European-inspired restaurant to open in downtown Charleston

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Chef Michael and Courtney Zentner of The Drifter, a Charleston-based culinary and event design company, are set to open their first brick and mortar restaurant concept.

Merci will open this summer at 28 Pitt St. in Harleston Village in downtown Charleston.

A neighborhood bistro featuring a European-inspired menu in a cozy, convivial setting, Merci will offer guests a taste of the dinner parties that the Zentners are known for creating for their private event clients, according to a news release.

As the culinary leader at The Drifter, Chef Zentner crafts each menu, showcasing the best in local produce and a seasonal approach, the release stated. He will adapt this approach at Merci, serving a European-influenced menu focusing on French and Italian techniques.

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Menu highlights include an updated spin on the classics, from steak tartare and foie gras to Beef Wellington and roasted duck.

Set in a historic, 1820s Federal-style building on the corner of Pitt and Montagu Streets in the residential Harleston Village, Merci is inspired by the Zentners’ travels to Europe but also to neighborhood bistros in New York and Boston, the release stated.

The space, designed by Helen Rice of Serious Buildings, though small in size is big on ambiance, the release stated. Rice and Courtney Zentner, an event designer and stylist by trade, have worked together to curate furnishings, fixtures, fabrics and vintage cookware for the restaurant.

Attached to the restaurant will be a studio space available to rent for trunk shows, workshops and small-scale private events.

Merci will be open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, as well as Friday lunch. A summer 2024 opening is planned.