Bellrose Hotel Bar: Stunning Room, Serious Bar, World Class Service, Kitchen Still Calibrating

Bellrose Hotel Bar is the sister restaurant to Sushi | Bar, so anticipation was high, amplified further by a month of social media glow.

Let me begin with what they are absolutely getting right. The room is gorgeous. Small, intimate, styled after the best hotel bars. White dinner jackets. Polished energy. A team that is proud to be there. From the hostess to the GM to the waitstaff, the service is world class. The team is excited, attentive, accommodating, and invested in delivering an outstanding experience for each guest.

The bar program is exceptional. Their bartender, D.J., is a standout. The classics are executed with precision, and the mocktails are among the most balanced and thoughtful in the city. Do yourself a favor and tell him what you like generally and let him pick for you. He will surprise and delight you. He even stepped away from his beautiful bar to come to our table to ask about my allergies and preferences to come up with the most well-balanced mocktails I have had. I think I might had developed a small crush on this darling man. This is a serious cocktail bar operating at a high level.

Now for the food.

The evening began with a complimentary amuse bouche of beef carpaccio with black truffle served alongside crisp chips. It was elegant and thoughtfully composed. The beef was delicate, the truffle aromatic. It simply needed a touch more seasoning to truly brighten and wake the dish. That note would become a theme.

Before I pivot to the misses, I need to highlight the Bellerose House Rolls with wagyu tallow, rosemary, and thyme. They are sinful in the best possible way being deeply savory, aromatic, warm and indulgent in a way that makes restraint nearly impossible. Order them. Share them only if you really like your date.

Given the Sushi | Bar pedigree, expectations for the seafood were naturally elevated. The bluefin tuna carpaccio with radish, chive, sesame, and lime, however, tasted fishy and old though we were assured it came in that morning. We did not like it and did not finish it. I am not being subtle here. I was sad about it. When the best and freshest fish in Charleston is being served next door by the same ownership, this miss felt especially unfortunate and I pouted loudly to the team who were quite gracious about my sharp tongue.

The filet arrived cooked a perfect medium. Temperature and texture were right. Sadly, it was under seasoned. At this price point, salt is not a garnish but required architecture. Thankfully, the seared foie gras paired with it was rich, unctuous, and properly seasoned, lifting the steak in a way the steak should have done for itself.

The Robuchon-style potato purée was spot on. Silky, indulgent, executed exactly as it should be. The maitake mushrooms, however, again needed salt. Beautiful product. Muted impact.

The Carolina flounder was suspiciously thick and tasted more like under seasoned grouper. The vinaigrette lacked clarity and depth, which dulled even the caviar add on. Caviar cannot rescue a flat sauce, and this offering was actually ruined by the weird tasting sauce. The fish was also overcooked.

The pattern was not chaos or lack of quality. It was hesitation. A through line of under seasoning and dishes that looked beautifully composed but lacked decisive flavor. At these prices, that gap is noticeable and made me a little sad.

But here is the important part what sets superior restaurants apart. The team noticed. Unfinished dishes did not go ignored and this exceptional staff inquired earnestly and with abject horror that I was not thrilled with every dish. The GM, formerly of The Restaurant at Zero George, one of my favorites, came to the table personally and spent time asking for honest feedback. There was no defensiveness or excuse making. He listened with earnest curiosity and a clear desire to get it right. That matters to me. Restaurants in their first month often reveal struggle to find their footing. What distinguishes good from great is how leadership responds. The Bellrose feels deeply invested in refinement. Their foundation is strong. The hospitality is already excellent. The bar is operating at the highest level. The kitchen needs sharper seasoning discipline and more assertive sauce work to align with the ambition of the space.

We should have stuck to the steaks. In a steakhouse format, that is currently the safer play. I will return in a month. I suspect the opening kinks will be worked out. With this team and this level of attentiveness, I expect improvement rather than stagnation.

For now, go for the cocktails. Order boldly from the bar. Choose your steaks wisely. We will watch this one closely. I suspect this team will tighten things up and match the quality of their sister restaurant quite soon.

I will report back.