Restaurant of the Week: Counter 71 in Shoreditch

Why Counter 71 in Shoreditch as our Restaurant of the Week? For it’s simple and creative answer to a tasting menu. Counter 71 is a single-concept affair, with one menu, one sitting and one chef’s counter table only. The food is seasonal, sustainable and British, which may sound a cliché, but here it’s authentic and beautifully executed. It’s ideal for those of us who don’t want to pour over a menu and are happy to leave it to the chefs to decide what you will eat and bring it in their own time. You do you and enjoy the meal, and they do them and cook for you.  

It’s easy to see why ‘decision-fatigue’ has entered the dictionary. When we’re not agonising over what task to prioritise, we might be trawling through a universe of possibilities just to land on some well-suited trousers or disappearing down a rabbit hole of reviews, for something as simple as what to watch next on television. Tasting menus tend to divide opinion – some see it is as a straitjacket or an indulgence by the chef, others as an opportunity to sample the very best of what the chefs can create. In my book, to surrender the reins for an evening and pass the heavy-weighted baton of choice into the hands of a pair of London’s finest culinary gurus, I’ll willingly oblige.

The Chefs at Counter 71 in Shoreditch

The hands? That’s Joe Laker (pictured right), previously Head Chef at Anglo in Farringdon and the lauded – though now closed – Fenn in Fulham, where he met co-founder and bartender Ryan Sheehan (left). When two hands come together to create a restaurant, they often bring a different set of dexterities to the table – seamlessly complementing each other behind the scenes.

At Counter 71, the siloed personalities are conspicuous, with the moody Lowcountry bar downstairs leaning towards Sheehan’s deep American South background, while the making of the British larder-led dishes a Laker vision.

It's a summer evening as my partner and I arrive at Counter 71 in Shoreditch. We begin the evening by dipping down the narrow side staircase to Sheehan’s underground, swish cocktail bar, where a friendly, laid-back bartender offers us a seat. While the service might match the non-fussy East London vicinity, the menu is less discreet, with tipples flashing ingredients in all their American glory, such as bacon-washed Bourbon and maple syrup (making up a Fat Fashioned) or tomato and jalapeño-infused tequila (combined for a Hot Tomato). We ask for a mocktail and are pleasantly surprised there’s a dedicated menu for this – made with all the fun ingredients of the real deal minus the bourbons and the whiskeys.

The single dinner service usually begins at about 7 o’clock, and on schedule we’re escorted back up to ground level where beaming sunlight streams through broad stained-glass windows. Despite being dominated by a working kitchen, the space is minimalist – so spotless a speck of dust is unimaginable. These sky-high standards are a bold move, as the kitchen is under the exposed spotlight of all entering eyeballs. As I observe the ultra-composed chefs, I think to myself how that intensity of pressure and precision is something many of us will never have to sustain. Even stage actors don’t need to give their audience an actual tasting of their flawless creations.

The energy of the evening is exceptionally chilled.  The chef’s counter seats up to 16, although it was quiet on the evening we attended. We asked our host how dining strangers tend to interact on one luxurious dining table. She told us it’s largely up to guests whether they fancy interacting with each other – there can be a lively, convivial atmosphere or guests who prefer to keep things more intimate.

Our host talks us through the wine and drinks pairings – with seasonal, sommelier, alcohol-free or hybrid options on offer. Despite a momentary relapse into the realms of decision-making, in the world of hangover-expectant fine dining, I’m appreciative of this modernised offer. I opt for the hybrid matching and am given a richly bodied Rosé wine, while my alcohol-free partner enjoys a bubbly iced tea-based take on Prosecco. When we meet Laker and Sheenan later, we swap stories of sobriety journeys as they divulge how after years of what sounds like indulgent drinking – largely inescapable in the hospitality setting – they are both happily alcohol-free now.

The Tasting menu at Counter 71

For the 10-course menu (excluding a trio of initial snacks), each dish is centred around three ingredients, named on the menu. Our first bite begins with a pleasing mini buckwheat tart of crab and sumac, though admittedly it was quickly outshone by a tastebud-turning – and magnificently flowered – beef doughnut, with each fluffy bite permeating with wild garlic and fermented chilli. The last of the three snacks was smoked eel – it’s not every day you try this British staple, first favoured in the 18th century. The aquatic creature was infused with black barley and burnt onion, to create an Oreo-shaped delicacy with a nutty, smoky depth.

We moved on to all-time British favourite bread and butter, which felt more modern Scandinavian than what might have been served traditionally on this side of the waters. Glazed brioche breaking into doughy layers which we lovingly glossed over with sea salt and wild garlic cultured butters – it was outstanding.  

The main course line-up is seafood-centric, as we flit from shiitake tempura with smoked oil and seaweed, to cuttlefish with tuna to lobster claw. The standout for me was a John Dory clam, soaked in a sensational buttery sauce. The menu changes depending on what’s seasonally and locally available, but next in front of us that evening were sears of lamb saddle with asparagus – drizzled in an earthy marigold sauce for a ripe, flavourful finish.

Best of British continues to shine through to the puddings too, with long-standing favourites of strawberries, figs and rhubarb each having their moment – whether it be strawberry tart with chamomile and cherry blossom or a fig leaf ice cream sandwich. Once we had blissfully tucked away the three sweet plates, it was time to dust off the evening with chocolate truffles and a coffee and tea ordered for the sake of digestion (the hot beverages rather than the truffles). There may only be one table, tasting menu and seat time, but when it comes to the plates, we’re well into the double digits at Counter 71.  

It was a spectacular and special evening, while also retaining a stoical charm. So, despite a little resentment at having to re-enter the decision-making world, we left merry, sated with delicious and creative food, and converts of the tasting menu. 

Price for the dinner tasting menu is £110 per guest. Find out more and book here: http://www.counter71.co.uk.  

Counter 71, 71 Nile St, London N1 7RD