FIG has been at 232 Meeting Street since 2003, and it's the kind of place that earns its buzz without trying to manufacture it. It's helmed by James Beard Award winners Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope, it's on the Michelin Guide, and the food is regional Southern done with honest, simple preparations - blue crab ravioli, scamp grouper, trigger fish - the kind of thing that lands in the $47-to-$52 range for a main course, which is real money downtown but not absurd for what's on the plate. The room is sophisticated retro: a little bit of a hip Charleston design showcase, a little bit of a neighborhood bistro, and all of it professional enough that the water comes out of an ice pitcher with a cloth napkin around it and the plates get cleared between courses.
Reservations open on Resy four weeks out and the good tables go fast, so the bar is the real entry point for anyone without a booking - most seats are held for walk-ins and they serve the full menu. The crowd is a mix of food-obsessed locals and out-of-towners who came specifically for it, and the vibe is convivial and comfortable rather than stiff. The lime cream puffs are the dish to order at the end, and it's the kind of place that makes you glad you reserved a month ahead.