Plant-based cuisine to awaken the senses: a host of chefs to follow

Once confined to a supporting role, vegetables are now establishing themselves as one of the most captivating areas of contemporary gastronomy. A new generation of chefs is revealing the gustatory and aesthetic potential of vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, spices, edible flowers and legumes with a creativity that goes far beyond simple ‘meat-free’ cuisine.

From Alain Passard to Yotam Ottolenghi, and from Paris to Lima, these chefs are united by a shared passion: celebrating vegetables, revealing their true value and giving them the place they deserve on our plates and in our imaginations.

They all share the conviction that vegetables are not a substitute, but a noble raw material capable of inspiring the greatest emotions.

Alain Passard - L’Arpège and the poetry of vegetables

Alain Passard

At his restaurant, the renowned Parisian institution L’Arpège, Alain Passard has written one of the most memorable chapters in the history of modern cuisine. Once renowned for his mastery of meat, he initiated a gentle revolution more than twenty years ago by placing vegetables at the heart of his work.

Drawing inspiration from the produce of his vegetable gardens, he creates menus that celebrate roots, flowers and herbs, playing with textures, colours and temperatures to create subtle combinations. This approach is not just an aesthetic choice; it is the result of an intimate dialogue with the seasons, patient cultivation and a keen sense of precision. At Alain Passard’s restaurant, haute cuisine becomes an art form that is sensitive and almost musical, where vegetables lead the dance.

Claire Vallée - ONA: France's first vegan Michelin star

Claire Vallée made history in 2021 when her restaurant ONA (Origine Non Animale) in Arès, on the Arcachon basin, became the first vegan establishment in the world to earn a Michelin star.

A self-taught chef with a passion for her work, she has turned a daring gamble into a true culinary manifesto. Although there are no animal products here, all the requirements of haute cuisine are met: seasonality, technical skill and bold flavours.

Although ONA closed in 2022 for logistical reasons, its legacy remains powerful. Claire Vallée has proven that plant-based cuisine can embody excellence, inspiring a new generation of chefs and food lovers.

Régis Marcon - Terroir revealed by nature

Maison Marcon

The Marcon family has always celebrated nature and the mountains in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid. While not strictly vegan, they have a deep connection to their local area and showcase the abundance of wild plants, local cereals and mushrooms that form the culinary identity of the region.

At the three Michelin-starred Restaurant Marcon, the menus evolve with the harvests and seasonal produce available. Green Puy lentils, chestnuts, chanterelle mushrooms and wild herbs speak of the area’s identity. Guided by a mission to pass on knowledge of plants and remind us of their essential role in contemporary culinary imagination, Régis Marcon deploys a sincere and sensitive cuisine.

Daniel Humm - New York's ultra-creative plant-based* chef

Todd Quackenbush ; Unsplash

At the iconic Eleven Madison Park in New York, Daniel Humm orchestrated one of the most daring turning points in haute cuisine in 2021 by transforming a world-renowned three-star restaurant into an entirely plant-based establishment.

This visionary decision is not just a militant gesture; it questions the role of cuisine in the context of environmental, ethical and health issues. Daniel Humm is pushing the boundaries of plant-based creativity, reimagining structures, textures, and aromatic intensities.

This radical move has had a profound impact on the international gastronomic scene.

Virgilio Martínez & Pía León - All the richness of Peruvian biodiversity

Winedirector ; Wikimedia

At their restaurant Central in Lima, Virgilio Martínez and Pía León have created a unique culinary experience that takes diners on a journey through the altitudes of Peru.

Each dish is an exploration of ingredients such as Andean plants, high-altitude herbs, Amazonian vegetables and ancient tubers. Central is a taste map of Peruvian biodiversity.

While not exclusively plant-based, their cuisine gives the plant kingdom a central, almost spiritual, place. Here, the plate becomes a landscape, an ecosystem and a poetic narrative of the country.

Yotam Ottolenghi - Vegetables as a universal language

Ottolenghi, Upper Street, Islington, London, England, UK; Cath Harries; Alamy

Yotam Ottolenghi, a London-based chef, has made cooking with vegetables more accessible without compromising on influence. Through his restaurants and books, including the essential Plenty, he has introduced millions of readers to a joyful, colourful and generous Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.

To him, vegetables are neither a substitute nor a constraint; they are an infinite source of creativity and a universal culinary language accessible to all.

The bonus: The little place that has everything a big place has: B. Better

B. Better

Opened in the Marais district of Paris in 2021, B.Better is a 100% plant-based restaurant founded by Erika and Lucas.

Their mantra, ‘Nobody’s perfect, be better’, inspires their dedicated and gourmet cuisine.

They specialise in cooking vegetables and plant-based proteins on a Kamado (a Japanese barbecue) to create intense, smoky flavours. The dishes follow the seasons, the vegetables are locally sourced and the coffee is artisan-roasted nearby. You can also enjoy a range of craft beers and vegan wines.