Stylish Soho small-plates spot with some genuinely excellent mezze, seafood, and desserts, but the value, consistency, and service can swing hard enough that it’s best for a relaxed splurge rather than a safe crowd-pleaser.
The Counter delivers strong food quality anchored by standout mezze and grilled seafood, but inconsistency between exceptional small plates and underwhelming mains prevents a higher grade. Service and design appeal shine in calm moments, yet speed and comfort issues on busier nights create friction that keeps the experience from reaching the next tier.
The Counter is a stylish Carnaby/Soho spot that feels built for small plates, cocktails, and a bit of theatre after dark. When it’s firing, the room has real buzz: reviewers talk about warm lighting, a cool downstairs bar, and dishes arriving that make people lean in rather than just eat and leave. The flip side is that the space can feel tight and busy, with a few diners describing the kind of service lapses that turn a good-looking night out into an annoying one. Culinarily, this leans modern Mediterranean with Turkish and Greek roots rather than straight-up traditional tavern fare. The best reports cluster around mezze, seafood, and a few signature twists like the white chocolate babaganoush and baklava cheesecake; the more mixed feedback tends to hit the mains, portion sizes, and how much flavour you get for the bill. If you like sharing plates, cocktails, and a menu that is a little playful without being chef-mystery-box weird, this can be a fun pick. For kids, it’s not the easiest win unless they already enjoy more adventurous food. There is bread, chips, flatbread, hummus, halloumi-style cheese, grilled meats, and a few familiar sides, but this is still a small-plates Mediterranean place, not a chicken-nugget-and-mac kind of restaurant. Picky eaters may struggle, while older kids who like kebabs, dips, or fries could manage fine.
Area vibe: Fashionable, busy central London precinct with lots of shops, bars and restaurants.
Safety: Generally safe with high foot traffic and good evening lighting though busy and can be noisy at night.
What's nearby: Minutes from Oxford Circus tube, Carnaby Street shopping, Regent Street, West End theatres and many dining options.
Go mezze-first, pick a standout seafood plate, and don’t skip the baklava cheesecake.
Book ahead, expect modest portions and possible slow service, and budget extra for drinks and service charge.
A stylish, buzzy Soho spot with a cool downstairs bar but a tight, sometimes noisy dining room.