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A chef’s table isn’t for shrinking violets. In the case of Counter 71 that doesn’t just go for the cooks, but the guests too, as this new backstreets-of-Shoreditch spot puts the diners on display as much as those running the joint.
Taking over an inauspicious, long-shuttered boozer, Counter 71 boasts a mega marble countertop with space for 16 diners, with chefs calmly milling around the open kitchen that’s blam in the middle. Lights are bright, and you see the whites of the eyes of your fellow guests. It’s halfway between a suburban swingers party and the first episode of a reality television show; the one where you face everyone you’ll be spending the next month with. Who here knows basic first aid? Who’s going to get on your tits with their wacky humour? Who’s going to have a breakdown?
A nifty cheese and onion gougere came on like a glammed-up Greggs bake (which, if there was any doubt, is a serious compliment).
As it stands, an evening at Counter 71 is far less stressful than any of that. In fact, it’s a breeze. At the first solo venture from Joe Laker – formerly of gone-but-not-forgotten Fenn and St Leonards – there’s only one group seating each evening. That makes this lowkey tasting menu feel truly special, and never overwhelming, and that’s in spite of the fact there are 16 courses (which comes in at a not unreasonable £110 a head, especially if you consider it's just £6.80 per course.)
The concept is a ‘culinary ode to the British Isles’, but it’s a loose, casual thing. Sure, Laker is celebrating homegrown ingredients, but he’s not here to make you feel like you’re stuck inside a rhapsodic Robert Macfarlane book, and the music softly playing is inoffensive nu-jazz and R&B, rather than the Wicker Man-ish excesses of Fairport Convention.
An opening langoustine custard with crab and buttermilk set the scene for some seriously bold native flavours. Montgomery cheddar was the potent star of both a cheese tartlet with beetroot, as well as a nifty cheese and onion gougere, which came on like a glammed-up Greggs bake (which, if there was any doubt, is a serious compliment).
After such potent delicacies, a simple salad with caviar and smoked rapeseed oil offered a moment of lightness, before cuttlefish and clams – swimming in an enjoyably dank girolle broth – completed a trio of fish dishes, paving the way for expertly tender and sticky pork belly with a splodge of black garlic.
Despite the quick turnover of dishes, service remained slick and unnervingly calm. Four puddings – shout out to the creamy cobnut ice-cream decorated with a slither of compressed pear – and a cheese course that was essentially a cheddar and honey infused bread and butter later, and we were well and truly content, and, potentially, had learned a little about the breadth of incredible British produce. Counter 71 is a new essential; as long as you don’t mind having nowhere to hide.
The vibe A chef’s table tasting menu - without the faff - in a converted Shoreditch pub.
The food It’s ‘an ode to the British isles’; so expect local-ish flavours such as cobnuts, ancient einkorn sourdough bread and Isle of Syke scallops.
The drink If you can splash out on the £75 wine pairing, do. If not, grab a wine by the glass, and the friendly front of house will guide you to the most fitting for whatever point in the meal you’re at.
Time Out tip Visit Lowcountry – the bar below the restaurant – before dinner, for a fresh and freaky Hot Tomato cocktail, made of a simple jalapeno-infused tequila, tomato water and lime.