Plates in Hackney

Birthday treat, had fantastic night. Food was delicious beyond anything I'd imagined. Staff faultless and friendly.

After seeing Kirk Howarth on last year's Great British Menu and knowing his father's restaurant, Northcote Manor I had great expectations, I was not disappointed. Indeed they exceeded my expectations. I went for my 80th birthday. The food was vegan with great taste, the service was impeccable. A lovely memory. It was well worth the journey from my home in Cheshire/

Plates, the UK’s first Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant, has made waves in the fine dining scene, earning its star within just ten months of opening. Located near Old Street, this intimate spot delivers a creative and beautifully plated plant-based tasting menu, but its cramped interior and uncomfortable seating slightly detract from the overall experience. TThe restaurant is small and cozy, accommodating around 25 guests with a mix of seating options: two tables for four, five tables for two, four high-chair bar seats, a window bench, and three coveted chef’s table spots. While the design is stylish—featuring sand-colored walls, brown marble surfaces, and an open-plan kitchen offering great views of the chefs at work—the tight layout makes for a less-than-relaxing experience. The bar seating, in particular, is uncomfortable, with wooden backrests that dig in, and the narrow space means you may get bumped into. There’s also just one small toilet, which can be a squeeze. Plates offers a 7-course lunch for £75 or an 8-course option for an additional £15 , which includes another main (albeit a small portion). In hindsight it’s really 5 courses with an amouse bouche and palate cleanser prior to desert! The menu is an impressive showcase of plant-based innovation, with dishes that balance rich, umami flavors with bright, acidic notes. The first course which should really be the amouse bouche:A single bite of white truffle apple was unexpectedly dessert-like but quite sour, this was accompanied with the Wild garlic soup with potato dumpling and ricotta was excellent. Second course: Leek with gooseberry dressing and chestnut sauce was beautifully plated, though the verjus and jalapeño added an extra sourness. Third Course: Sourdough bread was outstanding—somewhere between a Danish pastry and a croissant—with a luscious, rich sea-salted green butter. Fourth course: Barbecued maitake mushroom with black bean mole, kimchi, aioli & puffed rice was a standout, offering a perfect balance of crispiness and rich, smoky flavors. Fifth course: Mung & urad bean lasagna with miso & chive sauce was another highlight, featuring delicate layers of vegetables and a silky film on top. Desert but would have been more a palate cleanser in other Michelin places : Mint ice cream with chewy beets, sweet pea & kombu leaned more towards a savory palate cleanser than a traditional dessert—the beets were extremely sour, making for a memorable but divisive dish. Main desert of Raw cacao gateaux with sour cherry, coconut blossom ice cream, African pepper, toasted macadamia & raw caramel sauce was a perfect ending. Creamy, rich, and beautifully balanced, this was easily one of the best dishes of the meal. Cocktails, the Martique: A small coupe of Martini had a cinnamon note, reminiscent of an Old Fashioned. The quince and white tea : A long drink was light and refreshing, with elderflower-like notes—ideal for those who prefer subtle flavors. Plates delivers an innovative, high-level plant-based dining experience worthy of its Michelin star. The food is thoughtful, beautifully plated, and mostly excellent, with just a few dishes leaning too heavily on acidity. However, the restaurant’s compact and somewhat uncomfortable seating setup slightly diminishes the overall experience. If you can secure a comfortable table, you’re in for a treat; if you’re placed at the high chairs or bar seating, the experience might feel less special.

Mind Blown! Visited here in February 2025 as a couple. I am not pro-vegan and I am not pro-meat, however after seeing the high ratings and outstanding comments from chefs about Kirk's dishes on 'The Great British Menu' I knew I had try it for myself. My mind was blown away with the exceptional quality and precision of flavour, taste, texture and presentation. The food was exceptional, each of the 8 courses had something different, how do you make vegan butter, so buttery but with no butter? The really cool thing was eating the dishes that Kirk produced on 'The Great British Menu'. All of these dishes where amazing. I am not a fan of puffed rice or black olive drink, however that is just my personal palette (if you do like that, you will love it). The eight courses was also the perfect amount to be fully satisfied. The staff were brilliant, very welcoming and friendly. Alex the wine sommelier was fantastic. She had a great knowledge of the history and details of each wine (even dinosaur grapes). All the staff were excellent and the service was quick and efficient. The décor of the place was really in keeping with the vegan theme, it has very earthy tones and materials, the lighting was spot on and everything was clean and comfortable. Even the plates the food was served on were in keeping with the earthy tones and décor. We were offered the wine pairing (which you DON'T have to do), however it is worth doing, we are not big drinkers, so we decided to do one wine pairing and one non-alcoholic pairing. It was brilliant, we got to try a range of different wines and mocktails that complimented the dishes and ambiance. Overall, it was an incredible experience that is fine dining, it is not a cheap meal, however it is worth every penny. I was blown away by every element of it. Just make sure you book online, you want to be on the website when the tables are being released. Congratulations to Kirk and the team for the Michelin Star, well deserved! Highly recommended!

A wonderful experience from start to finish. We booked after watching & loving Kirk on Great British Menu. We thought how intriguing to have a plant based menu get such praise. We were not disappointed. The food was simply outstanding, Whilst I am pescatarian, my husband is very much a meat eater. He maintains that this was the best meal he has ever had. We were particularly delighted with the non alcoholic drinks pairing. What an amazing idea for drivers/non drinkers. Each drink was delicious and paired beautifully. A real treat to enjoy the fun of a wine pairing even when you are the designated driver! The entire team, including Kirk himself, made us feel so welcome and comfortable. Thrilled to see that, since our visit, they have been awarded a Michelin star. Could not have happened for a more lovely team of people. Very well deserved. We cannot wait to return!

After waiting months from booking to go for lunch, we had high expectations. The reality was even higher, our lunch was remarkable in every way. Truly delicious, every course had depth of flavour and texture. How Kirk could do this with no egg, milk, cream etc is amazing. We had both the wine flight and the non-alcoholic flight and both compliment the food brilliantly. The service was spot on, friendly and knowledgeable.

We thank everyone at Plates for an extraordinary lunch on November 29th. The restaurant has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and staff were friendly, provided outstanding service and all genuinely cared very much about the job they were doing. It was special to be welcomed by Kirk and him bringing us a couple courses was a lovely surprise. The tasting menu two was exceptional, so many delightful and exciting surprises. Delicious and interesting discoveries, tastes and textures, fun and some things were unlike anything we’d ever tasted. I ran out of adjectives. The imaginative details such as special bespoke ceramic spoons and dishes all added to the adventure. Looking back to the menu there were too many highlights to list, and that winning GBM dessert was just outrageous. This is the first time we’ve been offered a non alcoholic pairing with a tasting menu, thank you! My husband has previously enjoyed a wine pairing whilst I’ve had my still & sparkling water combinations (nice to know a member of the Plates team enjoys 30/70, I’m similar!), so what a treat to both enjoy an interesting accompanying drinks menu with the dishes, thank you. The Yuzuade in vintage glass and first pairing were favourites. I am particularly grateful to Kirk and team for catering for dietary requests, we know the small kitchen cannot always do this, as stated on the website, so a big thank you. The gluten free quinoa and chickpea pancake with spirulina butter was so delicious and one of several highlights! We are both eating more and more plant based food for climate breakdown and health reasons and love plants and vegetables so we are very grateful for the work that pioneers like Kirk are creating and developing. We feel so fortunate to have experienced Plates in its first year. Thanks for the generosity, care and love you put into everything, it really shows and we left the restaurant several hours later feeling grateful, giddy and quite emotional. We wish everyone at Plates a happy new year and best wishes.

Brilliant experience. 8 course eating menu. Every course was faultless. I will be returning - if I get a table! Thank you so much for a memorable evening.

Out of this world 7 plate taster menu with a beautiful wine menu accompaniment. There are no words to describe the taste sensation that Kirk and his exceptional team have created in this intimate setting. It felt like an incredible privilege.

This was an evening when we were made to feel so much more special than I think I deserve. We had been given the taster menu as a present and it lived up to all our expectations. The welcome was warm and friendly and Ellen was attentive throughout. The food was delicious, the accompanying wines were well chosen and the restaurant could earn a Michelin star just on the bread alone - the most stunning bread I have ever eaten. I'd also recommend the lasagne and cacao gateau if I had to choose but each course was exquisite. Kirk Hawood even found time to chat to us. What a wonderful evening and such lovely people.

Una comida muy especial, muy bien presentada y una experiencia educativa. No soy vegetariana (pero tengo una mente abierta) y me sorprendió lo complejos y variados que eran los platos. Fuimos todo el cerdo y tuvimos el menú degustación y el vuelo de vinos, y todo fue cuidadosamente curado, presentado y explicado. No es una experiencia diaria y no es barato, pero recordaremos la calidad sobre el precio.

Simplemente WOW! Esto es realmente lo mejor de lo mejor. La comida es preciosa y cada plato te mantendrá preguntándote cómo se las arreglaron para construir platos tan celestiales - sin carne, lácteos, etc. Alucinante. El restaurante es encantador y el servicio era extremadamente de primera. Realmente vale la pena esperar para obtener una reserva en este lugar.

Un menú degustación increíble. Lo más destacado - el explosivo aperitivo de trufa, rico hongo con mole de frijol negro, y la puerta de cacao. La mejor comida vegana que hemos probado.

¡Wow! Qué gran experiencia. Mi esposa y yo no somos veganos, pero después de haber visto a Kirk en acción en The Great British Menu, queríamos probar sus excelentes habilidades de cocina. ¡No nos decepcionaron! Cada plato fue una delicia y los sabores y texturas que Kirk y su equipo ofrecen son increíbles... sabores tan fantásticos. El restaurante es pequeño e íntimo y el personal es excelente. Kirk, así como la cocina pasó tiempo hablando con nosotros y los otros clientes e incluso ayudó a servir algunos cursos. Es un tipo muy agradable, muy amable y con los pies en la tierra. Si puedes conseguir una reserva, tómala. Hemos hecho muchos menús degustación en los mejores restaurantes del Reino Unido y Platos está allí con los mejores... .

Comida altamente calificada, intrincada e imaginativa. A pesar de que no soy vegano me gustó mucho toda la experiencia y sin duda volvería.

A fabulous experience booked last minute due to them having a cancellation, so very lucky! I would never have guessed that I was eating Vegan food, absolutely superb. Every course without exception was incredible! Fabulous vibe, great food and exceptional service!

We were very lucky to get a cancellation, as always booked up. Welcomed by the chef and staff. Friendly and warm, felt like eating with family.... ( If I had a skilled chef in the family). Quality ingredients, served in a rich and vibrant way. We paired our 8 course with the soft drink flight... Totally amazing the mixologist was so skilled, many of the drinks were created by him, with the chefs input to ensure the flavour profiles just sang. Won't be able to afford to go when he has his star.... So get in fast!.... The last thing to mention is that it's vegan..... It's the last thing for a reason... It's just really good food with flavour overload,... Does it need to have meat or animal products, nope..... With Kirk's mastery in the kitchen.... He creates works of art, his team work hard to support him in a seamless way. Sat in the chefs counter.... It was like watching a dance, perfect. Thank you, we really appreciate every prepared sauce and flower. Truly brilliant

I am beyond amazed by Plates! Such a wonderful experience. The food offers a delight to the palette with such interesting flavours and textures. And the service is second to none. This was a perfect birthday celebration! Everything about it was incredible. I recommend the wine paring experience.

After watching Kirk on Great British Menu we felt compelled to visit his restaurant and try his food, we were blown away! Every course of the tasting menu was amazing and unique. The attention to detail was fabulous as was the service. Would highly recommend whether you are vegan or not!

What can you say simply brilliant! The venue is great, small but nicely spaced out. Great staff, friendly knowledgeable and helpful. Big shout out to Maisie. The food is sublime and is not something we would consider if it were not for the GBM appearance. 7 course tasting menu is well crafted, varied and very tasty. Each course is photo worthy... if you can wait to take it in the first place. The team coped with a soya allergy, which was a difficult one given its prevalence in vegan food but bygiving the team early warning (at booking) Kirk accepted the challenge many thanks

Plates is just remarkable! I had the meatiest, cheesiest lasagna which, of course, has no meat or cheese in it. Kirk is a culinary magician. We had the seven course tasting menu, which left us full, but not in a heavy, carbohydrate type way- just pleasant. The staff are attentive and so very friendly. Kirk himself brought a couple of the dishes out and explained them. We were sorry when it was over. An experience as much as a meal. Wow!

We were all (four) very excited about trying Kirk Haworth's food having seem him on The Great British Menu and we weren't disappointed. So much skill to get such amazing flavors from plant based dishes! Kirk himself serves some of the courses at the table which was wonderful to see. Service was spot on in this small intimate restaurant with just one minor disappointment, the sommelier. We opted for the wine flight and all felt that more time should have been given to explain what we were drinking and the thoughts behind the pairing. That said it hasn't put us off from visiting again and we'd highly recommend Plates even if you're a meat/fish eater.

What an experience. The food was outstanding in its conceptualisation, construction and design. The use of texture and taste to deliver the experience is the key. The ability to create dishes that excel and happen to be vegan highlight the nuance that makes this a must do. Kirk and the rest of his team were outstanding hosts, making the time to repeatedly visit every table. I appreciated the non alcoholic paring that had been crafted. Considering that they had all been working for 100s of hours to get this open the pleasant manor from all stood out. We are desperate to return even if it’s 400 miles away.

We dined her for my birthday and seeing as my partner is vegan it was the perfect choice. The venue is intimate and very friendly, there are only a few tables and the staff have a fantastic calmness about them. The whole experience is just sublime. The tasting menus are excellent and you can pair them with a wine flight if desired but the house wines by the glass are very good as well. What makes the difference here is that Kirk ensures that he spends some time with each table over the different courses and makes you feel welcome and part of the experience that he is trying to create. This is a man to watch who will take the vegan menu forward and even challenge the hardiest of meat eaters to enjoy a plant based menu. Will be returning again for the autumn menu. Just need to justify the trip from the south west.

Absolutely phenomenal - this was one of the best meals we have ever had! Having never really had plant based food before, what Kirk and his team have created is a revelation. It is amazing how the bread tasted so buttery with cashews and no actual butter. Such a fun evening and explosions of taste! Kirk is also the loveliest chef - and the service was amazing. Go now - you won't regret it. This place is incredible!

Simply one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Took my partner here for her birthday and had a wonderful evening. The staff were brilliant - welcoming and attentive without being fussy, and their care for the job was clear to see. The food was beyond amazing, so many incredible flavours and textures, and really shows that fine dining doesn't have to use meat and dairy. We also had the paired drinks, which were fantastic - very creative pairings and all delicious. While not cheap, I think you get ridiculously good value here - you could easily spend double for a worse meal in other parts of London. Will be reccomending to all my friends!

Everything about this place is perfect. Came here for an anniversary dinner and couldn’t have found a better place. Esp loved the pine smocked beetroot with horseradish. Book before they get a Michelin!

As a meat eater this experience was enough for me to consider never not eating it again. I won’t, because my cooking skills are limited and I’d never be able to match the culinary skills of the wizards in this kitchen, but dining here has really opened up my eyes and mind as to what a fully plant based diet could be like. This was a truly high end gastronomic experience, and I am still shocked that it was all vegan. Every dish was so flavoursome and tasty. The wine parings were also great. I will 100% be coming back here with my very sceptical meat eating friends. Loved the decor too!

We visited Plates on 7th July 2022 and had an amazing experience! The food was sensational, and the quality, texture, presentation and depth of flavour was just incredible. My wife is vegetarian but I am not, but I didn't miss meat for one second! When food tastes this good it isn't important. We were also lucky enough to meet Kirk and chat with him which was a huge added bonus, and we can't thank him enough for sharing his talent and passion with us. We can't wait to go again!