Owners of the Mount Pleasant Greek restaurant Philosophia will open a new upscale dining concept, Taverna Philosophia, this fall.
Business partners Dimitri Hatgidimitriou and Justin Hunt have been working to prepare the former Bacco Italian restaurant space at 976 Houston Northcutt Boulevard, less than a mile from Philosophia, to house their new venture.
The pair launched Philosophia, a traditional Greek mezze or small plates sharing-style concept, in April 2022. Now, they’re expanding that concept with sister restaurant Taverna Philosophia: Aegean Brasserie, which will still honor the traditional Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, but in a more upscale dining format. Hunt is the executive chef, while Hatgidimitriou works as managing owner, having managed a portfolio of restaurants in New York prior to moving to South Carolina for this venture.
The new restaurant will feature a raw bar with whole fish by the pound and prime cut dry-aged meats, as well as larger traditional Mediterranean entree items they don’t have the capacity to offer within their smaller-scale Philosophia menu. The 3,000-square-foot venue will have an open kitchen, a 17-seat bar and a dining room to seat around 100 patrons.
To create the authentic Greek atmosphere, Hatgidimitriou shared with What Now Charleston that they will import 1000 handmade clay pots from Greece to display from the ceiling. They will also boast an extensive wine list of over 200 bottles, 60% of which will be sourced directly from Greece, making them one of the largest Greek wine inventories in the state.
Hatgidimitriou also confirmed to What Now Charleston that the restaurant is currently on schedule to open in late October or by November 1.
