The best London restaurants for counter dining and those on a budget

Personally, I will never tire of perching on a stool – either solo or with a date. Eating side by side at a counter somehow feels more intimate, more convivial, and even – let’s face it – a little more nosy, with the sense of anticipation lit by the often-captivating choreography of the chefs.  

In London, one of this year’s most-hyped launches was Soho’s Impala, from the team behind Kiln, Brat and Mountain. Under head chef Meedu Saad, its melding of Moorish cuisine with north London’s Turkish ocakbaşı scene deserves its rave reviews. Better still, it’s spacious enough that you can nab a sought-after counter spot directly overlooking the flame-filled open kitchen sans booking (they keep 40 per cent back for walk-ins). And while the savoury plates prove as flawless as you’d expect – from ruddy grilled short rib to bird’s tongue pasta with umami-packed spiced oxtail – the real surprise is dessert, an outstanding creamy sliver of salty-sweet date and pistachio tart. 

Less hyped but equally impressive is another 2026 arrival: Tempo. Occupying  one of Bethnal Green’s railway arches, its counter seats are some of the hottest in east London. One highlight of chef Eric Wan’s south-east Asian menu is shrimp toast: two rectangular crunchy slabs smeared with a vibrant green chilli sauce, sprinkled with shiso leaves and pickled daikon. Also rated? Charred jumbo prawns and rosy slices of nutty Iberico secreto pork with a mint-infused fragrant herb salad.  

South of the river lies a true counter pioneer. 40 Maltby Street in Bermondsey has been a cult hit since 2011, with its daily changing chalkboard menu and a short list of wines by the glass. Service and food are routinely exceptional: if you visit, look out for the risotto with smoked eel, celeriac and horseradish – it’s one of my plates of the year. 

And finally, how about two hot London openings where you should take a table seat? Both the uber-popular Tavern in Shoreditch and Soho’s flickering Osteria Vibrato are, in fact, much more atmospheric in their candle-lit main dining rooms.  

Three London classics with set menus at £35 or under  

The Michelin one: Pied à Terre, W1 

This timeless icon is a rare bargain in Fitzrovia. The longest-standing one-Michelin-star restaurant in London, it’s been busy celebrating 35 years in 2026 with a ludicrously good-value £35 set menu of amuse bouche, starter and main. Expect strong plant-based options, but my highlight was a delicate seared red mullet with bottarga and fennel. 

The hip one: Sune, Broadway Market, Hackney  

For good-value set lunches near fashionable London, this two-course midweek option (Wed–Fri) is worth seeking out. In its airy contemporary interior near the canal, the concise menu might include tangy mussels escabeche with aioli on toast or barbecued quail with two unctuous sauces. With desserts costing another £4, three courses come in at £29. 

The IYKYK one: Quality Wines, Farringdon

Farringdon’s corner wine bar, owned by its neighbour (Michelin-starred Quality Chop House), has reached almost mythical status in the capital. And its £27 three-course set menu (every lunchtime except Sunday) is note-perfect in its execution: think bubbled focaccia drenched in fruity olive oil, steamed hake with soft red peppers and tzatziki or corn-fed chicken leg roasted with olives, the whole affair pungent with garlicky aioli.  

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This feature appears in Attitude’s November/December 2026 issue.