Alinea

Beyond exceptional service and incredibly inventive cuisine. I dined at Alinea in The Salon, celebrating my belated birthday. It's hard to name one singular item I liked best because every dish impressed--when I took a bite of the "ostra", the opening dish, I thought it would be the best of the night. Cantaloupe and chamomile and chili--the combination was just so creative and had my taste buds singing! But then came the black truffle "explosion" and "hot potato"... the entire menu was sensational, and my feeble attempt to commit this experience to words just goes to show how truly indescribable Alinea is.

Truly a phenomenal dining experience at this Michelin restaurant. We had reservations in the Gallery which was fairly loud but great for a meal with friends. Dinner was interactive, fun, and lively. Service was excellent. From start to finish, the start of each course left you in anticipation of what was to come. Each dish was beautifully and uniquely presented but the food was short of amazing. Food was delicious but not mind blowing. Presentation definitely overtook the tastiness of the meal. My favorite part of the meal was the presentation of the Paint Dessert. This was such an exceptional experience and I enjoyed my time here but for the price point, I doubt I will be back on my dime. The food was tasty but didn't blow me away. I did leave here full but not overly stuffed. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place for an unforgettable dining experience. P.S. Reservations can be made on the 15th of the month, approximately 2 months in advance and are released at 11:00 AM Central Time.

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 caviarBlancmange: The flavors were just ok together but i did not particularly enjoy thisEucalyptus: Not a huge fan of olives and this dish was almost 100% olive flavorsRoot 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 gladi came

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!)

Amazing once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. The food was phenomenal. The service, impressive. Very memorable.

Where do I even begin to describe my ultimate dining experience at Alinea? From the moment we stepped through the doors of this iconic three-star Michelin restaurant, it was clear that we were in for something truly extraordinary. Booking our reservation a month and a half in advance, we eagerly anticipated the arrival of our friends from Miami to join us for this special occasion. To make the evening even more memorable, I reached out to the Alinea group and asked if we could meet the culinary genius himself, Chef Grant Achatz, and have our menus signed. While there were no guarantees, we were overjoyed to find ourselves seated with a direct view into the kitchen, where Chef Achatz was tirelessly working his magic. Despite our star-struck awe, he graciously took a photo with me, signed our menus, and even autographed copies of the Alinea cookbook and Aviary Cocktail book that I purchased while we were there!From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and our coats were taken care of. Then, we were led to the ultimate dining experience: a table set up just for us in the kitchen, where we could witness the culinary performance unfold before our eyes. Adding a wine package only enhanced the experience, with our knowledgeable and entertaining host, Kellen, and sommelier, Branson, guiding us through each course.Every dish we encountered was a masterpiece of creativity and execution. The presentation, the flavors, and the way we were meant to enjoy each dish were all meticulously planned. Each course was a journey in itself, with the ambiance changing seamlessly from one dish to the next. I would review each course we savored which were too many to recount, but that would ruin it for anyone thinking of experiencing Alinea because you must try this for yourself at least once in your lifetime! And the menus change as new items get introduced so why review each and every dish. There were so many courses that left you in awe and so I'm thankful we got the menu to remember what we ate! One standout moment was the French onion soup, where we felt like dancing as the soup was prepared right at our table on a communal-style copper fire stove, accompanied by the perfect soundtrack of 'Fire' by the Ohio Players. But the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Paint Dessert, a mesmerizing performance by Chef Grant Achatz himself, along with another talented chef. It was a breathtaking finale to an unforgettable evening that will forever be etched in our memories.The experience was worth every penny! Yes we spent a lot but we left Alinea feeling not only satisfied but also deeply fulfilled, and our hearts and bellies full of gratitude. Thank you, Alinea, for exceeding our every expectation and making our evening so special. Thank you for making a special reservation afterwards to your speakeasy, The Office. What a nice touch that Alinea provided us complimentary transportation to The Office. They even offered to comp the valet fees but we didn't use the valet. Words cannot express how much we enjoyed every moment, and we can't wait to return for another remarkable culinary adventure.

Let me start this off by saying I came in with high expectations. The chefs table episode featuring Chef Achatz left a comforting imprint during a formative period in my life. And I have wanted to experience Alinea ever since. Alinea is also my first 3 star experience. I'm honestly glad I got to pop my 3 star cherry here because let me tell you - to put it simply, it's REALLY good, and it is worth the price, anticipation, and reservation headhunting!!I booked a solo reservation at the Salon and did the and standard wine paring. I have a perpetual history of getting too wasted with wine parings and wanted to keep it simple for both myself and the Alinea team. Good choice!! The regular wine paring with all the courses was more than enough. It was truly a dynamic pairing - and added a liquid dimension of creativity to an already whimsical experience. Signature dishes like the "explosion" and "hot potato cold potato" are as breathtaking as food critics and TV celebrity chefs have parroted. The explosion was singularly the best bite of food I've had in my entire life. I honestly wanted to walk downstairs, barge into the kitchen, and start scarfing more of these down directly on the pass. The only thing keeping me firmly planted in my seat was knowing that if I did that - I'd miss out on chef Achatz's magic and would surely be banned. That would not be an option for me - because everything I come back to Chicago, I will be going here!! Chef Achatz, and the Alinea staff, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for one of the most unforgettable fine dining experiences I've ever had!! When I'm back in your beautiful city, I will be stopping by. Maybe I'll sweet talk some local foodies into the chefs table experience!

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.

What a privilege and honor to be able to dine at Alinea! Truly a once in a lifetime experience!We made a reservation for the Gallery and highly recommend selecting that option. Is it more expensive? Yes. Is it fully worth it? Absolutely! The Gallery really gives you the full Alinea experience in an intimate and unique setting. The whole evening felt like a giant performance with every course presented elegantly in an almost magical sense!The highlight of the gallery option is the kitchen tasting course. It was so cool to see all of the inner workings of the kitchen and witness Chef Achatz in his element. It was also amazing to have him serve us our Paint course!Overall, the service and food were fantastic, just as I expected it to be! Our favorite courses were Avocado Yellow on Mellow, Explosion, Hot Potato, Truffle Root Beer, and Paint! If you're in Chicago and celebrating a special occasion, a visit to Alinea is a must!

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.