"In a world of excessive tasting menus, Plates is different. Maybe it’s the plant-based approach. Or maybe that seven or eight courses come in at under £100. More likely, it’s that everything at this countrified Shoreditch restaurant tastes brilliant. Be it a barbecued mushroom sitting in a pool of black bean mole, or a luminous green ‘herbaceous’ ice cream, this is a restaurant that will leave you thinking about the food. It’s worth trying your luck with same-week cancellations. Input all the dates you want and join the waitlist for an email if a cancellation pops up. For those that don’t suffer from full inbox anxiety syndrome, you can also sign up to their newsletter to be the first to know about new reservation slots. Alternatively, they’ve been known to have space for solo diners so give that a try too." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak