We ate here on May 6 for lunch and after hearing all the hype, it was a bit of a let-down. My "grownup grilled cheese" and fennel tomato bisque were fine. The soup was very bland. It could have used some salt and garlic and seasoning. Banana bread was good. Service was spotty. The food took a long time and they forgot to bring food to one person on our party. She had to ask for it to go. So, the food was not bad, just not great. Service is in need of improvement. read more

Delicious fresh food. Excellent cocktail choices. Friendly staff. And their desert menu has unusual delicious choices.and they even have cotton candy !!! read more

We are all entitled to our own opinion, right? Well here is mines: Parking:5 Location:5 Ambiance:5 Customer Service:5 The Counting House & Event Staff are AMAZING! I came to the Counting House for a yelp event a couple months ago and while I was touring I discovered the 'spoon room'. Long story short, I reached out to the facility to reserve the space and I was assisted by a team of professionals that made my request a dream come true. They were such a delight to work for! When we all arrived to the restaurant we were greeted by smiling helpful hosts who made us feel super welcome. I just wanted to take a second to give 5 stars to the Counting House staff who helped us this pass Saturday. The brunch menu was awesome and the food was AMAZING! The place was super clean and the service was world class! read more

Counting House - Amazing decor!!!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Came here for some food after exploring downtown durham. We had made reservations and got there a little early so we sat at the bar for a bit. That was fine. We sat down and ordered our apps and wine. The apps were good and so was the wine. I ordered the burger for my entree and my dad and brother ordered two different things (I forgot what they had ordered). I thought the burger was pretty good but was a bit pricey. We had also ordered a pasta entree to share but that never came. We were super disappointed about that. We would've said something to the waitress but by the time she came back around we were basically done eating. Overall the service wasn't super great and the food was good but I guess it was just a little disappointing since we didn't get the entree we wanted to share. read more

Counting House - a platter of oysters on ice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The service was poor and food was dry ,the atmosphere was very nice done,need to improve on service

Thank you to Joanne for making our experience so wonderful! You are a fantastic waitress and make the space warm and inviting. My party had so much fun laughing with you today. I look forward to coming back soon! A FABULOUS spot for brunch and mimosas with friends. The hot mess breakfast is delicious and the tater tots that come with the croquet are just the right amount of seasoning and fried to perfection. A beautiful and unique space to have a good time and enjoy food with friends. read more

I dined here for both dinner and had brunch the following morning. Reservations were booked through the website and I liked that verbal confirmation followed the day before from their staff. The ambiance of the lounge and bar area are upscale and the service was professional throughout (hostess , bartender, and service ). The food was reasonably priced for the restaurant. The swordfish was fresh , but a little bland, so I added a dab of salt . I ordered their version of a French 75, which was very good and they added lavender coloring to the cocktail. Apparently the cocktail included glitter too, but they were out of it that night . I ordered the mimosa for brunch and it was a great selection of champagne and orange juice . The ambiance of the restaurant was okay ..the bar area had a little more flare . The only downsides were parking was challenging and the valet staff was not visibly available in the evening. However , the valet staff at brunch was awesome. I do recommend this restaurant. Shout out to Will -the brunch bartender that was extremely helpful and friendly! read more

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I have frequented this restaurant several times for drinks and snacks but never dinner. The food was fantastic. I had the red leaf salad(with cranberries), and it was delicious, which is a weird thing to say about salad in general. My main dish was flounder which was served on top of tapioca pearls! The flounder was a bit salty, but this was a very creative dish. In addition, I had a drink called splendor solas with rum and leeche. I want to go back there for just that! At the end of our meal, we were served watermelon cotton candy, which was so tasty. I gave this restaurant one less star because the wait for drinks and food was longer than expected, but if you have some time on your hands, this would be the place to go! read more

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I have to quality this by saying that our group was having a meeting in the hotel and we had lunch in a reserved room. While the appetizer and entree options were very good (and change seasonally), I must say that our service was mediocre. Our entrees arrived at wildly different times and the server forgot several requested items like ketchup. I don't have any major complaints but Durham is a very foodie town, and they need to step up their A game if they want to stay in the conversation with other downtown restaurants. read more

Counting House - Scallops lunch plate - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Surprisingly good! Not sure if this is related to the new chef but I'm very glad we gave this place a chance. I had the whole branzino which was excellent. Grandma had the char and husband the scallops, which he described as fantastic. Risotto (side with one meal) was just ok. Staff was very nice. We didn't come in with great expectations but left reasonably pleased. read more

I love this place. The service is superb, and the ambiance is excellent. The attached museum and tech-y bathrooms are always a lot of fun. I recommend Counting House to those visiting Durham looking for a trendy place to have great conversation, food, and drinks. read more

Ok, yes, I'll come here again. For 13 bucks, I got what they call "vault lunch": this week featured a large pork shank on a bed of mashed potatoes; a frisée salad; and a cup of soup. The soup was "Brunswick Soup". Some similar ingredients to Brunswick STEW, but a little thinner consistency. And there was also some pasta in there. Like a minestrone soup meets a Brunswick stew. Good stuff. Great service. But the real reason for coming here was because I wanted to check out the 21c hotel/museum and the restrooms that everyone keeps telling me about. All of them are visible from the outside, but turn opaque when you lock the door. And they are all friendly to any gender. I dig it. I've been to the 21c museum/hotel in Louisville. The counterpart restaurant was called "Proof on Main", and I found it to be really good, also. Maybe a notch better than Counting House, but the menu was very different. I think I liked the museum better in Louisville, but I don't know if they rotate exhibits to make them consistant or not. Whatevever they are doing here, they are doing it well. Both locations made me immensely happy. read more

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Food was meh service was meh price was way too much considering the other two. Drinks pretty good though.

Amazing dinner! The pasta was some of the best I have had. The entire group I went with said they loved their meals. Service was great and our waitress was very prompt. The venue is very unique as well with interested artwork and a nice atmosphere! I liked it so much I am returning 2 weeks later for my birthday read more

Counting House - Orichette and trout - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I recently had a work dinner here. The ambiance is very nice. It does have a museum feel. The food and drinks were good. The servers were really nice. read more

The location is wonderful. The environment is perfect for social interaction or a romantic one on one. Food is amazing. Drinks are very well done. The decor is fun and stylish. Staff are always nice and bend over backwards to make your night memorable. It's a downtown location so it's a bit expensive but I've always walked out feeling like I hit my moneys worth. read more

I was very excited to check out Counting House and what Chef Munchel has to offer Durham! The restaurant itself is beautiful and also decked in modern art that can be found throughout the hotel. The bar is really impressive both in show and in cocktails. We started off with three sea snacks: Marinated mussels - very well cooked served with crackers Trout terrine - probably my fav of the three. Refreshing and light Tobacco tuna - smokey tuna with almonds and olive oil. Very interesting taste but delicious The portions are small which is why they offer three for $25 or one for $9. The three is together is perfect for a starter I got the sous vide pork belly which is literally a square portion of scored soft pork belly over mashed peas. It was melt in your mouth cooked. I would have preferred if they took a torch to the skin to make it crispy but overall a great dish. My bf got the NY strip with chimichurri sauce over potatoes. Never say no to chimichurri sauce. This portion was large and stretched across the large plate. The sauce was also amazing. Very well done! Lastly we ended with strawberry sesame chiffon cake with coconut sorbet. This was the perfect ending to our very decadent entrees. The cake was light and the sesame honey cracker was the perfect addition to the dish. The coconut sorbet was also very refreshing and complimented well. Overall a great experience. I highly recommend a try! Can't wait to see what else comes up on the menu. read more

Counting House - Sous vide pork belly - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Amazing brunch! Great service and ambiance. Love the adult grilled cheese and deviled eggs.

This place had an amazing assortment of starters. The octopus was hearty. The compressed melon salad came with whipped yogurt topped with pistachios. A very flavorful and interesting salad. Would give it 5 stars but my waiter couldn't adequately describe the food. But the food spoke for itself. Highly recommend. read more

Counting House - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Everything was amazing. Food was great, the hostess was extremely pleasant and nice. Our server Jud was phenomenal & was VERY familiar with the menu. He made our dining experience ten timea better! 10/10 thanks to Jud. The manager on duty was great too! will definitely return. read more

Came here for oyster night, and was able to try 4 different oysters for a dollar each. So the price was right. However, the shucking was not great as we constantly found small pieces of shells in the oysters, thus kind of interfere with the experience. Now on to the food. We had a few small plates to share. They had an interesting dish called compressed melon which is hard to describe. It is like an interesting savory fruit salad; that was really good and very unique. They had another small plate tomato dish with stone fruit which was also quite good. Also had a small hamachi dish which was solid but didn't blow our minds. They do seem to try new things and unique combination of flavors. With those small plates we tried at least, they seems to be skilled at cool combination while preserving the true flavors of the main ingredients. Also had a cheese plate, but cheese plates are just cheese plates; it is more about the actual cheese suppliers. For dessert, I had banana creme brulee. It was very banana ish and huge. The sugar crust was thick and the actually creme brulee was solid but not amazing. Another big draw of this place was the interior designs, which is thought provoking (interesting arts). Big negative was the service. They were not attentative. When we got there, we were told that they need 5 min to prep a table; there were many empty tables that are ready. So we waited right there, in front of the hostess for 15 min. Had to ask about our seats, and turned out it was ready long ago but she forgot about us. Then the actual waitress was very unattentive. I understand that she has a large party that night, but that's basic service 101, which is to treat every customer with the same priority. Service was slow and one dish was forgotten So overall, food was interesting (maybe a 4), interior design was cool (maybe a 5) but the experience was very below average (a 1)... read more

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Had a disappointing birthday dinner tonight. The short rib was overdone, the risotto was room temp. and nothing special, poached pear crostini and cocktails were just okay, creme brulee was supposed to be with white chocolate and peppermint but was just plain. And no candle on the birthday dessert...that's such a simple gesture that I missed. I'm not interested in returning. read more

A very unique and artsy upscale bar in the middle of Durham! The bar is kind of long and narrow, so it's a little awkward edging through, but the decor is really interesting. I mean, where else are you going to see polar bear chandeliers? Or a sculpture of a ten legged tiger? And despite all the eclectic artwork, the bar manages to have a sophisticated feel. I would come back here for a drink with a small group, maybe just one or two people, or to catch up with people I haven't seen in a while, since there are so many conversation pieces to walk around and see. read more

Counting House - Polar bear chandelier - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This was a pre-show dinner near the Durham Performing Arts Center, conveniently located, and the restauraunt staff made note that we needed to be served and finished by a certain time. The hostess and our waiter were very accomodating so we could enjoy our meal and three (yes, 3) desserts without rushing. I chose 3 raw oysters as an appetizer and we split a dinner entree, the special of the evening- Sea Bass. Each was plated in a beautiful presentation - not just one entree and an empty plate for us to divvy. We don't eat a lot so we generally split an entree or end up with boxes and containers. That being said, while it was perfect for us, someone with a hearty appetite might not find the portion very generous. The vegetables were interesting small, white beets, red and white carrots with fennel and a white aioli sauce and capers. Very delicate and tasty! The bass was light and flaky and quite nicely done. We finished with the creme brulee accompanied by an apple hand pie and a toasted coconut rum tiramisu. Both of the desserts were superb. And, they serve a complimentary bowl of vanilla cotton candy - I ate the whole thing! read more

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Underwhelming cocktail menu and a desultory bartender. The gnocchi with butternut squash, would have benefited from pan frying to finish the gnocchi or to brown the squash. The overwhelming flavor is salt, which I love, but could've used another herbal or other flavor. Some of the best art I have seen in a while in the exhibit areas. Sad that the bar didn't do something to cover the view of the boring office building across the street and didn't put a video installation instead of a football game. read more

Really this review is only for the bar. Went last night and had a glass of wine and snack. I loved the decor and random eclectic artwork that was either hanging from the ceiling or walls. I had a glass of Garnacha, which I don't usually see on menus so this was a bonus. I also grabbed an order of their freshly made pork skins. They were so fresh, they were still "crackling" when they reached the bar. They were drizzled with lime and came with a dipping sauce that tasted like a ranch/sriracha blend. Just enough heat to make it work. Cute bar! I'll be back! read more

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This place was surprisingly very good! If they still have the mushroom soup ... with its accoutrements, is a must-try! Service was very good and all the food enjoyable. The selection was pretty good. Being in a museum environment made the atmosphere intriguing as well. Be sure to visit the downstairs bank vault. read more

Counting House - Art over the kitchen. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

TL;DR: Beautifully presented food in a unique venue with friendly, attentive service, but you'll pay a lot for the experience. Worth it for a special occasion visit, or if someone else is treating. I came here for a birthday dinner with my husband. I opted to get a bunch of starters and sides instead of a single main, while he splurged on the ribeye. Their plancha octopus was one of the best dishes I've ever had, period. The octopus was tender and flavorful, and the included gnocchi was masterful - pillowy potato goodness that practically melted in your mouth. I would eat this anytime, all the time. Unfortunately, the corn bread pudding that sounded good on the menu was a total bust for us. The corn was basically raw, which I think could have worked if it had been in season, but the corn we got was too tough and starchy. There was also sweet granola clusters sprinkled throughout. I usually like a little sweet with my savory (love Korean food!), but this was too much. It was also texturally weird to have raw corn kernels + moist pudding + crunchy granola + a runny egg + a jellied red pepper sheet thingie. I will note, however, that even though we didn't like the taste of the dish, the presentation was lovely. My husband happily devoured his whole ribeye, which was served with some of the silkiest mashed potatoes that I've ever had. We were too full for dessert, but because we were celebrating a birthday, they brought us a surprise eclair with a candle in it. A sweet gesture (har har) that made us feel well taken care of. The Counting House is a splurge, but we enjoyed it enough to add it to our "special occasions" rotation on the strength of the gnocchi alone. read more

I ordered the biscuits and gravy. It looked beautiful but when I cut into it my poached eggs were actually hard boiled. If you're going to try to be an upscale breakfast option you have to at least know how to properly cook eggs. My partner got the pancakes and they were pretty decent but nothing special for the price. read more

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Meh. It was very average food, but it is a bar/pub. When I was there, I was bitten by something in several places Very itchy and annoying. My pork chop appeared to have grill marks drawn on it...they were a little too perfect. Pretty sure it was frozen that way. Fun if you want to drink, play games, watch tv and don't have a discerning pallet, I guess. read more

Reviews are good soooo we stopped in for Sat morning brunch. One word. Terrible. Expensive. Saddest looking breakfast sandwich ever. No ooey gooeyness. Not good either. Breakfast mess was definitely a mess. Bowl full of potatoes with egg on top. Expensive and a wasted meal especially with all of the fabulous restaurants in Durham. Don't waste your money. read more

Restaurant week is a great opportunity to try new restaurants. The food was fabulous and you dime surrounded by beautiful art. Regular prices were not horrible comparatively. read more

Counting House - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My husband brought me to the Counting for my birthday and it was an amazing experience! The staff was absolutely amazing. Every dish they brought out they explained to us what it was and we were eating. We valet our parking because we staying the 21c hotel so that made parking easy. Shortly after dinner we went to the bar and ordered a drink and enjoyed the art in the hotel. I would say that the restaurant is more expensive than your normal eats in Durham but for the service and food you get it's worth it the only thing I didn't enjoy was the dessert. Overall amazing place to eat. But I probably wouldn't have chose it if it wasn't in the hotel, Happy my husband did though. read more

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Met there for a work dinner. The menu was short and well rounded. I didn't love the atmosphere but the food was great. There's nothing wrong with the atmosphere or layout, but for me, it just was t cozy. But that's a personal preference. The valet service was not great. read more

Two stars for bar service ( better experience in the dining room) So sat at the bar area for an hour at a high top. Service was abysmal. After sitting for 10 minutes without service. I finally got up and ordered at the bar. The female bartender was a bit curt, and when I asked if I should wait for the drink or go back to my table, she reluctantly said someone would deliver it. 10 minutes passed (mind you the bar was relatively empty). No drink, no waitress... then I noticed the bartender finally poured my glass of wine, leaving it at the bar where I ordered. Tired of waiting, I went to the bar, grabbed the drink, and went back to my table. Maybe 20 minutes later a waitress finally stopped at my table (though I did flag her down). All in all the bar service was terrible. Dining Room service and food deserves four stars. Food and service in the dining room was good. Waiter was attentive, food came relatively quickly, but not rushed. Dishes were good. read more

I really liked the peach salad. Nice place to take friends visiting Durham. Cool, interesting modern artwork.

Great place to visit if you are at the convention center or staying at the Marriott across the street. I only went to the bar but had an excellent drink called The High Priestess with gin, rosemary, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon. The really cool thing about this place is that it's an old bank and you can go into the basement where the original bank vault is located and enjoy some private space. You can also take your drinks and explore the upstairs art gallery and sit and chat with your friends. Really fun place to chill after a conference or go for drinks if you are staying at the area hotels. I'll definitely be back! read more

Great cocktails from in house recipes and with super fresh ingredients! We were in last night and drank a bunch of "This ain't Havana" cocktails. I could have sat there for the rest of my life enjoying those - it was like drinking summer paradise with a banana chip garnish. Travis makes them especially soft and frothy, plus he's super nice. He had a signature drink on menu called the "shapeshifter" with bourbon, but I couldn't stray from Havana.. My second or third visit to the counting house and I'll definitely be back! read more

Counting House - This ain't Havana - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is just a review for the bar, the drinks were amazing but, the service was not good. I expected better for the price. The bartenders were not busy and still they ignored our group of three, and when finally we got service there was very little advice or help, even though we asked. I was very disappointed, as last year, at the same bar the service was outstanding. read more

Counting House - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We came here for Father's Day Brunch. Our server was great! The food, however, was problematic. I ordered the Hot Mess which came "seasoned" which means had lots of black pepper on it. Hating black pepper I had to send it back for "clean eggs." My husband ordered the tacos, which were ok, but dry. When we asked for salsa, they said that all they had was hot sauce. They we had the Salted Caramel Creme Brule, but it wasn't properly bruleed. There was no sugar crust on top to be cracked. Finally the cappucino was luke warm, not hot. The steamed milk was not hot. The server told us that the kitchen had just lost its chef and there was a new kitchen staff. Obviously they are not properly prepared to offer food yet. Very disappointing. read more