It has been raining heavily when my colleague and I arrive at Plates London on an early March Thursday evening after jumping out of a Black cab on a trafficked Old Street. As the first vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin Star in the UK, and a fresh-off-the-success one, too, I feel a little hesitation in pushing its heavy wooden door open to make my way in. Not only have I spent a full day sitting in front of a screen, with my cerebral activity reduced to that of a crushed peanut as a result, but the stormy weather has managed to wipe out even the last drop of grace left inside of me. It doesn't matter. Before we know it, our coats have been hung in the cloakroom, water poured into our glasses, and a pleasantly warm, chit-chattering crowd has spoken just enough for the restaurant to mist up into a lulling, atmospheric cloud.
For a place known for its Russian roulette-style reservation system (kudos to Livingetc's Editor Hugh Metcalf for persevering in trying to get a table, and for forgiving me if I enjoyed this meal without him), Plates London feels refreshingly unassuming. Diners gesticulate widely, laugh, and taste each other's mains while seated. An L of busy stools surrounds the open kitchen, decorated with a hand-carved, wavy wooden bar frieze resemblant of folded fabric, letting guests not only peek inside of it but almost cheer the brigade up as they rush to finalize their choreographically presented courses. And naïve passersby likely unaware of the hotspot's rise (and rise) even step in with the simplest of questions, "Can we eat?" Nice try, if you ask me. Sure, it might take them a while to have their wish fulfilled, but the good news is they have landed on one of the best restaurants in London — as their much-awaited booking will later confirm.
