A Celebratory Dinner at Laury’s in Charleston

A server preparing Caesar salad at the table gives dinner at Laury’s an immediate sense of occasion. The restaurant pairs that old-school flourish with a warm, polished dining room, substantial plates and the Kanawha River nearby beneath the South Side bridge.

This is a Charleston address for the nights when dinner is meant to stretch out a little: an anniversary, birthday, prom meal, business dinner or an evening spent showing visitors around town. The service is attentive and friendly, with careful pacing between courses, prompt water refills and enough conversation to keep the room welcoming rather than formal for formality’s sake.

Some tables look toward the river or the city, while others put the focus squarely on the dining room. A window seat is worth enjoying if one is available, but the view depends on where you are seated.

The entrée list has the satisfying breadth of a traditional fine-dining restaurant: filet mignon, ribeye, rack of lamb, roasted duck, veal piccata over linguine and seafood preparations alongside the beef. It gives a table of mixed appetites plenty to work with without turning dinner into a rush of competing styles.

Steak Diane is one of the dishes that suits the room especially well. It has been served as two filet mignon medallions with mushroom sauce and a side, a composed plate for someone who wants filet without a towering steakhouse presentation.

Beef Oscar and Steak Oscar bring lump crab meat to tender beef, an indulgent land-and-sea direction that makes sense for a celebratory dinner. For a more straightforward steak order, the ribeye has been notably generous; a 20-ounce portion with a large side salad is not a timid supper.

The appetizer side of the menu has plenty of older-school pleasures. Lobster-stuffed mushrooms, Parmesan-crusted escargot, oysters Rockefeller and a saffron scallop with crab all make a more interesting beginning than a default shared plate.

The escargot has developed a following among diners who return for it, and Parmesan crust gives the dish a little more texture than the usual butter-and-garlic approach. Oysters Rockefeller and stuffed mushrooms are equally well suited to lingering over cocktails before the main course arrives.

Seafood can take a more prominent role at dinner, too. Options have included shrimp-scallop-crab Diablo, scallops Par Fazi and a shrimp-and-lobster bisque whose creamy broth comes with visible pieces of both shellfish. Those who prefer the sea to the steakhouse side of the menu are not limited to a single token fish entrée.

A large steak is only as interesting as the plate around it, and Laury’s side dishes have some personality. Yukon whipped potatoes are the familiar comfort choice, while creamed spinach brings the classic steakhouse note.

The macaroni and cheese is more elaborate than a small ramekin of comfort food. It uses large spring-shaped pasta and multiple cheeses, making it easy to picture as a table share alongside a steak or lamb entrée.

Artichoke au gratin and scalloped artichoke hearts are less expected sides, and that is precisely why they stand out. They give the meal a bit of vintage restaurant character without asking anyone to abandon the meat-and-potatoes pleasures that brought them in.

Warm bread sets up the meal, and the full bar gives the evening a comfortable opening point. Many diners begin with a cocktail or wine at the bar before moving to the table, especially on a busy dinner night.

Classic drinks fit the setting. A cherry-smoked Old Fashioned makes a handsome pre-dinner choice, while dirty martinis and standard Old Fashioneds keep the bar program grounded in familiar orders done in the proper spirit.

Wine drinkers have a large selection to consider, and several ports are available by the glass for a slower finish after dessert. The dining room is generally conducive to conversation, even when the restaurant has a little more energy during a full service.

Bananas foster is the signature finale for good reason. Prepared tableside and sometimes finished with flame, it turns dessert into a small event without interrupting the calm rhythm of the room.

There are quieter sweets for diners who do not need the fire show: cheesecake, cobblers, a pretzel brownie with vanilla-bean ice cream, and brownie desserts with ice cream and syrup. A crème or Grand Marnier soufflé offers the most patient finish.

Soufflés require advance notice and take about 40 minutes to prepare, so they are best treated as a decision made early in the meal rather than an impulse at the end. That wait fits naturally into a dinner designed for conversation and another glass of wine or port.

Laury’s has the sort of elegant setting that rewards dressing a little more thoughtfully than an ordinary weeknight dinner. The room is warmly decorated rather than intimidating, and holiday décor during the Christmas season adds another layer of celebration.

There is also a sense of continuity here. Some diners have kept Laury’s in their Charleston routine since its earlier Capitol Street location, while the current riverfront setting gives the meal a more scenic backdrop.

Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for Saturday dinner and other busy evenings. The restaurant is a popular choice for special occasions, and a full dining room is no surprise.

Parking is available in a plentiful free lot, a welcome convenience when dinner includes multiple courses and a leisurely dessert. The experience described here is indoor dinner service, with the bar available for a drink before the table is ready.