Each year, the Met Gala dazzles with extravagant themes, couture chaos, and carpet colors that sometimes rival the outfits. But one lesser-known piece of Met Gala trivia has long piqued the curiosity of fashion watchers: what do the A-listers actually eat? While the menu changes yearly, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour enforces one very consistent, and surprisingly strict, culinary rule. She bans garlic, onion, and chives from the menu. In a 2024 appearance on The Today ShowWintour confirmed the long-standing rumor when Jenna Bush Hager asked, “Is it true that you have banned chives, onions and garlic off the menu?” Wintour replied plainly, “Those are three things I’m not particularly fond of. So yes, that’s true.”
The no-aroma zone isn’t exactly new. The first public whisper of Wintour’s food bans appeared in Anna: The Biographya 2022 book by journalist Amy Odell. The source of the revelation? None other than fashion executive Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who helped plan multiple Met Galas before penning her own tell-all, Melania and Me. According to Wolkoff, garlic and onion never made the cut on Wintour’s watch. Wolkoff tipped off Odell, and the dietary directive soon became part of Met Gala lore.
The reason behind the flavor snub? Wintour didn’t elaborate on air, but the motive seems clear: nobody wants onion breath next to Beyoncé in a $50,000 Balenciaga gown. Wintour simply said, “Those are three things I’m not particularly fond of,” putting taste preferences ahead of taste itself. With high fashion, tight seating, and endless interviews, there’s not much room—or nose—for allium-based ingredients.
With garlic, onions, and chives off the guest list, chefs tasked with curating the Met Gala’s ultra-private menu have to get creative. Past menus have included vegan courses, plant-forward entrees, and artfully plated canapés that likely offend no nostril. But exactly what’s served stays a tightly kept secret—much like Wintour’s sunglasses prescription.
