Plate - Shoreditch, London

Located on the first floor of the M by Montcalm Hotel in Shoreditch, Plate Restaurant is a smart and modern new dining space that's carved out a popular niche just north of the Silicon Roundabout. Along with the restaurant, there is a cocktail bar, which overlooks the ground floor of the hotel and serves up a punchy array of libations. We grabbed seats on comfy plush chairs, ordered a pair of espresso martinis, and watched Tech City do its thing while we perused the menu.

The kitchens are headed up by Arnaud Stevens who previously rattled the pans at The Gherkin. He's put together a menu that hinges on small sharing plates. Throughout the course of the evening we watched them emerge briskly from the open plan kitchen. The first to arrive at our table was Plate's signature bread flight, with sourdough, brioche, and marmite alongside seasonal butters (including whipped, basil and butternut squash). We think it's important for a restaurant to set the tone for the evening with good bread game, and this was a strong showing.

This was followed by a series of small plates that didn't disappoint. Plate's version of a Scotch egg favoured Spring's smoked salmon, served with a playfully piquant Asian mayo. This was followed by a wonderful goat's cheese tart spiked with red wine and parsley and topped with caramelised shallot and thyme. The octopus was as easy on the eyes as it was on the palate, a crisp coil of tentacle seated on a bed of agata potato and topped with a vivid red Basque piperade sauce.

For our larger plates we indulged in a classic bouillabaisse teeming with Atlantic salt cod and topped with a brightly-hued saffron emulsion. It was everything the dish should be, channelling the deep marine flavours of the Mediterranean. As a meatier main, we were smitten with a north African style lamb breast sourced from Evan's Farm and served alongside smoked aubergine, preserved lemon and sesame. We wrapped up our dinner with a pair of Eight After cocktails and the peach crumble tart with vanilla ice cream. The pastry was otherworldly - given an impeccable glaze.

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