French restaurant ONA, which stands for Origine Non Animale or Non-Animal Origin, is the first vegan restaurant to receive one of the coveted Michelin stars in the 2021 update in France. Located in the small southwestern village of Arès, near Bordeaux, the restaurant is the first non-animal cuisine restaurant to appear in the Michelin Guide in France since the creation of the institution in 1900.
Self-taught chef and former archaeologist Claire Vallee has opened ONA restaurant, with a seven-course evening menu priced at €59. His specialties include ravioli with yellow zucchini and black truffle gnocchi topped with a Swiss vegetable sauce.
Vallee said she felt great emotion when the international director of the Michelin Guide called her to tell her that her restaurant, ONA, had won the award. “Cooking with my team is like performing in a theatre. You never know how the play will be received until the end,” Vallee said.
She opened the restaurant in 2016 with funding from Nef, an ethical bank. When the money ran out to complete the work on the restaurant, Vallee gathered 80 volunteers via social media to help complete the work over the course of two months.
Speaking about her inclusion in the Michelin list, the vegan chef said: “This is good for the vegan community as this star is proof that French gastronomy is becoming more inclusive. These plant-based dishes belong in French cuisine.”
“The team I work with is really proud. The Michelin star and the green star serve as recognition and go both to them and also to the local producers and farmers we work with.”
Vegan cuisine shops have become increasingly popular in recent years, following the rapidly growing popularity of plant-based diets.
