Currently, about 1% of the world’s population is vegetarian and 8% is vegetarian, but since many fine restaurants often offer meat-based meals, it’s not always easy to find places that cater to a plant-based diet.
Become a vegetarian in the world of food
However, chefs around the world have become more adept at creating products that meet various dietary requirements, including vegetarianism. While higher-level kitchens typically don’t deviate from fixed tasting menus, there are a growing number of all-vegetarian options available to customers.
Vegan diets have always been around, but became more mainstream in the late 2010s, with The Economist declaring 2019 the “Year of the Vegan.” We are now witnessing a boom in vegan and vegetarian cuisine, with a total of 15 vegan and vegetarian restaurants receiving Michelin stars as of November 2021.
The first vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star was ONA (Origine Non-Animale) in Ares, near Bordeaux. Chef Claire Vallée and her team were honored by ONA in January 2021. Over the past 10 months, 14 restaurants have followed suit, helping to create an exciting new standard for vegan and vegetarian cooking.
Cities with the most vegan and vegetarian Michelin stars
There are 15 vegan and vegetarian-starred restaurants to add to your gourmet bucket list. But followers of both diets shouldn’t be intimidated by more meat-eating establishments, either.
Sweet Inn did some thorough research and found the following information about restaurants with one, two and three Michelin stars:
- How many Michelin-starred restaurants offer vegetarian menus?
- How many Michelin-starred restaurants only serve vegetarian food?
- How many Michelin-starred restaurants only serve vegetarian food?
London
London has 31 Michelin-starred restaurants with vegetarian menus, but there are also many vegetarian restaurants serving fresh plant-based cuisine. You can find some of the top vegan menus at Ikoyi, La Chapelle, Pollen Street Social, Texture, Trinity, Yauatcha and Social Eating House. Overall, there are 73 Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK alone.
Hongkong
Hong Kong is the second best city for some truly sumptuous vegan and vegetarian food. With 21 restaurants specializing in plant-based menus, you’ll find a variety of delicacies on your Hong Kong food tour. The top three Michelin-starred restaurants include: T’ang Court, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Forum. There are 34 Michelin-starred restaurants in China, 62% of which are located in Hong Kong and offer vegetarian menus.
Paris
Paris’ high-end vegetarian scene includes 18 Michelin-starred restaurants offering vegetarian menus. The main three-star restaurants in Paris that offer meat-free menus are: Le Cinq, Arpège and L’Ambroisie. As of November 2021, France has 145 vegetarian-friendly Michelin-starred restaurants, including the first vegetarian restaurant to receive a Michelin star.
amsterdam
Amsterdam (along with Shanghai and New York) ranks fourth. Spectrum holds two Michelin stars and is known for its vibrant restaurants steeped in Dutch tradition. Led by Chef Sidney Schutte, you’ll be amazed by the rich, rich flavors delivered on every plate of perfectly seasoned food. There are 62 Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands offering vegetarian menus.
Shanghai
Shanghai, which offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian options with a modern twist on Chinese cuisine, tied for fourth out of 10 options. The restaurants with the highest two-star rating are Taian Table and Da Vittorio, while there are countless other restaurants that proudly receive one star.
New York
There are 23 vegetarian-starred restaurants in the United States, including 10 in New York alone. The city has eight restaurants with menus for vegetarians, as well as two vegan restaurants; Eleven Madison Park and Kajizu. The most highly rated is the infamous Jean-Georges, the flagship restaurant of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Here, diners can enjoy a six-course vegetarian tasting menu as well as a six-course omnivorous tasting menu.
Berlin
The German capital is regularly voted one of the world’s most vegetarian-friendly cities, with around 80,000 of its 3 million residents choosing not to eat meat or dairy. There are seven Michelin-starred restaurants in Berlin offering vegetarian menus, and one of them, Cookies Cream, is completely vegetarian. The country as a whole ranks third in the top ten, with 63 Michelin-starred restaurants offering vegetarian menus.
No matter where you travel in the world, you’ll find delicious food to suit your dietary needs, but if you’re looking for the best in vegan and vegetarian food, Sweet Inn has found the top cities to dine in!
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Use the Michelin Guide to collect data to discover which restaurants around the world offer vegetarian and vegan menus. Raw data can be sent upon request.