Why Vegans Are Furious At NYC's Eleven Madison Park Restaurant

Eleven Madison Park turned heads by serving plant-based menus worthy of Michelin-star accolades. When chef and owner Daniel Humm pivoted to animal-free dishes in 2021, the food world held its breath and collectively watched as vegan tasting menus were offered at the same price as meals that once included glazed duck and lobster. Humm was committed, however, and set out to showcase vegan recipes while keeping sustainability at the forefront of his kitchen. Recipes for ice cream, ricotta, and meringue relied on non-dairy substitutes. Chefs invented caviar from plant-based ingredients, sunflower butter was slathered on top of bread, and vegetables were reimagined in presentations worthy of Instagram. Humm's efforts bagged three Michelin stars (each star rating means a higher level of cooking) in 2022, making Eleven Madison Park the first to land such accolades for plant-based menus. Yet the restaurant announced on its website that from October 14, 2025, animal products will once again return to menus. 

Humm has stated that in order to continue to encourage plant-based lifestyles, he must establish a setting in which a variety of dietary preferences are encouraged, but netizens are not pleased. On the chef's Instagram post, one user writes, "Oh, so the whole 'changing the world with plant-based cuisine' act was only good while it brought headlines and customers?" This skeptical take is followed by criticism of Humm's claim of making the menu inclusive. "If you truly believed in it, you wouldn't backtrack at the first dip in revenue. That's the difference between conviction and a business strategy." 

"Change is fundamental to who we are and how we grow," Humm explains on Eleven Madison Park's blog, noting that the team has listened to feedback to make the menu change. "As a chef, I want to continue to open paths, not close them." Not everyone is buying the explanation. "'A menu that embraces choice' is the saddest excuse I've ever seen," admonishes one Instagram user. Other disgruntled commenters have questioned the intention of the move, and lengthy comments wonder whether the decision is mission-focused or driven by profit. Eleven Madison Park states that the plant-based menu will remain a core component at the restaurant, and cocktail menus and pastry offerings will remain plant-based. For courses that include animal proteins, options will be provided upon request. Prices will not change depending on visitors' choices.

Humm is nearing his 20th year at the restaurant, and though he seeks to invite more diners to tables at Eleven Madison Park, the effort may not land. "It became clear that while we had built something meaningful, we had also unintentionally kept people out," he writes. "This is the opposite of what we believe hospitality to be." Whether or not the vegan community will support the restaurant remains to be seen, as social media users are encouraging restaurant goers to think carefully before spending dining dollars. "Meanwhile, countless small, independent vegan restaurants are pouring their hearts into food, sustainability, and the movement. Those are the places that truly deserve our support," read one comment.