SHOREDITCH WELCOMES FRENCH ARTISINAL BAKERY AND SMALL PLATES RESTAURANT AS ARNAUD STEVENS LAUNCHES NEW CONCEPT
From cereal cafes to street food trucks aplenty, Shoreditch has cemented its reputation as a foodie destination. And it is set to get a new entrant in the form of an artisanal bakery and sharing plates eatery. Chef Arnaud Stevens, who has previously worked with chef royalty such as Pierre Koffmann, Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes and Jason Atherton and was also chef director at Searcys and chef patron at Sixtyone Restaurant, has revealed that he has taken over the spot previously owned by the Tonic & Remedy restaurant located in the ultra-hip M by Montcalm Hotel in Shoreditch. In its place, Stevens has launched his own concept: PLATE Restaurant, Bar and Bake. It promises to bring a slice of Shoreditch cool to the five-star hotel.
Arnaud’s classical French training and international influences are evident in the design of PLATE’s menu, but the vibe is communal, laid back and fuss-free, making the venue feel like a home away from home. Doing away with daunting sommeliers and tablecloths, the focus here is on flavour.
As a firm believer that sharing food is the way forward and helps bring people together, Stevens has created a variety of sharing plates for PLATE restaurant. From snack-sized dishes and small plates to full portions and sweet plates, diners can mix and match dishes to suit their mood. Star offerings include cucumber gazpacho, greek yoghurt, cardamom spiced crumb, and breast of Herdwick lamb with a madras-spiced yoghurt, beetroot hummus and lamb shoulder samosas, as well as “pig on toast” with pear, walnuts and grapes. Diners can also choose from more substantial plates like Dingley Dell pork rack served with orange, honey and a gribiche sauce.
In addition to the main restaurant, Stevens has launched PLATE BAKE: an artisanal bakery located on the floor below the restaurant within the M by Montcalm Hotel. A neighbourhood bakery, Shoreditch locals are able to pop in for a pastry, snack, afternoon tea or a freshly brewed coffee by Musetti. And fans of Stevens’ famous marmite bread, which he created at Sixtyone Restaurant in Marble Arch, will be excited to hear that he plans to bring it back at PLATE BAKE. Known for his inventive bread-based creations Stevens will not just be bringing his marmite bread to PLATE BAKE but will be launching, The Bread Flight; a flight of three seasonal homemade breads paired with flavoured butters showcasing the very best of Plate’s baking. Autumn’s selection includes a classic sourdough with whipped butter, mushroom bread with butternut squash and hazelnut, and Arnaud’s signature marmite bread which can be paired with either beetroot or herb butter – make your selection and churn your own butter at your table.
Front of house is Ludo Bargibant, operations director for the PLATE group, an experienced hospitality professional who worked with Stevens at Searcys. Ludo started his career at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons going on to work at top restaurants like LIMA and run several Gary Rhodes offerings.
Day to day the kitchen is run by Executive Chef Matt Hill, previously Senior Sous Chef at SixtyOne and Executive Chef of country house hotel Down Hall. Matt has also worked with Peter Reffell at Bleeding Heart and Tom Aikens.
Stevens also runs a catering service, called Plate Catering, which allows people to enjoy his cooking at selected events venues including the prestigious EJ Churchill shooting club.
