The Library at Vendue Inn, an intimate restaurant, exemplifies the Inn's standards of excellence.
Our fine dining restaurant offers the finest Progressive American Cuisine with Chef Jude Wagner’s Low Country flair. Whatever the occasion, a casual night out with friends or a romantic dinner for two, The Library provides the perfect mixture of ambiance, service and outstanding menu options including fresh seafood specials each evening.
"You are treated well at The Library, a tiny restaurant on Vendue Range. Service is spot on. Food is a solid A-. Ambiance is simply lovely. A great place for a romantic evening."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, scenic view, special occasion
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"We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to "The Library". We're from around New Orleans and were a bit hesitant to order seafood here. I did however, order a crab cake which was my best ever and it was a complete meal. The escargot was also good. The restaurant is small, quiet and beautiful with excellent art on the walls. Truly a treat! Rhonda
The service too was excellent. We left our credit card by mistake and the waiter chased us down the street to return it. Very friendly staff."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"The food was OK, nothing to brag about as far as we are concerned for the amount of money charged. The restaurant was way too quiet. There were about 6 couples having dinner, mostly sitting in one small area. Everyone could hear each others conversations. I would suggest spreading out the diners so they could enjoy each others conversation. Our server did not provide much information about the food, another one was way more informative to his diners."
Dined on 4/30/2013
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"A small intimate restaurant with wonderful food. The lack of books made it a questionable library, but the Richard Johnson art on the walls added immensely to the romance of it all."
Dined on 04/24/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic
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"We loved the beautiful dining room setting, and our attentive two wait staff professionals were cordial and knew their menu well. But the stars of the show were the made in house duck sausage appetizer, the lobster scampi and the most unusual presentation of shrimp and grits we've seen....a tempura style that was outstanding! Hard to beat, but then we decided to try the gelato tree....literally a sculpture we understand the chef brought with him from Florida....on which were placed the four portions of gelato flavors we chose to share. All were great, but you must try the habenero cinammon gelato. Be prepared for a kick in the taste buds!"
Dined on 04/25/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"A lovely little restaurant. The food was excellent and the wait staff friendly and attentive. The dishes were unique enough for the less adventurous to try. My husband had the Beef Cheek Bourguignon and it was very good. We also enjoyed the cinnamon habanero gelato."
Dined on 04/23/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"One of our most elegant, intimate, and delicious dining experiences in Charleston. The Library lived up to it's excellent reputation. Looking forward to returning!"
Dined on 04/19/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"The Library recently had seating available during a particularly busy weekend in Charleston. Although we had never eaten there, the reviews were encouraging and we planned the evening around our dinner reservation. We were seated immediately upon our arrival in a comfortable, corner booth. The table had two chairs and an upholstered, corner bench, complete with pillows. The seating was very comfortable and the wait staff indicated that multiple servers would be helping us, introducing all of them by name. A wide variety of items were presented on the menu. The staff were very friendly and professional. Our food was delivered in a timely fashion with just the right amount of time between courses. The food was delicious! Great evening!!"
Dined on 04/06/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"The service was second to none! We loved the amuse-bouche and our education from our waiter on its origin. The meal was delicious! Thank you for making us feel special and important - like we were the only ones in the restaurant! We will come back!!"
Dined on 03/29/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, romantic, special occasion, scenic view
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"Overall, the experience was outstanding, from the convenience and ease of booking the reservation to the welcoming arrival at The Library Restaurant to the comfortable romantic setting once seated. We did have a slight wait but it was because the restaurant was trying to accommodate my special request for intimate seating with a great vantage point view of the restaurant & streetscape. They arranged for us to have wine while we waited and to get what I think is one of the best tables in the restaurant. Additionally, the service and food was excellent..or perhaps I should say superb. So well I felt compelled to tip the entire wait staff, not just our primary server, because they all worked hard to make us feel special and comfortable."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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"My husband and I went here the other night as our last pre-baby dinner. The seating hostess was lovely all the way through as were the wait staff. All food and drink came at the perfect time. The garlic bisque was amazing although a tad on the salty side. I'd still order it again. The filet mignon was cooked perfectly. My husband had the beef cheek and it was quite delicious as well. Really there wasn't anything on their menu that we didn't want to try. Everything was so delicious that we had no room for dessert. I'd come back for just that another time because they had such a great list. I appreciated that we weren't rushed either. It's a very upscale and relaxed setting. Exactly what we wanted and needed."
Dined on 03/09/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"This was a HUGE disappointment. First of all, it was so noisy from the banging elevator and all of the other abnormal sounds that we were totally distracted. The sound was not controlled in any way. Some guests were talking so loud that it seemed that they were screaming.
We used a Trip Adviser review for this and it certainly didn't live up to its reputation.
Food mediocre, menu limited.
The wine was great."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2008
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"Service was quite slow initially. Our server indicated they did not have a full bar, only specialty drinks. Popovers with cinnamon butter were brought to the table. Unfortunately the popovers were burned. Grouper was substituted for the snapper which was good. The escargots were the worst I've had - the garlic herb butter was exceptionally greasy,the escargot were shriveled up and the toasted baguettes were not toasted. The filets were good. The accompanying potato galette was dry. Ambiance was terrific in the inside room."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2011
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"nostalgic restaurant setting in an older style building, limited seating which can be romantic but when the restaurant fills up the noise level gets quite loud food selection and preparation was excellent with very friendly service"
Dined on 03/01/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"This is a gem in the culinary crown of Charleston. Intimate setting, impeccable service, excellent food. We celebrated my wife's birthday here recently and will return many times in the future. Like others have said, more like dining in a friend's living room than a restaurant. We could not have asked for a better experience."
Dined on 02/27/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"I ordered scallops. When the dish arrived, I was stunned to see only 3 scallops on the plate. The dish was priced at $30, so that is about $10 bucks per scallop. So not worth the money!! My boyfriend ordered the duck. The taste was horrible and the texture chewy/tough. He left more than half of it on his plate. We will never go back to this restaurant again."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2011
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"What a fantastic experience!!! We wanted to try The Library for quite a while, and when our client came to town, we thought it was the perfect time. The food was amazing. The service was impeccable. Charles never missed a beat, and every course was impressive. Several people in our group own restaurants or are in the hospitality industry, and they were highly impressed with the whole experience. Kudos to Jude and his staff!!! We look forward to our next visit!"
Dined on 02/22/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Charles, our server, was great fun and knowledgable. Nice ambiance but a little buttoned up for a fun 50ish couple from Nj. There are lots of fine restaraunts in the area--would shop around."
Dined on 02/20/2013
2013
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"This was an amazing place! Atmosphere was cozy, quiet, and elegant. The filet mignon was perfectly cooked; potato and onion galette scrumptious. We received complimentary appetizer just because. You must try the molten lava cake! Desserts were sized appropriately with good selection. Service was exceptional without being intrusive. Our table of four stayed 3 hours and we were never rushed. Thank you for a wonderful evening!"
Dined on 02/15/2013
2011
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Wonderful experience! An Asian version of Shrimp and Grits is not to be missed! The desserts were heavenly as well! And the staff.... well they just made the experience all the better. They were warm and welcoming and it all made for a perfect evening!"
Dined on 02/15/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"We've visited most of the top restaurants in Charleston; and this lesser known gem clearly belongs in the same conversation amongst the best the city has to offer. Impeccably decorated exuding both a warm and romantic ambience, the staff, from the hostess ... Haley to the those serving the customers seem to not only know their job well, but also to enjoy it. As people who dine out often, it makes such a difference when the staff is enthusiastic about their offering On this particular evening we were fortunate enough to have Terri as our server. Her friendly demeanor was matched by her eagerness in assuring that every detail was taken care of. The food was extraordinary, not overly sophisticated, but both tasty and truly memorable."
Dined on 02/12/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"What a great find! This tiny restaurant is nestled downtown right off a side street. We stepped in from the cold to a beautiful, cozy room with a gas fire and two ornate crystal chandeliers. The menu had interesting choices-I chose the pheasant- new to me. It was somewhere in between duck and chicken....I liked it and the gravy the chef created was SO good- loved the rutabagas and spaghetti squash with it. My dessert was a banana split with a variety of gelato- loved the gelato but the balsamic glaze contrast was too salty for me- my brother really liked it though and everyone else loved their entrees. It was fun to meet the chef and the service was outstanding!"
Dined on 02/01/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, late-night find, romantic, special occasion
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"Friendly attentive service without being intrusive. Always a difficult balance. A very well thought out menu and the food excellently prepared and presented. Similar thought has gone in to the wine list which should suit all tastes and budgets.The space has a comfortable welcoming feel. Very well done."
Dined on 02/06/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"The Library is a pleasant surprise in an intimate setting. Our server was Charles who knows the menu and makes excellent suggestions and very personable with outstanding service. This was our last night on our trip to Charleston and what a way to end our trip! The amuse bouche was fantastic. My wife had the pork schnitzel was very good and the noodles were house made. I had the pheasant which was moist, not a hint of any gaminess with a nice crispy skin and the gravy was rich and flavorful with all the drippings. We finished our dinner with 3 different gelatos that were creamy, rich and definitely house made. Execution was flawless and the the wine list compliments the entrees. Definitely a hidden gem."
Dined on 12/29/2012
2003
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"I went with a group of ladies. This restaurant is quiet and elegant. You feel like you are dining in someone's home. The staff was superb. It is very romantic if you need a nice restaurant for a date, but was great for our group too. It was a dining experience!"
Dined on 01/19/2013
2012
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"The duck-sausage, along with everything on the plate, was delicious and innovative. The service was great. The goatcheese-cheese-cake was delightful. I was interested but scared to try it and asked the waitress about it, who encouraged me to try it. Best, fluffiest cheese-cake ever! Love the chef's creations, the surprises with complimentary items that are served."
Dined on 01/17/2013
2012
Special Features: romantic
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"Food was okay at best, signature dish , pork with homemade noodles was disappointing, bland and very ordinary . Had been there before and enjoyed the meal, but this one was not good. Will not go back."
Dined on 01/18/2013
2010
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Ratings-Only Reviews for The Library Restaurant - Charleston