Approximately 1% of the entire world population is currently vegan and 8% are vegetarian, but as many fine dining restaurants often have meaty set menus, it is not always easy to find somewhere that is accommodating to plant based diets.
Being vegan in a fine-dining world
However, chefs around the world have become more adept at creating offerings that cater for every dietary requirement, including veganism. Whilst the higher level kitchens don’t often veer off the set tasting menus, there are more and more full vegan options available for patrons.
The vegan diet has always existed but became more mainstream in the latter part of the 2010s, with 2019 declared the ‘year of the vegan’ by The Economist. We are now witnessing a boom in vegan and vegetarian fine dining and as of November 2021, a total of 15 purely vegan and vegetarian restaurants had Michelin stars.
The first ever vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star was ONA (Origine Non-Animale) in the town of Arès, near Bordeaux. Chef Claire Vallée and her team received the honour for ONA in January 2021. 14 restaurants have followed suit in the last 10 months, helping to create a new and exciting standard for vegan and vegetarian cookery.
Cities with the most vegan and vegetarian Michelin stars
There are 15 purely vegan and vegetarian starred restaurants to add to your foodie bucket list. But followers of either of these diets shouldn’t be deterred by the more carnivorous establishments either.
Sweet Inn have done some thorough research to uncover the following about restaurants with one, two and three Michelin stars:
- How many Michelin star restaurants offer vegetarian-friendly menus
- How many Michelin star restaurants have only vegetarian food
- How many Michelin star restaurants have only vegan food
London
London houses 31 Michelin restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus, but there are many veg-forward eateries bursting with fresh plant-based delicacies. You will discover some of the top vegan menus at Ikoyi, La Chapelle, Pollen Street Social, Texture, Trinity, Yauatcha and the Social Eating House. Overall, you’ll find 73 Michelin starred restaurants in the United Kingdom alone.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the second best city to visit for sampling truly sumptuous vegan and vegetarian food. With 21 restaurants offering specifically plant-based menus you’ll find an array of tastes to enjoy on a foodie tour of Hong Kong. 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, with 62% of them in Hong Kong and offering vegetarian menus.
Paris
Paris’ haute vegetarian food scene includes 18 Michelin starred restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus. The leading 3-starred restaurants in Paris offering meat-free menus are; Le Cinq, Arpège and L’Ambroisie. As of November 2021, France is home to 145 veggie-friendly Michelin star restaurants, including the first ever vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ties (with Shanghai and New York) for the fourth spot on the list. Spectrum has two Michelin stars and is known for being a dynamic restaurant infused with Dutch heritage. Led by head chef Sidney Schutte, you can expect to be amazed by the range of powerful and intense flavours delivered on every plate of perfectly seasoned food. There are 62 Michelin starred restaurants with vegetarian- friendly menus in the Netherlands overall.
Shanghai
In joint 4th with 10 options, Shanghai offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian choices with modern twists on Chinese cuisine. The top rated restaurants hosting two stars a piece are Taian Table and Da Vittorio, while there is also a myriad of restaurants proudly bearing one star.
New York
The United States is home to a total of 23 vegetarian-friendly starred restaurants, 10 of which can be found in New York alone. The city has eight restaurants that offer menus for vegetarians, along with two purely vegan restaurants; Eleven Madison Park and Kajitsu. The highest rated is the infamous Jean-Georges which is the flagship restaurant for chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Here, diners can enjoy a six course vegetarian tasting menu alongside the six course omnivore tasting menu.
Berlin
The German capital is regularly voted as one of the best cities in the world for vegans, with around 80,000 of the 3 million residents opting to not eat meat or dairy products. Berlin has a total of seven Michelin restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus and one – called Cookies Cream – which is completely vegetarian. The country as a whole ranks number three in the top 10, with 63 Michelin star restaurants with veggie menus.
Wherever you travel in the world you will find spectacular cuisine to suit your dietary needs but if you’re seeking out the very best of vegan and vegetarian food then Sweet Inn has found the top cities to get eating in!
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Data was gathered using the Michelin Guide to uncover which restaurants all over the world had vegetarian and vegan friendly menus. Raw data can be sent upon request.
