In our dreams, Chez Nous really would be chez nous. But, in the absence of our very own boudoir in the Charleston-single-house-turned-intimate-European-resto, we will happily take a table. Or even a seat at the bar. Anything will do, so long as we get to eat. Parse through the short, hand-scrawled menu and prepare for glory; the choices may be few, but the flavors are serious.

This dreamy little tapas restaurant is the first in Charleston to bring true and intriguing Spanish dishes to the peninsula. With a mercado stocked with canned seafood, Spanish wine, and a range of charcuterie, and a tapería serving seasonally changing sharing plates, it's a spot worth making time for. Be sure to book in advance, as they fill up fast.