Best counter dining London: 16 places to get a front row seat

Restaurants were once just a sea of tables, but these days, diners are after more interesting and intimate dining experiences. Counter dining has become increasingly popular as a more interactive way of eating out, and as we all trend towards experiential dining, sitting up at a counter and watching the intricacies of an open kitchen, has become more and more popular. So, we've rounded up some of London's best counter dining experiences, from exquisite, intimate tasting menus to buzzing tapas counters. 

What’s the best thing about counter dining? For most of us, it’s the chance to have contact with the chefs who actually cook your food. For so long chefs were consigned to stuffy basement kitchens, kept far from the masses that came and went in the dining room. Since then, open kitchens have become the fashion and counters go hand in hand with that - not only can you see everything happening in the kitchen, you can also have a chat with a few chefs as they serve you and get to know more about the food.

Lots of the restaurants we’ve listed below are on our list of the best counter dining experiences in London because they’re just interesting to watch. A lot happens behind the counter and for anyone interested in food, seeing how things are cooked and finished is fascinating. There’s also a joy to watching a kitchen team in full, synchronistic flow, as checks are called on the pass and the team moves and cooks as a single unit.

Many restaurants offer tables and counter dining spots these days, giving you a choice depending on your preferences. There are also a few in this list that are more specific counter dining, or chef’s counter, experiences - these usually are more exclusive restaurants where there are only a few covers, with all seats up at the counter. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve got something for you in the list below, but you can also check out our list of the best chef’s counters in London too.

Bentleys, Mayfair

What: Bentley’s endures through the years as one of London’s grand dames, and is still the place to go for a shellfish platter in London. It’s a lovely restaurant but the marble counter is undoubtedly the flashiest place to hang out, and you can watch oyster shucking in real time as you enjoy a few dozen with a glass of good Champagne.
Where: 11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DG
Book now: Bentleys

Bancone Golden Square, Soho

What: Bancone is a pasta specialist – as becomes apparent even before you enter, thanks to the kitchen team hand-rolling dough in the front window. The theatrical element then continues inside, courtesy of an open kitchen and a dining counter, which is the place to sit if you get a chance.
Where: 10 Lower James Street, W1F 9EL
Book now: Bancone Golden Square

Humble Chicken, Soho

What: For us, Humble Chicken is one of the most exciting restaurants in London, bar none. It just so happens that every seat is around a counter, so you get a front row seat for the marvellous, high definition cookery that Angelo Sato puts on every evening. One for adventurous food fans, but you won’t regret it.
Where: 54 Frith Street, W1D 4SJ
Book now: Humble Chicken

Roka, Various locations

What: Roka’s trailblazing modern Japanese cuisine and sophisticated atmosphere are still a universal smash hit. The sleek glass-fronted room is all polished wood and industrial ceilings, with in-demand seats ringing the frantic action around the fierce robata grill (mercifully with an efficient extraction system).
Where: 37 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RR; 30 North Audley Street, W1K 6ZF; 71 Aldwych, WC2B 4HN; 4 Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square, E14 5FW
Book now: Roka Charlotte Street; Roka Mayfair; Roka Aldwych; Roka Canary Wharf

Berenjak, Soho

What: Berenjak’s unending popularity means that a stool at the counter is the perfect place to watch a busy kitchen team as they skillfully manage kebabs and wonderful breads in the flaming tandoor, and serve up silky, scoopable dips. We love the interiors too, which mix Persian rugs, foliage and artfully distressed plaster.
Where: 27 Romilly Street, W1D 5AL
Book now: Berenjak Soho

Evelyn's Table at The Blue Posts, Soho

What: Evelyn’s Table sits in the cellar of the Paskins’ reinvention of Chinatown boozer The Blue Posts, beneath the ground-floor pub and first-floor Mulwray’s cocktail bar; it’s an intimate, romantically-lit space, with a ‘private’ sign on the door and 15 diners around the horseshoe counter. The experience is incredibly chatty and cosy - chefs will come over to chat often as they're plating and serving you, and you're likely to strike up conversation with your neighbours too. 
Where: 28 Rupert Street, W1D 6DJ
Buy now: Evelyn's Table at The Blue Posts

Kiln, Soho

What: Another enduring London restaurant, Kiln is really at its best when you’re sitting at the upstairs counter, watching chefs manage all those clay pots and woks over Thai-style open barbecues. The sticky, dense glass noodles with pork belly and brown crab are still a must-order but frankly, everything is good here.
Where: 58 Brewer Street, W1F 9TL
Book now: Kiln

Lisboeta, Fitzrovia

What: Though it looks rather diminutive from the outside, Nuno Mendes’ gorgeous restaurant extends far back from the road, revealing a long counter where Mendes himself is often manning the stoves. It’s just as good for a no-holds-barred dinner as it is for a lunchtime glass of wine and a bifana sandwich.
Where: 30 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NG
Book now: Lisboeta

Bocca Di Lupo, Soho

What: Sit at the lovely marble bar at Bocca Di Lupo for a quick refuel or book one of the wooden tables at the back if you have more time: the vibe is the same – busy, buzzy, noisy and fun, with a menu offering some of the very best Italian regional food in London.
Where: 12 Archer Street, W1D 7BB
Book now: Bocca Di Lupo

Cadet, Newington Green

What: A north London darling, Cadet is a no-reservations wine bar with a penchant for simple bistro plates. The pate en croute, made by hand each day, is famously outstanding, and there’s nowhere better to sit with a glass of something French, a slice of en croute and a little salad. Be prepared to queue though.
Where: 57 Newington Green, N16 9PX
Book now: Cadet

Miznon, Soho and Notting Hill

What: Loud, buzzy and strewn with vegetables, Miznon is one of the most unique, raw food experiences in London. Chefs bound back and forth behind the counter leading singalongs and smashing out some of the best pitta bread creations you’ll ever eat, ranging from a cottage pie in a pitta to a cheeseburger, you guessed it, in a pitta.
Where: 8-12 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HW; 14 Elgin Crescent, W11 2HX
Book now: Miznon Soho; Miznon Notting Hill

Silo, Hackney Wick

What: Silo’s true zero-waste efforts are unmatched by anyone else in London, which makes the counter here the best place to be to witness some of the incredible alchemical cooking done by Doug McMaster and team here. Perhaps most impressive of all given the scale of the work that goes into dishes here, Silo is still incredibly good value as well.
Where: CRATE Brewery, Queens Yard, E9 5EN
Book now: Silo

BiBi, Mayfair

What: Chet Sharma’s brilliant Indian restaurant is a former number one in the SquareMeal Top 100 London Restaurants list, and with good reason - the balance and flavour Sharma gets into his menus is quite something. The counter runs almost the length of the restaurant and there’s plenty happening behind the scenes to feast your eyes on.
Where: 42 North Audley Street, W1K 6ZP
Book now: BiBi

The Barbary, Covent Garden

What: Another of London’s famous counter dining experiences, The Barbary (and indeed The Palomar) influenced a generation of intimate restaurants where the counter is all that separates guests from the kitchen. The cooking here is still exceptionally good, blending myriad influences from the Med, the Middle East and North Africa.
Where: 16 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP
Book now: The Barbary

Barrafina, Various locations

What: Barrafina was the counter that made counters cool in London, and it’s still a lovely place to spend an afternoon or an evening. This handsome space of steel, marble and mirrors remains home to exceptional tapas and an outstanding wine and sherry list. Barrafina’s made-to-order tortillas, bound with barely set egg yolk, are the finest you’ll eat anywhere.
Where: 26-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL; 43 Drury Lane, WC2B 5AJ; 10 Adelaide Street, WC2N 4HZ; Stable Street, N1C 4AB; 2 Dirty Lane, SE1 9DG
Book now: Barrafina Dean Street; Barrafina Drury Lane; Barrafina Adelaide Street; Barrafina Coal Drops Yard; Barrafina Borough Yards

Behind, Hackney

What: Andy Beynon’s Michelin-starred counter is a specific, bespoke experience, and with only 18 seats it feels very special and exclusive. The polished, majestically curved timber counter will enthuse anyone who admires lovely woodworking, and Beynon’s quirky menus are certainly something different compared to the rest of London.
Where: 20 Sidworth Street, E8 3SD
Book now: Behind

If you're interested in counter dining, you might also fancy having a peruse of some London's most fun restaurants, or even the best tasting menus in the capital.