(CNN) – The Michelin Guide awarded one of its coveted stars to a French vegan restaurant for the first time.
ONA, which means Origine Non Animale or Non-Animal Origin, received the award in the newest edition of the long-standing culinary guide.
The restaurant, in the small village of Arès in the southwest, near Bordeaux, is the first animal-free establishment to appear on the Michelin Guide for France since its creation in 1900.
It is among 54 restaurants to earn its first star in the 2021 update. Michelin said that “one of the main points of the 2021 selection is the continuous spread of different styles of cuisine throughout France”.
“At ONA … vegan cuisine takes center stage for the first time in a restaurant to earn a star in France,” he said.
Opened by self-taught chef and ex-archaeologist Claire Vallee, ONA offers a seven-course evening menu for 59 euros ($ 72). Its specialties include a yellow zucchini ravioli with black truffle gnocchi and a chard ballotine with vegetable ricotta.
Plant-based options have grown in popularity.
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Vallee said she was thrilled when the international director of the Michelin guide called her on Thursday to say that ONA had received the award. “Cooking with my team is like acting in a theater. You never know how it is being received until the end, ”she told CNN.
Vallee opened the restaurant in 2016 after financing the financing collectively and obtaining a loan from Nef, an ethical bank. When the money ran out to complete construction work on the establishment, Vallee said she gathered 80 volunteers on social media to help finish the job over the course of two months.
“This is a good thing for the vegan community, as this star is evidence that French cuisine is becoming more inclusive. Herbal dishes also belong to this place,” said Vallee.
“The team I work with is very proud. The Michelin star and the green star serve as recognition. It is also for them and for local producers and horticulturists with whom we work ”, he added.
The restaurant served as a take-away only during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic and benefited from state aid, Vallee told CNN.
Exclusively vegan establishments have become increasingly popular in recent years, along with the growing popularity of vegetable diets.