Plates London Becomes UK’s First Michelin-Starred Vegan Restaurant
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2 hours ago
It's a big moment for plant-based cooking
Monday was a night of celebration for a whole host of restaurants, who were awarded new Michelin stars in the 2025 ceremony. But the evening was particularly momentous for Plates London, which made history by becoming the first vegan restaurant in the country to secure the prestigious accolade.
Plates London Has Won A Michelin Star
Located on Old Street in east London, Plates opened in July 2024, serving an entirely plant-based menu. It’s the brainchild of chef Kirk Haworth, who honed his craft at top establishments like The French Laundry and Sat Bains, going on to win Champion of Champions on Great British Menu.
Haworth’s plant-based lifestyle began after being diagnosed with Lyme disease, leading to an overhaul in his approach to cooking. He started running supper clubs with his sister Keely, which garnered a cult following, and the pair eventually opened Plates last year. It was an instant hit: when advance reservations opened online, so many people tried to access the website that it crashed, with three months of table bookings selling out within minutes.
The restaurant serves a creative vegan tasting menu, with a focus on British ingredients. At the moment, dishes on offer include slow cooked leeks with chestnut cream and gooseberry dressing, barbecued mushroom with black bean mole, and mung bean lasagna.
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Plates was one of nine London restaurants to receive its first star. Haworth impressed judges by ‘taking his classical training and inventively adapting it to a vegan diet’, praising the restaurant’s ‘earthy, natural vibe’ and ‘warm hues’.
When asked what he loved about vegan cooking, Haworth said: ‘Trying to get rid of that word is everything that I love about it. It’s just about flavour; that’s all it’s about. Flavour, excitement, innovation, and trying to take it to a new space of deliciousness.’
Other London eateries to receive their first star on Monday included Greek restaurant Oma in Borough Market, John & Desiree Chantarasak’s AngloThai in Marylebone, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles, and Cornus in Belgravia. Venues including The Ritz Restaurant and Soho’s Humble Chicken, meanwhile, picked up their second star.
How To Book Plates London
Keen to give Plates a try? The new booking window for reservations for May to July opens on 13 February at 12 noon. You can also join a waitlist so you’ll be notified of any cancellations and new availability. plates-london.com
