New London restaurant The Good Plates will aim to improve the mental wellbeing of its diners.
The pop up restaurant, which will open at the end of January for two days, will be found in Shoreditch, with everything from the menu to the interiors designed with mental health in mind. The restaurant’s dining room features communal seating to encourage guests to chat to each other and combat loneliness, while those who are nervous about striking up conversation will be provided with cue cards to help them out.
On the menu at The Good Plates, you can expect to find a whole host of mood-enhancing ingredients and so-called superfoods, such as blueberries, cauliflower, salmon and seaweed butter. The menu has been devised by chef and mental health ambassador Andrew Clarke (the man behind St Leonard’s in Shoreditch), who has created six dishes and three non-alcoholic drinks for guests to enjoy.
All of the money taking from bookings at the pop up will go to UK mental health charity, Mind. A spokesperson for David Lloyds Group, the company behind The Good Plates, has clarified what the intention of the pop up is, most likely anticipating criticism that a restaurant cannot be a ‘cure’ for mental health. “The Good Plates restaurant is not an attempt to be a cure or quick-fix for mental health difficulties, but instead simply be a warm and welcoming place where people can learn in an interactive way how certain foods, surroundings and conversations can complement positive mental wellbeing when they form part of everyday life”.
They continued: “Inside, the aim is to give guests a positive experience and hopefully they will feel that they have benefitted in some small way from their time at the restaurant. But we also hope guests leave having taken on board some of the thinking behind The Good Plates and introduce this into their day-to-day lives.”
The Good Plates opens from 22-23 January at 46 Great Eastern Street, Hackney, EC2A 3EP.
If you’re keen to discover more temporary restaurants and bars, check out our guide to the best London pop ups.