Bar at Eleven Madison Park

This review is a treasured memory of my visit to Eleven Madison Park in 2017, before they transitioned to a plant-based menu. Having previously dined here in 2013 and 2014, this was my third visit, and sharing this meal with my family made it an incredibly special and unforgettable experience.<br><br>Even back then, securing a reservation was famously difficult. It required a deposit, and changing or canceling was no easy task, making the booking process quite a hurdle. However, every single moment at the restaurant made it entirely worth it.<br><br>The dishes were the pinnacle of sophistication—healthful, deeply satisfying, and a true feast for both the eyes and the palate. The flavors were absolutely magnificent. Furthermore, the hospitality was genuinely warm and welcoming, creating a perfectly comfortable and relaxing atmosphere despite its prestigious reputation.<br><br>I haven't had the chance to visit since they became a fully vegetarian restaurant, but I am very much looking forward to returning and experiencing their new culinary chapter. A timeless icon of New York dining!

What a lifetime experience! Visiting NYC means one thing to me: having dinner at EMP. It was my first 3-star experience, so I was a little bit nervous about the environment and the whole atmosphere, but gosh! We felt so welcomed by every single employee. From the first step in to the last step out, everything was so perfect, and I’m not even talking about the food. Definitely out of this world. Flavours so strong, but also so mild, and each one complemented the others. And the staff? I am so sorry, I don’t remember the names, but we were here on the 20th of April as a group of four. By any chance, if you’re reading this, I wish all of you the best in your lives. You made the whole evening so special. And the best part? We got a kitchen tour and the chance to see the chefs at work. I almost cried while writing this review because I’m still processing the emotions. HUGE thanks to the whole EMP staff — you rock!

The entire experience was surprisingly ordinary and uneven, with at times mediocre meats offsetting exceptional seasoning (eg an exquisite signature Sichuan tinged crust was placed on top of a dry duck breast). One consistently strong offering were items from the bakery. The serving staff tried to serve the same dish twice, water glasses stayed unfilled etc.

I celebrated my 7 year business anniversary here and as soon as I arrived, I was taken care of. My table had a congratulatory artwork perched on a beautiful wooden stand. They knew details about me and my silent retreat business. Everyone cheered for me, asked about the future of my company, and made sure I had an amazing time. It felt like a runway, servers swirling about rhythmically, and always on point. There was a hum of the city on the inside and a sense of slowness as each entree arrived. Before I left, I was even given a gift! The food was amazing!! I wanted more of everything yet I know it was portioned to perfection. The plant based entrees truly were awe-inspiring. After talking with various people, I realized I'll need to return during a different season and try more delicious dishes in the near future! Really grateful I chose to come here to celebrate and seeing table after table be saluted as well, it felt like the perfect place to be! Thanks to everyone who made it happen, made me feel welcome, and inspired me to reach higher!!

We have always wanted to come to Eleven Madison and when they re-introduced some meat to the already amazing plant-based menu, we knew it was time. Wow. The most important thing to note is that the service was spectacular. This, for us, was the most important factor. There was an elegance and sophistication to the service that was helped by the perfect atmosphere. The food was incredible and just surprises you with each bite. Dishes you might never order on your own will totally surprise you. The duck was incredible and the lobster tail was the most tender and flavorful I have ever had. By far the most amazing dish was what I believe was a plant-based take on Caviar service. It was incredible. If you have the opportunity, this is the Michelin 3 that you should not miss.

Eleven Madison Park redefined what fine dining means in New York and then redefined it again when they went fully plant-based. Daniel Humm took one of the most celebrated tasting menus in the world and rebuilt it from scratch without animal products and somehow made it even more creative. The multi-course experience is a journey through technique presentation and flavor that challenges everything you think you know about vegetables grains and fruits. Each course arrives like a small piece of art and tastes even better than it looks. The sunflower butter with sourdough bread is so good that it could be the entire meal and you would leave satisfied. The dining room overlooking Madison Square Park is one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces in the city high ceilings natural light and an energy that is both serious and joyful. The service is beyond anything I have experienced elsewhere every member of the team is knowledgeable passionate and genuinely invested in your experience. They explain each dish with enthusiasm that is contagious. The wine and beverage pairings are inventive and perfectly matched. This is a restaurant that asks you to trust the kitchen and rewards that trust completely. Whether you agree with the plant-based direction or not you cannot deny the ambition and execution. Eleven Madison Park is not just a restaurant it is a statement about what food can be when creativity has no ceiling.

A very disappointing experience.<br>The table was near the door, and the cold air hit my back the entire time. The place is a large room that offers no intimacy, with resounding acoustics.<br><br>The first course was bread with onions, with a butter that<br>had a very strong flavor. The<br>second course was rice with a super spicy sauce. My palate was completely on fire, making it impossible to truly savor the subsequent courses. The cold dishes were frozen, and those that were supposed to be hot were lukewarm. Dessert was a granita, also covered in the aroma of the Amaetroc di Saronno.<br>No dish offered the opportunity to savor the true essence of the products, except for the mushroom one, which really highlighted the product.<br><br>The staff was attentive and kind, and even the chef, who conducted the table tour, was very helpful and friendly.<br><br>Maybe we Italians have a different cuisine, but I believe that an experience in a starred restaurant should excite and convey something. This is what's missing.

EDIT: Updating to one star as it’s discouraging no one ever reached out to apologize for our experience. Three months later, we are still are score by our experience at what is supposed to be one of the greatest restaurants in the world.<br><br>It makes me sad to share that I had an underwhelming experience here last night. I dined at Eleven Madison Park with high expectations, and unfortunately the experience fell short of what a restaurant of this reputation should deliver. This visit was especially meaningful, as it was both my birthday and New Year’s Eve, and EMP has long been my number one must-try restaurant in the world.<br><br>I’ve worked in the service industry for a decade and have read Unreasonable Hospitality multiple times. I truly admire the philosophy behind this book, which made this experience even more disappointing.<br><br>From the beginning, we felt rushed. We were hurried over to our table 20 minutes before our reservation when we had hoped for a drink at the upstairs bar first. Our table was shoved in a corner and was lacking white table cloths/more elegant settings since we were seated at a bar table. The first course arrived before our cocktails, which threw off the pacing of the meal and felt very rushed.<br><br>One particularly surprising moment was when my soup was poured into my water glass instead of the proper vessel. I was sad that more soup was not brought to replenish my serving as it was delicious, but I feel I missed about a quarter of the serving from the faux pas.<br><br>I was very disappointed that the duck was removed from the tasting menu for the night as this was a course I have been fantasizing about trying for over a year. I was excited it was supposed to be back now that the restaurant is no longer vegan.<br><br>Dessert arrived frozen solid, we could not break into it. My date’s dessert went flying off his plate from his effort to cut into it, so it had to be replaced. While mistakes can happen anywhere, experiencing this many issues at a restaurant that holds three Michelin stars was genuinely underwhelming.<br><br>What stood out most was the service overall. The servers felt over-rehearsed and burnt out, like they were just going through the motions rather than offering genuine hospitality. I believe this is why so many mistakes were made. My date remarked that the staff felt very green, but my feeling was that holiday burn out was wearing everyone thin.<br><br>At this price point, and at a three-Michelin-star level, the experience should feel thoughtful, seamless, and warm. Instead, it felt rushed and mechanical, lacking the care and attention to detail that make a meal truly special. I am hopeful that these rare mistakes can be addressed and corrected for future diners to better enjoy the experience I had anticipated for so long.

As a Michelin Star restaurant lover I was looking forward to try 11 Madison. Unfortunately the food was either too salty, or too plain, lobster dish was just fine but we didn’t enjoy any other dish ( we took both regular and vegan menu to try). I’m honestly very confused how this restaurant received any Michelin star. On top of that they low key ruined the birthday we booked to celebrate. It was such a long boring service with little knowledge of what they were serving with long wait between meal. Drinks were fine but didn’t compliment the food which is not ok for the price of the restaurant. When they asked how was our experience at the end - we mentioned that the birthday was not celebrated they said they ran out of candles sorry. What a lame excuse for $1000 dinner, you’re in Manhattan - go buy a candle from any pharmacy nearby!! The desert was shaved ice in the coldest winter ever in NYC ,they offered us tea before serving dessert which obviously won’t go with shaved ice! I get they want to sale the tea but offer something that goes with the desert at least! Beware and don’t waste your time and money. Better go to - Le Bernardin - it delivers what 11 Madison promises.

Good experience, but not even close to worth the cost of the dinner. The food was very good, and the service was very good as well, but neither were to the standard that we expected for what was voted the best restaurant in the world. The sommelier talked us into a wine that was around double the price of a bottle we were looking at and it was just decent. He also promised us a glass of the cheaper wine we were looking at, but we never received that, and by the time we asked to speak with him he was gone. Besides the bread, which was the best bread I have ever had in my life, nothing else left a lasting positive impression on me. The kitchen tour, which we had to ask for, was pretty cool, but the kitchen tour at Alenia in Chicago is far and above a better experience.<br><br>For a place that prides itself on customer service, it seemed as if you were bothering people to ask for things. I was even dumb enough to leave a 20% tip on top of my meal (maybe it was the overpriced wine bottle), and it seemed as if the staff was still learning. The one thing I would give them is if they did not know something they would not lie to you, but they would ask others. It was also cool to see how they move around the room in patterns.<br><br>Unless they greatly improve, I think that there are much better dining experiences in the city for much more reasonable prices.

Our evening at Eleven Madison Park was, without question, the most beautiful gastronomic experience of my life.<br><br>We chose the eight-course tasting menu, and each course offered a unique and extraordinary expression of flavor. It’s truly difficult to name a favorite dish, every plate was exceptional in its own way.<br><br>Beyond the sheer joy our palates experienced, the service was absolutely impeccable. Thoughtful, attentive, and genuinely kind, the entire team made us feel deeply welcomed throughout the evening.<br><br>Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for such a memorable and unforgettable night.

EMP has been on my bucket list for a long time. When I found out they were featuring meat courses again, I was ecstatic because we happen to be in town. I was lucky enough to grab one of their bar tasting menu reservations. We’ve had the privilege to dine at many Worlds Best and Michelin starred restaurants around the world, so I had extremely high hopes.<br><br>The courses were good, but nothing really wowed me. I wish they offered less vegan courses. Since we do not drink alcohol, I was surprised to see a non-alcoholic wine pairing. I opted for it ($135) bc I was intrigued, but I would not get it again. The white pairings were delicious, but the red pairings all tasted sour and left a bad aftertaste. I only had a sip. Service was exceptional, I did not expect anything less. For the price, I would rather go to Per Se or Le Bernardin.

Eleven Madison Park encompasses the prestige of fine dining without feeling sterile. The dining room is breathtaking and refined, plushly furnished with delicate lustrousness throughout. I indulged in the full tasting menu complemented by champagne to celebrate my 10th Vegan Anniversary, and the experience did not disappoint. Although the menu had abruptly contrasting flavor elements that missed a critical mark of cohesion for me, each dish did present texture and flavor that could hypothetically stand on its own. I felt satiated by both the meal and the value of the experience. The shining star of Eleven Madison Park is the reputation for hospitality, which is evident in every interaction with staff from the front door to the kitchen. I felt like a princess, doted on and catered to, truly valued not only as a guest but as a person.<br><br>However, I do have to admit that the transition away from an entirely plant-based menu comes as a betrayal to those of us who aim to support vegan establishments. I traveled from Indiana to experience the innovation of the only Three Michelin Star ALL VEGAN restaurant in the world. As Eleven Madison Park regresses into offering animal flesh products once again, the allure of distinction will be lost. I really, really enjoyed my experience, but ethically I do not see myself visiting again for this reason.

EMP has been a bucket list restaurant for me for quite a long time. Being all vegan made it even more interesting because I didn't know what to expect. I believe this place definitely deserves their 3 Michelin stars. This is the best food I've ever had! Everything tasted so fresh and the flavors worked extremely well with each other. The service was the best I've ever had. If you're thinking about dining here, stop thinking about it, you have to try this!

Visiting New York and going to this restaurant was a dream of mine as soon as I found out they were making the entire menu vegan 💚 It's a shame they're switching back to a meat-based menu, but I'm glad I made it in time. The service was very nice and professional. The food was amazing and they even prepared a gluten-free menu for me so I could enjoy the food too. We had a reservation in advance, so they already knew about us and had a table ready 🙂. It was literally a dream come true, and at the end we even received a little gift as a thank you ❤️ It was pleasure, thank you so much for a wonderfull time and great, delicious meal. 🥹❤️