More and more restaurants around the world strive to develop sustainable practices each year. In the early days of the farm to table movement, environmentally conscious menus were often rustic and somewhat unrefined. Today, foodies worldwide can find eco-friendly fine dining experiences to suit their discriminating palettes. These are just some of the world’s best sustainable fine dining restaurants.
Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain
Chef Eneko Atxa’s philosophy for his restaurant, Azurmendi, is that of harmony. The steel and glass restaurant blends into the surrounding nature. The cuisine seeks to balance environmentally responsible practices with traditional, high class food. The restaurant uses photovoltaic solar panels and a geothermic system to produce electricity. They also harvest rainwater to cover a number of operations in the restaurant. The restaurant’s sustainability practices do not put a damper on the food. Azurmendi is the only restaurant in the province with three Michelin stars.
Les Orangeries – Lussac-les-Châteaux, France
Les Orangeries is the first hotel in France to earn Ecolabel certification. The restaurant takes a “locavore” approach to its menu, featuring the very best of locally grown fruits and vegetables. The restaurant itself operates three of its own gardens from which to supplement their award-winning menu. In 2014, Les Orangeries earned the title of International Sustainable Restaurant of the Year from the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Narisawa – Tokyo, Japan
Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s restaurant aims not only to feed the stomach of its guests, but also their souls. His two Michelin star restaurant Narisawa uses fresh, seasonal produce so that his guests can “fall under the spell of the season” with each dish. At this eco-friendly restaurant, guests can choose from dishes named “Soil Soup,” “Water Salad,” or “Essence of the Forest.”
Rosemary’s – New York, New York
Head to New York City’s West Village for delicious, hearty food from a sustainability-minded restaurant. Rosemary’s serves Italian comfort food cooked with vegetables and herbs grown in their own rooftop garden. They keep a webcam running on the garden where you can catch a glimpse of staff picking herbs for the day’s dishes.
The Lodge – Verbier, Switzerland
Sir Richard Branson’s 9-bedroom mountain retreat in the Swiss Alps features an eco-luxury menu. 95% of the meat prepared in the restaurant is Swiss, the cheese is made in the neighboring village, and they grow many of their own herbs on-site. Even the water at The Lodge comes straight from the mountain into the taps.
Tilth – Seattle
James Beard Award winner Marie Hines serves as the chef at Tilth. She works tirelessly to provide guests with as much organic fare as possible. Marie participates in numerous local and national communities which seek to provide healthy, sustainable food across the US. Tilth’s menus feature standard, vegetarian, and vegan menus.
Learn about even more eco-friendly restaurants with our Ecoluxury Ambassor Ashlan Cousteau’s choices for her favorite sustainable restaurants. Which of these restaurants would you most like to visit?
Uncommon Ground – Chicago
The first certified organic rooftop garden in the States sits atop Uncommon Ground in Chicago. Founders Helen and Michael Cameron have been leading the farm to table movement since the early 90s. In addition to various culinary awards, the restaurant earned the title of one of the Greenest Restaurants in the World, the Governor’s Sustainability Award, and the USGBC Environmotion Award.