If your idea of the perfect restaurant visit is being up close and personal with the chefs or if you're looking for the perfect place for a solo lunch or supper, then counter dining is the way to go. Here's our guide to the best restaurants in London for grabbing a stool up at the counter.
Arlington
St James - 20 Arlington St, St. James's, London SW1A 1RJ
Although there are clearly some prime seats that the top celebs want to secure at Jeremy King's St James restaurant, arguably one of the most fun places to sit here is up at the bar. There you can watch them make you an ice-cold martini to go with your bang-bang chicken (and the seats at the bar are slightly easier to book too).
Pearly Queen
Shoreditch - 44 Commercial Street, London E1 6LT
There are a few seats at the kitchen counter at this relatively small Tom Brown (ex-Cornerstone) restaurant and they're well worth getting. Much of the final prep for the food (particularly the oysters) goes on here and you should aim for the left of the counter if you want to see as much of that as possible. Once in position the oysters are a must, particularly the crispy buffalo oyster. The cuttlefish lasagna is another must-have.
Sol's
Bayswater - 25 Leinster Terrace, London W2 3ET
This Bayswater wine bar brings a little touch of East London to West London being the kind of wine bar that you could easily find in Dalston (different clientele, mind). You can take a seat at the centre counter but if the weather is even slightly decent, you'll want to nab one of the window seats. The drinks list is led by low-intervention wines, while the menu of pinxtos and larger plates on the blackboard changes regularly.
Goodbye Horses
Islington - 21 Halliford St, London, N1 3HB
Part of a parade of new bars hitting Islington of late, Goodbye Horses is blessed with a beautifully-designed room, with the bespoke high chairs by the counter being particularly stunning creations. There's a vibe like no other here, particularly in the evening. with a menu that features a combination of natural wines and changing dishes by the chef. If it's on, the eggs mayonnaise is a must and even if you can't get a seat here, head across to their wine bar/ice cream shop across the street, The Dreamery, where there's another counter to perch at.
Roe
Canary Wharf - Five Park Drive, Wood Wharf, London E14 9GG
The sibling restaurant to Fallow (which itself boasts a good counter space in St James), Roe offers the best counter dining experience in Canary Wharf on an extensive counter in front of the very long kitchen. Must-have dishes here are the mushroom parfait, the skewers, the mixed venison grill and their caramelised banana parfait (our favourite dessert of 2024). Also worth noting is the hugely impressive counter around the basement kitchen, but that's only open for special occasions.
Oma
Borough Market - 2-4 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
Quite possibly our favourite restaurant in Borough Market, David Carter's Greek-focused Oma features a counter that wraps around the open kitchen, with part of it right in front of the raw bar, so you can see just what they're creating some of the dishes from. Everything from the spanakopita to the flatbreads are worth ordering here and there's a notable vibe from those lucky enough to get the counter seats. If you can't get a seat up in Oma, there may be some in front of the wood-fired grill downstairs at Agora, which is walk-ins only.
Lita
Marylebone - 7 Paddington St, London W1U 5QE
Lita in Marylebone, which is billed as a neighbourhood bistro with a Mediterranean approach to the cooking, quickly won a Michelin star in its first year. There are two counter dining options on offer here. At the front, you can grab a seat in front of the bar (reserved for eating, not drinking), but the most-prized counter seats wrap around the very open kitchen at the back of the room. There, you'll see chef Luke Ahearne in charge of creating dishes that include a huge Cornish turbot and Galician beef along with some excellent small plates (the bluefin tuna and peppers is a must-order).
Akara
Borough Yards - Arch 208, 18 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD
This Borough Market restaurant brings together elements of West African and Brazilian cuisine, led by the titular deep-fried akaras themselves, served with fillings like prawn or crab (the Lagos chicken is also excellent). If you fancy watching the chefs at work, there are just six seats just in front of the kitchen and those are the ones to go for.
Kolae
Borough Yards - 6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB
Coming from the same team behind Som Saa, there are three floors to Kolae, but if you're after some counter dining you'll want to be on the ground floor in front of the main kitchen. At this Thai grill restaurant, which specialises in Southern Thailand recipes, don't leave without having the huge Kolae chicken bamboo skewer, our favourite dish on the menu (although the southern gati curry comes close).
Morchella
Clerkenwell - 84-86 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4Q
This Clerkenwell sibling restaurant to Perilla features one of the most ingenious counter dining setups we've seen, where the stools fold up neatly if they're not in use. Here, you'll find an excellent Mediterranean-focused menu, where the highlights include their huge salt cod churros alongside an evolving menu of small plates.
The Cocochine
Mayfair - 27 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NQ
This Mayfair restaurant is a team-up between gallery owner Tim Jefferies and chef Larry Jayasekara and while the restaurant downstairs is beautiful, there's also a hidden-away chef's table upstairs right in front of the kitchen. As long as it's not booked out for a special event, you can book a space up here and it's a perfect space to try their set lunch (and excellent pie).
Sabor
Mayfair - 35 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BR
Nieves Barragan and José Etura took the magic they wrought at Barrafina and turned this Heddon Street restaurant into one of the hottest Spanish restaurants in town. While there are booths in the upstairs asador, the counter in front of the kitchen is the place to be. Some of London's very best tapas can be found here, inspired by the cuisine of Andalucía through to the asadors of Castile and the seafood restaurants of Galicia.
Kiln
Soho - 58 Brewer Street, London W1F 9TL
You could always grab a table downstairs at Thai grill restaurant Kiln, but it's really all about the (recently refurbished) ground floor counter here, stretching the length of the restaurant. We think you'll want a seat towards the back, where watching dishes come out of the oven becomes rather hypnotic. From the same people as The Smoking Goat, it's one of Soho's great dining experiences if you're lucky enough to get a spot.
Pavyllon
Mayfair - Hamilton Pl, London W1J 7DR
Yannick Alleno's high-end restaurant at The Four Seasons offers a very different and extremely elevated form of counter dining. The huge counter completely surrounds the kitchen where you'll be able to watch them pulling together intricate - and very rich-tasting - creations.
Bibi
Mayfair - 42 North Audley Street, London W1K 6ZR
Bibi is the ideal spot for weary shoppers to make a beeline for when Oxford Street drains their will to live. The intricate dishes and drinks at this contemporary Indian from chef Chet Sharma restaurant make counter dining a treat, particularly if you're sat in front of the shaved ice contraption.
Bocca Di Lupo
Soho - 12 Archer St, London W1D 7BB
Jacob Kenedy's Bocca di Lupo offers regional Italian cooking with a regularly changing menu. One of London's older counter dining scenes, the seats up at the pass at Bocca di Lupo have always been the best in the house. If you're bringing your pooch with you, they'll reserve you a counter spot by the window.
Humble Chicken
Soho - 54 Frith St, London W1D 4SL
Angelo Sato reinvented his counter dining Soho restaurant, making the move from yakitori to omakase-style dining and within two years had won two Michelin stars. It's one of the more pricier counter dining options on the list, but it's also easily one of Soho's best restaurants.
Counter 71
Old Street - 71 Nile St, London N1 7RD
This Old Street spot sees chef Joe Laker serving up a one-sitting, multi-tasting course dinner every night. There are just 16 seats up at the counter, which means that all the guests are in a prime position to see all the final tweaking of dishes before they arrive.
Lisboeta
Fitzrovia - 30 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NG
If you want to be right in the frenetic heart of this slice of Lisbon in London (not to mention close to chef Nuno Mendes as he directs his team in the kitchen) the counter is the place to be. Order one of their bifanas and a glass of Portuguese wine for a pitch-perfect solo lunch.
45 Jermyn St.
Mayfair - 45 Jermyn St, St. James's, London SW1Y 6JD
Sure the glamorous tomato red booths are fun here, but there's a lot of buzz up at the extensive counter in this modern take on a traditional St James spot. Nestle in between art dealers and folk up from the country while you sip a perfect martini before summoning the caviar trolley. It's a particularly good spot for eavesdropping on gossipy conversations, so solo diners will do well here.
The Barbary
Covent Garden - 16 Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP
Sister restaurant of The Palomar, this concentrates on cooking from the Barbary Coast and southern Europe. The restaurant is also almost all-counter dining, with plenty of opportunity for chats with the chefs creating the meals in front of you. The Barbary Next Door, which is exactly where it says it is, also offers an excellent counter dining experience as does their Notting Hill outpost.
Bar des Pres
Mayfair - 16 Albemarle St, London W1S 4HW
Parisian chef Cyril Lignac's London outpost is a slice of Paris for homesick ex-pats who love to perch up at the counter here. Hop up on a stool and order yourself a cold glass of something nice from Corsica while you peruse the sushi menu.
Barrafina
Soho, Covent Garden, Strand, and King's Cross
Serving up some of the best Spanish tapas in town, all the Barrafinas are centred around counter dining. There's nothing better than scoring a seat here and ordering one of their amazing gooey tortillas.
Behind
Hackney - 20 Sidworth St, London E8 3SD
There's no place to hide at Behind which brings the chefs out of the kitchen and into the centre of this all-counter restaurant, to plate up dishes a few centimetres from diners. If you love a bit of theatre when dining, then this Hackney spot is the perfect place and the seafood-forward menu offers a veritable procession of gastro highlights.
Bubala
Spitalfields and Soho
Bubala has earned a name for itself as one of the most exciting plant-based restaurants in London. With a menu that has Middle Eastern influences, it really earns the plaudit that you won't miss the meat at all. Their Spitalfields branch is best for counter dining, whether that's up at the bar or along the front window.
Cadet
Stoke Newington - 57 Newington Grn, London N16 9PX
Such is the popularity of this Stokie wine bar that you'll be hard-pressed to get a seat anywhere. That said, our favourite spot to enjoy a slice of their amazing terrine and to talk wines with the knowledgeable staff is always going to be up at the counter.
Cedric Grolet
Knightsbridge - The Berkeley, Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL
For an up close and personal encounter with the hugely talented pastry chefs at Grolet's Knightsbridge bakery and cafe, you'll want one of the eight counter seats. Here you'll get to see exactly how the Insta-hit pastries are made and try them direct out of the oven.
The Cheese Bar and Pick & Cheese
Covent Garden and Camden
Both of The Cheese Bar restaurants are focused around counter dining and if you want the ultimate in a cheese-laden dinner they come highly recommended. But it's the conveyor belt action of Pick & Cheese at Seven Dials Market that wins out for us. The very idea of a conveyor belt filled with cheese is a dream come true.
Harrods Dining Hall
Knightsbridge - 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL
All six restaurants in the dining hall at this Knightsbridge institution have counter dining space, making them a great shopping pitstop. Take your pick from the high end sushi of Sushi by Masa, Kerridge's Fish & Chips, China Tang Dim Sum and more.
Kebab Queen
Covent Garden - 4 Mercer Walk, London WC2H 9FA
Taking the concept of a kebab restaurant to the next level is this Covent Garden spot where the counter is so much part of the action that it's actually heated in places allowing the chef to cook your food, quite literally, in front of you. It's a tasting menu-only place but quite unlike any other restaurant in London.
Kitchen Table
Fitzrovia - 70 Charlotte St., London W1T 4QG
London's best fine counter dining experience, bar none, the restaurant here got one hell of a makeover relatively recently. Good luck securing one of the seats up at the counter here - if you do, you'll not only enjoy some of London's best food, but hear (and see) how it's sourced and cooked too.
Maresco
Soho - 45 Berwick St, London W1F 8SF
The ground floor of this Scottish/Spanish restaurant is literally all counter dining - it's up to you to decide whether you'd prefer to gaze into the kitchen or find a seat at the window counter which affords excellent people watching from its corner Soho site.
Padella
Borough Market & Shoreditch
Getting any seat at all at this much-loved pasta restaurant is generally rather tough, but the counter seats are particularly sought after because it's where you can watch the chefs in action. Both restaurants have counter dining but we're particularly fond of the Shoreditch one which is slightly less frenetic than Borough. Don't leave without ordering cacio e pepe or their amazing beef shin ragu.
The Palomar
Soho - 34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN
This middle-eastern-inspired restaurant offers one of the best counter experiences in town. Yes, you can sit in the back room, but really there's no way you'd want to be anywhere other than the counter. Fizzing with energy - it's impossible not to have a good time here.
Paradise
Soho - 61 Rupert St, Soho, London W1D 7PW
The industrial-chic design of this Soho restaurant may look rather brutalist but grabbing a seat at the counters here - at both the bar and looking out towards Rupert Street is always going to mean a good time. Enjoy the amazing food inspired by owner Dominic Fernando's family home in Sri Lanka.
J Sheekey
Soho - 28-32 St Martin's Ct, London WC2N 4AL
Our preferred option when dining at this classic theatreland restaurant has always been to slide onto a stool at the smaller counter in the main restaurant section. But wherever you are you can be assured of expertly shucked oysters and a warm welcome.
Wiltons
St James - 55 Jermyn St, London SW1Y 6LX
As one of London's oldest restaurants - it first opened for business over 280 years ago - Wiltons is the restaurant equivalent of slipping into a freshly drawn hot bath. The booths here are mainly reserved for the restaurant's many regulars, but those in the know are just as happy to perch up at the oyster bar where half a dozen natives and a glass of Champagne go down very nicely.
Also see
Kricket (Soho) - The Soho outpost for this Indian-inspired restaurant is based around a huge counter
Plates (Shoreditch) - This Michelin-stared plant-based restaurant has just a few seats right by the kitchen.
Dorian (Notting Hill) - it's very hard to get into (and expensive when you're there) so a seat at the counter here is like gold dust.
Plus...
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