Countries and cities around the world with the most vegan and vegetarian-friendly Michelin star restaurants – Sweett Blog

About 1% of the world’s population is currently vegan and 8% are vegetarian, but since many fine dining restaurants often serve meat-based menus, it’s not always easy to find places that accommodate plant-based diets.

Going vegan in the world of fine dining

However, chefs around the world are becoming more adept at creating dishes that meet every dietary need, including veganism. While higher-level kitchens often don’t deviate from set tasting menus, there are a growing number of full vegan options available to customers.

Vegan diets have always existed but became more common in the late 2010s, with 2019 declared ‘the year of the vegan’ by The Economist. We are now seeing a surge in vegan and vegetarian dining and as of November 2021, a total of 15 vegan and pure vegetarian restaurants have Michelin stars.

The first 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 ONA award in January 2021. 14 restaurants have followed in her footsteps in the past 10 months, helping to set a new and exciting standard for vegan and vegetarian cuisine.

The city with the most vegan and vegetarian Michelin stars

There are 15 vegan and pure vegetarian star restaurants to add to your culinary repertoire. However, followers of one of these diets should not be deterred by a more carnivorous diet.

Sweet Inn has conducted thorough research to reveal 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 only serve vegetarian food
• How many Michelin star restaurants only serve vegan food

London

London has 31 Michelin restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus, but there are many vegetarian restaurants serving fresh plant-based dishes. You’ll find some of the best vegan menus at Ikoyi, La Chapelle, Pollen Street Social, Texture, Trinity, Yauatcha and Social Eating House. Overall, you’ll find 73 Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK alone.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is the second best city to visit to sample truly sumptuous vegan and vegetarian food. With 21 restaurants offering plant-based menus, you’ll find a variety of flavors to enjoy 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, with 62% of them in Hong Kong and offering vegetarian menus.

Paris

Paris’s fine vegetarian culinary scene includes 18 Michelin-starred restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus. The leading 3 star restaurants in Paris that offer meatless menus are; Le Cinq, Arpège and L’Ambroisie. As of November 2021, France has 145 vegetarian-friendly Michelin-starred restaurants, including the first vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s ties (with Shanghai and New York) occupy fourth place on the list. Spectrum has two Michelin stars and is known as a dynamic restaurant with Dutch heritage. Led by head chef Sidney Schutte, you’re sure to be amazed by the array of strong, intense flavors presented on every plate of perfectly seasoned food. In total there are 62 Michelin-starred restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus in the Netherlands.

Shanghai

Ranked 4th with 10 choices, Shanghai offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian options with a modern twist on Chinese cuisine. The top rated restaurants that have two stars each are Taian Table and Da Vittorio, while there are also countless restaurants that proudly hold one star.

New York

The United States has a total of 23 starred restaurants that are vegetarian-friendly, 10 of which can be found in New York alone. The city has eight restaurants offering vegetarian menus, as well as two strictly vegan restaurants; Eleven Madison Park and Kajitsu. Top rated is the famous Jean-Georges which is chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s flagship restaurant. Here, diners can enjoy a six-course vegetarian tasting menu along with a six-course omnivore tasting menu.

Berlin

The German capital is regularly voted one of the world’s best cities for vegans, with around 80,000 of its 3 million residents choosing not to eat meat or dairy products. Berlin has a total of seven Michelin restaurants with vegetarian-friendly menus and one – called Cookies Cream – that is completely vegetarian. The country as a whole ranks third in the top 10, with 63 Michelin star restaurants with vegetarian menus.

Wherever you travel in the world, you’ll find spectacular cuisine to suit your dietary needs, but if you’re looking for the best vegan and vegetarian food, then Sweet Inn has found the best city to dine in!

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Data was collected using the Michelin Guide to reveal which restaurants around the world have vegetarian and vegan-friendly menus. Raw data can be sent upon request.