So absolutely amazing that I don't even know what to say about it. You have to try it at some point in your life. Every single aspect of the dining experience is thought out to the smallest detail. All of the wait staff is very attentive and noticed that my husband was a lefty after the second course and started to set the table for a lefty. It's the little details like that that really set them apart.
Best restaurant in Chicago hands down! Every experience is great- even the take home option during the Pandemic has been amazing.
A surreal experience with food. You will leave changed... for the better. Absolutely incredible.
Superlative culinary experience. Fine dining with emphasis molecular gastronomy and extreme attention to detail. Unreasonably expensive with the quality to match. I recommend visiting this place once every handful of years, no more, so as to never get bored of the delightful surprises they provide. The more upscale wine pairings are of questionable value unless you have a better palette than everybody I know. But the signature desserts are always worth the experience...
If you are reading this far, you already know that you want to go... Plan 3 months out and get the tickets, or else take your chances on the cancellation emails, but for goodness sakes try not to take too many photos so you don't miss the in-person experience.
This is honestly a benchmark for anywhere else I would go to dine at this level. Grant Achatz continues to outdo himself. His success and recognition is well warranted.
On this cold nights ramen always sounds good I love coming to place is friendly and the ramen is really good !
this food is so good i'am coming back here for lunch
Rightly said - "The best overall dining experience you can have in Chicago!" I loved it here so much! Great place to visit with your friends and family.
I m not really sure how anybody could give this place less than 5 stars. The food is amazing. The wine pairing was phenomenal. I had to wait by a computer and constantly click refresh in order to get my reservation. Within five minutes, their entire month was sold out. I think that speaks for itself. Of course, it s very expensive- but if you can afford it, this place is worth a visit.
Wonderful, unique, electrifying experience!!! Engaged and satisfied all the senses. Hit all the flavors. Very special experience. Did the Kitchen Table - worth every penny.
This restaurant is conveniently located which I loved so much. I was blown away by the great flavors here. It is not that huge place but perfect for an intimate gathering. The prices were incomparable to another restaurant I have visited before. The customer service is one of a kind and out of this world. I would definitely recommend and come back again!
Original, creative and entertaining. If only it were a bit warmer in the restaurant (bring a coat!).
Alinea is a once in a lifetime experience that I would recommend people to try, provided that you have the budget. At $550/head with the wine pairing, the pricing isn't something to ignore (I hosted 6 people total).
What I loved:
- The wine pairings were quite delicious!
- Very aesthetically pleasing meals
- Craziest 4 hour dining experience ever
- Ambiance - felt like I was in somebody's living room
- Many varieties of food to try from
- Exceptional service (new napkin every time you get up, push in your chair, refilling of water)
- Very artistic dessert that they make in front of you
What I wish could have been better:
- Portions are not filling (although this is expected from Michelin restaurants)
- Some of the food did not taste right at all (the first ceviche tasted like frozen ice)
- With the wine pairing, they were very reluctant to give me additional alcohol (they ended up giving me more, but charged me $28 without forewarning me)
Again, I think it "may" be worth trying once in your lifetime if you've got the funds, but even if you don't go, you won't regret it!
Perfect place to spend your last meal for the weekend! The vibes, the food, the staff and you get to experience everything with your love ones! They are very accommodating and very consistent. I am very much contented with everything they give.
The food was very wonderful, the wine list had a good selection and the staff was very well organized and friendly. Keep up the great work!
3 star michelin means 3 bills, but you get way more than what you pay for. I cannot possibly describe the culinary journey that this place took me through, so you have to see it for yourself. It's closed for renovations until March 2016 for Alinea 2.0, and I can't wait to see what they come up with
Part fine dining, part performance art. It was a moveable feast--we moved from the dining room to the kitchen and then...well, no spoilers. The courses were generally very good but some of them are too heavy on the salt. Dessert, on the other hand, was perfect. They were colorful, festive and delicious. You have to try a helium filled candied balloon at least once in your life! I didn't give the experience, as wonderful as it was, 5 stars because it was simply too expensive. There are similar quality or higher restaurants for less money. I could also sail on a week long cruise for the amount of money that was plunked down for this one meal. So, whether this is a worthwhile experience for you comes down to personal taste.
An amazing experience and meal. I had my hesitations going into it, but the staff, atmosphere and meal delivered. It will be remembered fondly for a long time.
Amazing cuisine. Food is frozen with nitrogen and served in arts always!
too dear, also it is not ok to make fun with the virus when the epidemic in US is big..
I don't need a piece of meat strung to a miniaturized highwire circus contraption. I just don't. I'd rather the meal focus on flavors over presentation. Alinea was the experience that taught me to be wary of high expectations as that appears to invite disappointment. And everybody at my table was certainly disappointed.
The service was fantastic and the staff made the experience really positive (more so than the food). The food was very good. It just didn't wow me. Although the food was executed very well, I don't remember ever thinking with respect to any dish "That was an awesome, creative use of flavors" or "I would pay $$$$ to eat that again." That's a problem when the customer is paying several hundred dollars for a meal.
Counterbalancing the good-but-not-exceptional food was the stellar presentation. But I don't go restaurants for a theatrical performance, I go for the flavors -- and on that metric, Alinea did not excel.
There are better places at half the price.
We had a fabulous time here at Alinea. There were 6 of us, and we got the private kitchen table dining experience. While the table was right beside the kitchen, it's not like other restaurants where you sit at the bar surrounding the kitchen.
The service was fantastic. I can't remember our hostess' name, but she did a wonderful job and was very attentive and engaging.
The overall experience and presentation of food was also very visually appealing and is definitely worth the visit to Alinea.
The reason I gave a 4 star is because I wasn't overly wowed by all the food. I would say there were a few that definitely stood out, but there were also a few that were a miss for me.
Overall, Alinea is worth a visit at least once.
We dined in the Salon. Definitely worth it. I want to come back to the Gallery now!
W-o-w with three syllables.
I won't bother going into the details of each dish, since the tasting menu changes. I will say that Dave and his creative team are masters at making food look great and taste phenomenal - two things that most kitchens have difficulty in striking the right balance.
Though super pricey, this is a culinary *experience* that you can't miss if you're in Chicago - even if it means trying to get tickets ahead of time, and THEN booking your trip around it. Or, wait until Alinea and Eleven Madison Park switch kitchens again, but from what I heard, they bumped up the price quite a bit when the Alinea team relocated to Eleven Madison.
As amazing as they say it is. Since there are already so many excellent reviews, I will just give a few pointers. First, wear something nice, but comfortable. You will be eating for 3+ hours and you don't want to fuss with your dress the whole time. Second, if you are doing with the price, think of it as a unique experience like hot air ballooning or sky diving. Third, of you pick the more expensive option, you are eating as a large group (16 people) the "economy" option you eat at your own table and pace. If you show up late to the large group one they will start without you. We ate the "economy" option and honestly I don't think I could have finished another bite and I certainly didn't leave wishing I had sprang for more.
Chef Grant Achatz has broken the rules of the table, there are no limits, there may not even be dishes to contain the dishes. Throughout the service it will play with your mind.
World class experience! I am a very picky eater, but they went out of their way to make my experience a good one, and made food after my preferences. Very friendly servers, and they also gave my boyfriend Martin a nice birthday surprise. And I am so stuffed!
One of the most delicious, unique, creative meals I've ever had.
The experience was amazing. I do not want to say too much to ensure everything remains a surprise. I would highly recommend attending a showing at Alinea.
alinearestaurant.com