Plates London

Is Plates London worth booking?

Yes, book it; with urgency. Plates London earned a Michelin star in January 2025, just seven months after opening in July 2024, making it the UK's first Michelin-starred vegan restaurant. That credential alone tells you what the kitchen is doing technically, but the diners' poll feedback confirms it: this is not a compromise meal for plant-based diners, it is a fine dining tasting menu that happens to use no animal products. If you are open to a tasting menu format and you have any interest in where serious cooking is going, this is one of the more compelling bookings in London right now.

The Space

Plates seats around 25 covers on Old Street in Shoreditch, EC1. The room is compact; that much is acknowledged even by its strongest advocates, with a slate floor, warm earthy tones, rough plaster walls that read stripped-back rather than austere. Counter seating at the open kitchen is the standout configuration: chef Kirk Haworth serves directly from the pass and talks through the food. If you want the full experience, request counter seats when you book. For groups of three or more, you will likely be at a table rather than the counter, so calibrate expectations for seating style accordingly. The intimacy of the space cuts both ways: the service feels personal and unhurried, but if you find close-set dining rooms uncomfortable, factor that in. At 25 seats, Plates is significantly smaller than comparison restaurants at this price tier, which is part of why it fills quickly and feels as it does.

What the Kitchen Does

Kirk Haworth, a Great British Menu winner, applies classical French technique to an entirely plant-based menu. The result closes a gap that has existed in London dining for years: there was no vegan restaurant working at this level of technical precision. Holy Carrot and Naïfs both offer strong plant-forward cooking in London, but neither approaches the tasting menu rigour or the Michelin recognition that Plates now carries. The maitake mushroom with black bean mole is cited across multiple sources as a benchmark dish, not a vegetable dish that works despite the format, but one that works because of the precision behind it. The raw cocoa gateau rounds the menu with equal seriousness. The lasagne has been flagged separately in diner feedback as a highlight, the laminated bread is good enough that more than one diner has noted it specifically. That level of detail in the bread course is a reliable signal about where a kitchen's standards sit.

The format is a tasting menu. There is no à la carte option noted in the available data, so this is not a venue for diners who prefer to order selectively. Go in expecting a set sequence, counter conversation with the chef, a meal that runs at the pace the kitchen sets. Diners who have never been enthusiastic about vegan food have come away converted, which is the most telling signal available about what the menu achieves technically.

Booking Plates London

Book as far ahead as you can manage, this is now a Michelin-starred 25-seat room in Shoreditch, it opens Wednesday through Saturday only. The restaurant has been described as fully booked months out, a situation that will not ease following the star. Treat this like any other one-star small-room London booking: check availability as soon as you have a target date window, have a backup date ready. Cancellations do surface, so it is worth checking the booking system periodically if your first attempt fails. The restaurant is closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, which tightens the available window further. Lunch service runs until 4 PM and dinner from 6 PM to 11:30 PM, Wednesday to Saturday.

Know Before You Go

• Address: 320 Old St, London EC1V 9DR
• Price range: £££ (tasting menu format)
• Open: Wednesday–Saturday, 12 PM–4 PM and 6 PM–11:30 PM. Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
• Covers: Approximately 25 seats
• Awards: Michelin star (awarded January 2025, seven months after opening); Star Wine List #1 (2025)
• Booking difficulty: Moderate to high, book well in advance, months out if possible
• Leading seats: Counter seating at the open kitchen for the full chef-service experience
• Menu format: Tasting menu, no à la carte

How It Compares

Compared to London's other Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurants, Plates sits at £££ rather than ££££, which makes it meaningfully more accessible than CORE by Clare Smyth, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, or Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library on price. If your priority is value within the starred tasting menu category in London, Plates wins that comparison clearly. The trade-off is a smaller, more intimate room and a cuisine format, fully vegan, that will not suit every diner. For non-vegan diners who are open to the format, the technical level of the cooking makes this a more interesting meal than many in the ££££ bracket. For diners who specifically want classic French-rooted fine dining with meat and fish, CORE or Gordon Ramsay remain the stronger choices.

Plates also occupies a position with no direct peer in the UK. KLE in Zurich and Légume in Seoul offer comparable plant-forward fine dining internationally, but domestically Plates is in a category of one at Michelin level. That distinction matters if you are comparing it against other starred venues in the UK, whether The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, or others in the broader UK constellation. The novelty of the credential is real, but the diner feedback suggests it is earned on the food, not just the category.

FAQ

Is the tasting menu worth it at Plates London?

Yes, at £££ pricing for a Michelin-starred tasting menu in London, the value proposition is strong compared to the ££££ alternatives at this level. The Michelin star arrived seven months after opening, diner feedback is overwhelmingly positive, Kirk Haworth's Great British Menu background gives the kitchen genuine technical credibility. Worth it if you are open to a tasting menu format and not specifically seeking meat or fish.

Is lunch or dinner better at Plates London?

Either service will give you the same menu and kitchen, Plates is a tasting menu restaurant, not a venue where lunch is a lighter, lower-cost version of dinner. Lunch (12 PM–4 PM) may be easier to book in some windows, the counter experience in daylight has a different feel to an evening sitting. If booking flexibility is the issue, try both service times when checking availability.

Does Plates London handle dietary restrictions?

The entire menu is vegan, which resolves dairy and egg restrictions by default. For specific allergen requirements beyond that, contact the restaurant directly before booking, no allergy policy data is available in current records, with a 25-seat tasting menu kitchen, advance notice is standard practice at this level. Do not arrive without having communicated dietary needs in advance.

What should I order at Plates London?

It is a tasting menu format, so ordering is not the model. That said, based on diner feedback, the maitake mushroom with black bean mole and the raw cocoa gateau have been flagged repeatedly as the strongest courses. The lasagne and the laminated bread have also drawn specific praise. Counter seats give you direct access to Kirk Haworth's commentary on each dish, which adds context that table seating does not.

How far ahead should I book Plates London?

Book as far ahead as possible, months out is realistic post-Michelin star. The restaurant has 25 seats and opens only Wednesday to Saturday, which means there are roughly 8 to 10 services per week across two sittings. Demand significantly outpaces capacity at this point. Check the booking system regularly for cancellations if your preferred window is full.

What are alternatives to Plates London in London?

For plant-forward dining without the tasting menu commitment, Holy Carrot and Naïfs are the strongest London alternatives. For a Michelin-starred tasting menu experience with meat and fish on the menu, CORE by Clare Smyth is the closest in quality positioning, though at ££££. If you want the broader Michelin picture outside London, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood are worth considering depending on where you are travelling. See also our full London restaurants guide, London hotels guide, and London bars guide.