Perrone's Restaurant and Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Pawleys' Most Unique Dining Experience

Perrone's Restaurant and Bar sits on Ocean Highway in the Litchfield/Pawleys Island stretch of the South Carolina Lowcountry, and it operates with a clear, unhurried philosophy: "food, like life, must have balance to be harmonious. Flavors should coexist, not dominate." That ethos shapes everything on the plate and in the glass.

Chef Steven Perrone

The kitchen belongs to Chef Steven Perrone, who describes his menu as "world cuisine with a mediterranean focus" — a phrase that opens the door to complex curries from India and Thailand, umami-rich Asian influences, warming North African spices, and the hearty fare of the Mediterranean. Perrone has earned enough of a reputation to appear on the Cooking Channel's Chef Swap at the Beach (Season 1, Episode 4), competing head-to-head with another local chef with just one hour and a single favorite ingredient. The restaurant's tagline — changing lives one dish at a time — is his.

What's on the Menu

The chophouse side of Perrone's is serious: USDA prime steaks dry-aged in-house, Japanese and American Wagyu, and veal chops. Local seafood runs alongside, sourced from nearby fishermen, crabbers, clammers, and shrimpers, with sustainably farmed salmon from Patagonian fjords rounding out the offering. Caviar service and oysters open the evening, while dessert — listed playfully as "happy ending / liquid dessert" — signals that the kitchen has a personality.

All proteins are growth hormone and antibiotic free. The restaurant sources local poultry and produce whenever available, making the farm-to-table commitment concrete rather than decorative.

The Bar and the Wine List

The cocktail program is built on infused liquors, barrel-aged ingredients, and house-made syrups and bitters. The wine list earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and the restaurant leans into it with a Coravin by-the-glass menu and a Perlage system for pouring and preserving vintage Champagnes by the glass — a rare touch for the area. OpenTable diners have twice voted Perrone's among the best restaurants around.

The Atmosphere

The room is meant to be lingered in. The about page opens with a Frederic Raphael quote about great restaurants being "mouth-brothels" where no one keeps their belt buckled — a deliberate signal that this is a place for appetite, not efficiency. Come adventurous, explore the unfamiliar, and let the world cuisine format take you somewhere unexpected on the South Carolina coast.