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When the UK’s newest Michelin stars were dished out in a swanky ceremony earlier this week, there was one accolade that stood out among the rest. Plates in Shoreditch became the UK’s very first vegan restaurant to be decorated with a prestigious Michelin star.
‘It's kind of wild that it's taken this long for a vegan restaurant to get a star,’ Time Out’s food editor Leonie Cooper said. ‘Though maybe not when you consider the fact that Michelin tends to favour more traditional and “high-end” (read: very, very expensive) restaurants, few of which are vegetarian – and even fewer vegan.’
Michelin called it a ‘momentous moment’ and said that Plates is a ‘groundbreaking establishment that has ‘raised the bar for plant-based cooking in this country’. However, it also made a point of adding that Plates ‘is not just the “vegan Star” – it is a Star full stop.’
A short walk from Old Street, standout dishes at the restaurant, according to Michelin inspectors, include the house laminated sourdough bread with whipped butter, fermented red currant and winter spices; the barbecued maitake mushroom with black bean mole, kimchi, aioli and puffed rice and the raw cacao gateaux with sour cherry, coconut blossom ice cream, African pepper, toasted macadamia and raw Caramel.
Foaming at the mouth? Here’s how to try the menu for yourself.
How to get a table at Plates
The bad news is that Plates isn’t the easiest place to secure a reservation at. The restaurant is pretty small and is, understandably, permanently packed with diners. Tables are completely booked up all the way through February, March and April.
The good news is that bookings at Plates for May to July open tomorrow (Thursday, February 13). Set a reminder and head to the Plates website for 12pm tomorrow sharp to make a reservation. If you get there late, you can join the waitlist and sign up to Plates’ newsletter to get updates on availability.
London’s best vegan restaurants with Time Out
In the meantime, why not try out these 22 other outstanding vegan restaurants in London? Or one of London’s many other members of the Michelin star club? Head this way for the best value Michelin-starred restos.
From ‘facon’ to ‘cheeze’: how London fell out of love with plant-based products.
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