The Met Gala is understood for its jaw-dropping fashion and A-list guest list, but what many don’t realize is that the foundations go far beyond the red carpet. Even the menu is fastidiously controlled. And yes, there’s actually a blacklist of foods that won’t make it anywhere near the event.
Anna Wintour Bans Garlic, Onions And Chives From Met Gala Menu To Keep Things ‘Low-Risk’
In accordance with past reports, Anna Wintour has banned three specific ingredients from being served on the Met Gala: chives, onions, and garlic.
The reasoning is surprisingly easy, and really on-brand for fashion’s most exclusive night. All three are known for causing bad breath, something that’s lower than ideal whenever you’re sitting inches away from celebrities, designers, and industry power players all evening. But there’s also a private touch behind the choice. “Well, those are three things I’m not particularly keen on,” Wintour previously said.
The Met Gala isn’t only a dinner. It’s a highly curated experience where every detail is taken into account, including what guests eat. With couture gowns, tailored suits, and thousands and thousands of dollars’ value of fashion in a single room, the very last thing anyone wants is a messy dish, a lingering smell, or a wardrobe disaster. That’s why menus are designed to be clean, elegant, and low-risk, ensuring guests can mingle comfortably without worrying about spills or strong odors.
Wintour’s Strict Met Gala Rule Goals To Keep The Night Offline
The food rules go hand-in-hand with one other strict policy: no phones contained in the gala. Wintour has long enforced the rule to encourage real interaction over social media moments. “It’s often wonderful to listen to, after dinner, people say, ‘Oh we had essentially the most wonderful conversations,’” she explained. “In order that’s the concept, that life can exist with no picture in your mobile phone.” In fact, that hasn’t stopped the occasional rule-breaker, with bathroom selfies becoming a rebellious Met Gala tradition, however the intention stays the identical.
Due to the no-phone policy, fans only get a glimpse of the night through official photos and red carpet coverage. Which means every little thing from the menu to the conversations stays largely behind closed doors, adding to the mystery and exclusivity of the event.
For the 2025 Met Gala, the food was just as fastidiously curated because the couture on the carpet. Kwame Onwuachi, a James Beard Award–winning chef, was tapped to design the menu, bringing a deeply personal and cultural approach to the night’s dining experience.
“I used to be inspired by Black dandyism and the Black experience in fashion. It’s pulled from so many alternative avenues and routes of the diaspora,” he told Vogue on the time. “I desired to encapsulate all of that, from the hors d’oeuvres to plated dinner on the gala.”
Still, he kept one key goal in mind: “We may be poetic as we would like, but it surely needs to be good at the top of the day.”
During cocktail hour, guests were treated to elevated takes on comfort food, with servers passing around bites like hoecakes with crispy chicken, mini chopped cheeses, cornbread topped with caviar, and curry chicken patties, a nod to Onwuachi’s signature dishes.
The 2025 Met Gala menu continued to impress with a lineup that celebrated flavors from across the diaspora. The primary course featured a papaya piri-piri salad, highlighting the daring South African spice, paired with cucumbers coated in a vibrant Caribbean green-seasoning marinade.
For the important course, guests were served Creole roasted chicken with lemon emulsion, alongside rice and peas and a fresh hot sauce that brought an additional kick. Sides included BBQ collard greens with bacon and cornbread topped with honey-curry butter, mixing comfort food with elevated presentation.
Dessert was just as memorable, with a Bodega Special Cosmic Brownie paired with powdered-sugar-donut mousse, in addition to a golden cake served with honey sweet cream and blistered gooseberry. “All throughout the meal, there are different points of Blackness throughout the world represented at the best level,” he said.
As for the Met Gala 2026, the official menu stays under wraps, but when history is any indication, it won’t disappoint. With annually bringing a fastidiously curated dining experience that reflects the theme, fans can expect a menu that’s just as thoughtful and artistic because the looks on the carpet.
And naturally, with Anna Wintour still calling the shots, one thing is guaranteed: it’ll be elegant, intentional, and yes, completely freed from garlic, onions, and chives.