Planque

Planque – or should that be ‘plonk’ – in Haggerston describes itself as a ‘wine drinkers’ club house’ though it’s as unlike the claret-soaked clubs of St James’s as it’s possible to be. Think polished concrete not polished mahogany; mid-century minimalism not turn-of-the-century archaism. While Planque has members paying £880 a year, its French-accented restaurant is open to all. Aussie-born chef Sebastian Myers is the kind of chef other London chefs talk about in reverential tones and we see why. His cooking is restrained yet always surprising. Cured bream is not so unusual but this one’s sliced into thick, sashimi-like slices with a pool of fruity habanero chilli oil. ‘Courgette tart’ is actually four pastry puffs, with a sweet courgette base note lifted by goat's curd and an anchovy fillet apiece. Cuttlefish and risina bean ragoût has the minute beans centre stage, the cuttlefish in a supporting role. A larger dish of guinea fowl borrows an endive and orange garnish from the classic duck dish; if it's good with breast, it's even better with the fatty, juicy thigh. For dessert, gariguette strawberries and brown butter financier come with a mystery ice cream that makes us marvel (blackcurrant stalk, apparently). The wine list speaks to the 'new gen' drinker, those more interested in grower Champagne and cult names from Jura and Beaujolais than in claret (in fact, they have no Bordeaux and only a few Burgundies). Bottles start at £40+ but this is one place you might want to splurge. Service is a little stand-offish; less so, if you're willing and able to talk wine.

Billed as a ‘wine drinkers’ clubhouse’, Planque burst onto London’s dining scene in 2021 and is run by former Chiltern Firehouse chef Seb Myers. While the Hackney restaurant is fully open to the public, it also has a membership element with regulars signing up to access on-site wine storage, preferential corkage rates, priority reservations and members-only dinners. Located under two former railway arches in Haggerston, Planque has been designed by London’s Lipton Plant Architects with interiors from Copenhagen’s Studio X. Made up of numerous small spaces including a members-only lounge, a bar and 60-cover restaurant space for all comers, the space has a striking yet homely aesthetic with cobalt blue wall, an eclectic selection of stylish furniture, and a surprising amount of natural light. Myers is the perfect chef for the job having also previously overseen the food at P.Franco and The Laughing Heart, which are both big on natural wine. At Planque he has created a refreshingly simple, wine-friendly menu of around 15 mains and starters - although there are no specified sections - and five desserts. The wine list is focused on what can broadly be termed low intervention wines, featuring many bottles that have been matured on site as well as current release wines. It’s all very east London, but also very good.