Whether you’re interested in taking a tour of City Scape Winery, putting your cooking skills to the test at a sushi-making class, or trying several award-winning restaurant dishes at places like The Anchorage or Topsoil, this driving-distance destination is every foodie’s dream.

Before you start packing your bags, here’s everything you need to know about the area + our insider recommendations.

Drive time: ~1 hour and 40 minutes from downtown
Est. population: 525,534
Avg. high in January: 53°

Things to do

Fall for Greenville
Plan ahead to attend this annual local festival happening Fri., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 11. You won’t want to miss a showcase of tunes, taps, and tastes.

Greenville history + food tours
If you decide to do a culinary tour, choose between: a BBQ Trail tour, an At the Chef’s Table tour, The Carolina Countryside tour, the Greenville Breakfast tour, or the Greenville Coffee tour.

TD Saturday Farmers Market
This is the most customizable foodie experience you can have in Greenville because you can pick + choose the ingredients you want in your dish. Every Saturday, May through October, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. 75+ vendors come out to sell produce, specialty foods, and more.

The Cook’s Station cooking classes
Playing with your food is a requirement at The Cook’s Station. Its goal is to serve up community, provide convenience, educate, and entertain. The Cook’s Station is currently offering a variety of 30+ cooking classes + will be posting March's class lineup on Thursday, Feb. 1.

Wine tasting at City Scape Winery
All of the wines at City Scape Winery are locally made. You can book a wine tasting, be a winemaker for the day, or just attend an event with your friends.

Enjoying a City Scape Winery taste testing. Photo by COLAtoday team

Memorable eats

CAMP
You can expect a menu filled with a whimsical mix of comfort food + dash of global flare sourced from local farmers. Pro tip: you can sit at Chef’s Counter where you’ll have a front-row-seat to chefs preparing delicious meals throughout the night.
Featured in the 2022 Eating Well Mag, check out some James Beard nominees:

The Anchorage
This restaurant was a 2018 James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. Guests can expect simple, local, or regional ingredients blended with an eclectic style and hospitality.

Topsoil
Topsoil is located in Travelers Rest between Main Street and the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. Enjoy food made by a 2020 Beard semifinalist for Best Chef, Adam Cooke, who’s built lasting relationships with local farmers who grow the produce that makes it onto each plate.

Fork and Plough
Fork and Plough is known as an all-in-one restaurant, grocery store, and butcher. Kingbird Pastures helps provide the restaurant with 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef and a bevy. Pro tip: you can always take home a grab-n-go meal from the market.

Clare’s Creamery
All of that dinner made us have a hankering for dessert. Check out Clare’s Creamery — a local ice cream shop that makes handmade ice cream. Pro tip: you can also rent several onsite options for a private event.

Rise Bakery
Rise Bakery is an artisan, neighborhood bakery in the Village of West Greenville. Stop by to grab some unique baked goods offerings, like its authentic unleavened sourdough loaves.

Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery
Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery is a blend of a grocery store, cafe, bakery, food hub selling local produce, and community. This cafe and grocery store hyper-focused on local grab-n-go eats for when you want a quick bite or dinner to go.

Juniper's garden rooftop | Photo by Say Curgan Photography / Max DiNatale Digital Marketing; digital credits: @saycurganphoto, @maxdinataledigital, and @juniper.gvl.

Accommodations with award-winning cuisine

Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, 44 East Camperdown Way, Greenville
Discover Between the Trees, offering a modern cuisine at the Grand Bohemian Lodge that overlooks Falls Park. Savor seasonally inspired dishes that are paired with fine New World wines. Don't forget desserts, which are artfully made by an in-house pastry chef.

Hotel Domestique, 10 Road of Vines, Travelers Rest
Hotel Domestique — a luxury hotel that showcases old-world style with modern design — houses Restaurant 17. Restaurant 17 is a restaurant + bar that curates meals made with twists on classic Italian and Mediterranean dishes by a 2022 South Carolina Chef Ambassador Winner, Chef Haydn Shaak.

Modal, 813 Augusta St.
As seen in FORBES magazine as a 2021 HOSCAR Award Winner for Extraordinary Inclusive Hostel by Hostelworld.com, Modal is a one-of-a-kind LA-inspired hostel that combines boutique hotel elements with the conveniences + experience of a hostel. It houses a micro-coffee bar inside the front lobby, serving locally roasted Junto coffee, beer, wine, and pastries.

The AC Hotel, 315 South Main St.
This hotel is located in downtown and is home to three unique bars, each with a noteworthy experience. We recommend checking out Juniper, a garden rooftop for craft cocktails & small plates overlooking downtown Greenville.

Catch up on the last two months’ Hit the Road features: Hit the Road: an outdoor adventure to Asheville, NC, and Hit the Road: a 30-mile getaway to Camden.