Plant-Based Chef’s Counter at Michelin-Starred Plates

On Old Street in Shoreditch, Plates offers a chef’s tasting menu that quietly but confidently redefines fine dining through plants. Founded by siblings Kirk and Keeley Haworth, the intimate restaurant feels like a sanctuary amid the city’s concrete and glass. Earth-toned plaster walls, natural stone tables, and a hand-crafted bar made from repurposed London trees frame the open kitchen, where guests seated at the counter can watch Chef Kirk Haworth at work. The setting mirrors the philosophy: stripped back, thoughtful, and rooted in nature.

Haworth’s journey—from classical Michelin-starred kitchens such as The French Laundry and Restaurant Sat Bains to embracing plant-based cooking following a life-altering health diagnosis—underpins every course. The Chef's Counter twelve-course tasting menu is not built on ideology, but on flavour, technique, and respect for the ingredient. Maitake mushroom arrives lacquered in black bean mole with a depth that rivals any traditional preparation; seasonal vegetables are fermented, smoked, charred, or delicately raw, layered to create complexity and textural intrigue. Each dish feels architectural on the plate—clean lines, natural pigments, and meticulous composition reinforcing a modern, sustainable aesthetic.

Optional pairings feature low-intervention wines selected for vibrancy and purity, alongside carefully composed non-alcoholic alternatives that receive equal attention. The progression finishes with a raw cocoa gâteau or fruit-forward dessert that balances indulgence with vitality. At Plates, old-world craft meets new-world innovation, delivering a tasting menu that proves plant-based gastronomy can be as refined, generous, and emotionally resonant as any traditional counterpart—a new spectrum of flavour shaped by nature, technique, and personal conviction.

Beverages are not included in this experience.