Eleven Madison Park Is No Longer Vegan

Edited by The VEGPRENEUR Team

New York City’s three-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, is making headlines again — this time for reintroducing meat and seafood to its menu after four years as a fully plant-based fine dining destination.

Chef-owner Daniel Humm, known for pushing culinary boundaries, shocked the food world in 2021 by removing all animal products from the restaurant’s offerings. The move was hailed as a bold statement for sustainability and innovation. But now, Humm says it’s time for another change.

Why Eleven Madison Park Is No Longer 100% Vegan

In a statement ahead of the restaurant’s 20th anniversary, Humm said the decision was about creating “an environment where everyone feels welcome around the table.”

“Starting October 14, we will integrate our new culinary language into a menu that embraces choice,” Humm wrote. “We will offer a plant-based menu, of course, but also select animal products for certain dishes – fish, meat, and yes, our honey-lavender-glazed duck.”

The chef admitted that while the all-vegan approach aligned with his values, it also excluded some potential guests. The restaurant’s return to offering limited meat and seafood options aims to bring more diners through the door while still keeping plants at the center of the experience.

What’s Changing on the Menu

While the restaurant will no longer be strictly vegan, Humm emphasizes that the foundation will remain plant-based. Guests can expect:

A choice between an entirely plant-based tasting menu or one with select animal-based dishes
Possible additions like oysters, lobster, or the signature dry-aged lavender honey duck
A $365, seven-to-nine-course tasting menu where even meat-inclusive options will still be 80% vegetable-focused

Humm believes this approach could help introduce more diners to plant-forward cuisine. “When people come in and maybe they had one fish or a lobster or the duck, but they also had 80% vegetable dishes, they might even like the vegetable dishes more,” he said.

Eleven Madison Park Goes Vegan

Back in 2021, Humm made global headlines for removing meat, seafood, and dairy from the menu. The decision was driven by sustainability concerns, the environmental impact of animal agriculture, and a desire to innovate within plant-based cuisine.

While the shift earned praise from vegans and environmentalists, it also presented business challenges. Some longtime guests never returned, and the restaurant’s profitability took a hit.

“I very much believed in the all-in approach, but I didn’t realize that we would exclude people,” Humm told The New York Times. “I know that the best way to continue to champion plant-based cooking is to let everyone participate around the table.”

The Future for Plant-Based

Humm’s decision raises a larger question: Can high-end restaurants remain fully plant-based while appealing to a broad audience? Eleven Madison Park’s pivot suggests that flexibility — rather than purity — may be key to bringing plant-based dining to the mainstream.

As one of the world’s most celebrated chefs, Humm remains committed to showcasing vegetables as the star of the plate. But by reintroducing select animal-based dishes, he hopes to make the dining room more inclusive without losing sight of his original mission.