Vegan Michelin-Starred Restaurant Eleven Madison Park Reintroduces Meat

Eleven Madison Park (EMP), the world’s only three Michelin-starred vegan restaurant, has announced that it’s putting meat back on the menu.

Located in Manhattan, EMP first earned its three Michelin stars in 2012. Originally a meat-focused fine dining venue, the restaurant went fully plant-based in 2021 for environmental reasons – and made history when it retained its stars in 2022.

The restaurant became a hugely popular fixture in the vegan dining scene, and received rave reviews from critics and high-profile customers like David and Victoria Beckham. According to the restaurant’s head chef Daniel Humm, however, the company has experienced financial strain over the last year. He told the New York Times that he added meat back to the menu in a bid to draw more diners.

“I very much believed in the all-in approach, but I didn’t realize that we would exclude people,” he said. “I have some anxiety that people are going to say, ‘Oh, he’s a hypocrite,’ but I know that the best way to continue to champion plant-based cooking is to let everyone participate around the table.”

The news has been met with condemnation from many in the vegan community, who are urging Humm to rethink the change. In response to a Facebook post announcing the news, many pointed out that plant-based food is accessible to all, and that meat-eaters were not excluded by vegan restaurants. “So disappointing. Not sure we will continue to come. We can’t support the torture and killing of other living beings,” wrote one. “So glad we were fortunate enough to go before this happened. Sadly, there will be no return visit after this,” added another. A third wrote: “You can still reverse this decision.”

The new menu will come into force on October 14. It will still be mostly plant-based, according to Humm, but the menu will also include animals like lobsters, oysters, and ducks. Vegan diners will still be able to order a fully plant-based meal.

The future of plant-based fine dining

fresh rolls on a plate with dip — Eleven Madison Park Eleven Madison Park is famous for its plant-based menu

Eleven Madison Park’s struggles are not necessarily reflective of the plant-based fine dining industry as a whole. According to the Michelin Guide, as of now there are 10 vegan restaurants worldwide that hold at least one star. As well as EMP, there is one vegan restaurant with two stars, as well as eight with one. Notable examples include ONA – the first vegan restaurant in France to ever receive a Michelin star – and Plates London, which became the UK’s first fully vegan Michelin-starred restaurant in 2025.

Plates opened back in February to a long waiting list and rave reviews from critics. At the time, head chef Kirk Haworth said that he was “trying to get rid of the word ‘vegan,’” adding that his food is “all about flavour, excitement, and innovation.”