We’ll say one thing for Counter 71: it doesn’t give much away. Housed in a former boozer on Nile Street - now smartly renovated - it sits tucked between an off-licence and a greasy spoon, in the odd no-man’s-land between Old Street and Regent’s Canal. There’s barely any signage, just the number 71 etched into a plaque on smooth granite. The setting might not scream ‘fine dining,’ but behind the door lies an experience of serious class.
Perched at the green marble counter, we watch chef Joe Laker and his team glide around the kitchen with supreme calmness. It’s a small, intimate space - the kind where there’s nowhere to hide if, say, someone were to slice themselves on a mandolin. Laker moves between guests with the ease of a host in his own living room, while a handful of chefs calmly plate the opening snacks.
And what a set of snacks. A tiny tartlet of truffled mushroom and fresh cheese is so delicate it practically evaporates. Then a doughnut arrives - pleasingly dense, stuffed with glazed beef, wild garlic and a hit of fermented chilli. It’s outrageously good: one of the best single bites we’ve had, and an early signal of Laker’s flair for bold flavours.
Counter 71 doesn’t let up - it sets a high bar early, and keeps surpassing it. The menu dances between contrast and balance: an acid-bright broth of jammy tomato, cucumber and elderflower is followed by rich cobnut milk, bearing a sort of ile flottante of maitake, clam and tofu. The cooking is consistently exceptional, whether it’s the perfect cuisson on a blush-pink pork loin or the sheer precision of the pastry work. The hybrid drinks pairing adds a playful edge, guided with charm by a sommelier who moves us from English sparkling to sparkling tea and beyond.
Tasting menus may be falling out of favour, but Counter 71 is a persuasive counterargument - inventive, original, and, at £110 for dinner, outstanding value.