8 Eco-Friendly Restaurants in Europe
Sustainability is not limited to retail brands that sell products. In this blog, we showcase different restaurants in Europe that positively contribute to the environment and community by managing their footprint, limiting waste, and giving back. They also are known to practice sustainable gastronomy, which is a way of being mindful about the source and purpose of each ingredient, how it is grown, and how it makes its way onto our plates.
One common challenge in the restaurant industry is food waste. According to UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2021, 17% of global food production may go wasted, with 61% of this waste coming from households, 26% from food service and 13% from retail. These 8 restaurants are changing the game by offering high-quality, eco-friendly food (plant-based and/or meat that is sustainably sourced) while remaining conscious about their environmental impact. Many of these restaurants also make an effort to ‘green’ their operations, meaning that their buildings, waste management, and water/energy use are made to be as efficient as possible.
Don’t know where to start when looking for conscious restaurants? Benchmarks such as the MICHELIN Guide Green Star and the Green Restaurant Association’s certification have been pioneering sustainability in the restaurant industry. Restaurants that have been awarded a MICHELIN Green Star are those that are highly committed to sustainable gastronomy and eco-friendly practices. Additionally, The Green Restaurant Association is an international nonprofit organization that encourages restaurants to use transparent, science-based standards to improve their operations. Restaurants that have been identified by these guides can be a good starting point for discovering sustainable dining locations.
Make sure to keep an eye out for future blogs that will focus on other conscious spaces around the world, such as museums, art galleries, wineries/breweries, and more. Learn more about how these locations are sustainable on the ConsiderBeyond app.
1. Silo London in London
Address: 1st Floor, c/o CRATE Bar, Unit 7, The white building, Unit 7 Queen's Yard, London E9 5EN, UK
This innovative restaurant has a zero-waste mission, meaning everything from the furniture to the plates is made with recycled materials. All products that are delivered to the restaurant come in reusable vessels and the minimal waste that is produced is composted to close the loop.
2. Wilson’s in Bristol
Address: 24 Chandos Road, Bristol BS6 6PF
Wilsons is a small, independently owned and run bistro in Redland, Bristol. The restaurant works with and supports local producers, growers and traders that use ethical and low impact methods. They also have a market garden just 20 minutes away from the restaurant that grows much of the vegetables, herbs, edible and ornamental flowers used in the restaurant.
3. Angela’s in Margate
Address: 21 The Parade, Margate, CT9 1EX
Angela’s is a small seafood restaurant and rooms serving delicious, local seafood, alongside simple, seasonal vegetable-based dishes. Angelas works directly with growers, fishermen and suppliers who understand how to make the most of their produce and at the same time minimize the impact on our environment. They also spend a lot of time researching the removal of plastic from our supply chain, from dairy, vegetables and oil, through to fish and salt. They also partner with the wonderful Windmill Community Gardens in Margate to turn vegetable food waste directly into compost to enable them to produce more raw and organic ingredients.
4. Good Bank in Berlin
Address: Good Bank Edge Grand Central Invalidenstr. 65, 10557 Berlin
Good Bank Berlin Centre Joachimstr. 17a, 10119 Berlin
Good Bank is the very first vertical-farm-to-table restaurant in the world. The restaurant features a unique indoor vertical salad farm. Rows of greens line the walls up to the ceiling protected behind glass doors. Guests can watch their own meal being harvested on the spot. Good Bank also operates a subscription-based service that delivers boxes of vegetables from hydroponic vertical farms along with homemade sauces and spices.
5. Frea in Berlin
Address: Kleine Hamburger Str. 2, 10115 Berlin
Frea is the world’s first vegan zero-waste restaurant. Frea is one of the only plant-based restaurants in Europe that is also zero-waste. This means that all of their food is local, organic and all leftovers are used or composted, which is then turned into a soil substitute for local farmers to use.
6. Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, Spain
Address: Barrio Leguina, s/n, 48195 Larrabetzu, Biscay, Spain
Located in Basque Country, Azurmendi uses eco-friendly solar and geothermal energy production alongside a rainwater recycling system. The upper floors have been transformed into gardens that grow fruit and vegetables. Combining fine dining with environmental initiatives, the owner chef only uses small-scale local producers to create exquisite seasonal menus for his guests. The restaurant turns its organic waste into compost and donates the resulting fertilizer to local farmers.
7. Restaurant Auguste in Paris
Address: 54, Rue de Bourgogne 75007 Paris
Head chef Gaël Orieux is an advocate for sustainable fishing and the sustainable consumption of seafood products. Working with the French Ministry for Agriculture and Fishing he helped launch Mr. Goodfish, a network that raises awareness for sustainable fishing lists, by providing professional chefs a list of recommended species of fish that are not overfished. Orieux’s Restaurant Auguste serves a diverse menu that includes seafood and seasonal dishes.
8. Amass Restaurant in Copenhagen
Address: Refshalevej 153 1432 Copenhagen, Denmark CVR 35144234
Amass has incorporated many sustainable practices in its food sourcing and operations. They limit food waste by turning vegetable and fruit skins and seeds, herb stems and even fish bones into seasonings, misos or crisps, amongst other things. They conserve water by taking partially full water bottles from the dining room and water used in various processes in the kitchen, using it to wash the floors or water the garden. They also give back 1% of the price of every menu to regenerative agriculture projects via Zero Foodprint Nordic and partner with a homeless shelter in Copenhagen to provide hot meals for those in need.
