French chef Alain Passard has decided to transform the menu at Arpege, his three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, by eliminating almost all animal products from its menu, as reported by Reuters.
The move builds upon Passard’s earlier decision to remove red meat from the menu in the early 2000s.
Fish, dairy and meat will now be excluded. An exception to the "plant-sourced only" standard will be made for honey produced from the restaurant's own beehives.
The new offerings include a "mosaic" of tomatoes, flamed aubergine with melon confit, and a medley dish of onion, carrot, shallot and cabbage.
The most expensive set menu costs €420 ($493), with lunch offerings at €260 ($305).
Passard is known for roasted dishes, particularly "poulet au foin," or chicken cooked in hay, but has now told the news agency: "Everything I was able to do with the animal will remain a wonderful memory. Today, I'm moving more towards a cuisine of emotion, a cuisine that I could describe as artistic. It's closer to painting and sewing... Today I'm a different chef."
Arpege becomes the first three-Michelin-star establishment in France to adopt plant-based food.
The move places Arpege alongside Eleven Madison Park in New York, US, which has undergone a similar transformation under the guidance of chef Daniel Humm.
The move comes at a time when there is a growing global trend towards meat reduction. Notably, at the Paris Olympics in 2024, efforts were made to decrease the meat consumption of athletes and spectators.
