For too long, vegetables have been relegated to mere side dishes, playing second fiddle to meat and fish-dominated dishes. Today, however, the global gastronomic scene is celebrating their renaissance: vegetables have become ingredients of excellence, the beating heart of Michelin-starred kitchens and the stars of creative menus that combine health, sustainability, and beauty. The MICHELIN Guide has recognized this revolution by awarding vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the world, symbols of a new food and environmental awareness.
The East goes green: the refined harmony of China and Korea
In Asia, vegetarian cuisine has its roots in philosophy and spirituality. In Beijing, King's Joy (two MICHELIN stars) embodies the perfect fusion of gastronomy and sustainability: a restaurant that transforms local organic ingredients and wild mushrooms from Yunnan into colorful and delicate works of art. Chef Gary Yin offers tasting menus that surprise with their elegance and texture, in a bright and serene setting just a stone's throw from Yonghe Temple.
In Shanghai, Fu He Hui (two MICHELIN stars) takes guests on a meditative journey through tea, seasons, and rare ingredients. Each dish is a story of balance and introspection, served in private rooms immersed in an almost monastic silence. Here, vegetarianism is more than a gastronomic choice: it is a lifestyle, a form of awareness.
The avant-garde of Dubai
Finally, in the Dubai desert, Avatāra (one MICHELIN star) represents the spirituality of India reinterpreted in a modern key. Chef Rahul Rana transforms vegetarian cuisine into an aesthetic and sensory ritual, with dishes that evoke Hindu myths and ancestral aromas.
Europe's plant-based wonders
From Asia to Europe, vegetarian cuisine is taking on bold and creative accents. In London, Plates London (one MICHELIN star) is the first vegan restaurant in the United Kingdom to receive this coveted award. Chef Kirk Haworth creates a lively, contemporary menu, where classic techniques blend with the energy of plants, resulting in vibrant, multi-sensory dishes.
In Paris, Arpège (three MICHELIN stars, recently converted to a totally vegan menu with very few exceptions) is an absolute icon. Chef Alain Passard, a pioneer of “vegetable haute cuisine,” has entrusted his creativity to nature, elevating vegetables to symbols of poetry and purity. Smoked potatoes, beets in salt crust, and “fantasy sushi” tell the story of a cuisine that thrives on emotion and freedom.
In Austria, TIAN Vienna offers entirely vegetarian menus accompanied by organic wines and juices, while Cookies Cream in Berlin and Neue Taverne in Zurich place conviviality at the heart of the experience, offering dishes to share in contemporary settings. Finally, in Milan, Joia, Europe's first Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant, continues to combine philosophy and taste, now entrusting the reins to young chefs Sauro Ricci and Raffaele Minghini, guardians of a visionary legacy.
America: a land of roots and experimentation
In the United States, the plant-based revolution is synonymous with sustainability and research. In Washington, D.C., Oyster Oyster (one MICHELIN star) celebrates local biodiversity with ethical and surprising dishes, while in New York, Eleven Madison Park (three MICHELIN stars) confirms its role as a global pioneer with a plant-based menu of the highest caliber, where every detail is a statement of intent. However, we would like to point out the recent return of meat to the menu announced by Daniel Humm: read here to find out more.
A new golden age for vegetarian cuisine
From the Zen courtyards of Shanghai to the biodynamic gardens of Paris and the metropolises of America, vegetarian cuisine is now synonymous with innovation and refinement. It is no longer an “alternative choice,” but a gastronomic language that speaks of the future, balance, and respect. The MICHELIN Guide, with its green and gold stars, celebrates not only the quality of the dishes, but also the awareness of those who create them: visionary chefs who, starting with a simple vegetable, manage to tell the story of the whole world.
