If France is known worldwide for its gastronomy, it is also a leading destination for plant-based cuisine. In fact, according to a recent study by start-up Sweet Inn, it is the country where the vegetarian or vegan offer is most developed among star restaurants. And by far.
To establish its position, vacation apartment rental company Sweet Inn browsed the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. France is far ahead with 145 “vegetarian” starred restaurants, meaning they serve vegetarian or vegan options, Vegconomist reports. Far behind is the United Kingdom in second place (73 locations) and Germany in third place (63 restaurants). France also has the very first vegan restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star: it’s ONA (for “non-animal origin”), chef Claire Vallée’s Arès establishment.
Sweet Inn also ranked the cities based on the “vegetarian” offerings of their starred restaurants. Here too, France withdrew from the competition as Paris reached the third position. The capital has 18 Michelin-starred restaurants that offer an entirely vegan or vegetarian menu. Among them are the 3-star restaurants Le Cinq, Arpège and L’Ambroisie.
However, if France stands out in this ranking, it is necessary to qualify: the only vegan offer remains underdeveloped compared to other countries. The results of the study would probably have been very different if only the vegan menus had been taken into account.
Let’s hope that with the next ranking new vegan and gourmet tables will flourish in France.