Tucked into Kingly Street around the corner from Carnaby, The Counter Soho joins Civan Er’s Yeni and Esra Muslu’s Zahter in providing Soho with yet another great Aegean eatery.
Like its Notting Hill sister spot, it serves up innovative takes on traditional ocakbaşı cooking, harnessing the unique potency of an open-fire grill. But this time, owner Kemal Demirasal has also found room to sling a cocktail bar in the basement (aptly called Under The Counter), as well as a vinyl station in the main restaurant space, which fills the room with warm sound.
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So, what can you expect? Well, it’s not a carbon copy of the original, although it certainly features some of The Counter’s most popular signature dishes (after all, nobody invents white chocolate babaganoush just to leave it behind). But where the first restaurant honed in on the recipes of south-east Anatolia, the inspiration for The Counter Soho sweeps in from across the Aegean, bringing in influences from Greece, Turkey, the Mediterranean, and the Levant.
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In practice, that translates to an abundance of seafood dishes like sea metaxa flamed prawns, white crab orzo, and grilled octopus with mashed fava. There are mouthwatering appetisers like sweet cheese saganaki with truffle honey, and sumac-dusted tzatziki. And of course, the grill is put to work to char atlantic cod skewers, alongside a rich, slow-roasted ox cheeks cassoulet with white bean stew served in a clay pot. And for pudding? You’ll want to have a word with the baklava cheesecake.
Complementing it all is a globe-trotting wine list, where you can get particularly acquainted with some of the most exciting Greek, Turkish, and Levantine growers. But if you fancy something stronger? You’ll want to drink Under The Counter…
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…because here, in this intimate 30-seat bar with a very serious sound system, whose barkeeps shake up original concoctions like the Spice Bazaar (with spiced rum & chilli liqueur), and twists on classics like the bright and citrussey Sumac Paloma.
It’s a pretty strong Counter offer.
NOTE: The Counter Soho is open now, seven days a week. You can find out more at the Counter Soho website.
The Counter Soho | 15 Kingly Street, Carnaby, London W1B 5PS
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