The bar at Counting House, 21c Museum Hotel's lobby restaurant and lounge, is the perfect place to enjoy seasonal and classic cocktails designed to pair with the fresh, bold and playful dishes on Chef Stephanie Klos's menus. Sip your cocktail as you peruse the art museum, open 24/7, or relax at the bar with friends.
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Hours:
Monday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Friday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 10:00 PM Saturday: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 10:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
My wife and I went to Counting House for Valentine’s Day 2026. Overall, we had a good experience. Would rate 3.5 out of 5 stars and if given the option.
We had the oysters which came with crème fresh and mignonette. We requested on the side but they came all together, which ended up being a nice combination of flavors. We also shared a seasonal salad which was less impressive as it was romaine lettuce, grapes, and pieces of citrus.
Main courses we had the seasonal fish and lamb shank. Lamb shank was a great portion size and very tender. Fish had good flavor but parts were undercooked. Would have ranked this 4/5 but we had to wait about 45 minutes for our Entrees.
A couple of concerning points were both couples sitting next to us sent food back for burnt steak and cold pasta. A table nearby also had their appetizers and entrees delivered together. They also ran out of my first and second entree preferences, so I had to order my third choice. Surprising since we were a 5:45pm seating. I think the restaurant has potential, but would benefit from some better organization/leadership to elevate them to the level of other fine dining restaurants in the triangle. At this time, I would not consider them one.
Gia Peebles
Feb 14, 2026
5
We recently enjoyed brunch at The Counting House and had a wonderful experience. My husband and I shared three dishes, which was the perfect way to sample a variety of flavors.
The lemon ricotta pancakes were outstanding, light, fluffy, and full of bright, delicious flavor. The portion was generous and easily enough for two to share.
We also tried the braised short ribs, which were savory, rich, and incredibly fork tender. They were beautifully seasoned and comforting with every bite.
Lastly, the shrimp and grits were a pleasant surprise, especially with the addition of crab on top. The grits were creamy and full of flavor, making this dish a true standout.
Overall, a delightful brunch with flavorful dishes and great portions for sharing. We will definitely be back!
Naomi Gupton
Feb 14, 2026
5
Absolutely phenomenal brunch! Truly everything on the menu is ten out of ten!
The short ribs were so tender you didn't need a knife! The grits were super creamy and paired well with the crab, the ricotta pancakes were the fluffiest most addicting pancakes and arguably our favorite thing on the menu. I feel like there was so much attention to detail in each dish we tried. The menu did a great job of having variety without having an overwhelming amount of choices and everything was reasonably priced.
I came here years ago and it was not nearly as good. The new executive chef and new menu has now made this our go to place!
Parishoner1 Parishoner1
Feb 11, 2026
4
I have no problem spending $ on a good restaurant and good food. This bill was $175.
All good except $19 for a Jack Daniel’s Manhattan? Too high. It’s the cheapest booze on their bar! I hate paying to much for cheap stuff. See the attached bill. $12+$4+$3. What is that?
Lee Lusk
Jan 13, 2026
5
Recovering from major surgery and on a full liquid diet, chef delighted me in meeting some extreme dietary restrictions and provided an exceptional culinary delight, presented with kindness and grace. True southern hospitality from the hostess to the entire staff. Ambiance was superb, great calm yet vibrant vibe.
Mandy Teng
Jan 13, 2026
5
I had a wonderful experience with Counting House recently. I am not local but called hoping to arrange an anonymous surprise for someone dining there and Kiera handled everything beautifully. She was incredibly kind, professional, and thoughtful throughout the process and made something that could have been complicated feel seamless. The surprise turned out exactly as hoped. Thank you Kiera and the team at Counting House for going above and beyond- it truly made someone's night!
Eric Wolak
Jan 3, 2026
5
Edit: The day after writing my review from earlier in December, I was contacted by Counting House’s Director of Food and Beverage. She was very apologetic of our experience and agreed that they needed better options for vegans. She mentioned that they immediately added more vegan and vegetarian friendly options and expressed hope that we would try them again. Because of this effort and their diligence, my wife and I, along with another couple, went back last night (1/2/26). My wife and I were very impressed with their new menu and we enjoyed a vegan appetizer, a vegan entree for her and a vegetarian entree for me, and vegan sides. It was all wonderfully prepared. Our friends had not been to Counting House before. They are not vegetarians or vegans, so opted for other items on the menu and expressed how great it was. Thank you, Ms Bowden and the Counting House team, for being so responsive to our feedback. We do plan on adding back Counting House to our Durham night-out options.
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It took 20 minutes after being seated for a server to come to our table. It took another 20 minutes after placing our drink orders for our drinks to arrive. At 6:15pm, they had already run out of their pasta dish. When I made our reservations, I asked if the kitchen could prepare a vegan meal for my wife, as there was nothing vegan on the menu. I was assured that they could several times (once when I made the reservation and again when I called to confirm the reservations). However, when she ordered, she was told only the house salad could be vegan, even with the server checking with the kitchen. So my wife just had a salad, with no protein options. And the salad was literally just lettuce, with a few sprinkles of carrots and two blackberries. It also took one hour for us to get our food after placing our order. We have been here several times before and each time there has been a noticeable decline in service and overall experience. We will not be returning.
Meredith Gladwell
Jan 2, 2026
3
My husband and I just came here for our anniversary, and honestly, we were quite disappointed. The interior of the restaurant itself is kind of weird. The decor is pretty random and eclectic (not in a good way) and just looks strange and tacky. The so-called "artwork" is absolutely awful.
The service was quite good. Our server was nice and energetic, and she did her best, even though they were kinda busy and the kitchen was pretty slow. Unfortunately, we had to send back two different dishes. First, our confit wings, which just weren't that great. Some of them were a little bit underdone, even. And then after that, I had to send back my roasted chicken entree, which also had some underdone parts inside that were leaking red juices all over everything. And the whole dish itself just kind of wasn't that impressive. Plating wasn't great, the turnips were a little bland, the greens were overdone.
We did have a side of the mushrooms with Madeira to replace the wings. They were very good. After I sent back my chicken entree, I got the agnolotti instead, which was mostly pretty good, but I think it only came with four agnolotti and probably could have had just a little bit more, and a little less sauce and mushrooms. But it was tasty.
My husband was not impressed with his smash burger which was very average for $19. He said the burger and fries reminded him of Sysco products and that he could get a much better one for half the price at Only Burger. Because we had to send back two different dishes, we did get a free dessert. We got a panna cotta, which was nice.
Ultimately, this feels like one of those of restaurants that doesn't actually deliver impressive fine dining but definitely charges you for it. I think they lean on their setting, their weird artwork, and some fancy chef's name, and I think the food sounds a little fancier and better than it actually is. I've come to realize that more casual restaurants tend to have much better tasting food than these expensive restaurants that have $50 entrees but can't even get chicken right. I'm starting to feel very duped by "nice", expensive restaurants.
We were grateful that they rectified the situation, but we will not be coming back.
3 stars might be a touch too generous but 2 might be too low. So, 2.5.
Taylor Outler
Nov 12, 2025
5
The food is always so delicious, fresh, and has a unique flavor profile. Everything I’ve tried from the pork schnitzel, gnocchi, smash burger, wings, etc. you can never make a wrong decision. Today I also tried the lemon cheesecake. AMAZING.
Rachel Watson
Nov 1, 2025
4
The burger wings and fries were solid. Ingredients tasted fresh. The milk bread with the whipped honey was the star of the show, though. I could probably eat it everyday.
Susan Mabry
Oct 4, 2025
5
We had a private room of 10 with the most fun and professional server, Pip! Pip explained all the dishes in great detail and we ordered her suggestions! We started with the Japanese Honey buns and then the chargrilled oysters! Both perfection!😍
Then our table had absolutely NO Complaints of their entrees of gnocchi, pork schnitzel, rib eyes, tomato-peach salad (fresh and divine) and Black Forest cake and lemon curd cheesecake! All was fabulous and the atmosphere was sophisticated and cozy! Our favorite restaurant so far while we were touring the area! 🤩😍
Brandy Bachmann
Jul 5, 2025
5
We had a flawless dinner experience! Highly recommend. The tomato and peach salad was like nothing I’ve ever had- my husband and I both loved it! The Japanese milk bread was fantastic! Chef Melanie Wilkerson is very clever and uses high quality, fresh ingredients. The drinks were excellent! I had the “who rule the world” cocktail, yum!! The staff were very attentive and friendly! Will definitely return!
We also returned for breakfast. The egg white frittata was delicious! The pancakes were perfect! Love love love this place!
Nicole Wilbanks
Jun 29, 2025
5
This is my go to brunch spot when we have visitors in town, I have never had a bad meal, the staff is always friendly.
Marlyn
Jun 28, 2025
5
I was visiting Durham for the first time and wanted local experiences, including culinary. Counting House does not disappoint! I didn't take pictures because I wanted to be in the moment. This place is not a chain experience and is also not pretentious. What it is, isan upscale creative experience. I had 3 couses: Japanese milk bread and pina colada, mushroom risotto, and pineapple upside down cake. You can actually taste the ingredients - no overload of salt and sugar to mask the flavor profiles. This is the test: the pineapple upside down cake was a good cake even without the fruit o top. The risotto was creamy and even if you don't like mushrooms, try it! The ambience was everything! Quiet, dim lighting, and basically if you've seen The Bear on Hulu, this is similar to the type of restaurant Carmy and his team were trying to build. Everyone is on board and I can't wait until they get a star because this place absolutely is doing the work to get one.
David Chang
Jun 3, 2025
5
Came here for a business dinner. Food is delicious, a bit hard to find as it's inside the 21c hotel. Drinks are tasty as well.
Alleah Salone
May 15, 2025
5
Had Mother’s Day brunch there with the family. The pancakes were amazing and so was the burger. I got the smoked salmon to go along with my French omelet and both were so good!
Aresa Hairston
Apr 19, 2025
5
Counting House is my favorite go to place for yummy food, relaxed environment and a no rush feel. The art gallery vibe is a bonus, the waiters and waitresses are inviting and it's a place where I love to go to relax, eat and drink. Love the pink penguin, such a vibe and feels like it brings good energy. The pound cake was so freaking good, honestly, all of the desserts were great. The chicken finger things were awesome, they've been stepping up their game and it's paying off.
Parishoner1 Parishoner1
Mar 28, 2025
5
This was our first visit and we were a party of four. The food was very, very good and the service was excellent also. We had Japanese milk bread and.Goujon For appetizers, two of us had the Cavatelli, One of us had the pan chicken and the other, the pan roasted bone in pork chops. All of them are excellent. I would only add that I wish the descriptions of the dishes were more complete with translations on some of the names. I realize that asking the waiter is appropriate and they like to describe them, but it’s easier to choose when you see it in writing. For example, it would’ve been nice to know that the cavatelli was black and made with black squid ink pasta. A very enjoyable dinner and we will return.
Lauren Tanman
Mar 10, 2025
5
Amazing food, very attentive wait staff who made me a special martini based on a quick conversation.
