After four years of serving nothing but plant-based dishes, one of New York City’s most famous fine-dining spots is making a major menu change. Eleven Madison Park — known for charging $365 for an elaborate seven-to-nine-course tasting menu — is bringing meat and seafood back to the table.
The move marks the end of its all-vegan experiment, which began in 2021, and comes after Chef Daniel Humm admitted that while he believed in the plant-based vision, it simply wasn’t working for everyone — or the business.
From Vegan Vision to Financial Reality
Humm told The New York Times that going fully vegan was meant to be a bold, all-in commitment, but it ended up excluding some guests.
“I very much believed in the all-in approach, but I didn’t realize that we would exclude people,” he said.
“The best way to champion plant-based cooking is to let everyone participate around the table.”
The financial challenges were also piling up. Maintaining the high level of creativity and labor for a purely vegan fine-dining experience proved difficult — especially without big-spending corporate groups or wine lovers, who often prefer pairing expensive bottles with meat dishes.
“It’s hard to get 30 people for a corporate dinner to come to a plant-based restaurant,” Humm admitted.
The New Meat-Inclusive Menu
Starting October 14, Eleven Madison Park will still offer its $365 tasting menu, but with a twist — diners will be able to choose whether to include select meat or seafood options.
The kitchen will remain largely plant-based, but luxury touches like oysters, lobster, and the restaurant’s beloved dry-aged duck with lavender honey will return.
Humm is even considering adding a chicken dish.
Guests who want to stick to a fully vegan menu will still have that option, making this a flexible “choose your own adventure” dining experience.
A Pandemic-Era Reinvention
Humm first introduced the vegan menu when the restaurant reopened in 2021 after a 15-month pandemic closure.
At the time, he was recovering from severe financial struggles and working with Rethink Food — a nonprofit he co-founded to provide millions of free meals to healthcare workers and people in need across New York City.
That experience shifted his perspective on luxury dining. Instead of defining it by expensive animal products like foie gras and caviar, he embraced the idea that luxury could mean carefully sourced, skillfully prepared vegetables.
“We couldn’t go back to doing what we did before,” he said back in 2021.
Mixed Reactions from Critics and Guests
The plant-based pivot earned both praise and skepticism.
Some critics dismissed it as a pretentious stunt — especially coming from a chef known for theatrical touches like having servers perform card tricks — while others hailed it as a forward-thinking step toward sustainability.
Not all reviews were glowing. New York Times critic Pete Wells infamously described one clay-pot beet dish as tasting “like Lemon Pledge and smelling like a burning joint.”
On Google, Yelp, and Resy, the restaurant still enjoys strong ratings — 4.4, 4.3, and 4.7 stars respectively — but negative reviews often came from diners unimpressed by the vegan offerings.
Looking Ahead to October
With the change just weeks away, Eleven Madison Park is preparing to reintroduce classic flavors alongside its plant-based innovations.
Humm insists the shift isn’t abandoning his vision but expanding it — keeping sustainability and creativity at the heart of the experience while making sure more people feel welcome.
For diners, it means more choice. For the restaurant, it could mean winning back those who loved the pre-2021 menu — and keeping the doors open for years to come.
