The Counter - Soho - Review - Soho - London - The Infatuation
"Like Martha Stewart and respectable people managers, we all have different identities for different situations. There’s the you at 2pm on holiday—holding a fishbowl of Aperol, reigniting a long-abandoned Marlboro habit. And then there’s the you meeting the in-laws—averaging 14 mentions of the word ‘please’ an hour. Which brings us onto The Counter, a Soho restaurant with inhalable, pinkies-up takes on Mediterranean dishes and two distinctly different personalities depending on when you visit. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Pause Unmute Come Saturday night, the scene is fit for an HBO series about 30-somethings living their best lives. Bottles of Greek cuvée float to tables, while couples gaze longingly at each other and their truffle honey-drenched mastelo saganaki. On the tan banquette, old friends share hot gossip over the gloriously zingy cold marinated tuna, theatrically mixed tableside with lumpfish roe and avocado. It’s a hot destination vacation by way of one of the planet’s most frenzied streets. But tragically, we can’t all permanently be OOO. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch The Counter’s daytime personality is more appropriate for meals with people you would never swear in front of—parents, clients, children in Ralph Lauren. The modern Mediterranean dishes are still just as impressively inventive and the olive oil on the gambero rosso glistens out on the terrace. But without the throbbing hum of Costa Del Soho, it’s less fun. So come on the weekend when free-flowing mezcal cocktails won’t result in a disciplinary email and enjoy a restaurant designed for the you who knows how to have a good time. Food Rundown Lamb Tartare The bell pepper paste in this is musty and powerful, in a good way. The pomegranate, mint, and lettuce leaves—that double as nature’s taco shells—keep it in the genre of refreshing, expert starter. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch White Chocolate Babaganoush We’re always pretty suspicious of dishes that prompt heated arguments about the sanctity of tahini before you’ve even ordered. The white chocolate in this is subtle but after the third bite, the medley of rose, dukkah, and chocolate is a lot for one human tongue to handle. One to share or, if solo, skip. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Cheese Saganaki Code name: the mastelo mistress. We’ve been in a long, committed relationship with halloumi for at least a decade but between the pistachio crunch, hypnotic elasticity, and drizzle of truffle honey, this is a real head-turner. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Gently Marinated Tuna Gently marinated tuna—a profound band name, an even better dish. Super fresh and super zesty, with a creamy finish thanks to the avocado. This is our favourite thing here. Also, it’s mixed tableside which counts as going to the theatre. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Saffron & Crab Orzotto The best thing about this orzotto is the broth it comes in—it’s salty from the crab with a perfect little kick of samphire and saffron. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Gambero Rosso Finger lickin’ goodness, crustacean edition. It’s a simple equation—seafood plus a generous glug of olive oil plus sumac aioli, equals a dish that simply breathes salt air. Baklava Cheesecake MIA: the baklava element of this cheesecake. It lacks the sensational sweetness of our favourite Turkish dessert but that aside, it’s an epic portion of fluffy, milky cheesecake, baked Basque-style. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Heidi Lauth Beasley
