Europe’s Top Plant-Based Michelin Star Restaurants for 2025
Time to read 4 min
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Fully plant-focused Michelin stars remain exceptionally rare, yet they signal that vegetables can reach the pinnacle of haute cuisine. This 2025 guide highlights five essential plant-based Michelin Star restaurants —each marrying culinary artistry with ecological intention—plus two beloved icons worth a repeat visit.
1. Encanto, Lisbon, Portugal
One Michelin Star ★ + Green Star
Chef José Avillez turns Lisbon’s Atlantic terroir into a twelve-course vegetarian “spell.” Foraged seaweed, biodynamic carrots, and fermented citrus appear in poetic combinations: tender legumes bathed in kombu dashi; smoky cauliflower custard crowned with sea-lettuce powder.
Warm lighting, reclaimed pine tables, and linen textiles evoke coastal serenity, while a Michelin Green Star recognises Encanto’s closed-loop composting and zero-waste prep.
Sustainability feels effortless—woven into every bite, gesture, and softly spoken explanation.
Image: Encanto - Lisbon
2. JOIA, Milan, Italy
One Michelin Star ★
Tucked into one of Milan’s quiet historic quarters, Joia remains the spiritual heart of European vegetarian haute cuisine. Chef-philosopher Pietro Leemann , the first to bring natural, meat-free gastronomy into Italy’s fine-dining arena, composes tasting menus that are roughly 80 percent vegan and entirely gluten-free.
Each plate feels almost dreamlike—an asparagus flan adrift on a lemon-scented cloud, or heirloom roots arranged like a minimalist Kandinsky—yet beneath the poetry lies disciplined sustainability.
Leemann sources produce from micro-farms within easy reach of Milan, reducing food miles while elevating biodiversity. The dining room’s calm, minimalist elegance keeps attention on colour, texture, and flavour, while the adjoining Joia Academy and the chef’s beautifully curated books spread his ethos of planetary harmony and conscious indulgence. In Leemann’s world, philosophy and gastronomy are inseparable—and the result is both intellectually and sensorially exhilarating.
Image: Joia
3. Mater Terrae, Rome, Italy
Green Star
Rising above Piazza Navona on the leafy rooftop of Bio Hotel Raphaël, Mater Terrae offers Rome’s most elevated view of plant-forward luxury—literally and figuratively. Guests enter through a façade draped in ivy, then ascend to a panoramic terrace where the city’s ochre rooftops glow at dusk.
Chef Ettore Moliteo orchestrates elaborate vegetarian and vegan compositions—think roasted artichoke hearts glossed with wild-fennel pollen or a playful, dairy-free cacio e pepe built on fermented cashews. Every course layers biodynamic produce in unexpected textures, making each bite a gentle revelation.
Despite Rome’s urban sprawl, the restaurant champions short food miles, sourcing organic or biodynamic ingredients from small Lazio farms.
Awarded a Michelin Green Star, Mater Terrae proves that in the Eternal City, sustainability and cerebral gastronomy can share the same breathtaking skyline.
Image: Mater Terrae - Rome
4. TIAN, Vienna, Austria
One Michelin Star ★ + Green Star
In a vaulted space where contemporary design meets imperial Vienna, TIAN has become Europe’s lodestar for vegetable haute cuisine. Chef duo Paul Ivić and Florian Burtscher build six- and eight-course tasting journeys—fully vegetarian, effortlessly vegan on request—around Austria’s seasonal biodiversity.
A single plate titled “chioggia, radish, juneberry” reveals layers of pickled, roasted, and raw textures; “king oyster mushroom, pumpkin, elderflower” conjures woodland depth with astonishing clarity. Zero-waste prep, Demeter-certified produce, and fair compensation for the restaurant’s network of micro-farmers earned TIAN a Michelin Green Star.
Warm, knowledgeable staff—many long-tenured thanks to a work-life–balanced culture—guide guests through organic Austrian wines or elegant non-alcoholic pairings.
The result is an experience where craftsmanship, sustainability, and genuine hospitality intertwine as gracefully as spruce tips in a late-spring broth.
Image: Tian - Vienna
5. Cookies Cream, Berlin, Germany
One Michelin Star ★
Hidden behind an unmarked service entrance off Unter den Linden, Cookies Cream turns arrival into performance art: ring a discreet bell, stroll past loading bays, then ascend a graffitied stairwell that once pulsed with nightclub bass. Inside, an industrial-chic loft hums with Berlin energy—exposed beams, neon accents, vinyl spinning softly in the corner.
Chef Stephan Hentschel presents “The Magnificent 7” tasting menu (five- to seven-course formats), where vegetables flirt with bold acidity and smoke. Braised sweet peppers arrive with jalapeño and caper brine; charcoal-grilled turnip meets saffron and olive for a chiaroscuro of earth and citrus. Signature extras—like the cult-favourite poached egg with Parmesan air—can be added by devoted regulars.
Service is relaxed yet razor-sharp, mirroring the city’s effortless cool. Equal parts avant-garde and precise, Cookies Cream captures Berlin’s creative soul while proving that plant-based fine dining can be both mischievous and Michelin-worthy.
Image: Cookies Cream
Classics Worth Revisiting
| Restaurant | City | Why Return in 2025? |
|---|---|---|
| Mudrá Plant-Based | Madrid | Matthew Kenney’s elegant tasting menus now feature a zero-waste fermentation lab and Ayurvedic spice pairings. |
| Gauthier Soho | London | Alexis Gauthier’s candle-lit townhouse continues to perfect French vegan gastronomy; the faux-gras parfait remains iconic. |
Making the Most of a Plant-Based Michelin Star Restaurant Experience
- Reserve early & share preferences. Tasting menus adapt gracefully to allergies or dislikes when notified in advance.
- Trust the beverage pairings. Sommeliers often pour biodynamic wines, aged teas, or kombuchas that amplify vegetal umami.
- Observe texture. Without animal fats, chefs rely on ageing, smoking, and fermentation for depth—pause to note each nuance.
- Practice mindful etiquette. Silence phones, engage softly with servers—their botanical knowledge enriches the journey.
Allow time. Multi-course plant menus unfold gently; lingering deepens appreciation and embraces slow-living philosophy.
Conclusion: Slow Living, One Plate at a Time
From Lisbon’s sun-washed townhouse to Berlin’s industrial loft, Europe’s plant-based Michelin Star restaurants elevate vegetables to haute expression while honouring land and community. They echo Maison Alltrueist’s belief that true luxury marries craftsmanship, sustainability, and the quiet pleasure of living intentionally.
Marcus Aliaga
Marcus is the founder of Maison Alltrueist, a luxury fashion house deeply committed to craftsmanship, sustainability, and timeless elegance. With over 25 years of experience in the luxury fashion industry, Marcus champions artisanal excellence and ethical practices, offering a thoughtfully curated approach to style that celebrates subtle sophistication and the rich stories behind every garment.
