Counter Dining

• Holborn's the spot for a new yakitori 'beak to tail' restaurant Hotori

  

  Lawyers and other city folk working in and around Holborn are about to have an interesting new place landing on their doorstep. Hotori is a slick-looking yakitori restaurant on New Fetter Lane that's going to be all about the 'beak to tail' experience. Owners Mike Zheng and Kuangyi Wei have loved their trips to yakitori spots in Japan, but couldn't understand why there weren't more options here in London, particularly

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• Test Driving Ukiyo - hand rolls, sushi and sake on tap in Covent Garden

  

  Covent Garden gets a very useful little sushi spot with the opening of Japanese hand roll bar Ukiyo in The Yards.

• Test of Time - we pull up a stool at the counter at Bocca di Lupo for a tour of Italy

  

  Having just celebrated its 15th birthday, Soho restaurant Bocca di Lupo is still knocking it out of the park. We headed for the counter to see why it's now such an integral part of Soho's restaurant scene.

• The best London restaurants for counter dining

  

  If you want to get up close and personal with the chefs or are 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.

• Test Driving Behind - taking counter dining to the next level

  

  Behind sees chef Andy Beynon creating a counter dining experience like no other in London right now. We sat around the huge counter for a feast in London Fields. 

• Kebab Queen at Maison Bab will be a chef's table with a difference

  Hidden downstairs at Maison Bab in Covent Garden is a chef's table with a difference where the chef will serve food direct on to the counter and guests are expected to eat with their hands.

• Test Driving Coal Office - if Studio 54 opened a restaurant it'd be a bit like this

  

  Restaurateur Assaf Granit has partnered with designer Tom Dixon to open this crazy restaurant in King's Cross. We went along to take a seat at the counter.

• Test Driving Lina Stores - the 75 year-old deli opens a restaurant

  Lina Stores have been in Soho for over 75 years - and only now have they opened a restaurant. We head down to Greek Street to see what the pasta masters are cooking up. 

• Test Driving Evelyn's Table - the lovechild of a chef's table and dive bar

  The team behind Palomar and The Barbary have a new counter dining spot - prepare to fall in love

• Test Driving Sabor - an essential Spanish restaurant in Mayfair

  Barrafina alumni Nieves Barragan and José Etura have just unveiled their Spanish restaurant in Mayfair. It's one of the most anticipated restaurants of the year - we take a look. 

• Sushi Atelier on Great Portland Street is the restaurant from the folk behind Chisou

  The folk behind Chisou have opened a modern sushi bar in Fitzrovia serving up carpaccios, sushi rolls and contemporary nigiri.

• Test Driving Kricket - the Indian small plates wonder comes to Soho

  Kricket has been winning fans in Brixton for their Indian small plates. Now they've come to the centre of town - we head along to find out what's new...

• Test Driving Kiln, must-visit Thai counter dining in Soho

  We Test Drive Kiln, the latest counter-dining sensation in Soho, from the man behind Smoking Goat. 

• Test Driving The Barbary - Barbary Coast hospitality in Neal's Yard

  Enjoy the hustle and bustle of this sister restaurant to The Palomar