Mornings at Counter Kitchen involve toast, and lots of it. Offering homemade breads with both sweet and savoury toppings, the relatively small menu is actually pretty varied thanks to a quasi-pick-and-mix approach. We ordered multigrain sourdough topped with smashed avocado, chilli flakes, poached egg and halloumi (flavours across the breakfast menu are broadly east Mediterranean). The bread was smoky and well-textured, nicely complementing the smooth, creamy avocado, replete with a zingy citrus kick and warmth from the light sprinkling of chilli. The poached egg added a savoury depth that rounded off the flavours, but toasted sourdough’s tendency to become knife-bluntingly robust meant that combining all the elements was a little difficult at times.
Also good was the roasted cinnamon apple and Greek yoghurt-topped toast – possibly the most decadent thing I’ve ever had in my mouth this early in the morning. The sweet, almost caramelised apples were crisp and spicy, perfectly balanced by tangy yoghurt that afforded the dish a real freshness.
Later in the day, the café promises interesting soups and hearty bowls of stews, curries and salads – all made fresh without artificial flavours, refined sugars, preservatives and other such trash – and if breakfast is anything to go by, they’ll be full of flavour, filling and pretty as a picture. Literally: a couple of pics posted, and Counter Kitchen did wonders for my Instagram following.
The food might not be quite as revolutionary as the website makes out, but it’s still satisfying, moreish and achingly wholesome. A word of warning: opening hours can be unpredictable, so call ahead if you’re journeying there specially. In any case, Counter Kitchen is a welcome addition to a Clerkenwell food scene already in fine health.