14 Best Eco-Friendly Restaurants Around The World

1. Haoma; Bangkok, Thailand

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Paying homage to his Indian roots, Chef Deepanker Khosla reimagines Indian cuisine using the freshest Thai ingredients. This imaginative Michelin-starred restaurant is centered around an urban farm concept in the heart of Bangkok, where vegetables, fish, and herbs are grown on the premises. What cannot be produced is sourced from a community farm in Chiang Mai and sustainable and ethical local suppliers.

In an attempt to be a full-circle eco farm, Haoma conserves 100,000 liters (26,417 gallons) of rainwater to grow fish. What the fish excretes enriches the water and is used to sprinkle the Aquaponic farm. The restaurant’s food and soil waste create organic plant supplements used on the farm, thus ensuring an organic dining experience.

Moreover, Haoma allows visitors to see and feel the food they will eventually consume with a tour of their urban farm before guests relish a sustainable meal.

Haoma

Address: 231, 3 Soi Sukhumvit 31, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Website: Haoma

Opening hours: Tue - Wed: 5:30pm - 11pm; Thurs - Sat: 5:30pm - 10pm; Sun: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 6pm - 11pm (closed on Mon)

2. Open Farm Community; Singapore

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Hidden away in the urban jungle that is Singapore lies the country’s first sustainable urban farm in the neighborhood of Dempsey Hill. The restaurant aspires to connect people with the food that they consume while promoting local producers along the way. The starters and desserts are personal-sized, while main courses and side dishes are shared.

On select days throughout the year, the restaurant invites patrons to tour the farm before sitting for a hearty meal. Ingredients that cannot be grown on-site are sourced from select farmers across Singapore and a handful of ethically sourced imports to meet the needs of the kitchen. If you wish to take an extra step, you can adopt an indigenous tree to be planted in Borneo to reforest the island.

Open Farm Community

Address: 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819

Website: Open Farm Community

Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 11am - 4pm, 6pm - 11pm; Mon - Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm

3. Eleven One Kitchen; Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Mature bamboo and potted plants line the pathways, and instead of a ceiling, guests are treated to overhanging plants at the relaxed venue, offering the best of Khmer cuisine. Eleven One Kitchen started out with a promise to serve fresh and healthy food at pocket-friendly prices and has been serving guests since 2014. Ingredients are sourced from their own farm, and meals are devoid of monosodium glutamate (MSG) that is so prevalent in South East Asian dishes.

Eleven One Kitchen

Address: #37, Street 123 corner 460, Sangkat Toul Tompong I, Khan Chamkarmorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 12305

Website: Eleven One Kitchen

Opening hours: Mon - Thurs, Sat: 7am - 9:30pm; Fri: 7am - 11pm; Sun: 7am - 9pm

4. Corrutela; São Paulo, Brazil

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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With an industrial finish that includes exposed pipes, Corrutella looks more like a trendy new restaurant instead of a forefront in sustainable dining in Latin America. With a primarily plant-based menu, Chef Cesar Costa aims to offset the carbon footprint that traditional restaurants generate. Ingredients are primarily sourced from in and around São Paulo, with relatively no produce coming from outside Brazil.

Winner of the acclaimed Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award, Corrutella is paving the way to change the concept of sustainable dining one meal at a time.

Corrutela

Address: Rua Medeiros de Albuquerque, 256, Jardim das Bandeiras, São Paulo-SP, Brazil

Website: Corrutela

Opening hours: Mon - Tue: 7:30pm - 11pm; Sun: 12:30pm - 4pm (closed Wed to Sat)

5. Root Down; Denver, United States of America

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This restaurant’s decor may be quirky, with brightly colored dial-up phones and eclectic art, but the food is inspiring. Chef Justin Cucci works his magic on locally sourced ingredients, and almost 60% of them are organic, to create seasonal global flavors. Completely wind-powered, with humane-certified meat and ethically sourced vegetables, Root Down is at the forefront of sustainable practices in Denver.

Root Down

Address: 1600 W 33rd Ave, Denver, CO 80211

Website: Root Down

Opening hours: Thu - Sat: 5pm - 10pm; Sun - Wed: 5pm - 9pm; Sat - Sun 10am - 2:30pm

6. Azurmendi; Larrabetzu, Spain

Helmed by renowned Chef Eneko Atxa, this three-Michelin-starred Azurmendi is a celebration of Basque culture and heritage through food. From the delicate flower-speckled honey curd to the nature-inspired Chestnut creation, the dishes are as much a treat to the eyes as it is to the palate.

From its design conception to everyday operations, the restaurant strives to reduce its carbon footprint. All glass exteriors and ventilation control reduce the dependence on electricity, while renewable energy sources power much of the award-winning restaurant. Moreover, most of the ingredients are grown in the greenhouse, fed by harvested rainwater.

Azurmendi

Address: Barrio Leguina, s/n, 48195 Larrabetzu, Biscay, Spain

Website: Azurmendi

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 1pm - 2:45pm; Fri & Sat: 8:30pm - 9:15pm (closed on Mon & Sun)

7. Aponiente; Cádiz, Spain

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Rarely has a dining concept centering solely around seafood garnered as much attention as the 3-star Michelin awardee, Aponiente. Designed as a leisurely gastronomic journey, a meal here can run up to three and a half hours. Chef Ángel León delightfully guides his clientele through an imaginative menu that celebrates the underwater. The menu includes ham made from Almadraba, red tuna, and charcuterie boards made of marine cheese.

The chef incorporates discarded sea elements to create an innovative and sustainable menu. Plus, recycling and using renewable sources help add to the chef’s practice of sustainable cooking.

Aponiente

Address: C. Francisco Cossi Ochoa, s/n, 11500 El Puerto de Sta María, Cádiz, Spain

Website: Aponiente

Opening hours: On select days throughout the year from 1pm - 8:30pm. Please contact the restaurant for more details.

8. Nolla; Helsinki, Finland

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Centered around the principle of zero-wastage, Nolla, which means zero in Finnish, practices sustainability without compromising on taste. The seasonal ingredients are from suppliers that share ethical food sourcing practices. All the food waste goes into the on-site composter, is converted to nutrient-rich soil, and is passed to the farmers. Nolla also offers small-batch wines and beers prepared at their microbrewery to accompany the seasonal menus.

Nolla

Address: Fredrikinkatu 22, 00120 Helsinki, Finland

Website: Nolla

Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 5pm - 11pm; Fri - Sat: 5pm - 12am (closed on Sun & Mon)

9. Silo; London, United Kingdom

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Silo has been designed using a looping supply chain, which leads to zero waste at the end of the day. Choosing local ingredients sourced directly from farmers and transported using reusable containers eliminates plastic. Food scraps and leftover food are composted, thus utilizing even traditional waste.

The menu is centered around respecting the human body and the food consumed. As such, Chef Douglas McMaster prefers to create his masterful dishes using raw ingredients. Flour for bread is ground, and butter for grilling is churned on-site, thus removing preservatives and over-processed elements from the menu. Even the restaurant decor follows the core theme of zero-waste and is either upcycled or conceptualized using discarded materials. It is no wonder Silo is the winner of several sustainability awards, including a Michelin Green Star.

Silo

Address: Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN, United Kingdom

Website: Silo

Opening hours: Wed - Thurs: 6pm - 10:30pm; Friday: 6pm - 11pm; Sat: 12pm - 3:30pm, 6pm -11pm (closed on Sun to Tue)

10. Mother; Fremantle, Australia

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Serving a completely plant-based menu, Mother challenges the traditional concepts regarding food. Most of the food served to patrons is made in-house from scratch. This place guarantees wholesome vegan and gluten-free dishes, be it handmade pasta, dairy-free cheese, or pickles. Accompanying the colorful Mediterranean-inspired menu are vegan Australian wines.

At the heart of Mother is the commitment to exercising sustainable practices, from using steel straws and filtered tap water to giving away glass jars to customers to reuse. The restaurant also uses eco-lighting and recycles waste. Additionally, this place nourishes an entire community with a yoga studio, a sustainable home decor store, and holistic practitioners all part of the same complex.

Mother

Address: 181A High St, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia

Website: Mother

Opening hours: Wed - Sat: 12pm - 9pm; Sun: 12pm - 3pm, drinks and dessert bar open from 3pm - 5:30pm (closed on Mon & Tue)

11. Saffrron; Darwin, Australia

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Combining Indian heritage with the rich produce of the Northern Territory, Chef Selvam Kandasamy is serving the best of both worlds at Saffrron. He believes in an approach that profits not only him but the community at large. Therefore, clients will only find locally sourced ingredients, including seafood specific to the Northern Territory.

The takeaway boxes used at the restaurant are made using renewable resources and are recyclable, and catering orders are packed in steel tiffin carriers. The restaurant is also using a compost system to reduce waste. From buying oil in bulk to rewarding customers who bring their own takeaway containers, Saffrron is leading the way in operating sustainably while still making profits.

Saffrron

Address: Saffron Parap: 14/34 Parap Rd, Parap NT 0820, Australia; Saffrron Express: 1/55 Alawa Cres, Alawa NT 0810, Australia

Website: Saffrron

Opening hours: Saffron Parap: Tue - Fri: 11am - 2pm; Tue - Sun: 5.30pm - 9pm (closed on Mon); Saffrron Express: Tue - Sun: 5pm - 9pm (closed on Mon)

12. Fat Pig Farm; Cygnet, Australia

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This restaurant brings the freshest produce to the lunch table by practicing a farm-to-table concept. Their special Friday Feasts are relegated to a custom dining room, where patrons dine around a long table and tour the working farm. All drinks are sourced locally from vineyards and breweries in Tasmania.

This place was a former apple orchard converted into a mixed farm by Matthew and Sadie Evans in 2011, and the lunch-only restaurant opened its doors in 2016. Matthew is a successful author with over a dozen books in his repertoire. He is also the host of Gourmet Farmer and an ardent supporter of knowing where your food comes from.

This same philosophy is at the core of Fat Pig Farm, where the chef and the guests can easily find the source of the ingredients that create their meal.

Fat Pig Farm

Address: Cygnet, Tas 7112, Australia

Website: Fat Pig Farm

Opening hours: Fri: 12:30pm - 4pm; occasionally open on other days, too. Check the website for dates.

13. Vcafé; Lagos, Nigeria

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Lowering the carbon footprint of a restaurant meal while providing delicious plant-based meals, Vcafé is the first vegan restaurant in Nigeria. It is a restaurant owned by the plant-based food technology company, VeggieVictory. In addition to popular western dishes, the chef had to veganize traditional Nigerian delicacies such as pepper soup and asun. Goat meat has been replaced with plant-based meat, offering its clientele a sustainable alternative to meat without giving up on the taste.

Juices and smoothies are created using the freshest seasonal fruits, while soy and tiger nut milk make the yummiest shakes.

Vcafé

Address: 29a Ikorodu Cres, Dolphin Estate 101222, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

Website: Vcafé

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 9am - 7pm (closed Fri to Sun)

14. Restaurant Rest; Oslo, Norway

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Offering a set menu of more than 20 dishes, Chef Jimmy Øien aims to challenge what consumers expect of fine dining. Instead of identical-looking vegetables and the choicest selection of meats, the menu is created using ingredients normally considered as waste or not fitting for the market. Plus, the restaurant also partners with local farmers and suppliers.

The staff uniforms are from leftover fabric generously donated by Fretex—the largest collector of used clothes and textiles in Norway. Serve ware is also made from recycled glass and leftover clay, while table settings are from donations.

Restaurant Rest

Address: Kirkegata 1-3, Oslo, Norway

Website: Restaurant Rest

Opening hours: Wed - Sat: 6pm - 12am (closed on Sun to Tue)

Eco-friendly restaurants offer food innovation

Sustainable restaurants were considered unprofitable, but these award-winning chefs and restaurants tell a different story. Each of these venues is pushing the boundaries, helping the environment and communities, and creating delectable pieces of art on a plate. Make sure to book a meal at one of these best eco-friendly restaurants around the world, if you happen to be visiting their gorgeous host cities.