We check out the chef’s table restaurant on the backstreets of Hoxton
Following his stint as Head Chef of Fenn (with time spent at Anglo, St Leonards and Roots before that), Joe Laker went out on his own in 2023 with Counter 71, a 16-seat counter restaurant on 71 Nile Street, hence the name. Having tried Joe’s food at an early pop-up before the restaurant even opened, we (finally) went in to try it in the setting it was intended for.
Eat This
It’s a tasting menu affair, with the ten courses changing seasonally to reflect the best produce the team can source from around the British Isles. It’s very seafood heavy, with only one snack and one proper course containing meat, so it’s a great one for pescatarians (they can adjust the menu for veggies too).
Things start off extremely strong with the opening trio of snacks – a delicate croustade of lobster claw topped with refreshing cucumber and elderflower; a rich beef donut with wild garlic and fermented chilli; and a black barley and burnt onion wafer sandwich stuffed with punchy smoked eel.
The other highlights of the savoury section were the tempura maitake mushroom and Torbay prawn topped with a seaweed crisp; soft steamed pollack with razor clams and roe in a rich butter sauce; and more lobster (the tail this time) in a super umami saffron-laced shellfish bisque and finished with a jammy tomato chutney.
From the sweet portion of the menu, we loved the sea buckthorn dessert, served as a vivid orange shaved ice and sorbet, on top of pearly white frozen marshmallow – rather than being sticky, it’s smooth, spoonable and not outrageously sweet. The dainty fig leaf ice cream sandwich, part of a pair of petit fours, was also bang on the right level of sweetness. It was served with an interesting non-alcoholic take on an amaro, made with the hemp root-based The Pathfinder, shaken up and topped with soda to resemble an espresso martini.
Drink This
There are a number of drinks pairings available with the menu, including two wine ones (at £85 or a premium one at £130), an alcohol-free pairing (at £45) or a hybrid one (at £60). We went for the latter, and had an English Blanc de Blancs, a mineral Albariño, a hojicha sparkling tea, an interesting Syrah from New Zealand made with added Grüner Veltliner skins, and a jasmine sparkling tea, a great balance of booze and softs. There’s also a wine list if you prefer to pick your own bottles and you can also order cocktails from Counter 71’s sister bar Lowcountry, where Ryan Sheehan pours rare bourbons and drinks inspired by the American South.
Why Go
The menu shows off the technical skills that Joe and his team have, but they never get caught up in processes for the sake of it. The focus is always on the quality of the ingredients and extracting as much flavour out of them as possible. It’s fine dining but the service is super relaxed, with GM and sommelier Harry Cooper always up for a chat, so it’s one to go for if you want accomplished cooking without any stuffiness.
Key Information
Address | 71 Nile Street, London, N1 7RD
For more information | counter71.co.uk
