cheese, and steaming bowls of ramen—is revered, as are the cocktails at the Midtown branch’s Escorpión bar. “They’re putting out really great tequila and mezcal drinks,” Fink says, such as its signature kiwi Paloma, made with tequila, elderflower, simple syrup, lime juice, and muddled ripe kiwis.
There are also local craft beers, housemade jamaica agua frescas and horchatas, and half-priced bottles of wine every Friday. “The Comal team is just really grounded in kindness, and it’s so wonderful to see them succeed,” Fink says. Lee-Márquez and her staff have hosted Thanksgiving Day community meals with free holiday dinners, clothing, and hygiene products; and, in 2024, organized outreach and food drives for people impacted by Hurricane Helene.
From Sacrament GVL: Pourover coffee and the Communion special (left) with espresso and sparkling water. | Photos courtesy of Sacrament GVL
Sacrament GVL
Opened in June within Hone, a restaurant incubator and nonprofit enterprise in Greenville’s West Village, this roaster and alcohol-free drinks spot has quickly become a local favorite, Fink says. Devotees line up for painstakingly precise espressos and pourovers made with Robinson & Lewis Colombian Gesha and September Coffee’s Arnaldo Guzman Pink Bourbon, while others tuck into cortados, flash cold brews, and the cheekily named Communion special with espresso and sparkling water. Frame and other quality matchas headline hot and iced drinks, including prettily layered peach and strawberry matcha lattes, as well as baked goods like gooey matcha lemon bars. There are also creative zero-proof drinks like the Honey Jasmine Spritz, made with Plus Minus NA wine. “They’re providing something really special to the community,” Fink says.
The Press Room
This speakeasy-style cocktail bar is hidden inside the AC Hotel in Downtown Greenville’s Camperdown Plaza. “You have to type in a code and the door slides open,” Fink explains. (Pro-tip: To receive a code and gain access, make a reservation via Resy or the bar’s website.) “A lot of creativity goes into their menus,” Fink adds, with signature and seasonal cocktails like the Ube Thief (pisco, lemongrass, ube, amaretto, lime, egg white), and August in Carolina (malted milk–washed bourbon, black tea, grilled peach cordial, lemon). The bar’s name is an homage to The Greenville News, the city’s long-running newspaper that sat in the space for more than 75 years. The interior has velvet curtains plus memorabilia from its newsy past, including yellowing clippings and vintage Remington typewriters.
Photo by Andrew Cebulka
Jianna
Come for the oysters, stay for the cocktails at this Michelin-recommended restaurant and raw bar with a destination-worthy beverage program. The creative bar menu includes The Black Rose (mezcal, Campari, Earl grey-rose simple syrup brightened with fresh orange) and Veni, Vidi, Vici, an Old Fashioned riff that combines bourbon with Calvados and fig-balsamic-infused simple syrup. The buzzy industrial space has large picture windows overlooking Falls Park, a 32-acre urban green space that borders downtown Greenville.
Local Honey Coffee Company
This sleek café serves traditional pourovers and espressos as well as inventive seasonal drinks, such as a pumpkin and panela latte, nectar cortado (espresso, milk, cinnamon syrup, and blackstrap bitters), and the eye-catching Iced Butterfly Cloud (cold-brewed butterfly tea and lychee purée topped with ceremonial-grade matcha). The mod, airy space has floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor seating overlooking the Reedy River. Snacks include sweet and savory pastries and toasts plus fruit-studded acai bowls.
Methodical
In 2014, a trio of self-professed “coffee nerds, not snobs” opened the flagship location of what’s now a local fleet of cafés. Look for them in a sunny space Downtown, alongside other Greenville-grown small businesses at The Commons food hall, and in a cozy space in Stones Point. Beans are sourced globally from partners that prioritize sustainable farming practices including composting, soil restoration, and agroforestry. There’s also a selection of curated teas and homemade pastries made at the bakery next to The Commons location.
From Methodical: Horchata (left) and pastries. | Photos by Josh Murphy Co.