81 Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants Have Received Michelin Stars in 2021

Historically, consumers would be pressed to find a vegetarian or vegan restaurant awarded with the highly coveted Michelin star. With minimal exceptions, the Michelin judges would rarely award plant-forward menus with the respected reward. This year, however, Michelin judges awarded 57 vegetarian and 24 vegan restaurants with the star ranking. The shocking spike in Michelin recognition signifies fine dinings shift towards plant-based foods and dishes.

Several renowned chefs and fine dining restaurants introduced plant-based menus over recent years, capsizing the conventional fine dining scene. Vegan menus and restaurants can be found worldwide, gaining the attention of both fine dining consumers and now the Michelin panel. Plant-based pioneers include Milan’s Joia, Berlin’s Cookies Cream, Beijing’s King’s Joy, Los Angeles’ Le Comptoir, and New York’s Eleven Madison Park. This movement showcases that fine dining does not exist outside of the increasing number of plant-based consumers.

Chef Claire Vallee – who is responsible for France’s ONA (Origine Non-Animale) – became the first French chef to be awarded the Michelin star. She opened her restaurant in 2016 to deviate from the conventional fine dining methods that typically prioritize meat and dairy ingredients. Serving a seven-course vegan menu, Vallee’s Michelin star is an example of the growing acceptance and recognition of both plant-based eating and its place at every level of food.

"This goes to show that nothing is impossible," Vallée wrote on Instagram following the news of her Michelin star in January. "We will continue on this path because this star is mine, it is yours … it is the one that definitively brings vegetable gastronomy into the closed circle of French and global gastronomy."

Vallee’s restaurant opens in opposition to traditional fine dining, but also directly challenges French gastronomy. Conventional French cuisine centers around meats, cheese, and other animal products, so the chef wanted to display that tradition could be upheld without animal-based ingredients.

"This is a good thing for the vegan community as this star is evidence that French gastronomy is becoming more inclusive and that plant-based dishes belong there too," Vallée said.

Michelin initially inched closer to plant-based cuisine in 2019, when it granted a star to meat-free star to French chef Dominique Crenn’s San Francisco-based Atelier Crenn. Crenn removed all meat with the exception of local, sustainable seafood in an effort to promote sustainable sources. She claims that she decided to change her menu to promote plant-based, sustainable foods to combat environmental damage and the current climate crisis.

"Meat is insanely complicated — both within the food system and the environment as a whole," she said in media statements at the time. "Local and sustainable fish and vegetables are just as, if not more, versatile — and delicious.”

The iconic chef recently achieved another first, announcing that she plans to partner with food tech company UPSIDE Foods to introduce cell-based chicken to her menu. Crenn will become the first US Michelin-ranked chef to serve cell-based meat, citing that the cultivated meat is the future of sustainability in food. The chef will also act as a culinary counsel for UPSIDE into the future as the start-up begins to perfect its production methods.

As the Michelin star becomes more accepting of plant-based foods, legendary Michelin-ranked chefs have begun introducing more vegan ingredients. Last month, chef Josef Centeno replaced dairy cheese from two dishes at his Los Angeles-based restaurant, Bar Ama. The chef holds a Michelin star from his other restaurant Orsa & Winston. After trying the vegan cheese from So Delicious, the acclaimed chef decided that it would be possible to retain the same flavor value without the excessive animal ingredients.

“​​Cheese is a key ingredient in all of my cooking, but especially at Bar Amá; My Tex-Mex restaurant,” Centeno said at the time. “After trying the So Delicious cheese alternatives, I realized that it’s possible to swap traditional cheese out with this delicious plant-based substitute with delicious flavor and texture. Whether guests are dairy-free, vegan, flexitarian, or just enjoy great food, I’m excited to be able to provide them with more to choose from on the menu, knowing that the experience won’t disappoint.”

Worldwide, chefs feel inspired to enhance the sustainability and nutrition of their menus, especially as the plant-based consumer base continues to grow. Now, the Michelin judges have started rewarded the chefs who have innovated their restaurants and debuted either full or partial plant-based selections. With 81 plant-forward restaurants receiving Michelin stars this year, chefs and fine dining restaurants are in the process of introducing more vegan and vegetarian options.

This flavorful dish is inspired by Northern Africa using Moroccan spices and herbs. It has a hint of sweetness and bitterness with the tasty combination of the savory sauce and sweet lemon finish. This recipe serves 4 people and is easy to make so if you're a beginner, don't let the long ingredients list turn you away. Scroll down for the ingredients and instructions.

Jambalaya is full of flavor. This recipe is made with Italian Beyond sausage for extra flavor but you can also use the regular Beyond flavor because all the spices are strong enough. This dish is a comfort food crowd pleaser! Here are a few notes from the recipe developer: "I usually use white basmati rice with great results. I like the flavor and texture of the spicy hot Italian Beyond sausages in this recipe, but feel free to use a different brand of spicy vegan sausage if you'd like. For a fake meat-free/gluten-free version, omit the sausage completely, or add 1 can of drained and rinsed canned chickpeas or kidney beans."

This cashew yogurt is delicious and healthy and has the same texture as Greek yogurt. The recipe is easy to follow and makes a perfect breakfast. You can store it in your refrigerator for up to a week and make yogurt parfaits for breakfast. Add fresh berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and a drizzle of agave for sweetness. Here is a note from the recipe developer, "I've been experimenting a lot this past couple of days, as I've been wanting to make really thick and tangy yogurt on my own. I don't like purchasing yogurt too much since there's a lot of plastic waste. Yes, the containers can be recycled to a certain degree, but that's not the end goal for me. I want to simply reduce my impact."

Breakfast is served using your instant pot! Start your day off with a healthy bowl of oatmeal topped with cinnamon and fresh fruit (if you like). This recipe will become your go-to way of making oatmeal in the morning, and it's great if you don't have a lot of time to prepare breakfast before work. This recipe takes 2 minutes to prepare and needs about 10 minutes to cook. Here's a message from the recipe developer, "This easy recipe for Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal yields delicious and healthy steel cut oats that are dairy-free, soy-free, oil-free, made with no added sugar, and call for only 3 ingredients! This healthy vegan oatmeal can be pressure cooked in 2 ways - a quicker and slower method explained below, both with minimal hands-on time. For gluten-free steel-cut oatmeal use certified gluten-free oats".

This lasagna is healthier than the traditional style and tastes fresh. Lentil lasagna is full of vegan protein and topped with creamy vegan cheese. This recipe is perfect to make if you're cooking for a family or a larger party. These lentils are melt in your mouth and the cheesy topping is the perfect finish to this dish. This recipe calls for many of your stored pantry essentials like spices, lentils, and powders which makes it much more flavorful. Lentils are high in vegan protein and add a nice texture to this meal. Serve it with a side salad or fresh roasted vegetables. Scroll down for everything you will need to make this healthy and plant-based dinner.

Serve this dish with naan, a soft flatbread, and dip it into the mix. Use up your pantry essentials like spices, rice, and powders to make this flavorful dal. The recipe developer wants you to save your wilted spinach or kale leaves for this dish for better texture and taste, "Do you start off the week buying a huge bunch of spinach or kale with the hopes of having salads every day, and then toward the end of the week, you are left with limp, wilted leaves? Don'

If you like stuffed peppers, these stuffed butternut squash are very similar. They're full of fresh vegetables and topped with creamy vegan cheese. The squash itself is delicate and warm so you can pull it apart and it becomes spaghetti squash. This dish will make you feel light and nourished. Serve these stuffed butternut squash with a side of sliced avocado and top with nutritional yeast for a 'cheesier' finish.