This restaurant is currently sitting at number one spot as my most favourite dinner to date (given my current age and the fact that I eat dinner most days, this meal is beating about 11,000 other dinners).
Getting a booking at Eleven Madison is one of the most complicated challenges my husband and I have ever set ourselves. Last year, we booked a trip to New York to visit two of my most wonderful friends. Being a bit of a geek, I researched the best restaurants in New York. We narrowed the choice down to either Eleven Madison or Daniel, finally settling on Eleven Madison. This wasn't the difficult part.
We then had to get the booking! And we were only in New York for a few days... Tables opened for a particular day exactly 28 days in advance (i.e., at 9am on 6 May for dinner on 6 June). Fortunately, 9am EST was 2pm BST, so we didn't have to get up at midnight to call them. However, neither did anyone else. We tried on the first day and couldn't get through until they had allocated all of their tables. Finally, on the third day, we got one of the prized tables for a 9pm booking (the earliest available). I think the fact that you have to fight for a table makes the whole experience a lot better. Perhaps invoking the primitive hunter gatherer spirit?!
Being ranked 5th in the world according to San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants, we were very much looking forward to our dinner. Fortunately, there was no anticlimax. This restaurant very much lived up to the hype.
All evening, we were doted on by the most attentive waiter, named Cody. During our visit, Cody was so kind as to give us complimentary tickets to the empire state building (which, when we used them, were witness, literally holding the video camera, to a proposal!).
Back to the meal. Wow. I would have been happy to have never eaten again as nothing would ever compare. The photos don't do it justice - I think we'll just have to go back some time if we find ourselves in New York again!
Getting a booking at Eleven Madison is one of the most complicated challenges my husband and I have ever set ourselves. Last year, we booked a trip to New York to visit two of my most wonderful friends. Being a bit of a geek, I researched the best restaurants in New York. We narrowed the choice down to either Eleven Madison or Daniel, finally settling on Eleven Madison. This wasn't the difficult part.
We then had to get the booking! And we were only in New York for a few days... Tables opened for a particular day exactly 28 days in advance (i.e., at 9am on 6 May for dinner on 6 June). Fortunately, 9am EST was 2pm BST, so we didn't have to get up at midnight to call them. However, neither did anyone else. We tried on the first day and couldn't get through until they had allocated all of their tables. Finally, on the third day, we got one of the prized tables for a 9pm booking (the earliest available). I think the fact that you have to fight for a table makes the whole experience a lot better. Perhaps invoking the primitive hunter gatherer spirit?!
Being ranked 5th in the world according to San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants, we were very much looking forward to our dinner. Fortunately, there was no anticlimax. This restaurant very much lived up to the hype.
All evening, we were doted on by the most attentive waiter, named Cody. During our visit, Cody was so kind as to give us complimentary tickets to the empire state building (which, when we used them, were witness, literally holding the video camera, to a proposal!).
Back to the meal. Wow. I would have been happy to have never eaten again as nothing would ever compare. The photos don't do it justice - I think we'll just have to go back some time if we find ourselves in New York again!
At the beginning of the meal, you are asked to select from one of four options, although at the time you have no idea what you're actually trying to achieve. Ultimately, it is a selection of the ingredient that will feature on your tasting menu. We both chose strawberry.
The meal commences with a little box...
...with a little savoury biscuit each
They cook the asparagus in a pig's bladder and they bring it out so you can see (and let you touch it!)
A picnic basket!
The contents of the picnic basket
Baked alaska!
Chocolate pretzels
And the meal ends with a little box...
...with the sweet version of the little biscuits!
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