Eleven Madison Park

When you get invited to join a group of 5 to dine at one of the best restaurants in the country, you say yes and grab your prettiest dress for the closest. My dinner went on for 4.5 hours and included wine pairings for all of our 10+ courses, one of which was in the kitchen (dessert). Look, to be honest, not everything was perfection but most of it was. The least impressive thing was the carrot tartare that was shaved table side. It was cute to watch though. Some of the wine bottles went back decades and the wait staff and hosts were phenomenal. My hats off to them for such a wonderful experience. My favorite part aside from the simple pleasure of experiencing that with a group of amazing people was the foie gras dish that melted in your mouth. We kept raving about it so they sent out a second plate, so we had 2 of the same course, lol. I’ll go back any day.

If you eat a dinner in this restaurant, you are gonna be undergone ‘Real Innovation.’
Jun/​16/​2016, I felt, saw, tasted, smelled awesome cuisines. Before this restaurant, I even tried almost Michelin 3stars restaurants, at that moment, I felt marvelous experience.

This is a very late review… we had an extraordinary, quintessential NYC, and bluntly put — a freaking expensive AF 16 (18? Lost count after 9) course lunch last July. I had a bit of a reviewer’s block bc 1) what value could I add that hasn’t been said about the amazing EMP? 2) how do I go about critiquing the food w/​o offending the die hard fans of this beloved 3M stars haven? And finally 3) can anyone really justify paying $ 8 Benjamins for lunch more than once?
I’ll start with this… I love love love the entire experience, from stepping into what used to be a bank with high ceilings, white glove services (each employee has a job — including Miss Universe (her posture puts me to shame! Ugh…) carrying a tray of forks/​spoons/​knives for every setting) to the often «over the top» presentation and ending with a child’s dream in the form of a popsicle! (Serve to you by a little old man at his cart! Talk about paying forward! — nicely done EMP!)
As for food, the most memorable in my mind was the delicious individual tin can of caviar serve using a mother of pearl spoon! How expensive!?! (Probably unnecessary…) and the asparagus cooked in a pigs’ bladder (don’t hold your breath, it’s just 1 stalk!) and the dessert course that reminded me of some science lab! So why wouldn’t this magical place get the rightful 5 stars!!!
OK — now I will share my experience on why I took a star away. There was an organic carrot course, where the sous chef comes out and demonstrates with a table top grinder. It’s what some have called «adults playing w/​food» — presented with fixing such as nuts, seeds, cream. I am NOT a huge fan of carrots and I’ve mentioned that to our server. So needless to say, I had left over. Apparently that must be a «frown upon» thing at these type of establishment (ur a freak if u don’t lick ur plate…) I was «ASKED» not once, twice but 4x as to why I didn’t finish my carrots!!! Server, sous chef assistant, the guy who manages our table, & the water server… Seriously?! It’s carrots… It was tasteless, boring, and not very pleasing. Was I beyond annoyed? Eff yes! Bottomline, no one should ever force you to eat uninteresting of anything or «food shame you»! Especially for $ 8 Big Ben! Ugh…
Listen, if you have $$$$, go wild! Reservation takes a few tries and only goes up to 30 days at a time, good luck & happy feasting!

Ate here two days ago and the food was good and the service was very friendly and helped to make us and other consumers relaxed. There was only really one major gripe with the whole experience which was when we were near the main course the pace of the food started to slow considerably where we literally started to fall asleep.
However the table next to us had a stable flow of dishes coming in (and he even came in after us and finished quite a bit before our table of two while he was by himself). Although he was probably some important figure (checked out his Instagram and he seemed to be a food blogger/​chef) or someone associated with someone important as the waiters and other staff kept coming to greet him and saying how they’re so honored to meet him and showed him round the kitchen.
I don’t mind the special treatment that the VIP received however for a meal that costs a base of 300 the pacing of the food shouldn’t fall too far behind. Apart from that however the whole experience was good and I would definitely come again. On a side note for those who are not familiar with the restaurant the menu changes every 3 months according to the waiter (overheard the conversation with the VIP next to us).

I went to this place last month. The ambience is great with a very spacious view. The price is very reasonable as a Michelin three star restaurants. The food is awesome as well ! The Caviar Benedict as a appetizer is my favorite. It is very flavory with creamy taste. I had steak and fish as my main dish. Honestly, the appetizer is more creative and impressive. We had a kitchen tour after our dinner and had a small ice treat. It is an amazing experience with the service and food ! If you really want to have some Michelin three star restaurant experience in Nyc. I would recommend this one as a first choice!

When you are going to a three Michelin-​star restaurant, expectations are of course high. So high I would say, that the experience is always a bit disappointing. Everything is so relative. This is why I most often really applaud for two– or one-​star places, or restaurants that have no star what-​so-​ever. They are the challengers and in that group I find restaurants that really make me feel that my expectations were exceeded. They are often more reasonably priced as well. However, 11 Madison Park is the probably the best three-​star I have ever visited. No, not the best restaurant, there are a few dinners I rate higher. A three star is always slightly stiff. However, food, wine, service and ambiance, they were all awesome.
I will start with the wines in this review. The list at 11 Madison was great and the sommelier did a super job. We always prefer to try some local wines when we travel. Perhaps not always in Asia, but for sure in the US and Europe. New York state wines were quite new to me, so the friendly sommelier picked a few from the wine list that represented the style of different wine regions in the area. He even opened a few bottles that we not on the by-​the-​glass list, so that we could taste them. And everything we were able to get in half glasses. That’s pretty great service.
There was only one six course menu. We were asked for any specific food-​allergies, so I assume they accommodate special diets (even Ms «no oysters» diet), however no specific selection can be made in the start. During the dinner, we were able to, however, make some individual choices on courses. The six courses was also a bit of an illusion, as there were so many small extra tasters, that one kind of lost track on what was a course and what was not. It was just a four hour food festival with continuous snacking. I will not write the whole list of courses we had here, but I can mention a few favorites: eggs Benedict with mini muffins perhaps being my favorite. We also had really great lamb (three different pieces) and our dessert was a baked Alaska that was flambéed at the table. There was also a fun chocolate tasting at the end of the dinner. We got four chocolate bars that were all made with different milk (cow, goat, lamb and buffalo), and we were supposed to guess which is which. It was actually quite hard even though each chocolate bar tasted distinctly different.
All in all the damage was around 400 $ per person. Around 300 $ of that accounted for food and service was included (yay! I hate tipping). And yes, that is a lot of money. However, for a three star meal including a flight of sommelier picked wines, I did not feel all weak in the legs when pulling out the Amex. We have had significantly worse value for money meals, and this felt more like an investment into the memory bank. The meal was worth every penny.

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: A magnificent dining experience!
I was so excited when my hubby got the reservation at Eleven Madison Park (EMP). EMP is rated as the 5^th best restaurant in the world for outstanding service. So we were ecstatic.
We were early at EMP and the staff meeting was being held in the beautiful dining room. They were so nice to let us in to sit and have drinks in the bar area. Off to an excellent start! The structure and interior of the restaurant is in art deco. The high wall to ceiling windows are magnificent in casting a natural, serene light into the dining room.
We sat in the bar and had cocktails. I love the bar snacks. Hand made potato chips, olives and nuts. Hubby had a black Manhattan and I had a prosecco.
This is what we ate/​drank:
Black & White Savory cookie with apple and cheddar
Whitefish Salad — Morel with rye crisp well fleet oyster with caviar
Caviar Benedict with spring onion and ham
Foie Gras Seared with sorrel and fava beans
Lobster butter poached with dandelion and ginger
Asparagus braised with potato and black truffle
Title fish
Roasted with carrots and nettle and broth
New Potatoes variations with flowers
Morel custard with spring garlic
Strawberries poached with vanilla and elderflower.
Chocolate «Name that Milk»
Chocolate Pretzel with sea salt and Apple Brandy.

I’ll keep this short since this is EMP. Everybody already knows all about this place. I flew in from Chicago for the weekend and set up a reservation through a concierge service. It’s much less pretentious than you expect. In fact, a lot of the 1 star Michelin places I’ve eaten at have had stricter dress codes.
Truly, eating at EMP is about the food. Be prepared to spend 2 hours hear. We actually had plans afterwards so they managed to squeeze the final desert/​game into a shorter time span for us. I came away satisfied completely and we even got little gift bags.
If you can swing the money, just do it. It’s hard to get a reservation, but it’s well worth it.

I was so excited when I got a reservation here back in August 2015, but it didn’t amaze me as much as I expected (or maybe my expectations were too high). The food was definitely delicious, but it was one of the least filling tasting menus I’ve ever had.
Pros:
— The duck is probably one of the single most phenomenal things I’ve ever eaten. Ever. There really is no question about it.
— The foie gras and their interpretation of eggs benedict stood out to me as well.
— Good variety of bread, which was fresh and warm as well. The butter was silky smooth and perfectly rich.
— The waiter was very attentive to my requests, specifically for my food to be lightly salted since I found the earlier dishes a bit heavy.
Cons:
— I was incredibly disappointed by one of the courses, the «whey sorbet». It honestly tasted so disgusting and I could barely choke down half of it. My waiter noticed and didn’t offer a replacement dish or anything.
— Tiny, tiny portions. I know fine dining focuses on quality over quantity, but compared to other 3 star restaurants, it still paled in comparison. While 11 courses sounds like a lot, they count the amuse bouche and palette cleansers as well.
Takeaway:
Definitely, definitely recommend going for their a la carte menu, which includes the duck! I wouldn’t go back for the tasting menu unless I saw it beforehand and liked enough of the courses.

Absolutely LOVE this restaurant and the entire waitstaff made it a point to make sure I had the best graduation dinner ever (I did!). IMPORTANT: The bill is shocking, yes but the service charge is already included in it and you pay for what you get.
At the end of the dinner, everyone at the table was given a jar of homemade granola and a small menu detailing the dishes each of us had that night, which I thought was a nice and memorable touch to end the night.

We went here last night for our wedding anniversary dinner and man ohh man. It was quite an experience.
I feel like I shouldn’t even write review for EMP, obviously being three michelin star restaurant EMP is in its own class when it comes to service, attention to details, décor, ambiance, and the whole experience.
Let’s start with service, the level of personal touch and knowing what you’re celebrating it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I love the fact that each table have it’s own server and the whole team that will give you that attentive service. My water glass never empty. It almost seems like there were more staff than guests…
I’m not gonna lie the food were delicious and it’s an experience from start to finish. The total time for our dinner was four hours and it went by rather quickly. The menu changes seasonally and you do have an options as far as what type of protein that you want to get. Your waiter typically will ask you after your first course which consist of four different dishes.
Towards the end of your dinner experience, there’s probably five different components involving desserts, cheese, blind tasting chocolate, your actual dessert, coffee (which is exclusive), some kind of dark chocolate pretzel, digestif (eau de vie), a gift box as parting gift plus something if you’re celebrating something.
Worth the experience and I would say save it for special events since it’s quite $$$$$. It’s worth it!

my friend and i couldn’t get reservations, so we decided to do a walk in and sit by the bar instead. the service and experience is fantastic, even at the bar!
of course we couldn’t try the set menu at the bar, but we were able to pick and choose a few items for that night. the only thing i remembered was the duck which i thought was cooked very well.
ok, so this is where the 5 star service comes in. we were talking to the bartender, saying how we tried getting reservations and it was so hard. moments later, the bartender comes back and says he wants to invite us to the kitchen.
we got a really cool tour of the kitchen and they made us a dessert in front of us ON THE HOUSE. this alone would make me come back.

I’ve been coming to EMP since the early 2000s. I first learned about EMP while watching an episode of Sexy in the City — Carrie fell in EMP when trying to rush out after learning that Big was marrying Natasha, lol!) It was good back in the day, but over the past 5 years when Chef Daniel Humm purchased the restaurant from Danny Meyer, this place reached unbelievable levels! Now, its on my repeat list for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, NYE, Saturday nights, anytime I can get a reservation makes it «special» and a reason to go).
Food: The menu changes often. It’s based on the best seasonal ingredients available. On our most recent visit in April 2016:
Black and White Savory Cookie with Apple and Cheddar — so good and simple, yet amazing. Great start to the meal. You know you made the right decision to come after eating this.
Whitefish Salad, Fava Bean Croquette (very good), Morel with Rye Crisp and Wellfleet Oyster with Caviar.
Caviar Benedict with Spring Onion and Ham — My favorite dish of the tasting menu. A nice portion of caviar, egg yolk and small English muffins. Words can’t describe the joy this dish brought me.
Foie Gras (Seared) with Sorrel and Fava Beans — I’m not a huge Foie Gras fan, so I didn’t get this dish. My husband got this and we were both blown away by how good it was. It was cooked to perfection.
Fluke and Peas — My least favorite dish of the night. The texture of this dish and that it was served cold didn’t work for me.
Snapper
Lobster course — My second favorite of the evening. I large portion of lobster for a tasting menu and the flavors were phenomenal!
Asparagus — braised with potato and black truffle — was very good, but very small. This dish was all about the presentation. The Asparagus was cooked tableside.
Spring Lamb — was good
Duck — was good, but slightly over cooked. I was very full at this point, so I didn’t mind as much.
New Potatoes and Morel (two separate dishes — served as sides with the Spring Lamb and Duck) — very delicious.
Strawberries Poached with Vanilla and Elderflower — very refreshing.
Chocolate and Salted Caramel dessert — very good, just enough at the end of the meal
Chocolate «Name that Milk» Pretzel with Sea Salt — cute game of matching up 4 different chocolate and milk (cow, sheep, buffalo and goat). I was not successful, I think I got 1 or 2 right.
Wine: Excellent wine list, but this is expected. Great prices points to choose from.
Atmosphere: I always loved this room, even back in the early 2000s. It feels special but not stuffy. It’s classy and elegant. I love the floral arrangements in the front (right when you walk in). We always take a picture here.
Service: Is very attentive and more than meets my expectations for a 3 star Michelin restaurant.
This restaurant was the highest listed restaurant in North America on the San Pellegrino the last few years. It deserves all the accolades that they have received in recent years.

My best dining experience ever. Everything was near perfect if I can’t say it’s perfect!
Oyster poached and raw with chestnut and veloute was my favorite. The raw oyster with apple meat and vinegar like sauce was my one-​bite organismic wonder! It’s refreshing with the slightly sour dressing and fruity apple aroma. Everything together taste amazing, icy fresh with a fruity finish. The warm oyster is on the other hand, rich, creamy and delicious.
Caviar — mini Benedict with egg, potato, and ham. Very cute, mint bite size muffins. We need to assemble them ourselves which was another fun part of the meal!
EMP def masters the cooking of seafood — no matter it’s the crab or the lobster, the meat is juicy, super tender and soft (mind-​blowing)! I can’t imagine the lobster can be as tender as this!
Celery root — never had celery this flavorful before.
Duck — another my favorite dish. Two weeks old honey and lavender glazed duck coated in cumin spices with Juicy meat and fatty skin. Duck soup — salty and rich.
Cheese plate was extraordinary too. Amazing presentation — tarte with Apple skin that filled with cheddar.
After our cheese plate, we were invited to the famous kitchen tour! it was mind blowing to walk into the world classic restaurant’s kitchen! There we shaked hands Chef Will! We were also greeted by other chefs and got our complimentary maple syrup refreshment coated with Apple meat. The waitress kindly offered to take photo for us. I mentioned that my cell was running out of battery so we used my friends’. When we returned to our table 5 minutes later, I found a wireless charger on the table! I didn’t even notice when she mentioned this to another staff! The service was absolutely impeccable.
Baked Alaska was a great show!
Lastly, we had a lot of fun in the «name the milk» chocolate milk guessing game. And deeply enjoyed the last bites of chocolate pretzel with sea salt.
To end the will-​never-​end-​memory-​creating night, everything was perfect. EMP — thanks very much for the absolutely fun, amazing, delicious and inspiring dining experience.

It’s been 2 ½ years since we’ve been to EMP, so this review comes a bit late (and in the midst of some substantial changes to the menu, from what I understand). But even years later, EMP remains my GOAT — my favorite restaurant and favorite meal of all time.
EMP has plenty of company in New York when it comes to world-​renowned restaurants that focus on service as much as they do food. If you like to count Michelin stars, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges, and Per Se all excel at this. But the reason I place EMP so squarely and unquestionably above the rest is how much of an experience the entire meal is, from before you walk in the door to when you walk out.
There is clearly a great deal of effort that goes into this experience, but it all seems so effortless when you see it in motion. You’re aware of the large staff they have on hand, but they’re never intrusive and never hover. At the same time, you are never ignored — I was taking much longer than normal on a course (my own fault) and was eventually asked if everything was okay with the dish — a nice reminder that they are paying careful attention.
The environment and feel at EMP is noticeably younger than at its counterparts in the city, and the age of our fellow diners reflected that (most people looked in their 20s/​30s). It’s not a casual place by any means (the people using old fashioned irons on the tablecloths at empty tables will remind you of that), but the atmosphere is more friendly and doesn’t feel stuffy in the slightest. They really hit the sweet spot here in making sure you feel comfortable throughout the entire meal.
And then there’s the food. EMP Is priced similarly to its competitors, and the meal took roughly the same amount of time (about 3 hours). But at 16 courses the meal just blows everything else out of the water. They could have easily done half of these courses with larger portions, and this meal would still stand up to the others. These are 16 well planned, well executed, creative dishes that at times have an element of fun to them — we were treated to a sort of «ode to New York,» starting with a savory black and white cookie and ending with a sweet one.
I could go on and on about each of these dishes, but my opinion boils down to this — EMP belongs on every foodie’s bucket list. Not sure how the new format turned out, but I plan on finding out soon.

I had the greatest meal of my life at Eleven Madison Park. I also had the second greatest here. I also had a disastrous one that featured lame table-​side magic and a carrot grinder.
But I’m pleased to say that the restaurant has nearly returned to its past glory. Our latest meal still didm’t quite include those one-​bite orgasmic wonders of their first menus, but every course was a home run, and the service was impeccable – perfectly timed, efficient, flexible, welcoming and friendly.
Highlights of our most recent meal included an assortment of delicious oyster preparations (high praise since I’m not a huge oyster fan); caviar served like miniature eggs benedict that you assemble yourself; a wonderful sea bass; celery root cooked in a pig’s bladder; and a chocolate guessing game for dessert.
They have started opening their older wines with port tongs, which may be a bit over the top but does provide an entertaining table-​side show, and it certainly gets rid of any cruddy corks!
The biggest change is that instead of 16 or so mini courses there are now eight somewhat larger ones, and many course offer several selections. This allowed us, as a party of three, to sample nearly everything on the menu.
I like this new format, and the more professional level of the service overall. Say a happy goodbye to the magic show, and give it a fresh try.

I’ve been eating at the one top Michelin restaurant each weekend in 2016 and this one right here takes the cake.
UPDATE: As of now, I have eaten at the following competitors in the last 2 months alone: Momofoku Ko, Brooklyn Fare, and Le Bernardin.
And now i can say this blows away ALL of them
This is the only 2+ star Michelin star place I’ve been that that is almost worth the price tag
One of the best meals I’ve ever had — both food wise and service wise — and i never give out 5 star reviews.
I walked in a total skeptic and walked out a convert.
How this place is only the #5 on Zagat’s top NYC restaurants is beyond me.
Luckily, it takes its rightful place as the #5 Restaurant in the WORLD on San Pellegrino’s top list.
I came here for my birthday and it was really special.
From the moment you walk in, everyone from start to finish knows and acknowledges your birthday from the reservation guy to the beverage guy, and almost every face you see during the entirety of meal.
The meal has changed since Jan 2016 so be aware.
Its now 8 courses spanning 2.5 hours instead of the old 14 courses over 4 hours, but its still magical. Its $ 295 a person + tax and drinks, but tips are included, so it clocks in at one of the most expensive meals in the city.
Our main waiter was young Giovanni Ribsi look-​alike and this guy did it all. He took the orders, he brought the food, he cooked food live table side, and he had a story for every dish.
The rest of the staff was awesome, and like other reviewers have said, are definitely just ordinary dudes. None of that pretentious «all french staff» some places had. (i’m looking at you Le Bernardin)
Its the small things that really make this place excellent. For example they will always make sure your bottle of beer always has the label facing you while it sits on the table, and they will even put it on ice to keep it cold while you finish your glass.
The dishes were absolutely delicious, simple, with an amazing presentation all at the same time. Nothing pretentious like everything covered with truffles or a potato chip with something raw on top (yes EVERY restaurant is doing this stupid crap now with potato chips).
I loved the fact that many of the dishes were interactive and either featured a small show table-​side, or had to be put together — especially the mini English muffins with a side of quail egg omelette that you make into tiny sandwiches. Fun and delicious.
For a 2.5 hour meal, I was not bored at any point. There was always something going on.
Some other great tidbits was the all-​you-​can eat fresh croissants with butter and sea salt, the 2^nd slice of dessert (once we asked why they showed us an entire pie table side but gave us only a tiny slice), and for big drinkers, a complimentary BOTTLE of liquor at the end of your meal (usually whisky or brandy, no chasers though, so not easy to drink).
I found it a bit funny they are still doing their «guess that chocolate» with the Mast brothers Brooklyn chocolate after their scandal about how they are selling melted Hershey’s at $ 10 a bar.
Also, the goody bags with chocolate birthday truffles and a jar of granola when you leave was an excellent touch.
Would I come here again? yes definitely for a very special occasion. The only 2 or 3 star Michelin restaurant I can say that for
Bottom line however, even after trying almost every top Michelin restaurant in NYC, I can now safely say that none of these places are REALLY worth the $ 300+ price tags and the Michelin rating system is a total sham.
==========
That being said here’s my Ultra-​High end tasting menu/​Michelin Star grading sheet from Best to Worst:
— Eleven Madison Park A
— Brooklyn Fare C
— Momofoku Ko D
— Le Bernardin F
— Semilla F

A year after my trip (well almost, about a month short) I return to finish this review that I never got down to writing. I went in with high expectations, and to be honest, left just a wee disappointed. Everyone says that Eleven Madison Park sets the bar for cuisine in New York City… but really, I preferred Per Se and it wasn’t even close. I was even tempted to give this a four star review, but really, that wasn’t fair. EMP was excellent. It was best-​in-​class… it’s just, for me at least, Per Se was better.
I enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Service was en pointe, flawless, and welcoming. Without going into specific dishes, every dish was creative and intriguing… with their rendition of a ‘eggs Benedict’ being the most memorable dish I had that day. Eggs, caviar, a light Hollandaise emulsion, ham gelee… all the flavour elements of one of my favourite breakfast items, compacted into a caviar tin. Brilliant. Delicious. Unforgettable.
Some of the other dishes though… were a little off-​balance for me. A touch too sour, or another a bit too salty… it felt as though the kitchen was trying to push flavours and ideas further and had gone just a little bit too far… meaning dishes were no longer balanced. And balance is so important to me… a harmonious dish with multiple flavours, that’s cuisine. So it was a little… I wouldn’t say disappointing, but a little surprising to find that I didn’t agree with everything the kitchen put out. It might be more me, maybe I just have a conservative palate.
But overall I would recommend dining at EMP in a heartbeat. The service is perfect, and even with the dishes I didn’t love, I still liked them and the meal itself was still one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had, in a restaurant or out.
Deservedly five stars.

Having eaten at numerous other Michelin 3 star and Pellegrino Top 50 restaurants, I can say, without reservation, that this was the best meal I’ve ever had. With the exception of dessert, each course was the best I’ve had of that particular food item. Between the 4 of us we tried just about every option available (some courses are a choice between 2 or 3 items) and I don’t believe you can go wrong with any choice you make, with one notable exception. At one point you have a choice between foie gras terrine, pan fried, or a beet salad. It may seem obvious to most, but unless you (understandably) have a problem with the way foie gras is produced go with one of the foie gras choices. I didn’t think I could find foie gras done better than I’ve had at Betony or Nomad but both the pan fried and the terrine foie gras at EMP were exquisite. The beet salad was a beet salad.
Aside from the amazing food, the service was fantastic — everything I would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. They were on top of everything without being overbearing. They were friendly and helpful and not at all pretentious. The atmosphere is elegant without being stuffy. The beer list is impressive and the 2 Manhattans I sampled were excellent.
The one disappointment in the entire meal was the dessert. Dessert is one of the courses with options, but the baked alaska must be chosen by the entire table. We chose the baked alaska so I can’t speak for the other dessert choices, but I was very underwhelmed by the baked alaska. It was ok, but I’ve had countless far better desserts at lesser restaurants. Following so many incredible dishes, this mediocre dessert was certainly a letdown.
Overall, EMP was a wonderful experience. The one misstep we encountered, though disappointing, did little to overshadow the truly exceptional food and service we experienced before dessert. I was blown away by some of the flavors my mouth was fortunate to experience and for the first time that I can remember I consciously tried to savor each and every bite for as long as possible. Though the price tag is quite hefty for a single meal, I would absolutely recommend EMP to anyone who can get past the price. And trust me, it’s not too difficult once you taste the food.

My second favorite Michelin three star restaurant that I’ve been to (right behind Bo Innovation in Hong Kong). Ahead of Per Se for some food reasons, and more so holistic experience reasons. And way ahead of peers (although diff fare) like Jean Georges, Daniels, and The Modern.
16 ingredients and no set menu with a generous corkage policy, there’s just so much room for creativity and surprises. Without listing and remembering every course, among the best experiences include some simple courses that featured (spoilers), a picnic basket with a perfect warm soft pretzel, side of artisan mustard, and local craft bottled beer, a dessert that featured a magic trick from the waiter, and a course with 4 – 5 different ingredients on a wooden board that lets the eater combine/​flavor to liking.
11 Mad Park really isn’t just about the food, it’s about the experience. It does the food very well, but it’s the experience that sets itself apart from peers. Seriously, how many fine dining restaurants trains their staff to do magic as part of waiting tables?

Rather than reprise the numerous thoughtful appreciations of Chef Humm’s creations which can be found here, let me post a caveat for the benefit of those who might, for instance, stand before a Monet and mutter «But it’s just a fuzzy pitcher of a haystack.» If that is you, dear reader, this restaurant is not for you. You will find the cuisine, and the praise with which it is described in some quarters, as mystifying as a Christie’s auction. You will be able to buy yourself a filling, toothsome, and sensibly-​priced meal (or even a «pre-​fixed theater menu») at any number of fine eateries throughout the city, which I hope you will consume with gusto on your way to the show.
I close with this advice: the bowl of salt at table is there so that the diner may salt his or her food to taste.

If the most memorable thing about a highly anticipated night is the service… then i guess we might have a bit of a problem
Eight courses
1) oysters (cold/​hot pairing… quite solid)
2) foie gras (didn’t get the apple it came wrapped in, might have been pickled apple?)
3) caviar benedict (this was the highlight, by far, nothing even close — this is one of the best things i’ve eaten… EVER)
4) lobster — meh, nothing to write home about
5) vegetable in pig’s bladder… OK, here’s my issue — what did the pig’s bladder add exactly? i mean it’s nice to have it finished table-​side, but am i supposed to be appetized by the thought of a pig’s bladder? or taste the bladder-​i-​ness on the veggies? this was a typical example of bland food hiding under rich sauces (in this case, a very lovely truffle sauce)… but lets face it, you can put truffle sauce on anything and have it be delicious
6) duck — it was actually lukewarm when it arrived at the table, but worse yet, it came with something slightly more serrated than a butterknife, making the whole thing difficult to cut
7) cheese — beautiful piece with apple on top and cheddar on the bottom, an homage to upstate NY i’m sure…
8) cheesecake — completely unmemorable at this point
If nothing else, I recall thinking a few times — this dish could have used more salt. I mean yes, there was a dish of salt in the middle of the table, but I don’t think that’s the point here.
There are two wine pairing options, a lower price one with less known and more adventurous choices, and a higher price one with classical regions and more vintage stuff. We went with the higher priced one and I was surprised to see so many whites, but given the menu above, I guess that makes sense.
But I was even more surprised to still be taken on a tour of some lesser known wine regions. Which made me wonder how «exotic» they get when you opt for the cheaper pairing? «this is a fine producer out of Bangladesh…»
Overall, the highlights of the meal were our Waitress and the Sommelier. Definitely wouldn’t go back and don’t even think I wanna try NoMad after that.
For this kind of price — there are plenty of other options in NYC.

One thumb down.
Our first visit to 11 Mad 4 years ago was an event. Something we frequently recount. Our Jan 2016 visit was «lovely» but I don’t remember much about it.
If I am going to drop $ 1000+ on dinner I’d like to have an unforgettable experience.

Let me start by saying that this was my second experience at EMP and was blown away by our «experience» (that’s truly what it was!) our first time around last year. However, since Jan. 15^th Daniel Humm has chosen to change their menu. It is no longer a 14 course tasting menu that can last up to 4 hrs. (That was part of the experience and I didn’t mind it) It is now 7 courses and some menu items can be chosen by customers. Personally, I am more than willing to give up all control to the chef in a tasting menu… At $ 300 pp (not including drinks/​wine pairings which can add another $ 350) it is now more expensive with fewer courses and more similar to a regular :(dining experience in many other restaurants.
Gone are the explanations and theatrics that I thoroughly enjoyed previously and contributed to the overall experience. Now, the menu is simpler, with less visual and palatable appeal.
If I had to describe this last experience at EMP in two words, I would say, underwhelming and unimaginative.
So disappointing.

Amazing experience! Came here for my wife and brother-in-law’s birthday. The food was divine and the service was 100% perfect. The staff are true professionals! They took my wife’s food restrictions seriously and had wonderful alternatives. With nothing more than a glance from our server to his assistant, we were brought new items that fit our taste. Truly unbelievable! This restaurant really goes above and beyond and does so very skillfully!

4.5 stars.
EMP is pretty damn good, but you don’t need this review to tell you that. The service is impeccable, friendly and knowledgeable; the décor is deco and spacious; the food is terrific. Here’s what we loved:
–Oysters and especially the oyster veloute. Rich, creamy and delicious.
-«Eggs benedict» with caviar and quail. Just the right flavors all together.
–Braised celery root. Who knew celery root could absorb flavors like that?
–Baked Alaska. And a show!
–Take-​home granola. We want more.
EMP is great, and if you have a chance to go and celebrate something wonderful, you won’t be disappointed.

All staff there are very kid friendly (I have 8 month old girl), they don’t have high chair, however, they are willing to help…
Well, the food is very creative and unique. Comparing to Other Michelin 3 star, I would come Back here and recommend my friend too… For the service and the food. It’s worth it.

My friend who frequents NYC recommended this place. Due to short notice, we were only able to get a lunch reservation. I had a reservation for 2, and last minute, I called to see if I could add a 3^rd; they were more than happy to accommodate.
The immaculate service is noticeable as soon as you walk in the door. We were sharp to our reservation and were seated promptly. My friend gave me the evil eye because I didn’t have a blazer on… I was a bit concerned because of it cause he made it seem like a big deal… I mean, if I’m going to spend this much money on lunch, I’m going to be comfortable doing so!
After looking at their menu, we decided to each have the chief’s selection, an 8-​course meal. We were warned it would be a 3-​hour experience… 3 hours… for lunch… OK!
The meals were all little portions, and were amazing. The sommelier came to the table right about when our first course came out and recommended a couple different bottles of wine that complimented the Chef’s selection, we went with whatever he recommended, which was a dry Riesling. Perfect choice for the 3 of us, for lunch.
After each course, there was a nice lady who removed the finished plates, and silverware. She was kinda tucked away somewhere, but was always watching us somehow. It was very impressive how attentive she was. Once, I looked her way, and she walked right over to me and asked me if i needed anything. I told her, I was just getting up to use the restroom, and she pulled the table away from me to give me more room to get up (its the little things that do it for me, the attention to detail).
My friends told me they came and cleaned up my messy side of the table while I was gone, replaced silverware and gave me a clean knee cloth.
About 5 courses in, a gentleman came up to us and asked how our meal was. I thought to myself, «OMG, hes going to say something about me not wearing a blazer, or maybe I did something improper» This was not the case. He said, if we were interested, the chef would like to invite us to the kitchen and show us how things work. We all looked at each other and I answered, «hell yeah…, oh, i mean, «that would be splendid.»
We proceed to the kitchen, and I swear, everyone in the restaurant was looking at us like we were some VIP. Nope, just little-​old-​me (maybe they were appalled that I wasn’t wearing a blazer ;P). We went to the back, and was introduced to the Chef who just thanked us for coming and some other inspirational words before he darted off to get ready for the dinner rush, To tell you the truth, I cant exactly remember was he said cause I was too busy looking for my jaw on the floor. We were on a pedestal while the sue-​chef made an edible cocktail for us, and told us about all the stations and how the kitchen works, and how it differs from a lot of restaurants. He then let us ask him questions about day to day operations and their inspiration, etc. The edible cocktail was made with liquid nitrogen, right in front of us. It was awesome!
By the time we get back to our table, all the cloth was changed out, and our next course was served. One of the meals was foie gras. I remember taking a few bites and just couldn’t finish the dish. My friends LOVED it. My pallet is just not that refined, especially coming from a state which outlaws it. The lady again came to me, and asked me, «was this not to your liking?» I giggled.
After all the delicious food, my friend (being a big diva and all) asks for french pressed ice coffee… Our waiter said they had regular coffee they could put over ice, but he’ll see what he can do. I kid you not, they flew to Africa and got the beans, but in 15 minutes, they had french pressed iced coffee that we all enjoyed.
I think we left there exactly 3 hours after we sat down. The bill wasn’t THAT expensive for the AMAZING experience we had, around $ 500 including tip, with a bottle of wine for a party of 3.

Came to the fabled Eleven Madison Park for an industry networking event recently, and it was quite an experience. They had a number of passed hors d’oeuvres that we’re all delicious — I think my favorite was the carrot ginger. Following that, there was a 7 course chef’s tasting menu (including a cheese course and dessert) that was prefixed with an amuse bouche. Of all, I think the first course, kale with smoked pork, was my favorite — and I’m not the biggest fan of kale by a long shot. The beef was cooked and seasoned perfectly, but the lobster course was tough, and the bass was a bit fishy.
The service was impeccable, and the space was graciously appointed. The Pinot Noir provided for the night was thin, flat, and had finish of dry pineapple. I know the wine was selected from a list by the hosting company in order to keep costs reasonable, but if you have dedicated sommeliers and cellarmasters, you surely can find a bargain wine that doesn’t immediately taste like a $ 5.99 clearance rack special. The Cabernet Sauvignon offered, though, was excellent and paired well with much of the dinner.
Over all, I was pleased with Eleven Madison Park, but I thought it was overpriced for what it offers. I’ve had other tasting menus for $ 200 that were tastier and prepared better, so there’s one star off. Much of this is splitting hairs though, if you’re interested in this place definitely go and try it out for yourself.

My exploration of Michelin started here. Thanks giving weekend, wanted tondo some thing special. Refreshed lots of pages, finally find a table for lunch open.
The front gate was so hard to find. Greeting, perfect. Checked you coat and lead us to a table on the lower floor. View? I cant see any from my table. Those servers should be really good at chatting. Ours checked in with us a couple of times, and then we just watched him swung to another table. Some courses came so late, i felt like we had to wait 30mi for a dish. People came after us finished before that.
Taste. A paper board, take out the one you like. I heard some people saying their was the one you don’t like. I guess Michelin raters are fond of this sort of things. Started with a black and white cookie, which was sour. I guess this is the part where they wants to surprise you and reset your palate. There were caviare in an egg white, 4 small dishes in a course. Your drink, fresh maid juice, depends on the elements you choose at the beginning. Main dish was either duck or deer. The duck one was so hard to cut with the knife. Covered with sichuan pepper. I was impressed how they can eliminate the taste of the pepper completely. Dessert, with demonstration, flaming cream cake. You get two pieces. What do you think these restaurants do with the remaining?
The whole thing took us 4.5 hours. Drove us nuts.

Of course I am giving the 5^th best restaurant in the world (the #1 best restaurant in New York City) a 5-​star rating… my senses were having a field day!
I took my husband here for his 29^th birthday to celebrate his last year in his twenties… because it gets better right?! (as long as my salary keeps up with inflation, I say hell yeah!). I’ve been near the Flatiron so many times and actually didn’t know this restaurant was located here… in fact we got lost and ended up walking around the block in a complete circumference around the restaurant!
The restaurant itself is spacious with REALLY HIGH CEILINGS! It reminded me of a bank. Everyone involved in the orchestra of food presentation were GREAT and on point… hooray!
Ok onto the food:
My favorites were the STURGEON sabayon with chive, OYSTER pie and velouté, CAVIAR Benedict with egg, cauliflower and ham, and DUCK roasted with collard greens and apples… these were so savory that I wanted to melt into my seat! I have absolutely nothing to critique!
I love coming to Michelin-​star restaurants for special occasions because of the unique dining experience for your mind, eyes and mouth. And this is by far the most creative and well orchestrated restaurant that I have been to.

WOW!!!
That was an amazing culinary experience that I will not forget for a while.
Highest compliments to Chef Daniel Humm and his staff.
Decided to come before the menu change starting next week, and good thing I did.
The 3-​hour tasting menu was very extensive, and the courses flowed beautifully from one course to the next. All the courses were amazing, utilizing many local ingredients; The tasting menu was perfectly executed.
Highest compliments to the dessert chef, as well. I hope they keep the ‘Milk & Honey’ on their new tasting menu.
The price for the 13-​course tasting menu was very reasonable, considering that it included gratuity.
Service was impeccable (Many thanks to Matthew & Co.).
There is a reason why EMP received 3 Michelin stars and 4 stars from the NYT.
One of the best restaurants in NYC (and considered one of the best in the world by some food critics).
I really want to try the new tasting menu and visit Humm’s other restaurant, The Nomad, very soon.
The highest recommendation!
: A+

EMP definitely deserves their 3 Michelin stars and to be named #5 Restaurant in the world!
We had Friday night reservations at 5:45pm two weeks before Christmas. The restaurant was fairly empty when we showed up but filled up quickly in the next hour. Some of the dishes looked mediocre presentation wise but the flavors were definitely present. Out of the 20+ courses, my favorites were the eggs benedict and the foie gras. The egg benedict looked plastic and unappetizing when it was first presented so I was completely blown away by the taste.
The wait staff is extremely attentive; each time I took a sip of water or wine, someone would be back to refill it. If you had to use the bathroom, someone would always be there to walk you over. On one of the many trips I took the bathroom during this 4 hour dinner, I jokingly told a waiter I had to leave work early for the reservation and my manager wanted proof that I was indeed dining at EMP. They came back and presented me with a letter for work and excusing me from work for the next few days. It was extremely thoughtful and witty!
My boyfriend had mentioned we were taking our first trip together to Hawaii the following week so after we were done with dinner and paid our bill, it was a complete surprise when they invited us to the kitchen for a tour. It is amazing how the kitchen of a restaurant serving 20+ courses is so clean and well organized. We were given an overview of how the kitchen is run, a tasting of apple snow and then they gifted us with lei’s! All this was done after we paid and tipped, so they didn’t expect anything extra for this. Job well done EMP!
5 stars for food and 5 stars for service!

The hubs and I came here to celebrate my birthday (Dinner #2) — I was super excited, as this would be our last 3-​star Michelin in NY! Owned by Chef Daniel Humm, the menu consists of a seasonal tasting menu that focuses on local ingredients. We were actually a little early for our reservation, and while in the process of directing us towards the bar, another employee kindly stated that if we were ready to begin our dinner experience, we could be seated at that moment — yay! I really think we received one of the best seats in the restaurants, as instead of facing the entrance way with the ‘Exit’ signs, we were facing the back of the restaurant where it was open, airy, and a beautiful mosaic on the wall as our focal point. I loved the large table, as it gives an option to couples whether to sit right next to each other or across: D When we were seated, we noticed a little box tied with a string — contained our first bite of the evening, which was a savory black and white cookie with apple and cheddar — this was salty and savory and crumbled in your mouth! Next, with our napkin holder, there sat a little egg filled with sturgeon caviar, sabayon and chives — delicious! Afterwards, we had an oyster pie and veolute; scallops marinated with black truffle and leeks; a take on eggs Benedict with egg, caviar, cauliflower and ham, with mini biscuits that were just so addicting and oh-​so-​cute!!!; foie gras (they ask if you would prefer it to be seared or in mousse form; I requested mousse, but I liked the hubs’ seared format, as it was delicious); a made-​to-​order Waldorf salad with apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts — the apples were shaved with a French shaving machine, and this salad was super refreshing; underneath the salad, the plate was lifted for the next course, a celery bisque that was creamy; we then tried lobster with poached butternut squash and chestnuts; Hen of the Woods mushroom bundle roasted with horseradish; a choice of either the restaurant’s signature dish, the roasted duck with collard greens and apple or venison; I was not a fan of either of these entrees, as the duck skin was just way too touch and not flavorful, and the venison was also just not tasty; a little mini ‘fondue’ set with Cato Corner cheese, melted in a hollowed out squash with a side of mustard and twig-​like salted pretzel rolls; Botrytis ice cream with bitter almond and ginger crumble with a spoonful of Josef Vineyard’s Riesling; a scoop of milk and honey custard with bee pollen ice cream; and, finally, a cute way to end the night — a chocolate ‘Name that Milk’ chocolate bar game — you receive a mini card with the restaurant logos and 4 animals (bison, cow, sheep, and goat) — you taste each of the unidentified bars and do a matching game, and the server brings out an answer key — this was SO FUN (and, I WON) AHAHAHA Just note that the bars are dark chocolate-​focused. At the end, we received a little bag of their housemade granola, a little canister of the printed menu, and some sea salt chocolate truffle bars. The staff were all super accommodating, friendly, and had a great sense of humor — we really loved Dean: D I am glad I was finally able to try Eleven Madison out!
+eggs Benedict with mini biscuits!
+seared foie gras
+Waldorf salad
+cute ‘Name that Milk’ game at the end
+ask for Dean: D
+friendly staff

Wow, our taste buds didn’t know what hit them! What an experience!
A girlfriend and I had been wanting to check out EMP for quite some time and last night was the night!
Every course was outstanding, the service was super friendly and not pretentious at all and you definitely get what you paid for! After Per Se I must admit I was scarred from spending ridiculous amounts on food but EMP has since changed my outlook.
I’ll let the photos speak for themselves as everything was delicious!
We ended up paying $ 345 pp for food, taxes, tip and 2 glasses of wine each. I think from Jan 1 it’s $ 295pp from $ 225 but the new price includes gratuity.

Exceptional dining experience!
First heard this place from my friend, and I have been dreaming of dining at this place for over a year and this place is really difficult to book… I have tried three times to book a dinner at normal dinner time like 7pm and all failed. This time, we compromised and booked for a lunch. Both lunch and dinner offer fixed price tasting menu.
Don’t want to share much about what you are going to see here. Just go and experience by yourself, do not read many reviews about their dishes or services — they will never disappointment you anyway so no need to do much pre-​work before you go.

Easily, this was my best dining experience to date.
I came here with my girlfriend to celebrate our accomplishments — she got a new job, I received a promotion, and we were approved for our first apartment together.
The exceptional service started before we got to the restaurant and continued long after our meal was complete. The maitre d emailed me days before our reservation to inquire about our visit and ensure we were personally welcomed when arriving at the restaurant. Waiters demonstrated the utmost professionalism throughout our dinner, as they were truly skilled in their craft. It was also apparent that the dining room manager (Alex) took pride in his establishment, as he took the time to walk the restaurant and speak attentively with guests.
The food quality and presentation was fantastic. Our tasting menu for the evening consisted of 14 items that were each impressive in their own right. Standout courses included caviar (benedict with egg, ham, and asparagus), carrot (tartare with rye crisps and condiments), asparagus (braised in pig’s bladder with potato and black truffle), lobster (butter-​poached with dandelion and ginger), and veal (dry-​aged with ramps and bone marrow).
While finishing the final menu item by playing the famous «name that milk» game, Alex came to our table and handed us a key (literally) that unlocked a private experience after dinner concluded. I won’t include those specifics in this review to avoid spoiling a potential surprise for future guests, but message me separately if you want to know the story.
This restaurant deserves its three-​star Michelin rating in every facet, and I will be back for another meal.

Dang…3.5 hrs for so little food. Sigh.
Really sad to say this, but our tasting menu tonight was pretty underwhelming. There were a lot of creative pickling and small portions of veggies which were garnished n beautifully presented… but failed to follow through in taste. The «tomato in oil» dish was too concentrated n acidic; it was pretty much like eating a fancy version tomato paste. There was a mini pickled eggplant and then another pickled sunflower heart. OMG.
The desserts were more salty than sweet.
There were so many courses, but each were pretty much bite size. I did not need 15 mins each to eat them. Actually, I didn’t eat half of the meal.
To their credit, the fois gras with the fried shallot crumble was AMAZING, so was the corn/​cream/​caviar dish. The duck was good, but we each only got a sliver of it… what happend to the rest of the duck? The seafood boil was made well, but had a bunch of, again, seemingly pickled veggies and only a few pieces of real meat.
The fois gras proves that they’ve got skills here at EMP, but their creative culinary artistry got ahead of them. Instead of presenting their diners with an ensemble of delicious and satisfying dishes, I felt we were guinea pigs here to pay A LOT to taste a food experiment.
There were a lot of «womp womp WOMP» moments. I felt teased. And I left not full… and I am a small person.
I apologize. I know I’m ranting.
*the extra star is for the impeccable service and gorgeous décor.