At last, the iconic River House restaurant at Palmetto Bluff, one of the only riverfront dining options in Bluffton, has reopened its doors with an elegant and perfect presentation, highlighting the best of Lowcountry culture and cuisine. It’s an experience you must have in person, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak preview to whet your appetite for the feast that awaits your senses.
The history
A tiny reminder of the past will pique your interest, as there are nods to the history of the place—which you’ll want to be sure to notice when you visit—preserved in the current iteration. In 2004, the original River House was a space in the building where all guests checked in to visit the resort at Palmetto Bluff. In 2016, the restaurant closed, and the dining room itself was converted into a banquet space with a screened-in porch, reserved for private events. The very intimate bar space remained with a few tables scattered throughout the porch.
In 2021, the current renovation began, and now the renovation has returned to its restaurant roots. The former wine cellar downstairs is now HUSH, a speakeasy, and what was once a library is now BUZZ, a boutique grab-and-go coffee shop. The old check-in desk is now a space where guests can enjoy live music with entry to the porch for craft cocktails as well as entry into dining room.
The dining room
It’s a feast for the eyes! The new hugely vibrant dining room stuns with florals, lots of greenery, and a whopping $2 million worth of clean millwork. The former screened-in porch seemingly floats on the river like a luxury houseboat with floor-to-ceiling windows. As the day turns to night, the varying colors of the sky are part of the show until darkness arrives and envelopes the room in a deep, moody glow.
No less than 127 potted plants maintained weekly by professionals with very green thumbs decorate and embellish the entire space, and there are no bad seats; either you are overlooking the river or lagoon, or next to a fireplace or windows. The open, perfectly spaced seating includes beautiful banquettes and a variety of other seating arrangements to suit everyone for any occasion imaginable.
As well, the River House has committed to conservancy and sustainability. “We value our stewardship of the land,” said Damien Olsen, River House general manager. “We value our connection to the natural environment insomuch that we’ve directly and purposefully tied the restaurant to the beauty of the outdoor space.”
Two fireplaces remain that were part of the original structure, along with other bits and pieces. “Long-time guests of the restaurant will come in and pinpoint where things used to be and how they appreciate the way the renovation and restoration nod to the past,” Olsen said. “Having that acknowledgement is great, and we are proud to honor their perspectives and conjure happy memories.”
The restaurant also boasts two private dining rooms: one with an exquisite wall mural that is a Lowcountry forest aesthetic with live oaks that draw you into their majestic and mysterious beauty; on the other side is a bourbon wall. In the other dining room, one side edges to a glassed-in porch overlooking the lagoon. Though each offers a unique aesthetic, both offer unmatched natural views.
The chef
Meet River House Chef de Cuisine Daniel Vesey. Prior to the River House re-opening, Chef Vesey was at Octagon in the main hotel and with the Octagon team when they received the impressive, world-class Forbes 5-star award. At Octagon, Vesey oversaw the hotel and room service dining, so when this new opportunity opened at River House, he was ripe and ready for the call. Prior to River House, he was chef at venues in Maui, Hawaii, and in Park City, Utah.
Olson, too, was at Park City. “I first met Chef Vesey at the Riverhorse in Park City,” said Damian, “which is single-handedly the best dining in town. I knew he was the real deal. At Palmetto Bluff, we recognize that the chef matters, and we support Chef Vesey to create an incomparable menu comprised of the freshest, best, most impressive ingredients with the most professional staff anywhere.”
Nathan Beriau, director of food and beverage agrees. “This level of product and service requires an entire army to execute. Chef Vesey brings all those details together into the guests’ experience here. Our guests look at the menu, they see and experience the details, and they remember them. All the complimentary items add to the value of our space,” he said.
The menu
Chef Vesey’s inspiration at River House is the quality of the product. “When something is in season and it’s rare, we jump at the chance to incorporate it into our dishes. For example, we recently sourced some ramps, so we grabbed them up because ramp season is short and they are elusive plants, and hence quantities are limited.”
They’re typically foraged, like truffles and mushrooms. Chef Vesey finds these specialty items, and they dictate how he makes the dishes.
Other seasonal menu items look like North Carolina Rainbow Trout, prepared with Nueske bacon, PX sherry butter, marbled potatoes, and smoke trout roe; or Joyce Farms Chicken, served with Carolina gold rice, roasted purplette onions, mushroom conserva, and natural jus.
While River House is steak and seafood centric, with the focus being beef, unsurpassed secondary offerings are hogs, chicken, and local fish.
“We do our best to source locally, including pork and chicken,” Vesey said. “For our beef program, we gather prime beef from all over the world, including Japanese wagyu or Australian wagyu or small U.S. farm beef (prime dry aged or not) and ranges in portion from 2 oz. to 42 oz. We are proud of the variety we offer in our beef program. Our aim is always to let the ingredient speak for itself.”
For those with a taste for game, look for expanded options in the future. In fact, on the menu now, you’ll find a superb Venison Tenderloin, enhanced with a raspberry reduction, smoked maple sweet potato, and delightful rainbow chard.
Desserts, too, are unforgettable. In particular, the Flaming S’mores, a play on baked Alaska, done tableside. It looks like a marshmallow on a stick stacked on a graham cracker. Upon serving, a splash of bourbon is poured on top then lit so that the marshmallow roasts, revealing toasted marshmallow ice cream inside. It’s just like cooking s’mores over a campfire at your table.
The bar
The River House bar has 13 comfortable, intimate seats and offers a full bar, from high-end scotches and cognacs to hard-to-find bourbons and popular vodkas. Located centrally, it’s a whole dining experience bar. The wine menu features over 2,500 different labels from the world’s major wine regions in a variety of formats, with an emphasis on benchmark wines and notable emerging wineries. An impressive offering of 41 wines by the glass is available.
“Our by-the-glass wine menu is a large feat,” Olsen said. “With our Coravin system, a system designed to pour wine without removing the cork, every pour tastes just like the first.”
Though wine centric, River House is also a bespoke cocktail establishment. One crafted cocktail includes carrot juice ice cubes. Another comes served with a jasmine scented bubble on top, which you pop when served so that the aromatics kick in, enhancing the drink experience.
The speakeasy
Downstairs is HUSH, a speakeasy (formerly the wine cellar) equipped with an intimate bar, seating for 35 guests, a billiards table, a humidor with space just outside to smoke, and prohibition-themed live jazz—all hidden, of course, behind a mirrored glass wall.
“It’s the place for the ultimate nightcap and open only three days a week,” Olsen said. “We want you to dine at the restaurant then move down to HUSH to wind down and listen to music.”
The sommelier
Certified Sommelier PJ Myers came from Michael Anthony’s and a career in military. His passion is beverages, and his aim is to become a director of beverage. He curated the River House wine list and is the gatekeeper of a $1.5 million inventory. He additionally educates the staff and interested guests on wine, regions, and more, and he works closely with the culinary team to develop wine pairings for changing seasonal selections on the menu.
“PJ really breaks it down for us and makes it very interesting,” Olsen said. “If you don’t know wines, it can be an intimidating industry, but he makes it fun, easy to learn, and elevates our restaurant experience.”
The takeaway
In the South, the intimate connection between the table and the land is undeniable: the fertile soil providing nutrition, the shelter provided by palmettos, and the ocean providing its bounty with the incoming tide. River House is a culinary celebration of this relationship and our professed love for the land and waters of the Lowcountry.
“This entire space is designed around storytelling,” Olsen said, “and our people are bringing it to life. We have been open for two months. We are proud of our progress, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”
For reservations, call (855) 264-8705 or visit riverhousesc.com.
