Eleven Madison Park ***

Kira Jabri
Nov 25
2 min read

To say Eleven Madison Park was everything we imagined feels like an understatement. For years, we were a house divided; Kira determined to experience this institution, and Carmine refusing as long as it remained fully vegan. When the news broke this year that the menu was evolving, we were both ecstatic.

Within the first five minutes, it was obvious why EMP has held onto its three stars with such quiet confidence. The space is magnificent: soaring ceilings, perfectly spaced tables, and those iconic oversized windows dressed with elegant holiday wreaths. It’s one of those dining rooms that makes you sit a little taller.

Service? Absolute perfection.

We began with the laminated bread, layered, warm, deeply fragrant served with onion butter and a roasted onion broth that was beyond exceptional, the kind of opening bite that resets your expectations for the night. The leeks that followed were stunning; the last time we had leeks prepared at this level was during Oak & Reel’s French Menu.

Emma was in heaven when one of her ultimate comfort foods, ramen, arrived reimagined at a Michelin level, soba noodles made from buckwheat, smothered in white truffle. Pure joy for all of us but she was especially ecstatic.

Another standout: the potato with land caviar. This was our family’s first experience with tonburi, often referred to as “land caviar” for its visual resemblance to sturgeon roe. Flavor-wise it leaned more broccoli than caviar, but visually it could absolutely fool you.

And then. . . the duck. Carmine, our resident duck aficionado, declared their honey-lavender duck one of the top five duck dishes of his life. That’s saying something.

As if the evening wasn’t magical enough, we were invited into the kitchen to watch the team in action. The kindness, the precision, the ease of their movement was a masterclass in hospitality.

Moments like these are never lost on us. We were then escorted to one of their wine cellars for a glass of Krug (Kira’s all-time favorite), while Carmine admired their breathtaking Château d'Yquem collection like a kid in a candy store.

It was the kind of night that reminds us why we do this. Why we travel, taste, explore, and share these moments as a family.

Eleven Madison Park gave us an evening we will remember for a lifetime.