Plates: Kirk and Keeley Haworth to launch new plant-based restaurant in Shoreditch

The son and daughter of star chef Nigel Haworth will open their first permanent restaurant early next year on Old Street, a plant-based, high-end concept following a successful residency in nearby Dalston.

Plates, from Kirk and Keeley Haworth, will “celebrate and elevate food from the earth,” the pair said, with the aim of changing the perception of how fruits, vegetables, and plants can be transformed and used in a fine dining setting. 

The Haworths will use local, seasonal, and “trusted suppliers” to source their produce. Available will be tasting menus of varying lengths. 

Kirk, head chef — ex-French Laundry and Restaurant Sat Bains — will serve dishes such as brined carrots, lightly smoked and caramelised over coals before being topped with leeks, whipped aioli, crispy wild rice and pickled kohlrabi; a ravioli of charcoal pasta filled with mung bean and tomato reduction; celeriac and shiitake lasagne with pressed black truffle, mushroom duxelle and house miso; and roasted shiitake ice cream rolled in puffed barley and raw cacao nibs. 

Kirk and Keeley said they have long dreamed of opening a restaurant together. They said the idea for Plates first came about in 2017, when Plates launched as a residency operation. After Kirk was diagnosed with Lyme disease, the pair were moved towards a plant-based concept, with healthier eating in mind. 

In spring next year, Plates will open as a 26-cover restaurant, a “textural, earthy setting” with low lighting and muted colour tones. Sustainability is the order of the day: much of the materials used in the space have been recycled, while the bar has been hand-crafted from repurposed felled London trees.

“Since launching Plates in 2017 I have been on a mission to change the perception of fruits and vegetables through my passion for flavour in this unique style of cookery,” said Kirk. “After many years of searching for the perfect restaurant we’re thrilled to be opening in Shoreditch early next year.”

Plates will open in spring 2024 at 320 Old Street, EC1V 9DR. For more information, visit plates-london.com