Eleven Madison Park

In the soaring Art Deco dining room of Eleven Madison Park, a server approaches a corner table carrying a custom clay vessel designed by artist Rashid Johnson. Inside, smoked asparagus spears rest on heated stones, releasing wisps of aromatic wood smoke as the lid is lifted. The presentation represents everything this restaurant has become: technically precise, artistically ambitious, and entirely plant-based. The guest leans forward, inhaling the earthy fragrance, unaware they are experiencing what many consider impossible — three-Michelin-star luxury without a single animal product.

Eleven Madison Park has earned a 2025 Global Recognition Award, cementing its position as the world’s only plant-based restaurant to achieve and maintain three Michelin stars. This recognition acknowledges a significant change in fine dining, where Chef Daniel Humm has proven that environmental consciousness and culinary excellence can coexist at the highest levels. Since converting to an entirely plant-based menu in 2021, the restaurant has maintained its three Michelin stars while changing how luxury dining operates in the modern era.

Culinary Mastery and Innovation

Eleven Madison Park’s culinary foundation operates like a botanical laboratory where vegetables undergo transformations typically reserved for the finest proteins. Chef Humm’s kitchen employs techniques such as fermentation, specialized smoking methods, and house-made noodle preparation guided by meditative practices to elevate plant-based ingredients. The restaurant’s exclusive partnership with Magic Farms in upstate New York provides access to rare varieties like tonburi — Japanese cypress seeds that create a caviar-like experience — and specialized celtuce preparations that demonstrate technical mastery previously applied to animal proteins.

Innovation extends to ingredient sourcing. The restaurant has developed algae oil in place of traditional cooking fats, partnering with specialized producers to maintain flavor profiles while reducing environmental impact. The kitchen creates new pantries, developing plant-based alternatives for butter, cream, and dairy products that support the textural complexity expected in three-star preparations. Seasonal menu adaptations showcase ingredients like badger flame beets paired with tonburi, soba noodles in concentrated shiitake dashi, and morel butter served with house-made vegan rolls, each representing months of research and development.

Service Excellence and Leadership Vision

Under General Manager Gabriel Di Bella and Wine Director Adam Waddell, the service team maintains sophistication while educating guests about unfamiliar plant-based preparations. The 15,000-bottle wine program, which earned Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, features selections specifically curated to complement vegetable-forward cuisine, with pairings designed to enhance rather than overpower delicate plant preparations. Staff undergo extensive training to explain the cultural significance and preparation methods of ingredients like celtuce and tonburi, changing service into an educational experience about sustainable cuisine.

Chef Humm’s leadership extends beyond the kitchen through his appointment as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Food Education, influencing the restaurant’s global conversations about food systems. His partnership with Rethink Food has provided over 30 million meals to food-insecure communities since 2017, demonstrating how high-end establishments can address social responsibility. The kitchen brigade specializes in techniques explicitly adapted for plant-based ingredients, including precision fermentation and aging methods that develop umami flavors typically associated with animal products. This shows that environmental consciousness supports rather than limits culinary achievement.

Cultural Identity and Artistic Integration

Redesigned by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works, the restaurant’s architectural environment converts the historic Metropolitan Life Building’s Art Deco lobby into a sophisticated dining space that honors heritage and innovation. Twenty-four-foot ceilings and expansive windows overlooking Madison Square Park create natural lighting that changes throughout the service. At the same time, custom walnut banquettes upholstered in dark blue mohair provide comfort during the two-to-three-hour dining experience. Art installations include works by Sol LeWitt, Francesco Clemente, and Rashid Johnson, reinforcing the restaurant’s position that fine dining represents cultural and culinary achievement.

The recently opened Clemente Bar on the second floor, featuring murals by Francesco Clemente, extends the dining experience into evening cocktail service, incorporating seasonal ingredients from the tasting menu. Educational elements include mid-meal kitchen tours and tableside presentations using the custom clay vessels, creating interactive moments that explain both technique and philosophy behind plant-based fine dining. At $365 per person for the full tasting menu, the restaurant has established economic viability for high-end plant-based cuisine while maintaining artistic programming and community partnerships that extend its influence beyond traditional restaurant operations.

Looking forward, Eleven Madison Park continues evolving its plant-based techniques while maintaining its commitment to social impact through expanded partnerships with precision-fermentation companies and sustainable agriculture initiatives. The restaurant’s ongoing research into alternative proteins and fermentation processes prepares it for future plant-based fine dining innovation developments.

Eleven Madison Park’s receipt of a 2025 Global Recognition Award represents more than culinary achievement — it significantly changes how the industry defines luxury and excellence. For discerning diners seeking experiences that challenge conventional expectations while maintaining the highest standards of technique and service, this restaurant offers proof that environmental responsibility and three-Michelin-star quality can coexist and create different approaches to fine dining.