Located on Broad Street in Downtown Charleston, Brasserie La Banque is an innovative and delicious approach to traditional French cuisine. The restaurant, which sits at the corner of Broad Street & East Bay, is in a convenient location and its dark wood interior complete with an open kitchen allows for an enjoyable dining experience. From the concise expertise of each course to the exceptional service, Brasserie La Banque is a perfect place for dinner and somewhere to add to your must-go-to list. Opened in July 2021, the restaurant is operated by the Indigo Road Company, which also owns and operates a variety of restaurants in the Greater Charleston area, including O-Ku, Maya & Indaco. The previous occupant of the space was an up-end brunch spot, One Broad, which focused on serving elevated cuisine, while remaining laidback. The main appeal of this spot in historic Downtown is its renovated interior, while maintaining an inviting and sophisticated atmosphere. Like many restaurants around the city, Brasserie La Banque recently participated in Charleston Restaurant Week. This event consists of pre-fixed menus across a variety of cuisines, often featuring the restaurant’s most popular dishes. Upon this recent visit to 1 Broad Street, I was pleasantly surprised to find delicious food, an inviting atmosphere, and exceptional service.

Before diving into the highlights of the restaurant’s food, it must be noted that the interior of this establishment is truly gorgeous. The high ceilings and attention to detail really pull the vibe together and create a compelling atmosphere. The close proximity of windows, trim along the walls, and use of dual colored paint lead to a high-end experience at Brasserie La Banque. Apart from the interior, the restaurant’s exterior adds yet another layer of sophistication. Overall, the architecture is gorgeous and adds to the enjoyment of the restaurant as a whole. 

For starters, the french onion soup is one of the best, if not the best, I’ve ever had. The flavor profile was compelling and each element of the soup layered together seamlessly. Additionally, the provolone cheese outer layer was the perfect consistency and wasn’t awkward to eat, which is a problem I find often with french onion soups. Just like any french onion soup, the use of brioche added the final delicious touch to this dish. Apart from the soup, another delicious appetizer offered by the restaurant is the mixed greens salad. The mixed greens salad is described as having endive, lardons, honeycrisp apples, and a champagne vinaigrette. The flavors in this salad were simply to die for. The use of apples mixed with the slightly acidic champagne vinaigrette dressing added a three-dimensional aspect. I would definitely order both of these dishes on a second visit.

Regarding the entree portion of the meal, Brasserie La Banque once again didn’t fall short. The steak frites were simply delicious. The steak had great flavor and was cooked perfectly, allowing for an easy cut. The sauce de la banque was the accompaniment to the steak, and added just the right amount of creamy flavoring & texture to the dish. Additionally, the frites were plentiful and would make it on to my death row meal in a heartbeat. They were the perfect texture and seemed almost never-ending, with a delicious truffle finish. The other entree was the Coq Au Vin, which consisted of roasted chicken breast, topped with mushrooms, onions, red wine, and watercress. The flavor profile of this dish was simply top-tier. Similarly to the steak, the chicken was cooked to perfection and the elements of this dish came together, yet again, seamlessly. Finally, the dessert was just as delicious as its predecessors. The first dessert was profiteroles, which are a light pastry filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot fudge. Although the combination of hot fudge and cold ice cream often ends in a melted mess, the profiteroles held up well against this combination of elements. The final dessert was a dark chocolate mousse which had a raspberry chantilly & chocolate crumble. The mousse was very rich and almost reminded me of an elevated “dirt cup” dessert, mainly due to the chocolate crumble. Overall, this restaurant doesn’t disappoint across the board and is definitely worth your time, especially if you love french food & downtown Charleston architecture.