Review: Counter 71, Shoreditch

What's the deal?

The space, seating 16

Opening a fine dining restaurant in London is a fraught exercise these days. Firstly, it would appear that the format – a splash-out meal made up of a procession of 10-20 tiny plates – has gone out of style in both a cost of living and general time crisis. To sit in a staid dining room, slurping up various foams and veloutés averaging £20 per plate, in this economy? It sounds like a mid-aughts fantasy. 

But Joe Laker isn’t daunted by squeezed patrons and fluctuating tastes – the chef (formerly of Fenn, Anglo, and Roots) has opened an intimate “chef’s table” restaurant in Shoreditch, serving a 15-course tasting menu (£110 pp) very much in the vein of local classics like chef James Knappett’s Kitchen Table or Simon Rogan’s Aulis. Counter 71 is Laker top to bottom – eating a meal here is to witness the realisation of one man’s vision. It’s a very muscular, worshipful way of eating that is probably also fading away due to increased emphasis on collaboration and non-hierarchical structures in restaurants, but soft-spoken Laker blunts its edges, creating a welcoming, relaxed space that suggests he’s a benevolent leader. 

Any visit to Counter 71 should begin at Lowcountry – the restaurant’s sister bar, located in the basement. This is where Bar Manager Ryan Sheehan and staff serve outstanding cocktails with flavours inspired by the American South (plus special small plates whipped up by Laker). The drinks menu is divided into “Classic Cocktails”, “Historical Cocktails” that have gone out of fashion like the pineapple and grenadine-spiked Rum Swizzle, or creative “Signature Cocktails” like the Jam Sour, made with gin, foamy aquafaba (chickpea water), citrus, house-made jam and bitters.

Once aperitifs have been drunk, you’re ushered upstairs to the restaurant space – a simple open kitchen encircled by the eponymous counter, offering just 16 covers. The bare, blush pink walls don’t do much in the way of creating a welcoming atmosphere – that’s all down to Laker and his staff, who greet diners warmly. Then things begin in earnest, first with a procession of snacks: a house-baked mini muffin topped with smoked egg and truffle encapsulates Laker’s British-leaning, playfully deconstructive cooking style. Like any respectable restaurant, the menu changes with the seasons and available ingredients, but those dining from the regular menu can expect several fish dishes building up to a main meat dish, capped off by a handful of sweet plates that do as much work as the savoury ones. Vegetarians are also catered for, and the wine can be thoughtfully paired for an extra £75. And, though the meal wasn’t pitch-perfect (a crispy duck egg dish missed the mark for its excessive simplicity), there were signs of greatness in Laker’s cooking – we suggest you watch this space.

What should I eat?

A tomato dish is a menu bright spot

The aforementioned muffin – baked in mini form, about the diameter of a two pound coin – comes early on in the meal, topped with an elegant pyramid of smoked egg and truffle, then crowned with a sprig of watercress. Eaten in one bite, it tastes like an elevated Tesco egg mayo and signals good things to come.

In the classic tasting menu format, you’ll usually spy a broth or soup course sandwiched between the snacks and main dishes. Laker’s version is a bowl of blistered tomatoes – seven Ferrari-red orbs in a pink bath of rhubarb jus speckled with green elderflower oil. Bright, a little tart, and a shame it’s not available by the litre. 

The miniature carrot taco is not really a taco, as such – instead of a tortilla, you get a paper-thin shell made of dehydrated carrot encasing a layer of red oakleaf lettuce, chicken thigh (mushrooms for veggies), a strip of Caesar dressing and three delicate Nasturtium leaves. A standout in a crowded field of yummy snacks on the menu. 

Why should I go?

Slink down to Lowcountry for pre- or post-dinner drinks

To witness a rising chef do his thing.

££££
71 Nile St, London N1 7RD
www.counter71.co.uk