Eleven Madison Park

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WebNRetail

Joined 3 years ago

2012 Michelin New York Upgrades Eleven Madison Park to Chefs. Winning 1 Michelin Star in 2002 wasn't enough for Swiss chef Daniel Humm so he ventured out west. He reigned at the helm of Campton Place where he won the Food and Wine Chef of the Year. With his mind set on higher aspirations, he struck a deal of a lifetime with Danny Meyer and moved to Eleven Madison Park with his full staff in tow.

Chef Humms' culinary influences are definitely European and reflect the sensibilities of market driven cuisine with preparations cooked gently under low temperature. His classic flavor combinations truly put him in a league with the best chefs on the international scene.

The beautiful dining space, excellent wine list and connections to one of the best cheese mongers from the west coast makes this restaurant is a destination unto itself.

The editorsblog at ----> bit.ly/TWC_NY_DINING gives a quick but savvy overview.

Doesn't Recommend

canobar

Joined 7 years ago

Meh.. The gimmicks at Eleven Madison Park don't compensate for what, in my opinion, was fairly average tasting food. Even an ingredient which could have been phenomenal (lobster, langoustine...), oddly just wasn't. There were some bites that were "interesting" (beet marshmallow, celery granita, lots of cliché truffles and foie gras thrown around), but, again, not delicious- which is what I'd look for in a meal of that calibre. What's more, if the gimmicks don't strike you as silly, the check probably will.

Doesn't Recommend

lelectra

Joined 4 years ago

any place that serves foie gras so not cool--food was eh. A client brought me here a few months ago, I'm sure they thought I'd be terribly impressed, which I wasn't. You see, I'm an animal lover and this place, for starters, serves foie gras. Yes I eat fish, and all animals that go to the slaughterhouse suffer one way or another, but what they do to the birds to make foie gras is terribly brutal and cruel. In Chicago, I believe, they have outlawed it. So I wasn't impressed and I will never eat here again. Oh and to all the "fancy" people who order the stuff, and keep a demand to continue this barbaric practice.--Shame on you.

BTW, the food was also mediocre at best.

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kinghams

Joined 10 years ago

Good & bad. Went here for the wife's 40th birthday. Having recently seen the NYtimes give this place 4 stars we were looking forward to big things.

Service - impeccable. There's an army of staff here to keep on top of things but they don't rush you.

Ambiance - Awesome space with huge windows. Very tastefully done without being overbearing.

Food - Two people tried the summer tasting menu and I went with the tower of pork. Summer tasting menu was a dissapointment as almost every dish came with a foam of some description. Some folks may like that but we prefer the food 'as is'. The tower of pork on the other hand was superb with head cheese and pork belly particularly good.

Wine - great list with some that are reasonably priced. Staff were attentive to our requirements and very good recomendations.

overall I'd recomend but in some ways the tasting menu was 'wd-50' light with the molecular style, and to be honest foams have had their day. To have it on every course was overkill.

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Laura21

Joined 4 years ago

Upscale Foodie Haven. The food is delicious w/ well considered texture combinations.

My husband and I have had three 'date nights' here, delighted each time. We've found that the food is a highlight of the night, but the service and ambiance of the place also just lets us relax and we end up with great conversation.

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mrfreeze100

Joined 11 years ago

Stellar. Stellar in every respect, this is one of the most positive restaurant experiences one can have in NYC. This restaurant undoubtedly has one of the most professional staffs I have experienced, at par with 3 star Michelin establishments in Paris, NYC rival Daniel, and Cyrus in Sonoma. The service, exquisite food and retro ambiance make this a luxurious night out.

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AaronFreeman

Joined 5 years ago

Average...... The food was very good, bordering on excellent. But....the atmosphere does not warrant the price. Very good service, not great though. When having a special experience like this over a couple/few hours and paying those prices I really don't want to hear all my neighbor's conversations. The menu is unique both in ingredients and in ordering style. Formal; check. Good food; check. Overpriced based upon service/atmosphere; check.

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Fashionjem

Joined 5 years ago

One of New York City's finest. I went here for my birthday dinner the other night and it exceeded my high expectations. The service was impeccable and the food was innovative and delicious. I got the three course prix fixe menu, which was just the right amount of food. I started off with the lobster and calamari gnocci and had the chicken as my entree. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was so moist it could be cut without a knife. I couldn't decide on one dessert, so I got two, both of which were extraordinary. The wait staff was extremely friendly and catered to our every needs. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants a very special meal in one of New York's most most beatiful dining rooms.

Doesn't Recommend

theonlyvic

Joined 7 years ago

Not fine dining. The room is beautiful, the wine list is excellent, unusual and relatively affordable, the bartender made a killer Bloody Mary (almost worth the $14 price tag), but I finished my meal utterly bewildered as to what type of restaurant Eleven Madison Park intends to be and why anyone judges it as successful in whatever it is doing. With truly haute haute cuisine prices, one expects superior service and exquisite food. Instead, the service was both confused and inept, if somewhat friendly. Our first course arrived before we had been given bread, condiments or, oddly, silverware -- all of which we had to ask for. The 25 minute wait between appetizer and main course was ridiculous. No one came over to move the table when an inside diner wanted to get up, no one folded the napkins of those absent from the table, no one asked if we wanted more bread and no one offered to refill our coffee. At $98 prix fixe, the service should be impeccable, not something that would be inadequate at a diner. Thought the food would compensate, but it was no more than ok. The amuse bouche of a dry, salty gougere came across like a Cheez Doodle compared with the delectable ones at Per Se. Soup and appetizer were good, not great. The entree I had, combining beef tenderloin and beef cheek was better, with the tenderloin perfectly cooked and the cheek meltingly soft, if a tad cloying. Vegetable accompaniments were no more than little smears on the plate. My chocolate desert was nothing special, extremely difficult to cut and featured only a dab (how I longed for as much as a smear) of the salted caramel cited on the menu. There have to be far better ways to drop $300 on a meal for two. Might have rated this average had the charge been, say $40/person or below, but the disconnect between expectation and reality drops my review from average to below average.

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dr378

Joined 11 years ago

Incredible service, good food. Great date spot or special occassion group dining. The service is truly outstanding. There were two of us dining, and perhaps 10-15 different people attended to us over the course of our dinner. Our servers took good care of us, yet were never too obtrusive. The food is very good and definitely worth the splurge as this is not a cheap place. The little extra touches are what make the experience that much more enjoyable. To start, they provide a delicious assortment of complimentary mini appetizers, bread and pastry puffs. After dessert, they present a complimentary selection of pastries. All were delicious. Extensive wine list and very knowledgable, friendly sommelier. All in all, a wonderful dining experience to celebrate an anniversary, or just for an elegant night out. There are intimate romantic tables available in the back room and along the side banquets. Be sure to request a quieter table if that is your preference, as the center of the restaurant caters to larger groups and could be a little loud if you are seated there.