Plates London: Inside the UK’s Only Michelin-Starred Vegan Restaurant

Plates Secures Milestone Status as London’s Only Vegan Michelin Restaurant

Plates, the UK’s first and only vegan Michelin-starred restaurant, operates out of a 25-seat dining room in Shoreditch, East London, where securing a reservation requires booking rapidly through newsletter releases, vegnews.com reported.

The Path to Plant-Based Fine Dining

Head chef and co-founder Kirk Haworth developed his approach after a late-stage Lyme disease diagnosis caused by a tick bite while working in Australia over a decade ago. The condition forced him to eliminate meat, fish, gluten, refined sugar, and dairy from his diet. He and his managing director sister, Keeley Haworth, launched the Plates pop-up in 2017 to introduce Londoners to plant-based fine dining. The permanent Shoreditch brick-and-mortar location opened in 2024, earning its Michelin star in early 2025.

guide.michelin.com noted that the restaurant represents how much animal-free cuisine has developed, describing the atmosphere as a soothing respite from the surrounding area. The dining room features neutral walls, dark wood furnishings, and an open kitchen where chefs prepare dishes like barbecued maitake mushrooms served on black bean mole, kimchi, and aioli. Another signature item is the house-laminated sourdough bread accompanied by whipped cultured butter blended à la minute with tomato miso and a miso broth.

Menus Built on Seasonality and Technique

Haworth draws on experience from kitchens including The French Laundry, Restaurant Sat Bains, The Square, and Quay to adapt classical French technique to plant-based ingredients. The eleven-course Discovery Menu includes items such as slow-cooked English tomatoes, strawberries, and shiso leaves sprinkled with frozen tarragon snow. Guests are also served Thai green curry and sweetcorn-and-passionfruit cappuccinos that mimic the frothy texture of coffee without containing any actual caffeine.

“I had to unlearn everything and start again,” Haworth explains of his transition away from traditional proteins. “I had to rethink how you create flavor and how you make dishes that feel special without relying on those traditional star ingredients like scallops, turbot, venison, steak, and caviar.”

Mushroom and Truffle Courses Define the Menu

The culinary program centers around a staple dish of caramelized lion’s mane mushroom. Sourced from a cultivation operation in nearby Essex operating inside repurposed shipping containers, the mushroom is presented raw to diners before being served alongside ingredients such as barbecued eggplant, pickled cucumber, gooseberries, and basil. Dessert courses feature chicory root ice cream with sour cherry compote, alongside English raspberries with meadowsweet ice cream, almond praline, mochi, and black truffle shavings.

The beverage program spans a 12-page list featuring selections like Vouette et Sorbée Champagne from France, Lamoresca red wine from Sicily, and signature cocktails utilizing mushroom garum. As the plant-based dining sector continues to evolve in the British capital, diners eager to experience the tasting menu must monitor their email for upcoming reservation windows.