Review: Counter Culture

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Recently ranked at number 2 in Timeout’s top 100 London restaurants, Counter Culture is another masterpiece from Robin Gill, chef at The Dairy (next door), The Manor (up the road) and Paradise Garage (in Bethnal Green).

With only 15 seats, a small menu of snacks and a BYOB policy, Counter Culture is all about combining the best of the season’s produce into something utterly delicious. But deliciousness isn’t all they care about, Counter Culture also takes sustainability into consideration as it uses ingredients from sister restaurants that might otherwise be neglected.

Highlights include a dish of potato bread and nduja (salami paste), with a cultured cream dip and a portion of homemade crab crackers, brown crab dip and tangy pickled seaweed.

Sat at the corner of the bar (where most dishes are prepared) we got chatting to one of the chefs. Fascinated by how eat dish was created, he talked us through most of our favourites. Take the nduja paste, made from strips of pork belly skin which is salt-cured, minced, marinaded in paprika and hung in sausage skin for three days in a refrigerator. Once the flavour has developed it still needs to be smoked, removed from the sausage skin, brought to room temperature and then hand whipped before serving!

Another favourite was the Bambi dog with sauerkraut and crispy shallots. The venison hotdog was extra juicy helped by the added pork fat, served in a pillowy brioche bun the contrast of crunchy, crispy and soft textures were awesome.

If you’re looking for a light, potentially boozy (£4 corkage fee) bite, in an unpretentious setting (music includes old-school Snoop Dogg and Gorillaz) then head to Counter Culture soon.