We had quite the experience here. Our reservation was originally at 8:15 in the salon but they asked if we wanted to partake in a gallery experience before dinner which pushed the reservation to 8:45. We said yes. The gallery experience was very theatrical and basically a show. They gave us some sparkling rose and proceeded to do a demonstration. After this, we got to see the kitchen and ate a second bite all of which preceded our dinner in the salon which was upstairs. We sat in a room with 5 other tables so it was an intimate experience. I don't even know how many courses we ate but the food kept on coming, each with unique plating and sensory experience. I felt like the whole night was more about the experience than the food though we did get some good food as well. I feel like we got a good mix of veggies with some seafood and a couple meat items. Dinner lasted approximately 3 hours. On the pricier side but good to do once. read more

Alinea has been on my bucket list ever since I watched Grant Achatz's episode on Chef's Table. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to dine here while I was visiting Chicago! Reservations can be booked on Tock and bookings open up 2 months in advance on the 15th of the month at 11 AM Central Time. I really wanted to dine in the Gallery but my sister and I were both busy during the booking window and we ended up getting reservations for the Salon. I loved everything but a few of my favorites included: - Auberdines: Eggplant (aubergine) that looked sardines! - Biscuits with blueberry jam and foie gras. The blueberry jam was probably the best jam I've ever had - Short rib - Squab - Paint and Balloon desserts: I loved this so much and am so glad that I got to try these. They're so playful and fun! Our favorite part of the Paint dessert was the banana glitter The service at this restaurant is seriously amazing! My favorite thing was the coat check. When they returned our coats to us at the end of the night, they were warmed up and it felt so nice to wear a warm coat on a cold evening. read more

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Let me just say, wow. I feel so honored to be able to dine with Alinea. What a great way to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We planned this a head of time about 2 months. The area is definitely random, there are these tall doors so you may miss it when you walk by but if it looks odd it definitely is the right place! We did The Salon menu, it had about 11 different items to taste in their menu. Each and every one of the items on the menu was amazing. We opted out of the wine pairing but we saw others get the pairings and they had a sommelier who talks you through every wine pairing. The service was immaculate. Everyone was so kind, Laura, John, and Anessa. They made everything so hospitable and enjoyable. I loved how everyone was very knowledgeable about the menu and each dish was so well thought out. It was very playful and the service was very encouraging about having fun. Also the way the staff moved was like a dance, it was very enjoyable to watch. The food, of course, was so yummy. Yes it's a tasting menu however by the 9th item I was getting full, so it definitely keeps you full. My favorite was probably was the explosion, it was a tiny guy but bursting with so much flavor. I could probably eat another handful of that every day. Most of the items were very truffle forward so if you don't like truffle I'd suggest a different menu! Or at least do your research. Every time they would bring out something and I guess what it was I was always wrong which was fun to guess! When you're done, the bill is already paid for when you reserve the table, they let you stay for a little bit but once you are done you can just leave. Someone will guide you downstairs and out the door. Overall the experience was amazing. I would do it again if I could! read more

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Never been to a 3 Michelin star restaurant before so I wanted to take my daughter for her birthday. She was so happy. It was an unforgettable experience! The ambiance was very sophisticated. The service was awesome! Multiple servers attended us throughout the 2 hour experience but mostly Heart and Kellen. So many nice and delicious dishes. The flavors were unique and potent. They explained the dishes as they came out but I still didn't know what they said half the time. My daughter is a foodie and I just enjoyed her being happy. It was definitely expensive almost $1k for the 2 of us with taxes and gratuity included. It's not something I would do often but definitely worth it once in a while. read more

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Another over the top dinner at Alinea. A cozy restaurant with funky aluminum topped tables. I was in a small room with only 5 tables. Very creative - there was: a tomato on a wire above my table which was incorporated into a course, a tour of the kitchen with a Jimmy Red corn course, a dessert assembled at the table, and an edible helium balloon. I've included the menu again because I could not remember everything! read more

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I've been so lucky to experience Alinea twice, and it's just a magical experience. Both times were completely different, unique and beyond delicious. Food here can be both playful and so deeply serious, at the same time. It's honestly something everyone should try once. Save up, and DO IT! You deserve it read more

The name Alinea has been floating around in my tentative plans since 2019 when I was celebrating a special occasion. My travel plans got pushed to 2020 & we all know what world-wide disaster happened then. In Feb 2024, a reservation in the Salon became available for a date just three weeks away. I invited the only person I knew who'd bend to my decadent, spontaneous whims, & we planned to experience the three-Michelin star culinary behemoth together! Spoilers Ahead: After valeting next door ($17), we almost walked past an unassuming black door without a sign. This is Alinea. The decor understated & the color palette neutral. Once inside, diners on their way out gave us an enthusiastic, "You're in for a treat!" No menu is presented until the end, so each course was a surprise enhanced by storytelling & fun theatrical elements led by our servers, unpretentious, warm but professional. I chose a vegetarian tasting menu with the most delicious being "Hot Potato, Cold Potato" & the bite of truffle explosion. Some dishes had multiple components. One was hiding in plain sight -- eggplants fashioned to look like sardines cleverly named "Auberdines" sat at the table in decorative antique glass. My one & only note is about the pomegranate sauce in the final savory dish -- it's a thick, sticky, salty flavor overload, especially after so many well-seasoned bites. As extraordinary as dinner was, dessert here is in a league of its own. Our table was "painted" with passionfruit snow, banana & chocolate mango sauces, pineapple rum syrup, nitro-frozen toasted coconut ice cream, various tiny tarts & cakes, & sprinkled with banana glitter. The final course was a green apple-flavored balloon filled with helium. What a sight to see well-dressed grown ups who'd paid more for dinner than their flights or hotel accommodations play with their food. What can be said about this lauded restaurant with a chef so inventive, so dedicated to creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience for each diner except to say I'd gladly "sacrifice" the time, money, & stomach space to eat at Alinea a second time, if given half a chance. read more

Alinea - March 2024 - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had been waiting to go to Alinea for 12 years, so it was a long-anticipated event. This dinner was a big expenditure for us, and we agreed it ended up being well worth it! We did the Salon experience, and it was so wonderful I didn't have any FOMO about opting for the less expensive choice. The service was exceptional. Jacob, in particular, was the epitome of hospitality. At one point we got to see the kitchen, and that was so cool. It functioned like a well-oiled machine--nothing like the chaos of The Bear. The food was phenomenal! It was inventive, and theatric, and delicious. In particular, we loved the Truffle Explosion, the arctic char, the hot potato/cold potato, the super neat paleontology presentation, the soccarat, and all three dessert presentations. The legendary painting dish was a showstopper and SO tasty. Every thing about Alinea was luxurious--even the restrooms. It was truly an unforgettable experience. Hot tip--Google the exterior of the restaurant. It is so inconspicuous we drove right by it the first time. read more

8/14/25: chicago has two restaurants with 3 michelin stars. we went to the "other one", the night before. the other one, has 1 dish that was "worth a special journey and plane ticket from washington, dc". ---AT ALINEA, EVERY SINGLE COURSE IS WORTH ITS OWN PLANE TICKET AND ITS OWN JOURNEY! ALL CAPS FOR REAL!--- i love love love alinea. to me, michelin isnt just about food; it is also art and theater, and kindness-- we're spending 3-4 hours together. my 5 senses were definitely tickled at alinea. if you can treat yourself to this special place, do it. i am someone who likes to go to the same cities and places over and over, so i do hope i make my way back to alinea someday soon. i really did love every dish, but if i was to choose a top 3: the caviar, cream, and pineapple; the dish with the hand peeled grapes!!!; and the arctic char. "h" took really good care of us in the dining room! we miss you!!! read more

Alinea - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Coming out of my multi-year Yelp hiatus for Alinea. This is one of, if not the, most famous restaurants in the US and a meal here has long been on my bucket list. We finally made it happen on a short getaway to Chicago to celebrate our 40th birthdays. We ate in the Salon, the cheapest of the three experiences but still a staggering amount of money, even by fine dining standards. Even going into it with the knowledge that this is as much a theatrical experience as it is a meal and that food at *** Michelin restaurants is usually a bit "weird," my husband and I both thought it was pretty underwhelming food-wise. There were a handful of dishes that were very good (with the classic "hot potato, cold potato" being #1), but nothing that blew our minds, and a lot of the courses were downright bad. We ate at two * restaurants (Sepia and Indienne) on the same trip and nearly every course at both of those restaurants was better than any single bite at Alinea. I won't spoil details, but there were a lot of hands-on dishes and in many cases some of them were really challenging to eat. There was one where you had to pull out a pin before eating it and even doing it really carefully I spilled liquid all over myself. There were also a couple things that you were supposed to eat in one bite and, again, if you weren't careful it was easy to make a mess, and I did. A few of the waiters have heavy accents and we couldn't understand what they were saying. Which is not that big a deal normally but when the dishes are so complicated that you need instructions to eat them, it's a bigger problem. There were multiple times we were scolded for eating before the second half of our dish arrived, but we didn't understand that we were supposed to wait. Between the scolding and things like not replacing napkins they took away when we got up to the go to the bathroom, it didn't feel like *** service to me (I don't personally care about stuff like the napkins but the Michelin guide is supposed to). The dessert courses were a visual spectacle but none of it tasted good - very heavy on citrus flavors, which I don't like, and the one chocolate thing had a strong licorice flavor, which I also don't care for. They celebrated our birthdays with a birthday cake flavored soda which was a nice thought but disgustingly sweet. They eventually added some sparkling wine to it and then it was palatable. I didn't leave hungry, exactly, but I also wasn't really full, which is pretty wild for a restaurant where a meal for two costs as much as some people's mortgage payments. A few more minor nits (that I wouldn't have deducted stars for if I'd liked the food more): -The dining room is absolutely freezing. I run hot these days and am almost never cold and I was literally shaking. It can't have been more than 55 degrees in there. -No treats to go, which surprised me because it's been a staple at every ** or *** restaurant I've visited, and some * as well. -They don't have a phone number! I get it, "don't call us, we'll call you" but we were running late due to not being able to get a Lyft and had no way of contacting them and it was a bit stressful. -As other reviews have noted, they make a big deal out of the element of surprise (they don't even give you a menu in advance) but then all the people around you are at various stages of the menu so you know what's coming. I feel like they should have two seatings like on a cruise ship and keep everyone on the same schedule if they want surprise to be a big part of the meal. -There was only one course that resembled an entree. We got enough food overall, but I thought that was odd. Unironically, the biggest highlight for me was the bathroom which had cloth towels and fancy Japanese Toto toilets with heated seats. read more

3 star review for a 3 star restaurant. I recently dined at Alinea, and while the creativity was impressive, the experience fell short in a few key areas. The dishes, though innovative, were consistently on the saltier side, leaving both my wife and me reaching for water frequently. I drank at least 6 glasses of water during our meal. One particular issue was the hot potato/cold potato dish, where the temperature difference was so extreme that it nearly burnt both our tongues. The service was also disappointing. The servers seemed disengaged, lacking the warmth and attentiveness one would expect at such a high-end restaurant. We had to prompt them to refill our water after an 8-minute wait (I timed with my phone), despite clearly having noticed our empty glasses. Additionally, the explanations of the dishes were less thorough compared to other tables, which felt inconsistent with the level of service expected. The staff's sarcastic and sassy demeanor was particularly surprising and out of place for a restaurant of this caliber. Overall, while Alinea's inventive cuisine has potential, the combination of over-seasoned dishes and lackluster service made the dining experience less enjoyable than anticipated. I honestly thought mid service they would be telling us that they were testing out a social experiment to see if guests would complain even if they over salt everything or continue to say food was good even if is not. Had a better dining and gastronomy experience at a 1 star restaurant in Paris (Sola). read more

Alinea - Dish that almost burnt my tongue - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let me start by saying that I understand accidents happen -- especially in a high-concept, theatrical dining environment like Alinea. But what truly defines a world-class restaurant is how its staff responds to those moments. Unfortunately, during my recent visit, Alinea failed that test. Overall, the food was fine. The wine pairings were excellent -- easily the highlight of the evening. However, the service, which should have matched the level of both the price and the prestige of the restaurant, was well below expectations. The evening took a turn during the dessert course, when the pastry chef was doing Alinea's signature tableside presentation -- a fun and artistic show. However, in the process, blueberry powder was accidentally flung onto my cream sweater. Again, I get it -- accidents happen. But what followed is what I found deeply disappointing. The Senior Floor Manager came over to make a joke about how "brave" I was to wear a cream sweater. When I showed him the stain, he offered a brief apology and handed me his card, saying he would cover dry cleaning. We never saw him again. Shortly afterward, one of our servers returned with a wet nap, presumably to help. When I declined -- pointing out that rubbing sticky sugar powder into the fabric would make it worse -- she simply walked away. She never came back. Our middle-tier server had disappeared for over 10 minutes, and when he finally returned, he casually asked how dessert was going. I told him what had happened. He didn't say much, and it took him another few minutes to offer a glass of champagne as a gesture. A few minutes prior to all of this, I watched him talk with a different table accepting their profuse praise and he quickly offered them a glass of champagne. I did accept his gesture, but told him honestly: that was the bare minimum, and it shouldn't have taken more than 10 minutes for anyone to offer a simple acknowledgment or a solution. No one followed up. The chef who flung the blueberry powder never returned to apologize. The manager never checked back in. We were never offered a way to adjust the prepaid bill or tip, nor was any further gesture made to acknowledge the situation. At a restaurant where the bill exceeded $1,300, and when you have to prepay including tip, I expected more -- not just from the food, but from the hospitality. Service is part of the experience, and that experience was, unfortunately, lacking. What could have been handled with professionalism and care was instead met with avoidance and indifference. Alinea has built a reputation on precision, performance, and innovation -- but all of that falls flat when the human element of hospitality is absent. I left disappointed, not because of the powder on my sweater, but because of the silence and inaction that followed. read more

NOTE - This is a lengthy, rambling note, essentially two reviews-in-one. But I've kept it largely as originally written. Hey, sometimes you have a lot to say and you just need to lay it out there. I sense that Alinea is "Yelp-proof". That is, those who read of our experiences have already determined whether they plan to dine here. You're likely reading this sheerly out of curiosity of what this multiple Michelin star restaurant offers or you're looking for a heads up on the menu. Unfortunately, since Alinea is about to change to its Fall menu the photos and descriptions of the dishes we ate will simply be lost among the thousands of other archive shots on this site, I won't waste your time on them. So allow me to instead describe a few facets of our three-hour meal in The Salon, along with a couple other considerations I believe may be of value. Even seeing advance photos of Alinea's exterior, our thought as we exited our Uber was, "are we at the right address?". We stared at a gray facade, no signs, no neon, nothing but a dark door behind a simple awning. Not even our first steps through the entrance helped. There is a short narrow dark hallway, a couple unadorned benches, a mirror and a desk. Fortunately, the lady behind the desk welcomed us and asked for our names. Don't arrive overly early; you may not be seated immediately and the hallway might, at best, comfortably support a dozen people. You could well end up standing outside in Chicago's elements while your table is readied. We were led past The Gallery, which was just starting its service, and up a narrow stairway to The Salon. The Salon is a set of small dining rooms, each holding a half-dozen tables. Colors are all muted tans and grays, lighting is recessed, tables are stainless steel. The chairs and couches around the table are simply upholstered but very comfortable. All in all, what came to my mind was a scene of a blank canvas. (That is, except for the, tomatoes?, which were dangling mysteriously above each table; these were later used in one of the courses.) Service is extraordinary (of course), ever present and friendly yet unobtrusive. Our favorite of the courses - the first and the last. We loved the Osetra caviar course. And I wish everyone could experience the dessert. Overall, I'd describe the dinner more as art and performance art; the joy came with interacting and yes, playing with our food. From a pure taste perspective, we've had better meals. Some combinations meshed very well and some less so. Still, it was a wonderful night, one we will always remember. These renown "five-star" restaurants are all notoriously difficult to book. For Alinea, reservations are made on-line through a third-party service. On the 15th of each month, precisely at noon, tables are opened for the month beginning six weeks ahead. We had long planned to visit our daughter who lives in Chicago in early September, she had given me a generous gift card for Alinea as a Christmas gift and asked that my wife and I dine in The Gallery. On July 15, I sat primed at my monitor, ready to pounce. Reservations opened, The Gallery showed to be open, I quickly clicked and, tables for two were no longer available. The next day was open, I tried again and, no luck. The same with every other day. Frustrated, I clicked on The Salon, and, voila, a table was still open. So, while a bit disappointed, I was able to snag a reservation. But, and make this a big BUT, please be aware of the payment process. Alinea requires 100% payment for meals at the time of reservation, WITH NO CANCELLATION. I've never paid fully for a reservation meal in my life, not even at other famous exclusive restaurants. Unfortunately, this is now becoming a standard practice. Look, I fully understand the huge outlays these restaurants have, from food to service to presentation. And I also understand that such meals can be readily compared to entertainment events which are frequently fully paid in advance. But this is an unfriendly paradigm shift for me. In particular, I find the lack of cancellation to be concerning. I now know that as a result, a cottage industry of third-party online reservation resale sites are growing to support this policy (most of which are offered above the original cost). But we had our table and everything was set. No, wait! Because of a family urgency we had to move our trip to Chicago forward a month. What to do, what to do with our reservation? We couldn't cancel it and because it was partly paid by a gift card, we couldn't even sell it. Fortunately, after e-mailing Alinea they graciously made a table available for us during our new visit period. Call me "old school" but it's for this payment and cancellation policy that I've given Alinea four instead of five stars. read more

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It's been about ten years since we have been back here. In between we did have the chance to do AIRE by Alinea but this was the first time in ten years coming back to the real thing. In between we have had the privilege of dining at some amazing places - Smyth, Per Se among many others. And I wasn't sure if my amazing memories of Alinea were really that amazing or just colored by the fact that it was one of the first fine dining places we had ever tried. It is all that. Coming back reminded me it is all that and also why this place consistently has received three stars year after year. What an absolute treat. Service, ambience, food. Not a single thing I can even pick a nit at. Hope i can make it back again (and this time not another ten years of waiting!) read more

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Tl;dr great experience, but not worth the money to me. Booked the Salon experience and left feeling very full. The service was top notch, deserving of its 3 Michelin stars. The food was great, but I think it was of similar quality to 1-star Michelin restaurants in Chicago. Ambiance felt pretty stuffy, since it's a fine dining establishment, and I just don't really vibe with it. I felt like a fish out of water. There were a few time-sensitive dishes that I could only snap a picture of very quickly before having to eat it for the "full experience." I think the menu is seasonal/ever-changing, and the waiter told us at the beginning that they like to keep the menu a surprise. Therefore, I don't think it's worth talking about each dish in detail. Just experience it as the dishes keep coming. In the moment, I was amazed at the presentation of a couple of dishes, most notably the dessert being thrown onto the table and the taffy balloons. But looking back on the entire meal, considering its price, and comparing it to other experiences I've had for far cheaper (both food and non-food), it's hard for me to recommend this to most people. Just doesn't seem worth the sticker price. We prepaid $900 to reserve a table for 2 people. If you have money to burn, go for it. Otherwise, I unfortunately think Alinea doesn't live up to the hype. If I knew what I know now, I'd skip it. And that's a big deal for me, considering I had been wanting to eat there for about 6 years prior to my visit. read more

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5 senses aflight, every flavor, .. pure delight. Fire and Italian Ice. Giggles and sips. Pairs to excellence. Inspiring flavor and presentation. We loved it all. Server was a sweet and personable, sommelier and paint artist warm and down to earth. I think we made everyone there laugh.... We had so much fun. Parting gift along with menu was an unexpected treat. Would do this in every lifetime. read more

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Bucket list dinner and it was worth every penny. From the minute you walk in the magic begins. Every single thing about the service was spectacular. No one missed a beat and made the experience unforgettable. The restaurant is stunning, be sure to take it all in. The food was so creative and every bite was mind blowing. The Chicago hot dog had me giggling like a kid. The truffle explosion was also a highlight, actually too many to mention. I will never forget my 25th anniversary. Thanks Alinea! read more

Alinea - Chicago hot dog - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food: top notch, lands in the top two as far as taste goes. Loved every bite, can't recommend enough Service: solid, we arrived 15 minutes early and rather than make us wait, the hostess briefly communicated with one of the staff and our table was provided ahead of our scheduled reservation. Upstairs service was great, Anna handled most of our courses and she was amazing and Bronson was our Sommelier and we thoroughly enjoyed interacting with him. Though at one point another staff member came and removed components of the table setting, sat my wife's tea from it to the side which felt as though we were being rushed. They later assured us it wasn't to rush us. Ambiance is sleek and clean. Again, one of the best dinners I've experienced so 5 stars, but with 3 Michelin Stars and for the price I didn't expect the rushed feeling towards the end of one of our courses as though we were moving slower than they wanted. read more

Just as background, my son is a fine dining Chef and I am a foodie and have eaten at numerous high-end and Michelin restaurants in the US and Europe. Occasion: Early 60th Birthday party and guys trip for 3. Fall 2024 Restaurant: Restaurant was sleek, upscale but welcoming. Experience: I am not sure how to write this review. It was a dining experience, a show and just fantastic. Wine Pairing: We ordered the middle level wine pairing for our dinner which I think was about 8 glasses and around $250. The Master Sommelier was tremendous and listening to him was quite educational (as I not a wine guy). Each of the wines went very well with each of the course. Food: Again not sure what to say. They accommodated all of our food requirements. As with any multi-course tasting menu there are items you really like, some are good and some not your favorites. I have to say with the exception of maybe 1-2 items all items were excellent. The food items that Chef Achatz and his team created were excellent. Service: Service was prompt and what you would expect for this type of restaurant. It was not stuffy and the table captain and her staff were very friendly and talkative if you wanted. Some of the best service I have had. Chef: Like I said my son is Fine Dining Chef and when he was learning his trade and in culinary school, Chef Achatz and his creations were what gave him a spark. The staff and Chef were kind enough to allow us meet Chef. this was the highlight of my son's trip. Overall: The best dining experience I have ever had and has spoiled me when eating at other restaurants. It is far more than a meal, it was great food, great wine, outstanding service and a show that made you use all of your sense. Chef Achatz and his team are truly exceptional. Would go back, but I have the greatest memory of dining here. read more

Alinea is no 3 star experience. While we had a good time, we felt pressured to stick to their program, script and timing. Very small pours with the standard wine pairing, and zero ability to order any drinks that were not on the program. For the money, it felt like one course was missing and one hour was subtracted. My wife noticed one of the staff scoffing at us for getting up to use the restroom. Since that was not planned, it interfered with the service agenda. Listen: We are not on your plan, you are on ours. Leaving with a sense of being shown the door diminished the memory of several delicious courses. To use shorthand, the chicken was amazing, the black bowl trio was great, I prefer dessert not to be served on the table, and please make the caviar taste like caviar instead of... read more

Overall -- a really fun experience! I was pleasantly surprised with how many traditional flavors the tasting included as well as more exotic things. I think it was a really good mix in that we got to experience new flavors but also familiar flavors with a creative twist. The service was excellent. The portions were also a good size. We were concerned that we'd still be hungry afterward but left very full. read more

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There's no signs or lettering outside and just a black door, so we were a bit confused until someone standing outside opened the door for us. Service was exceptional throughout - can't remember another restaurant where the hosts and servers were more attentive. We were seated in the gallery with a few other parties - together at the same table initially, then reseated into our individual parties for the rest of the meal. The overall presentation and experience was spectacular - even breathtaking at some points. This is exactly what I wanted when I booked Alinea and i was very happy with this aspect. Unfortunately, the flavor and food aspect was not as consistent. I would say I extremely liked 1/3 of the dishes, thought 1/3 of the dishes were ok, and did not like 1/3 of the dishes or thought it was doing "too much". Really liked: - King crab bite: I loved the sweetness of the corn bread contrasted with the spicy ness and saltiness of the tabasco, as well as the freshness and sweetness of the king crab itself. - Explosion: Loved the saltiness of the parmesan and the truffle flavor, reminded me of a more sophisticated soup dumpling - Egg yolk side salad (from auberdines): Loved the contrast of the egg yolk creme with the flavor of the greens and whatever else was on the bite - Honey mango: My favorite savory course of the night: The lobster cracker reminded me of a better shrimp chip and i loved the slightly sweet mango sauce paired with the pork belly, lobster, and whatever else was in the bowl. Really enjoyed the uni and mango ice cream too. - Bubblegum: Thought this dish was fun to eat and i really enjoyed the flavors, wish the boba was a bit more bouncy and chewy though - Paint: Fun to watch, fun to eat, this was a whole show. Wish the flavors were more fruity instead of tea/herbally but i still loved the various textures and flavors together - Balloon: what else can be said - it's a candy balloon filled with helium. you suck in the helium, talk funny for a bit, and then eat the rest of the balloon. Did not like: Osetra: I liked the presentation of it but to be honest i just didn't enjoy the flavors with the caviar Blancmange: The flavors were just ok together but i did not particularly enjoy this Eucalyptus: Not a huge fan of olives and this dish was almost 100% olive flavors Root beer float with black truffle: strangely enough, black truffle and root beer kind of work together. only kind of - after a few bites it felt a bit weird again. Overall i loved the service, the presentation, and the atmosphere. I didn't like a lot of the flavors that were presented, and while i don't expect to like all the dishes, i feel like they were doing a bit too much for some of the dishes when simplicity would have been better. I did have a lot of fun here, and i'm glad i came read more

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What can I say about this place that hasn't been said before? Incredible dining experience. Everything paired and was a full sense dining experience. The room table, the presentation the plates are fun and magical tax and tip and gratuity alone was about 300 for two meals and one pairing. I know people eat here all the time, but this is my once in a lifetime. read more

Alinea - Where is it? This is it. No signage. Who knew? - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Finally got to book this trip to Chicago and dine at Alinea. We dined in the salon and it was very pretty. Our servers were very kind, on point and helpful. The food was unusual and mostly delicious. Our favorite was the Explosion, hot potato and Osetra. We enjoyed most all the courses with the Blancmange being our least favorite. I honestly found the Blancmange strange, and the presentation odd. The dessert was very good and the balloon was delightful. After our meal we got to take a look at the kitchen and it is quite amazing how many workers seem to function inside such a tiny kitchen. Nice dining experience for our family. This was our least favorite michelin so far. read more

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If you're reading this review, it must mean you have strongly considered the possibility of coming to Alinea. Well, the answer is YES! The Alinea experience is probably one of pinnacle fine dining experiences. One must wonder how good the food must be, for it to be one of the highly rated restaurants in the US? Without giving away too much, everything you do that evening will be incorporating all 5 senses. Every course is a presentation in itself and comes with a story. It is truly a multi-sensory experience! Alinea is based on a reservation system that opens two months in advance (15th of each month at a certain time). There are a few different seatings, my friends and I chose the gallery which allowed for the full experience. The price per person is steep, but definitely worth it. The service is as expected of a 3-star Michelin restaurant. All the servers were SUPER knowledgeable in every dish down to the core. The ambiance was very fitting into the theme of the course. It was a very relaxed environment that didn't feel rushed in any way. Every course was beyond expectations. Besides everything executed perfectly, the flavors were never once too overwhelming nor underwhelming. My favorite course was the smoked atlantic sea bass. Perfectly smoked, this course was definitely one of my favorite. The menu is always rotating so it keeps the innovations fresh! Beyond what I mentioned, I will not spoil the rest of the experience, but again I highly do recommend this to anyone who's in the least bit interested! read more

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Grossly overrated. I've wanted to try this restaurant for years and kudos to my sweet husband for snagging reservations for us on the weekend of our wedding anniversary. On the way to our table on the second floor salon, we were afforded a glimpse of the gallery experience taking place on the first floor decked out with massive flowers atop the tables. It was quite a sight. Anyways... We were seated and dinner was promptly underway. Much like most of the reviews with lower ratings, we also have the same feedback - EVERYTHING WAS SALTY. Not one single dish we were served blew us away and we've dined out enough to say that this was a massive disappointment compared to other fine dining experiences we've had, Michelin or not. The only dish that was ok was the fish but the smoky onion dip had so much "ash" in there that it was hard to maneuver around. For the second course of the hot and cold potatoes, it was a "time sensitive" dish as noted by our server but he actually berated me for spending 10 seconds to take a photo and rushed me to eat it right away. Like, chill please. The table next to us took even longer to take their photo and no one said anything. Considering the cost of the meal, the ingredients were subpar with the best cut of meat being the short-rib. At the end of the meal, we had the signature taffy balloon and their ice cream "painting". Compared to everyone's balloon, mine deflated within 30 seconds of holding it. The ice cream was really showy but honestly, it was nothing spectacular taste wise. We also noticed that other tables who mentioned that it was their birthday received a candle and a birthday drink. However, our wedding anniversary didn't warrant anything and we simply got a copy of the menu that said "Happy Anniversary". Mind you, our trip to Chicago was centered around this reservation which was an incredible let down. Service overall was also meh. They were nice but honestly felt like they rushed our table and wasn't as engaging since we didn't order the wine pairing. read more

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Alinea I had a great time here at Alinea! The staff were all amazing and kind. The atmosphere was cozy. The food was delicious and interesting, and they give you a whole presentation between each course. It's quite expensive, but it's worth for the experience. But what I truly found mind-blowing and inspiring, is the obsession to details, from the interior design, to the tableware, to the menu description, to the narrative behind each dish, to the ingredients pairing. Everything at this place was great and made to perfection. Reasonable prices and fair offers. Will definitely go back soon! read more

Best food and experience I've ever had. 13 courses that were all thoughtfully prepared. Walking through the kitchen was stunning. Can't wait to return. A lifetime experience! read more

Such an outstanding experience. The whole evening is just an amazing array of food dishes. The service is impeccable and the ambiance is amazing. A beautiful evening! read more

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Truly an amazing experience with Alinea. We were greeted with great service from start to finish. The first course of French onion soup was served with a fire show which was amazing. Overall we really enjoyed everything and our add on white truffle dish. There was totally more than enough food because when we got to the last 2 courses I was already full. The dessert performance was awesome and tasted a lot better eating from the table. The levels of flavors in each dish gave character to each dish. I would say this is totally worth the try and would recommend getting a beverage pairing as well. read more

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I honestly don't know how to start a review for a place like Alinea. All I can say is that it's truly an incredible experience and I feel very lucky to finally have tried it. You obviously have to book months in advance, and that's honestly the hardest part. Getting reservations and paying for it. And then the anxiety to leads up the dinner time. From what I can tell, if you arrive 15 minutes early for 10 minutes late, they have your table ready to go for you and seat you right away. There is no waiting for your table here. Once they sit you down, they immediately welcome you and the food starts coming out soon after that. We reserved the Salon which came with 8 courses. They started us off with OSETRA, a caviar dish. This was an interesting way to start off our meal. The dish was delicious. Our next dish was CHARRED. This one was technically two dishes, but I really don't want to spoil any part of the show. This was a fish dish with Arctic Char with maple syrup burnt on top. The fish tasted great and the maple crispy maple syrup completed the softness from the fish perfectly. The other part of the dish had a nice smoky taste, and was definitely interesting to the say. Third dish-TRAMPOLINE PAPILLOTE, another two dish course with a scallop on one and a soup with the other. THAILAND had a nice show that came with the dish. A really beautiful & creative presentation. The coconut curry was very tasty. Definitely a different view of Thailand than what I'm use to seeing. The next to courses were my favorite of the night. Probably because they contained meat. SUN STONE SKULL, was a piece of pork belly covered in mole and edible gold crackers and tasted amazing with this dish. The mole itself was thick and sweet, and went perfectly with the pork belly. It clear skull head was used to serve hoja Santa and higo chumbo. CHIPPED was the other meat course and the last food course as well. The Wagyu was so tender and cooked to perfection. On top of the Wagyu was a few slices of bresaola. Basically dry salty meat and completed the very tender Wagyu perfectly. Both plated on top of a very delicious tasting truffle sauce. It was also served with a bite size hash brown. They actually called this the "diner" and not "chipped" like the menu states. The last two courses were sweet. Their MILKSHAKE was served immediately after the steak and hash browns to compliment their "diner" theme. It was a pistachio milkshake served with Chantilly. Lastly, the gran finale. Their PAINT. I was honestly looking forward to this. I don't know what else to say about this that people already don't know. I won't say much about this one. I just absolutely loved it. It's truly an amazing experience. Yes it's expensive, but it's more about the presentation and enjoying the show than actually getting full at a place like this. They did a phenomenal job at explaining the dishes, although I will say one has a thick accent and it was hard at time to actually understand what he was saying. Nonetheless, service was immaculate here. They welcome you with open arms and get you comfortable right away. Would I do this again? Absolutely, without hesitation. Just not anytime soon though. Lol. Thank you Alinea. read more

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Service was spectacular. The vibes are great. It didn't feel super stuffy and it was cool when they opened all these massive doors that revealed the interior of the restaurant. The food was playful and even though I didn't like all of them, I can appreciate the effort that goes into planning and preparing each meal. Charred was one of my favorites and I was sad to hear that it was going away soon. I was pleasantly surprised by the biscuits with foie gras because sometimes foie gras is just overwhelming but this was perfectly smooth and subtle. Paint was a great ending for dessert, I especially loved the cream block of ice cream. They warned us to be careful of getting any on our clothes because it will never come off. I would recommend you to come with clean hands or maybe ask to use the restroom in between some of the courses because some of the food requires you to pick it up with your hand and they were courses closer to the beginning. Or perhaps they could have wet towels prepared after those courses. read more

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We were so glad we finally made it here. We basically based our whole trip to Chicago around this restaurant and heading there on my actual Birthday. My girlfriend initially booked us to be in the Salon but got an email 3 days before saying that some people backed out of the Gallery and offered us 2 seats for 9 PM which we knew we had to take. You can easily miss the restaurant (especially at night) since it is such a nondescript building. Just a black building with no real signage aside from a note on the door. We walked in and the friendly staff at the desk checked my girlfriend's coat and walked us in past the huge door. The Gallery is the first thing you see when coming in with the stairs to the Salon being right next to it. We were seated at a metal two person table. The Salon is probably one of the fanciest rooms I've been in but its also probably because of what I was expecting as well. I don't want to go through the whole menu but all the food and it's presentation, was amazing. I've been to my fair share of nice restaurants but they really took it to a new level here. The memorable highlights were the Hot Potato (potato, truffle, parm in like a wax shooter), Plume (w/the sea bass, smoked chips, and onion dip), Collar (specifically the uni rice), Branches (in kitchen course), the Truffle Exposion, whatever the A5 Short Rib course was, and both desserts (Paint and the Balloon). All the pairings were on point as well. We loved that they even used a local beer for one course which is rare. It was like being part of a show at some points and it was one of the most unique meals I've ever had. We did overhear that they were still rebuilding the Gallery experience after Covid so I would be curious how they would add on to this. If we ever could we would definitely make our way back to Chicago to eat here again. Absolutely worth coming here for something special. read more

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What an experience! It was fun. I love the presentation of art. Some of the items more than others. Loves the explosion of different notes of tastes on Golden osetra, hot potato, ezplosion and Squab. Service was mostly nice and prompt. I made "a mess" when my sugar balloon stuck to my wine glass, this server was kind of snobby about it and cleaned up quick out of my hand. .. regardless of the shape of it, i was gonna at least try to taste it. :/ One thing I wish it were better- We all 4 could not understand what the server was saying completely due to his accent when he was explaining what the presentations were about. I felt lucky that there was three Michelin star restaurant near home that we could experience. I waited for a few years till my kids grew enough to take them with us. We also recently watched "the Menu" on theater. Kids were relating this experience to that movie lol. "Do they gel?" "They gelled!" read more

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Food is innovative and fun. Dessert is a show. It we didn't eat it. But worst part was we paid for the expensive wine pairing. They told us these would be impossible to find wines. We had two of them at home. But what was astonishing was the amount they pour. And if you ask for more you get a tiny pour. For $400 just for wine we were sorry we didn't just order a few bottles. Personally think Oriole is better. read more

At this point Alinea doesn't need any introduction. The dinner is a must for anyone who loves food. That being said, it was more of an experience than culinary magic. Prior to our visit we were in Asia trying out mom & pop shops as well as Michelin starred restaurants, and there were a couple of 1 started places that really wowed us. It was not as theatrical but their flavor combinations put us in a flavor trance. Maybe my expectation was way to up there, but I would definitely go back again. read more

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Absolute pretentious rubbish!!!! Absolutely baffling. This place serves overpriced "concepts" instead of food. I left hungry and mildly insulted. Each dish arrived with fog, foam, or a story I didn't ask for, but none of them had actual flavour. One course was literally a single olive... injected with disappointment. Staff explained every dish like it was a TED Talk on culinary delusion. The vibe? Smug and sterile. You come for dinner, leave with a headache and a craving for a proper meal. Never again. read more

I was so excited for my first 3 star Michelin Restaurant experience! We reserved seats in the Saloon and were put on the waitlist for the gallery but no luck. I've been globe trotting and dining at various Michelin Star restaurants, but this would be my first 3 star restaurant and Alinea is just so well known i was ready to get my mouth tantalized by Chef Grant Achatz! I mean read up on him. He apparently can't taste because he was diagnosed with tongue cancer. Crazy right? Any way I'm sad to report the food was fun but I was not impressed with the menu items. I got the wine pairing and the fish and chips came with a Guinness. I hate beer! The best part was the interactive art piece of dessert and the helium filled taffy balloons. I would give the service, presentation, and the techniques 5 stars but the food took a backseat to all of this. read more

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The artistic and theatrical presentation of the food was outstanding. My daughter and I had a wonderful evening. It was definitely a memorable experience. The service was impeccable. read more

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Oh, the famed Alinea. Well-known for its exquisite fine dining, amazing backstory, insanely competitive reservations, hefty price tag, and signature whimsical edible balloon. Chicago is one of my very favorite cities for food, and Alinea's restaurant group's roster only makes decisions ever more difficult. I have extensive concert ticketing experience, so I thought I was ready when the reservation openings dropped. I still wasn't able to snag the Gallery experience, so my friend and I got the Salon experience. Alinea has an unpretentious, nondescript entrance that you can only identify by its address. It's almost like a speakeasy and creates a memorable dining experience from the start (although of course, it's less mysterious when you run into other diners) Our servers were so helpful and thoughtful in facilitating our dining experience. They do a good job of keeping everything a surprise, while being mindful in finding out dietary restrictions (for example, one dish included a minor amount of alcohol and they tactfully asked to make sure we were comfortable with it). They provide a description with each dish, and you get a menu at the end of the meal as a souvenir. The dining experience is fascinating and engages all the senses. 1. When the first dish (NACRE) arrived, the server asked us to hold out our hands so that we could feel the bumpy shell plate in order to complement the caviar. (Seems far-fetched, but it's more of a vibe in-person than in writing lol) 2. HOT POTATO, cold potato was a such a fun concept. You pull a pin for the hot potato to drop into a chilled potato puree. It's necessary to eat it right away in order to preserve the temperature differences. Of course, a truffle slice was included in this amuse-bouche. 3. My favorite was probably the PLUME, which is a rendition of smoked fish. It's presented a plate with a clever paradoxical illustration of a smoking fish, which was actually the inspiration. It's accompanied by chips shaken with cigar smoke, making it an ultra fancy fish & chips. The smokey flavors are deep and complex. 4. HEADS & TAILS takes us to Asian-inspired cuisine, with an elaborate preparation of a prawn. The prawn head is used in a sauce for a bun. The tail is brought to tableside still being steamed in kelp and rock salt, so that it could be cooked to precision. 5. The SQUEAKER was a quaint course, themed on an English tea party. It consisted of an extremely delicious buttery pastry, with blueberry jam and foie gras spreads. The sweet, sour, and savory mismatch creates an aigre-doux contrast. 6. The EXPLOSION was indeed a flavor explosion, and it was a close second for my favorite. This course consisted of a dual of a "dumpling"/tortellini with a thicc piece of truffle and a side of more truffle with thinner-than-paper flash-fried Romaine. 7. I have a soft spot for steak, and Alinea's take, dubbed JACOB'S LADDER, was another highlight. The tart pomegranate sauce paired so well with the steak, with the bold, dense flavors contrasting the side of the more neutral-tasting white asparagus and jameed. 8. Next, we were brought downstairs to the kitchen. What an experience! Delulu VIP diner dreams come true. In the BRANCHES course, we stood at the bar and chatted with a chef who prepared fondue with apricot. The cheese wedge was melting right in front of our eyes... literally the truest sense of made-to-order (and the fondue apparatus was custom-made). This was paired with a floral, refreshing garden gimlet. 9. The next experience was PAINT, the world's fanciest banana split. Strawberry, banana, and chocolate sauces were drawn on our table, with much fanfare. The masterpiece was finished with a sprinkling of glittery sugar crystals and a finale of meringue smashing to release a cloud of dried ice smoke. The deconstructed sundae tasted as good as it looked! 10. Lastly, the chef's kiss was the BALLOON. The OG "food for the gram. The server explained that everything was edible, including the string (it tasted like a green apple high-chew). I don't necessarily crave edible balloons, so as expected, this was more for the experience and the amusing helium-driven high-pitch voices as you eat this. Our server had warned us to pull our hair back, and I could not stress this enough. Unfortunately it got stuck in my hair, and although they gave us warm wet towels to clean up, I felt awkward looking like I was washing my hair at this 3-star Michelin restaurant. Every dish was so unique and memorable. I appreciated the service, since the servers were so down-to-earth and sounded like they genuinely wanted to get to know us better as they were chatting. We were in Chicago for Lollapalooza, and we learned that one of our servers was also going! Was it worthwhile? Absolutely. The prepaid system is reasonable, although after the service charge and taxes, our basic-tier Salon experience came out to just over $900 for two. "Spend money on experiences", they say :') read more

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