6 Special Spots for Counter Service
From NY to LA to CDMX
The beauty–and biggest limitation–of a restaurant counter is that it’s tailor-made for two.
If you’ve ever tried to saddle up to one with a party of four, you know that it’s potentially a nightmare. Sitting in a single row makes it impossible to have a conversation without sidelining someone. And if you want to split a main? Maybe a basket of fries, or a ramekin of olives? Don’t even think about it. You’re in table territory now.
With just two people, though, a counter seat is intimate. It’s also casual. Any pressure to maintain eye contact dissolves.
In the age of Resy notifies and lines that snake down whole city blocks, opting to walk in and snag a seat at the counter is as close as we can get to restaurant bliss. And lucky for all of us, there are some incredible counters on this list.
So sit down. Stay awhile. Order the devilled eggs. And don’t be mad when I take the last bite.
Agi’s Counter (NYC): I love living in Crown Heights for a lot of reasons, but the sweet, perfect window seat as Agi’s maybe takes the cake. For breakfast and lunch, go halfsies on the palacsinta (Hungarian crepes) and confit tuna melt. For dinner, start with the chicken liver mousse and end with the cheesecake that they drizzle generously with olive oil and flaky salt. Order whatever else sounds good because it will be. And get the green devils anytime.
Bub and Grandma’s (LA): Good coffee, good pastries, good sandwiches; Bub and Grandma’s is a special lunch and occasionally-dinner spot in Glassell Park. I loved Bub’s back when they just sold bread, and I love it even more now that it’s a full-fledged restaurant. The butter yellow booths are cute, but counter-heads know a good one when they see one, and the counter at Bub’s is tops.
Bar La Camila (BCN): What an absolutely charming little bar and cafe in Barcelona. I went with my sister and we were both obsessed with the half-indoor, half-outdoor counter seat set-up. She got orange juice, I got wine, and we split the olives even though I was mildly disturbed by the idea of her eating olives with a glass of OJ. Regardless, this is the perfect place to duck in for a light bite and drink.
Cafe Gitane (NYC): Can I be honest? The counter seats at Cafe Gitane in Nolita are not very comfortable. But unfortunately for my lower back, I love them anyway. I love going here for an impromptu solo lunch while shopping in the neighborhood, but it truly is a fail-safe spot. The chicken satay is my order.
Eel Bar (NYC): The move at Eel Bar is to sit at the bar, order the sauciest menu items imaginable, and ask for copious amounts of bread on the side. True story: when the bartender saw my boyfriend and I drinking the sauce that came with the swordfish with our spoons, she asked if we needed even more bread. The answer was yes.
Masala y Maiz (CDMX): I ate here two years ago and still dream of the prawns served in vanilla butter and the view of the small but bustling kitchen from this restaurant's two-person countertop.
Musso and Frank (LA): It’s a classic for a reason, and proof that more places should serve their martinis with a sidecar. Order all the things you think you’re supposed to: a gin martini (I prefer mine 50/50 with olives AND a twist because I am high maintenance), a side of fries, maybe some shrimp cocktail. This is a good reminder to do the things you’re supposed to do where you’re supposed to do them.
