Vegan restaurant in France wins a Michelin Guide star at virtual awards event

Avegan restaurant in the French southwest on Monday won a Michelin Guide star, the first for an establishment serving only animal-free products in France.

Claire Vallee runs the ONA restaurant in the city of Ares, near Bordeaux, which she launched in 2016 thanks to crowdfunding from supporters and a loan from a green bank.

"It felt like I got hit by a train," Vallee told AFP about the moment she received a call from the Guide Michelin on Thursday informing her of its decision.

In addition to the classic star award, Vallee also won a green star, which Michelin introduced only last year to reward establishments with a strong record for ethical practices.

ONA, which stands for "Origine Non Animale" ("Animal-free origin"), is "the first vegan restaurant in France to win a star", a Guide Michelin spokeswoman told AFP.

Vallee offered seven dishes on her gourmet menu before she had to close ONA because of Covid-19 restrictions. Her favorite combinations involve pine, boletus mushroom and sake, or celery, tonka and amber ale