11 Great Restaurants In London For Counter Dining
A Baxter
BEST FOR TAPAS
Barrafina, Borough
Barrafina’s five London outposts follow a time-honoured format: classic tapas dishes and daily changing specials that use the best seasonal produce. At its Borough Market site, seating is up on leather bar stools around a beautiful, marble-topped counter. Original Kate Boxer paintings cover the walls, introducing splashes of vibrant colour to the space. Recently, a row of tables raised to counter height have been fitted against the back wall to accommodate groups of four, while offering the same view and atmosphere of the restaurant’s typical dining space.
2 Dirty Lane, Borough Yards, SE1 9PA
Visit Barrafina.co.uk
BEST FOR ITALIAN
Bocca di Lupo, Soho
Jacob Kenedy and Victor Hugo opened Bocca di Lupo in 2008. The restaurant has since received various awards and accolades for its stripped-down, honest, regional Italian cuisine. Despite the slick Soho surroundings, Bocca di Lupo is a family business and likes to think of itself as more of a trattoria than a glamorous restaurant. The kitchen turns out dishes from each of Italy's 20 regions, with almost everything homemade – from breads, sausages and salami to pickles, mostarda and pasta. There’s always an interesting crowd at the restaurant, and arguably the best seats in the house are at the counter, where you can watch the action from leather stools.
12 Archer Street, Soho, W1D 7BB
Visit BoccaDiLupo.com
BEST FOR KITCHEN THEATRE
Counter 71, Shoreditch
Another great spot out east, as the name suggests, Counter 71 is all about sitting by the kitchen to watch the chefs prepare your food. The action revolves around its beautiful Spanish marble counter, where guests are seated before being given a concise list of low-intervention wines and classic cocktails to choose from. Cooking is modern British, so a tasting menu could include dishes like grilled squid with girolles, langoustines with lemon and chilli, and roast guinea fowl. The downstairs bar, with its extensive whisky list, stays open late.
71 Nile Street, Shoreditch, N1 7RD
Visit Counter71.co.uk
BEST FOR GLAMOUR
Bar des Prés, Mayfair
French chef Cyril Lignac’s Bar des Prés has one of the most beautiful counters on this list. In fact, there are two to choose from: the ground floor has a bar made from Italian Giallo marble and is filled with unique glassware; the basement lounge has red velvet seating and Murano glass lampshades. Here, guests can enjoy drinks and nibbles or late-night dinners. Upstairs, the counter is the perfect place to experience the theatre of open-kitchen dining. Perched in front of the chefs, you can watch them prepare dishes inspired by Lignac’s love of French and Japanese cuisine, from delicate sushi to small plates like its signature crab and avocado galette or caramelised miso cod. There’s also an excellent cocktail list – we recommend the ‘Tokyo Garden’, made with Tanqueray gin, shizo, sake, yuzu and lychee.
16 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, W1S 4HW
Visit BarDesPres.com
BEST FOR A DATE
Caia, Notting Hill
Just off Portobello Road, Caia offers a huge list of wines from interesting and young producers, alongside a seasonally changing menu of dishes cooked on an open-fire grill. After a meal at the counter, head into the basement where DJs use top-of-the-line kit to spin everything from rare jazz to funk, tropical and disco.
46 Golborne Road, Notting Hill, W10 5PR
Visit Caia.London
Ola O.Smit
BEST FOR AN AFFORDABLE MEAL
Koya, Various Sites
Since co-founders John Devitt, Shuko Oda and Junya Yamasaki launched Koya on Frith Street in 2010, it’s become known for its handmade udon and dashi. It’s still the only restaurant in London to make its own udon. The menu has evolved over time – and there are now three sites across the capital, including in Hackney and the City – but many staples have remained, including its blackboard of innovative specials that push the boundaries of Japanese cuisine, such as Asian kedgeree and an English breakfast udon, featuring noodles, egg, bacon and shiitake. There’s always a queue outside each restaurant, so bear that in mind before visiting.
Various locations
Visit Koya.co.uk
BEST FOR A QUICK BITE
Kuro Eatery, Notting Hill
Notting Hill’s Kuro Coffee opened Kuro Eatery two years ago. Headed up by Andrianos Poulis (Cornerstone and Mazi) and third-generation baker Nicolas Ruty (The Savoy), the small, beautiful restaurant is a vibrant, light-soaked space. The menu mixes Japanese elements with Andrianos’s love of Mediterranean food, so expect reinvented pasta dishes followed by beautifully presented meat and fish dishes. There’s a beautiful limewashed counter where you can also order from the short wine and dessert menu or stop for coffee and pastries. It’s been closed for a refurbishment – but reopens on 20th January.
5 Hillgate Street, Notting Hill, W8 7SP
Visit Kuro-London.com
BEST FOR SEAFOOD
Lyon's, Crouch End
This smart restaurant and bar has a close relationship with its trusted suppliers, so you can rest assured its seafood is sustainably sourced and market fresh. Nab a seat at the ten-cover green-tiled bar for a solo meal or quick bite with a friend. Current menu highlights include squid ‘bolognese’, pan-fried day-boat fish with beurre blanc, and fried oysters with a chorizo crumb. Set menus and paired wines are available too.
1 Park Road, Crouch End, N8 8TE
Visit Lyons-Restaurant.com
BEST FOR VEGGIE DISHES
Bubala, Spitalfields
Bubala has two London sites, but we like the Spitalfields branch best for its laidback atmosphere and green-tiled counter. Founder Marc Summers (previously GM at Berber & Q) has kept both restaurants full thanks to a reliable menu of flavoursome vegan and vegetarian dishes. The menu is designed for sharing and centres around the bold flavours, herbs and spices of Tel Aviv’s modern cafes. Vegetables are given a lick of flame on an open grill and served with both traditional and more unusual flavour combinations. Highlights include fried aubergine with zhoug and date syrup, oyster mushroom skewers, and confit potato latkes served with garlicky toum. The drinks list comprises a short cocktail menu, red and white house wines on tap, and a selection of wines from Lebanon and the Middle East.
65 Commercial Street, Spitalfields, E1 6BD
Visit Bubala.co.uk
BEST FOR MICHELIN-STARRED DINING
Silo, Hackney
Silo was the UK’s first zero-waste restaurant. It received a Green Michelin star just two years after relocating to Crate Brewery. Chef Douglas McMaster’s sustainable approach covers everything from trading directly with farmers to composting leftovers and creating the open-plan space (including the wrap-around bar) with pioneering, high-quality materials such as cork, mycelium and upcycled plastic and leather. He offers a continually changing menu of up to 15 dishes – look for the likes of golden beetroot with yoghurt and pickled blackberries, smoked pumpkin with furikake, and sourdough XO dumplings. There’s a smart cocktail list to match, as well as bottled drinks from sustainable breweries.
Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN
Visit SiloLondon.com
BEST FOR SOMETHING NEW
Canteen, Notting Hill
You’ll likely always be able to get space at one of Notting Hill’s buzziest new restaurants, as it’s walk-in only and the queues move fairly quickly. Canteen is the latest outpost from the team behind the nearby Pelican pub and the Hero in Maida Vale. It’s more of the same ethos here: simple, seasonal dishes done well. The interiors are more fun though, with retro lighting and lots of bar seating at the steel counter. The focus is on pasta and small plates of regional Italian food, all presented simply and drizzled with lots of olive oil. Don’t miss the dark chocolate mousse for dessert. It’s open for lunch daily and dinner on weekdays.
310 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W10 5TA
Follow @Canteen310
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