Clemente Bar

"Daniel Humm’s upstairs bar in the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park location is named for artist Francesco Clemente and features a collection of his works. Sebastian Tollius has put together a list of technical cocktails to complement the food: An a la carte menu features vegan options like pepper toast or the Clemente burger ($26) while a five-course tasting menu ($450 for two) is available in the Studio in alcoholic and non-alcoholic variations. Book reservations online." - Melissa McCart

"Clemente Bar has taken over what used to be part of the upstairs private dining room of Daniel Humm’s three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. It’s named after artist Francesco Clemente and features a collection of his works. Beverage director Sebastian Tollius has put together a list of technical cocktails (go for the saffron martini!), using an entirely vegan pantry of ingredients to complement the food side." - Emma Orlow, Melissa McCart

"Clemente Bar has taken over what used to be part of the upstairs private dining room of Daniel Humm’s three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. It’s named after artist Francesco Clemente and features a collection of his works. Beverage director Sebastian Tollius has put together a list of technical cocktails; the all-vegan menus include a la carte dishes in the bar room (sake pickles, Clemente burger) or a five-course tasting menu in the studio, with dishes like an agedashi tofu hand roll and soba with bok choy, tomato, and sesame. Cocktails will cost you a pretty penny, but it's a special space." - Emma Orlow

"Clemente Bar has taken over what used to be part of the upstairs private dining room of Daniel Humm’s three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. It’s named after artist Francesco Clemente and features a collection of his works. Beverage director Sebastian Tollius has put together a list of technical cocktails, while the all-vegan menus offered include a la carte dishes in the bar room (sake pickles, Clemente burger) or a five-course tasting menu in the studio, with dishes like an agedashi tofu hand roll and soba with bok choy, tomato, and sesame." - Eater Staff

"If there’s someone in your life who you love and yet is under the impression that plant-based fine-dining are two-word hyphenates that cannot co-exist, bring them to Clemente Bar. It’s the latest brainchild of Swiss chef Daniel Humm, maestro of illustrious Eleven Madison Park, which Humm reimagined in 2021 to be entirely plant-based and became the first and only plant-based restaurant in Michelin Guide history to receive a three-star rating. That said, to do dinner at this white-tablecoth institution can feel like too much of an event for any skeptic of plant-based cuisine. And good luck getting a reservation. Enter Clemente, a cocktail bar and tasting counter that opened this fall in a space that resembles a very chic attic above Eleven Madison Park. Much like EMP, Clemente serves an entirely plant-based menu that manifests as sumptuous and savory bar bites. Some highlights: sake pickles with kohlrabi and cucumber, all crunch and brightness; decadent carrot tartare topped with tonburi, a type of edible seed sometimes called “land caviar”; inari (a pouch of seasoned fried tofu with sushi rice) topped with avocado; and the Agedashi Dog, fried tofu served in a potato roll and garnished with black truffles. The whole effect is that of Humm’s thesis statement on plant-based cooking: No need to be fussy; all this can just be plain ol’ fun. (The evening made me consider vegetarianism, but only fleetingly because I lack the skills and patience of Clemente’s—and EMP’s—brilliant cooks.) Of course, not to be outdone are the cocktails, so well-bodied and round on the palate that they almost have a chew to them. The list is divided into sections like “light,” “bold,” and “clarified,” offering stars like the refreshing 5th Leaf, a pisco drink with smoked sunchoke, pear, and shiso; and the Clemente Martini, the cleanest dirty martini I’ve ever had—tasty and edgy, thanks to the green curry and saffron. They all pair well with the interiors designed by Francesco Clemente Studio, where frescoes depict Surrealist Lite fantasias and the dim lighting sets the mood for the savvy crowd and charming staff. —Matt Ortile, associate editor" - CNT Editors