Jean-Georges at The Connaught Brings Back the Iconic Black Plate

Jean-Georges at The Connaught is introducing a refreshed dining concept this October, bringing back some of the signature dishes that helped define Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s celebrated restaurants Vong and Spice Market.

At the centre of the new dinner offering is the return of the Black Plate, first introduced at Vong in 1995. Originally conceived as a selection of the chef’s signature creations, the sharing plate has been reimagined for The Connaught with dishes including Crispy Salmon Sushi, Chicken Samosa and Raw Tuna in Rice Paper.

Image: © Maybourne

More than a seasonal menu change, the return of the Black Plate reconnects the Mayfair restaurant with an influential period of Jean-Georges’ career, bringing some of his earlier creations to a dining room that has established its own identity since opening in 2017.

The changes also introduce separate lunch and dinner menus, giving each service a more distinct character.

Lunch will take a lighter approach, with new soups, an expanded crudo selection, a range of salads and seasonal open-faced toasts. Highlights include Warm Shrimp with avocado, tomato and Champagne vinegar dressing, alongside Cornish Sea Bass with crusted nuts and seeds.

Dinner will place greater emphasis on sharing and the combination of French technique with Asian influences that has become synonymous with Jean-Georges’ cooking.

Alongside the Black Plate, the dinner menu’s ‘Simply Prepared’ section will showcase British produce, including Cornish Lamb Chops, Scottish Blue Lobster and Cornish Dover Sole. The Pad Pong cocktail, another favourite from Vong, will also return, combining mango nectar and coconut rum in a Bellini.

The new direction is being led in the kitchen by The Connaught’s Executive Chef, Ramiro Lafuente Martinez, working closely with Jean-Georges.

The distinction between lunch and dinner is a welcome development. Jean-Georges has long offered a more relaxed dining experience within one of Mayfair’s most established luxury hotels, but the renewed emphasis on sharing and signature dishes gives the evening service a different proposition.

It also offers a reason to revisit the restaurant independently of a stay at The Connaught, particularly for diners familiar with Vong and those discovering Jean-Georges’ earlier cooking for the first time.

The new menus are available for lunch from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 6pm to 10pm.