I stopped in on a whim, the coffee smelled amazing from the sidewalk. The atmosphere is wonderful, and I imagine it to be even better when they can operate at full capacity. The barrista was very cool, chatted with us casually and made us feel welcomed. I ordered a larger peanut butter mocha, and its was a fantastic coffee! As a tourist the prices were a but high for me, but I assume that these prices are typical for the area after going to a few other stores in the area. I would greatly recommend and if I could stop by every day I would!

Great little coffee shop with a cool vibe. The barista was very helpful and made me a custom latte. My wife got a dark chocolate coffee shake she love. I’d come back here vs going to Starbucks any day!

Think dive bar of coffee shops, but better. The coffees pretty good, the art changes all the time and its always interesting, and is the cool locals youll find sitting at the bar. Worth a pop in.

Oh my God! This is the first time that Ive ever had a milkshake coffee and I guarantee it will be the best thing you have ever had in your life! It is perfect, absolutely perfect! The shop is quaint and sweet, the owner has a fabulous accent (British if I am not mistaken). I am so very sorry and sad to rate this place a four star because unfortunately the pastries werent as delicious as I hoped they would be. :( However if I ever do come by here again I will give them another go and I will change the rating if it is good!

One of the best coffee shops Ive been to. Stopped in from out of town, got the white chocolate coffee milkshake and highly recommend. Friendly staff and cute place. Will be back!

Fun and funky little coffee shop steps from The Charleston Place Hotel. Enjoy the relaxed feeling in this small hangout. Excellent coffee and a nice selection of bagels and croissants. Settle in with your laptop and enjoy the leisure morning hours here.

Really cozy place, tried the double shot breve and I really enjoyed the creaminess of it.

Easy ordering, short wait. Decent coffee. The toffee latte was a bit bitter. My white chocolate mocha came as a mocha. Not bad just not what I wanted. Good coffee flavor, nice and hot.

I didnt like their espresso or coffee. Staff was friendly but wished coffee and espresso was good. Very bitter in taste.

Spent two lovely mornings here this past week easing into my day with pleasant conversation and great coffee! Candace, the owner, is genuine warm and friendly and you can just feel the sense of family and community this local coffee shop exudes.

One of the best vanilla chai lattes I’ve had! And the turkey and cheese croissant was delicious. The barista was very friendly and quick! I will definitely be back to City Lights next time in the Charleston area.

Cute shop with a wide variety of choices. I had an almond latte and a spiced brown sugar latte with oat milk; both were tasty. My husband had a peanut butter mocha and it was not very good. It wasn’t sweet and the peanut butter flavor was bizarre (not very peanut buttery). I would return to try some other drinks.

We sere walking around downtown and saw this little coffee shop and decided to check it out. It’s small, quaint, yet perfect for what we were looking for. Staff were super friendly and quick! EvenWhen we arrived it was packed and for good reason. We ended up running into a few people that were from a few towns over from us. This is a great place for tourists!

Amazing coffee!!!Organic.Counter culture

Candace lights up the ENTIRE shop, remembers everyones names, and she multitasks better than anyone Ive ever seen. Oh yeah! And the coffee is fabulous :)

Cozy little coffee shop. However, if theres a way they can expand they should! Only one bathroom and not enough seating, but... coffee is really good. We just grabbed ours to go.Large lattes have 3 espresso shots and pricing is normal.Service is really nice.Parking is not easy as this is right off market street.

Good coffee in an oldschool atmosphere. if you’re looking for off-brand starbucks then keep going, this place is too good for you.

No AC! Smelled delicious but we needed some AC. Haha 🤷🏻‍♀️😅

Great coffee, friendly helpful staff, best prices being on downtown Charleston, tasty bagels & muffins. Support local small businesses

Best coffee in the city. It is a small place but pretty cute. Th coffee was amazing, like italian or Spanish coffee. One of my favorites places

Good espresso and great vibe! Gluten free options.

Friendly staff and great coffee. Went back for coffee milkshakes in the afternoon, so worth it!

The coffee here is pretty good and its close to the market which is nice if youre heading that way in the morning. The atmosphere is very nice and cozy; the baristas are very friendly as well. City Lights has numerous options for food, I had a chocolate chip scone and it was very good. If you eat in you can pay once you finish which is nice because you dont really have to wait in line because you only need to let the barista know what you want and you can take a seat.

Great local coffee shop! The honey lavender latte is a must-try. Comparable prices to Starbucks but better coffee IMO!

The greatest coffee shoo in Charleston! It is the greatest aromatic experience I EVER HAD.

Good coffee but the barista was pretty rude and dismissive....I got an iced coffee, but he didnt give me a straw so I asked for one and he just shoved a box in front of me without saying a word. I dont usually expect amazing service or anything but it was pretty off-putting.

Great spot for cup of coffee to go. Seating is limited, but owner was friendly and coffee was good!

Great coffee shop right off Meeting St, a block away from the Charleston Market. Real coffee served hot and a appeared to be a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Best coffee I’ve had in Charleston. Lovely barista also recommend Miller’s all day for Sunday brunch and was amazing!

Very rude barista! Not a pleasant experience, especially being in from out of town. Would not recommend, go elsewhere for your coffee.

What an amazing experience. Definitely recommend City Lights for some culture and great coffee

This was a cool little spot downtown. I stopped in while on a Sunday walk and grabbed a latte to go. The baristas were really nice and it had a good vibe. It was Togo only but it was fast and easy to get in and out.

Not craft coffee at all. Only in business because its right off King St.

Great iced coffee. Friendly staff.

Visiting from South Florida. Great spot!!! Very friendly staff!!! The coffee was wonderful. Will definitely come again next time I am in town.

The coffee is outstanding. However, the special sauce is the staff. They are friendly and responsive.

I wish the service was more considerate and the prices weren’t so high.

Really lovely shop! I moved to Charleston two months ago, and Ive gone through two punch-cards already. They have great coffee at a fair price, and plenty of good-to-great bakery goods. Its not a gourmet café, but its the perfect daily/routine café. Kind people work there, too. :)

Great coffee, great atmosphere, and friendly service!

Great local coffee shop. I had an iced cinnamon dolce latte that was really good. Grab some coffee here, you wont regret it.

Great coffee close to market and shops. They offered sugar free almond milk snd sugar free strips which was a huge positive for usVery polite and pleasant service

Coffees were average. I wasnt feeling the atmosphere. We came at mid day and the staff didnt particularly make us feel welcome or comfortable. I wouldnt recommend the food options here either, although the cakes looked decent.

City Lights Coffee on Market Street in Charleston is a reliable and dependable place to get a quality cup.of coffee, drink, or snack in the morning or during the middle of the day. The location is in the middle of everything and walking distance from most of the Peninsula. This is a good place to have a business meeting or meet someone in a relaxed and cool atmsosphere. The staff here is very accommodating and works hard to make sure that you get everything that you need. City Lights Coffee is well worth checking out.

The mocha frappe was strongly coffee flavored, and the consistency was just right. The shop is super cute, but very, very small. Definitely more of an outing for 1-2 people if youre hoping to sit and chat. Has a classic vibe, like an old southern haunt. Service was quick and the locale was charming.

Friendly feel and fun, cozy environment. Cappuccino was good, although the barista work needs a bit of refinement.

When my friends ask for Pad Thai - this is definitely one of my top recommended Thai restaurants. Enjoy the atmosphere and love their food - I usually go at lunch and enjoy their lunch special which includes a salad and a crab Rangoon with your lunch choice (off the lunch menu). Absolutely a must check out if you enjoy a little spice in your life!

Very good coffee. Very friendly service. Highly recommended.

Tucked away off of market street, this quaint coffee shop has some of the freshest coffees and teas you will ever find. What a gem!

The shop looks like a shoebox upon arrival but sitting down, the atmosphere is surprisingly breezy and fun. The coffee is good. I appreciated the colorful mugs they provided us. Staff treated our 3.5 year old like a little adult to my delight. Their coconut cake was excellent.

I tried ordering here with a mask on, apparently my mask wasnt up to the baristas standards. She asked me to alter it, I told her nope and got directions to 2nd street coffee from said barista. So glad I did, they had great coffee and accepted my mask. Save yourself the headache and go straight to second street coffee.

Ive been a patron of this fine establishment for years now. Only now has it dawned on me that Ive never given a review of this place. The coffee is excellent. I recommend the French press. The pastries and cakes to go along with your beverages. The service is friendly and fast. The owner and staff take their time to get to know you and make sure you have what you want and need. The atmosphere is warm and cozy. A great place to relax and reflect.

Quaint, comfy, cozy, warm, wonderful! Great smiles, even better coffee.

Yes! An authentic macchiato, which is a rare animal anywhere in the States. Shine brightly, City Lights!

We entered through the door centrally located on the A-side if the business. We were met with an l shaped counter. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a female white in a white and blue horizontal stripe shirt, possibly named Jenna. Our order was placed and the female gave me the option to pay upon departure. The drinks were of the same caliber as Drip, which is a step above most places

Coffee is my thing, this place serves hot bean water at best.My best assumption is that the beans are not stored properly and have too much exposure to air and humidity. Two different forms of prepared coffee was ordered and both had a heavy taste of acidity.My companion and I took a few sips then gave up and threw our full cups into a local public trashcan, I loath wasting coffee but this could not be avoided nor doctored.Overall, I get the indie appeal but I really dont understand the lack of passion for something universal.I will give it another shot in the future and see if any improvement is made with quality.

Some of the best customer service in all of Charleston. They have a very extensive menu and solid management. Pets are welcome and they even have bowls to feed your animals and provide them with water. Its a small coffee shop but theres definitely a lot of passion put into it and thats quite evident the instant you walk in. I would highly recommend this establishment if youre in the Charleston area.

Interesting fact: This place is in a straight line with; Commissary 1217 N.Main street in Dallas Texas. 32.780503 latitude line

A very good place for that special occasian.

A quaint door and window are the only markers that give away its location. Its one of those gems that once you know its there, you never forget.Its located on Market St near the Charleston City Market, across from the Belmond hotel. The attendant was incredibly warm and friendly. This probably affected the patrons as they were very welcoming as well. Dark, worn woods add to the charm of this place, accented by the aroma of Counter Culture beans.I went with the French press and was not disappointed. I didnt have anything to eat there but hope to have an opportunity to stroll back in one day.

The owner is so nice and certainly knows what shes doing! She had my favorite tea in stock and the coffee milkshake was bomb!

I walked in and automatically loved this place. The service was kind and there was classic Italian music playing which really sets the tone. I ordered a latte and it was out in less than two minutes which, by the way, it was great and I would recommend.

Fantastic local coffee shop, way better than the large, corporate, soulless company down the street. Support local!

Good hazelnut latte

Such a lovely coffee shop! Became our second home for the few days we were in Charleston. This is the sort of place regulars come to everyday just to chat with the friendly faces behind the counter, certainly. The coffee is delicious, and there were a lot of gluten free/vegan treats too.

Such a cute shop. Specialty coffees and yummy pastries. Coffee was wonderful. Staff was friendly, quick and exact. The store very clean. Would recommend this place to anyone. Will visit again the next time Im in Charleston

Small, crazy coffee shop that serves more than coffee. Just down the corner from the historic market. The people are friendly, and quick too serve.

Great latte and friendly staff:)

Its located on Market St near the Charleston City Market, across from the Belmond hotel. The attendant was incredibly warm and friendly. This probably affected the patrons as they were very welcoming as well. Dark, worn woods add to the charm of this place, accented by the aroma of Counter Culture beans.

Super cute and great iced coffee.

Great iced latte!

The scene is quaint and the feel is pretty chill, but the thing that set this coffee shop apart for me is the Customer Service! Both of the staff members were talkative, considerate to each customer and kind at all times! I even noticed someone who hadnt been there in a while return and be treated as a friend as though he had never left... AMAZING SERVICE! And the coffee was great too :-)

Very good lattes. I find flavored lattes can really be hit or miss at various coffee shops. Starbucks drops a pound of sugar in theirs, except the mocha, perhaps. We had two lattes, a spiced maple and hazzelnut. They were fantastic. No bitterness from the coffee and a nice hint of flavor without excessive sweetness. I highly recommend trying their coffee and if you prefer a sweeter latte, just add a little sugar.

Delicious coffee and amazing staff!

Fast services was provided. Great staff. Coffee was good. Atmosphere was good. Services was good.

Quick, friendly and accurate are the best traits of a coffee shop - they got em all

Wonderful locally-run coffee shop. The wooden fittings and warm lighting help create an incredibly cosy atmosphere. The latte, and rest of their coffee, is well-made and tastes great.

Went in the morning and had no wait for coffee. Calm, peaceful little coffee shop right in the heart of downtown. Enjoyed my coffee and my experience there. Four stars because only one type of roast - didnt particularly matter to me but I did witness it mattering to someone else who came through the door.

Best coffee in the city

Was there once several years ago. My impression is that of a very small comfy place with a large selection of coffees and teas and some pastries and additional small food items. I had a coconut water and a pastry. Reasonable prices and a friendly staff.

French press costs twice as much as Christophe bakery/cafe three blocks over.

• quaint and physically small establishment• great casual and mature atmosphere• quality espresso, average $5 a cup• cozy bathroom, if you can get to the bathroom door (again, its a small coffee bar)I had a beautiful experience, and I loved my iced latte. Relaxing and fun!

Stopped here coz we wanted a place to sit. Picked the coffee dark chocolate milkshake. It wasnt very sweet, had a strong coffee taste and had crunchy coffee bean bits AND was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I could have it all day.They had a good looking coconut cake that I wouldve tried if I wasnt so darn full!!!

Excellent iced Americano

This place was fine. The coffee was fine and so was the service. Fine is probably the best descriptor for this place. The guy behind the counter perked up for a quick second when I asked him about the outcome of the World Cup game he was paying attention to on some guys laptop at the bar area.

I came to City Lights as a recommendation from our hotel concierge. I got regular drip coffee and it was delicious. Came back two other days and consistently had coffee that was fresh and rich. I even brought home a pound. Small town feeling in small cafe, with locals and visitors mixing well.

The first time we came here in July, there was a very nice lady working. She knew her customers, who came in at a steady rate, and their preferences. She was ver kind and personable. We came in today and had a totally different experience. The iced chai was very weak. I asked the guy there if he was the owner, as he had a backpack on a shelf. His reply was, “nope” he and the girl working seemed more interested in talking to a guy sitting at the counter, whom they appeared to know. Had this been our first visit, we couldn’t have come back. The lady from our first visit was friends with the owner and she totally took care of the business and customers. Wished she’d been there this time!!!

We walked in to a friendly greeting by Craig he recommended the milkshake coffee. It was amazing. The atmosphere was very friendly and had a great feel to it. Definitely any coffee lover or enthusiast should visit when coming to Charleston. And I met a beautiful girl from Germany we will go on our first date tonight.

Fell in love with this place! Over a course of 3 days visited at least 12 times! Every drink we had was absolutely amazing! Will definitely return if we make it back to the area!

Nice coffee. Asked for a caramel macchiato and the girl mixed mocha and caramel. Not sure what that was about but my wife’s breve was good.

Small intimate coffee shop with a downtown feel and a laid back flair. Sometimes it is standing room only and with good reason. A hot or cold made to order beverage and fresh made from scratch edibles. If you want a skinny mocha double shot with almond milk or a solid black cup of drip coffee, this is your place. Best baristas on the peninsula.

Enjoyed it! Hung out for an hour. Nice employees and tasty coffee.

Coffee was soapyStaff was far from the southern hospitality standardNothing impressive for $9.70 for two coffees

A great cappuccino or whole French press for the table. And they dont know what grande is Great moment.

We were visiting Charleston and stopped by. Everyone was so nice and their coffee is INCREDIBLE. Can’t stress that enough. Relaxed environment, great people, and wonderful coffee. Thanks!!

Awesome and quaint true coffee shop! Owner has been there every time I have gone in and he loves coffee! Best Espresso drinks period! Order, Drink, sit and enjoy then pay on your way out!

Very busy local coffee shop. Service was friendly. Smoothie was delicious. Iced-latte was okay. Quaint little place that seems consistently busy. Would recommend over there chain s block away.

Good coffee and pastries. The place is tiny but we took our coffee to go and walked around some of the more historic parts of Charleston. Its a great way to start the day!

Cute coffee shop. Enjoyed the French pressed coffee. Both ladies were very nice and helpful with helping with my selection.

Nice cozy spot with huge cappuccinos, even bigger slices of cake. Old high ceilings. Slow service but ya, its the south. Enjoyed an hour rest here before plowing back into Charleston sunshine.

Flavoring was very light. The staff was not very personable.

Had a meeting here with some folks for an upcoming fashion show in the area. Quaint, cute and cozy...almost has a European feel, if you will. Great coffee too!