An artisanal bakery and sharing plates eatery has opened in London's Shoreditch, within the five-star M by Montcalm Hotel.
Chef Arnaud Stevens, the former chef director at Searcys and chef patron at Sixtyone Restaurant, has launched his own concept: Plate Restaurant, Bar and Bake.
Arnaud’s classical French training and international influences are evident in the menu, but the vibe is communal, laid back and fuss-free. 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. From snack-sized dishes and small plates to full portions and sweet plates, diners can mix and match dishes.
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. A neighbourhood bakery, Shoreditch locals are able to pop in for a pastry, snack, afternoon tea or a freshly brewed coffee by Musetti.
Fans of Stevens’ famous marmite bread, which he created at Sixtyone Restaurant, will be happy to hear that it will available here. Known for his inventive bread-based creations Stevens will be launching, The Bread Flight (pictured), a flight of three seasonal homemade breads paired with flavoured butters, that can be churned at the table, 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.
Front of house is Ludo Bargibant, operations director for the Plate group, an experienced hospitality professional who worked with Stevens at Searcys. Bargibant 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.
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.