Eleven Madison Park Is No Longer 100% Vegan.
The restaurant will no longer be strictly vegan.
Starting October 14, we will integrate our new culinary language into a menu that embraces choice.
We will offer a plant-based menu, of course, but also select animal products for certain dishes.
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.
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.
But by reintroducing select animal-based dishes, he hopes to make the dining room more inclusive without losing sight of his original mission.