L’Arpège goes plant-based: Alain Passard bans meat and fish from his menu
From July 21, 2025, three-starred chef Alain Passard will offer meat- and fish-free cuisine at L’Arpège. This bold decision confirms the plant-based evolution of Parisian haute gastronomy.
The restaurant L’Arpège, located on rue de Varenne in Paris, is about to take a historic step. Alain Passard, its emblematic chef, has announced the total disappearance of meat and seafood products from his menu. Meat, fish, shellfish and crustaceans will be absent from the menu from summer 2025.
As the chef states in a handwritten note published on the restaurant’s website: “The garden has always guided my hand and nourished my inspiration”. This change of direction is in line with his philosophy of putting vegetables at the heart of the plate, an approach begun in the 2000s with the gradual elimination of red meat.
A three-star vegetable score
This change makes L’Arpège the first three-starred restaurant in the world to adopt a vegetarian menu, with no fish or livestock products. However, the cuisine will not be totally vegan: some recipes may contain honey, produced in the restaurant’s beehives. The possible use of eggs or dairy products has not yet been specified.
From now on, vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers will serve as the basis for all creations, all grown in the two kitchen gardens owned by Alain Passard. An ethical choice, but also an ecological and economic one, in line with the challenges of contemporary cuisine.
An initiative that resonates in the capital
This major development is part of a wider trend in Paris, where many Michelin-starred restaurants are revisiting French gastronomy through the use of plants. In this respect, L’Arpège joins a movement already being followed by several chefs sensitive to sustainability issues.
Practical information
📍 L’Arpège – 84 rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris
🕒 Open Monday to Friday
📅 New vegetarian menu from July 21, 2025
🌱 Products from two vegetable gardens in the Paris region
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