Alinea Group Reviews

What a disappointment, we were invited for dinner, I really hate leaving bad reviews but I was fooled by all the good reviews , even though it wasn't my choice because we were invited & I left with my stomach sick. Definitely a unique experience, I don't know what they paid for dinner I'm sure it was a lot of money but definitely not worth it. I have traveled the world many times for business I ate at the finest of the finest, the ingredients they used are nothing special, their turbo fish (probably Halibut) was cold and the piece was the size of two quarters. The cheap caramelized pop corn was probably the best thing ( I hope that's not what a 3 start Michelin stands for). I love Michelin tires, but now I'm gonna switch to Pirelli. :) seriously unless you are psychologically damaged and you love paying a ton of money for absolutely nothing, then this is Not the place for you.

I honestly can't say enough nice things. We got engaged at Alinea and the whole staff, chefs, and literally everyone was top notch amazing. It was an experience that I'll always remember. They are so accommodating. They are wonderful, meticulous, well planned, and well run. Alinea is just such an experience in so many different ways. We all enjoy different things. All I can say is, if you're interested and can go, go, don't hesitate.

My expectations where very high naturally since the price is astronomical, however they were absolutely exceeded 10 fold. The service impeccable, timing was key, the courses were brought out a steady pace, the wine was flowing, the descriptions of the food were lavish tales of far away places and rare ingredients.

Absolutely go with the wine pairings, if you are dropping $300 for food, its only $150 on average with tax and tip. Not sure when I will be able to afford to go back, but if I had the disposible income, I would definitely be there once a season.

It was a cool experience, but I felt like we played second fiddle to critics and "people of more importance" during restaurant week. We were all paying the same thing, but there was an obvious separation between us by the wait staff.

I've been wanting to eat at Alinea for years and finally had the opportunity last night. I read the Life on the Line book (highly recommend) before going so I was very eager to see the dining tables and entryway.

I enjoyed the word search on the table that hid clues to the menu and that we were able to bring home a complete menu as a memento.

I passed over the wine pairing to have a glass of Pinot Noir instead. The sommelier had no written list for by the glass, so we had to trust in his selection. It was adequate and reasonably priced.

Alinea gets a 11/10 for presentation and cool party tricks. As a scientist, to see the uses of distillation and liquid nitrogen in a dining setting was really cool. I also loved being brought to the kitchen to see their 1 of a 30-kind mass cocktail shaker machine that came via NZ.

I did the salon experience which was 10 courses last night. In terms of food quality, Alinea did not quite live up to the hype for me. I don't want to ruin the experience for future attendees, but last night's dinner was very heavy on the Asian influences which I was surprised by. The closest comparison to Asian fusion would have been Blue Ginger by Ming Tsai and I just did not really feel that Alinea incorporated the Asian flavors as well as Tsai does. The uses of Korean bbq sauce and soysauce overwhelmed the food they were used with; however, a yellow curry dish did work well. An overall major qualm for me was that some of my food was still frozen. As in, I took a bite and got brainfreeze. When I asked my dining partner if he had a similar problem, he responded no. Then when we had "dumplings", mine was hot and his was cold.

The highlight for me was the non-balloon dessert. I really enjoyed the presentation and the flavors.

SPOILER: the disappointing dish for me was a "clam chowder" that was supposed to evoke "the cape". I spend every summer at the cape and as a Bostonian, I take my chowder very seriously. I've probably had "chowder" at hundreds of restaurants from holes in the wall to established seafood fine dining restaurants. The fun spin on the chowder was the aerated chowder served out of a whipped cream can (reminiscent of all the great ice cream shops at the cape!) However, the flavors were completely off for a chowder and all I could taste was salt. I realized pretty quickly that a lot of the other tables also did not finish their "chowder" so it was not just me. I think the staff should have realized that the chowder was a miss (or perhaps the flavors were just off that night?) when they had to return a bunch of uneaten bowls at a 3 Michelin star restaurant.

A complete miss on one out of ten dishes is not terrible and obviously Alinea is still a must-try restaurant due to its matchless food theatrics. Although, I was really hoping that the flavors would be worthy of its reputation, I felt that the presentation definitely carried Alinea through. I will add that my boyfriend is not a foodie and said it was the best meal of his life.

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.

First of Many Visits! Came here for the first time with my husband and it was an experience. The staff was so nice and kind. They were so knowledgeable about everything on the menu and we were very impressed. The food was good as well.

The benchmark! Here it s food , service , sound , sights , smells and more ! Dining elevated to the highest level.

This is a Awesome restaurant. It's awesome in the fact of the experience. But more so it's amazing when you know the story of Grant. It makes the whole experience Very surreal. I had been wanting to visit for years and someone out of the limb asked me if I wanted to go. Of course I say yes and had a very Pleasant time. They put a lot of Passion into what they do And it shows in their creativity. I recommend visiting if you ever get the opportunity.

My girlfriend and I wanted to come here after watching the Chef's Table episode featuring this establishment. It is expensive which may be a drawback for some people, but in my opinion, you're not just getting food; you're also getting a show that keeps you guessing about what's edible on your table and what's just decoration. Things of that nature.

You can choose the amount of courses you'll receive and they are very accommodating to allergies and dietary restrictions. Each course is small but what the food lacks in portion, it makes up in flavor. There were some foods that you may not think mesh together but it tasted like they were perfectly balanced.

The servers were extremely professional, courteous, and highly confident as if they are the top students in class. They are like no servers I've seen before in that they make you feel welcoming and comfortable. It's difficult to describe. Also I noticed they all talked in a similar cadence, has similar posture, and just all seemed like clones of each other (in a good way).

Our room (yes all the tables in our section of the restaurant) was taken to the kitchen at one point which was a real treat! We witnessed the all the happenings and even saw Grant (founder/owner/head chef) working which speaks volumes.

If you have the chance, do not hesitate to experience this place.

Alinea lives up to the hype! The new restaurant setup is very chic and posh. The tasting menu was spot-on with very unique flavors for a truly one of a kind experience. The wait staff was flawless and fantastic.

We love going out. Last night we arrived in this magnificent place which we didn t know before. We enjoyed a delightful experience there with very good dishes and a well-trained team and a professional chief cook. We put this fine restaurant in our list and we will no doubt visit again soon. We highly recommend.

Incredible, inventive, surprising, challenging; Alinea is all of these and more. If you visit any Michelin starred restaurant I suggest this one. Whatever the menu, I can guarantee it'll be life changing.

Bucket list experience which we booked several months in advance in preparation for our trip to Chicago. No, it's not a cheap meal but you are paying for an experience along with first class dining, ingredients and presentation. All of the staff were welcoming, friendly and there was non of the pretentious feel of so many higher end establishments. Food and wine pairing came to $1200 inclusive of all service charges and taxes. If you want a once in a lifetime experience, make this one for your list.

Unbelievable! It's a total immersion of the senses from start to finish! Incredible food paired with world class service and presentation.

We always look forward to coming here and getting such good service and food.

Great restaurant in Chicago. Love the New American style food. Worth checking this place out.

And we all thought you ran a classy little joint, unfortunately you have to hire from the local talent pool.

One of my preferred locations for tasty quality meals. Good place to relax and unwind. I've had nothing but enjoyable experiences here and plan to keep visiting. This place has a nice atmosphere. Feels like a cafe in Phoenix that I enjoyed visiting.

We had too high expectations for Alinea... after watching many documentaries and even reading the book, the food fell short. No doubt Grant is a great chef, creative and innovative and the experience was cool... but food was not worth it. Felt like I was eating foam, air and essence of something. $400 for 150 calories worth of food. Been to other 3 Michelin Star restros!! when we came the menu was not great. Nothing stood out as a favorite dish. Most of the dishes were okay and we had 3 really really horrible dishes. Our main dish was squab... unseasoned squab with a overly sweet berry sauce and chocolate wanna be Mexican mole dubbed as their homemade bbq sauce, yuk. So gross and disappointing. Service and experience was exceptional though. I m hoping it s just the menu we had or maybe he s just too comfortable. I don t ever regret going to a 3 Star and paying that much. At least I know what the fuss is about.

Embarked on a food journey here earlier this week, where we were served 16 courses of innovative dishes that really brought out the art of the culinary profession. My favorite courses were the final dessert course- Tropical Fruit, wherethey draw on your table, Eggplant-- the eggplant soup, Hot Potato, cold potato, and Graffiti--- their take on bringing Chicago cement and street art to you with hazelnut ice cream and a meringue type thing. Service here was great--- loved the waiters who were helping us, as they were pretty funny and welcoming. As delicious as some of the plates were, I don't think it's worth the steep price tag.

Definitely a place to go to celebrate a special occasion though.

Fantastic job. I enjoyed being a couple of times. Thank you for your service!

I'm in the mood for some Korean food, and thankfully, I found this Korean restaurant nearby. It was nice because the staff here are super accommodating, and the orders that I requested were made fast. I can tell that this place is truly a go-to spot for delicious foods, especially for some hot and tasty noodles. Good job, guys! THANKS!

It was so much fun. We were like kids excited and wowed with every new presentation. It was definitely an interactive meal. We were also taken to the kitchen to experience handmade shaved ice cocktails and a treat. To see behind the curtain was really special. So many beautiful and tasty surprises. The three hour dinner just flew by.

Great location for quality Quality Meals. visited on sat i believe. the service here is above par. prices were fair. like a restaurant in washington i loved.

Wonderful food with a great staff. Would recommend to anyone.

Scored and got last minute Facebook advertisement tickets.

I saw a special on Alinea on the Discovery channel awhile back, and knew that if I ever made it to Chicago, I had to go. The food was everything they pictured it to be, surprising, delicious, well thought out, creative, and intriguing. Service was completely worth the automatic 20% gratuity. If you are a foodie, this is truly a culinary adventure worth indulging for.

There is nowhere I would rather go for a great time and quality service.

Making this 5 stars because that s all they have. Our kids bought us the dinner with wine parings for our 30th anniversary. And all I can say is Grant Achatz is a complete genius.

Every course was the best thing I ever tasted. This meal will haunt my dreams for decades to come.

Listen, it's a rare expediting when food makes you feel emotion and this was exactly that. The food was stellar, fun, and just the right amount of goofy. The staff (Nicole in particular!) was kind, fun, and knowledgeable. It was truly a lovely night that we won't ever forget!

Crazy expensive but you ll never have an experience like it anywhere else!

Absolutely the best dining experience I have ever had in my life. Went here to celebrate my anniversary and the whole course was out of this world. The reputation, reviews, and hype is completely on point and arguably does not do Alineas enough justice. First time visiting Chicago, and we might fly back in just for Alineas and the trip would be absolutely worth it!

Molecular Gastronomy in Chicago Michelin 3 star restaurant. I can not compare it because I have never eaten expensive course course in Korea, but it is a restaurant that gives a really different feeling about food. We usually have 5 hours and 9 o'clock, and only 130 guests a day, so in good weather, make reservations two months in advance. The menu consists of two course meals of $ 300 and $ 375, all with tips and taxes. The dishes we make here are dishes made of really different flavors that can not be identified from their origin. The services and materials are really good too. Most of the menus consist of small plates, with about 15 to 17 plates and even desserts. However, I think it is difficult to guarantee that the restaurant is perfect because I think it is a restaurant where the taste is a little bit important and the experience itself is more important than the food.

n the mood for some Korean food, and thankfully, I found this Korean restaurant nearby. It was nice because the staff here are super accommodating, and the orders that I requested were made fast. I can tell that this place is truly a go-to spot for delicious foods, especially for some hot and tasty noodles. Good job, guys! THANKS!

Best experience in any restaurant I have ever been! It is not your typical old fashioned restaurant. This will blow your mind. You will start appreciating culinary arts more after spending an evening here for dinner. For me, the balloon was the best. It literally changes your voice for few seconds. Presentations for all the courses were great. Recommend everyone to visit when u are ready to spend ~$300 per person for dinner. It is pricey because you dont go there to fill you stomach. You go there to get your mind blown.

We came here for my 30th birthday (on a couple's trip to Chicago). It was an entire experience and we loved every minute of it. The booze is where it can really get tricky, and I felt a little bit like we were trying to be tricked into a more expensive bottle, which we navigated out of, but I can overlook that because of how fabulous the experience was otherwise. Will I eat here again? Probably not- because we don't live locally and venture to Chicago infrequently enough that I would want to try something else- but I would *definitely* try another restaurant under the Alinea umbrella, and I feel privileged to have been able to experience this place.

Got a last minute reservation for The Salon (shorter version 10 to 14 courses). It is indeed a culinary show from the minute you enter: from giant plates with different expressions of asparagus to burning salt preparing matsutake stew, to lightening sticks filled with a delicious juice, to dry iced limes coconuts and lemon grass to produce a scent, to helium filled sugar balloons, .... But, all of it is while gimmicky also extremely delicious, fun, creative. Perfect and very friendly service. Great wine list, expensive but reasonably priced for a three star Michelin. Star of the night a bottle of Keller G-max. In my opinion this is a restaurant one should at least experience once in a life time.

It's beyond dining. It's performance art with food. It's like one of the best movies you've never seen playing out before your eyes. The food and wine pairings had me at a loss for words, and the service (big ups to Nicole, who was fun, charming, and enthusiastic, as well as our sommelier, whose name I didn't catch, but he was really great) was perfect. It really felt like everyone there was excited to surprise you and take you on this magnificent journey. On top of that, my now fiance proposed to me prior to our visit and they really went above and beyond to make the night special. Thank you, Alinea!

Indescribable courses. This is not just dining but a theatrical presentation as well. Expensive, but worth every penny.

Exceptional food, decent prices, and a nice clean dining room. The food options were truly fantastic, and we enjoyed every single item we ordered. It was the best food we had on our entire trip! Given all of the great restaurants we visited, that is indeed high praise. I will surely come back next time.

I guess I have to give a 5 star for the experience, and for the luck they actually gave us a table without much reservation(very rarely happened). Maybe I need to get used to the very strong tastes or do the wine paring to really appreciate 5+ star.

We had a salon reservation; it definitely lived up to the hype. It was a great culinary experience and despite the price, well worth it! We also got a peak at the gallery experience and it looked amazing...it's supposed to be much more experimental. Will have to try that next.

It's truly an all around experience, where smell, taste, sight, and ambiance are seamlessly strung together. It was exciting to see the surprises and delights for each course. The desert at the very end was definitely the most unique and fun course of the meal.

Worth it!

Finally got to dine at Alinea last night for a friend's birthday party. Truly a dining experience worth its higher price!

The decor and furniture here is a clean, modern theme that did not have any hints of being pretentious and whatnot (The chairs are dreamy comfortable!).

With the price tag (Tickets are over $270ish not counting wine and service fee) and all the positive reviews, I expected great food of course. Chef Grant Achatz and the cooking staff here really raised the standards here for fine dining! Having dined at many of Chicago's other finest restaurants, the bar was already really up there. Eighteen courses, eighteen experiences of art on a plate and a quality taste experience from each course. The Hot Potato, Cold Potato and Black Truffle Explosion are well-deserving of the praise they get, but the same effort and quality was consistent throughout the whole evening. I looooved the desserts!

The kitchen tour was all smiles from the staff! They were all focused on their work, and the passion was definitely visible in their effort! But that was representative of the service here - It's so friendly and genuine! When purchasing our tickets a few months back, the people here were really accommodating to our group payment desires (We're pretty bad with planning out how things should be paid for birthday parties/gifts/etc., but the staff was really cordial and helping us figure things out). No stuffiness/snobbery, just genuinely great service!

I know it's a cliche for one to fall in love with a restaurant, but Alinea deserves my love!

This was super disappointing my second time here. We went with guests from Mexico and they were equally as disappointed. We were in the salon for a 13 course meal. The food was just okay (not phenomenal or great) and there is a lot of dead time between courses, without music it is a lot of time wasted. It also lacked a common theme or story line with the food. There was no element of taking you on a journey and definitely not a sensory experience for your pallet or otherwise, other than your eyes and a good presentation. The restaurant itself needs work: the paneling is cheap like a movie theater, there is only one bathroom for all the guests, lighting is too dim and tables are cold. Lastly, there was zero to no theatrics and nothing transformative about the food that would make you go "wow". 1.5 years ago when I last went, I was blown away. Possibly because my experience the last time was actually great, but I give this a one star rating and would HIGHLY recommend saving your $$$. It is beyond not worth it and this was such a poor experience, we had to apologize to our guests after close to $1700 for 4 people...I will never go here again.

Imagine the best dining experience of your life and then multiply it by 2

I love this restaurant so much. They served you very fast. The environment is good and very relaxing. Should come here earlier

What a once in a life time experience. I can understand why it received 3 Michelin stars and is rated within the best 50 restaurants in the world! Although I heard that past menus (since they change their menus every so often) was way better than what I had.

Reservations are hard to come by, make sure you read when you can sign up for reservations. I believe it's every 15th of the month at like 9am or some early time depending on what time zone you're in, that you can reserve for the next month or two. I booked it right when it came out and since I was going on a holiday weekend, it sold out instantly. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 5:45pm reservation though. We did the cheaper tier since there are two prices. The more costly tier allows you to sit at the chefs table and has more display artwork with the food.

It's nice that you prepaid for it so you go there and simply enjoy. Although we added 2 wine glasses and a wine pairing to our bill since we didn't book that beforehand. Everything is a surprise. All we are given is this wordsearch on the table that has part of what we're eating on it. It was hard not glancing at other people's tables to see what they were having. Each item came out and each was delicious and different from anything we had before. The food kept surprising us.

At one point during dinner, they invited everyone in the room to go downstairs to the kitchen to enjoy a bite and drink, which I thought was unique and fantastic. In the kitchen, it was cool to see them mass make plates and to absorb everything in. Once our bite was over, we went back upstairs to continue our dinner.

I don't want to spoil the menu but the dessert was aboslutely amazing. That banana looked so real and it was sooooooooo good. The Instagram photos that you normally see is the candy balloon. It's difficult to take a photo with it. Unfortunately, my boyfriend's balloon deflated when it got to him, but our server was nice to get a new one. But by the time he got a new one, my deflated and we weren't able to get a nice photo together with it. We did, however, suck the helium in and our voices were squeaky momentarily.

Overall, we enjoyed the experience. I think people over hyped it for me that I didn't believe it was AMAAAAAZING LIKE OH MY GOD, but it was definitely an experience. I don't know if I would do it again, maybe in the long future. The price is really decent for a 3 Michelin stars, given that anything in the bay area is at that price already for 1 star or less.

Quirky but very good, meets expectations (even for Michelin 3).

Simply indescribable, this is gourmet cuisine in a class, I have rarely eaten so well, just awesome.

Everything was perfect, from decoration to the service. You definitely have to visit this restaurant.

Alinea is one of the coolest and most creative restaurants I've ever been in my life! I was in Chicago for vacation and everyone told me to try this place. It's a Michelin star restaurant so everything's fancy and everyone had to dress up. One person pays around $200 each and there were around 15-20 small dishes in the menu set. My favorite was "Skate" and "hot potato". The helium apple balloon was really cool.

Unique
the chef brings us into his culinary universe, a magical, exceptional and unique moment, the dishes are perfect, the creative cuisine, the service is perfect, the moment is just magic

I'm in Shock and awe on how this place has 3 Michelin stars, it shouldn't even have 1. Not being mean or snobby, speaking from other Michelin experiences, that would be superior to Alinea in every way. The wait staff was not highly trained and we're not professional with their demeanor or service. For example, I had an empty glass of wine for 15 min, after one of the staff expressed he would refill me, somebody else later caught my drought. The staff also joked around, we're loud and very unprofessional for any Michelin experience I've had, maybe some patrons were ok with this but we found it rude. This could have been pacified with background music or ambiance, but there was no music or noise to drown out your close by neighbors or rude staff, to be found. Most of the food and ingredients we're nothing special and the table effects werent too great. The last trick, edible helium balloons was the only thing I could honestly say was great. For folks that do a Michelin star experience for the first time, you won't know what you're missing. But having 3 stars for those that do is insulting to other Franchises that do it right and take the responsibility seriously. Three (3) stars gets you anything you want from excited patrons and I have to say this was a hyped up scam. I don't even post reviews as my wife is usually the one to fight for justice, but I can't let this massive disappointment go. I'd recommend other local gems in Chicago to spend your money that would be a better experience and fair trade.

This is just outstanding. Best restaurants in the world keep up the growth. Expensive but worth every second. This place is amazing.

Unfortunate miss for Alinea...

Not sure what happened, but my guest and I arrived punctually, but had to wait 10 min for our table - this detail does not exemplify a 3 Michelin star restaurant. Furthermore, waiting in a narrow sitting area on top of three other couples and one large group felt similar to a cramped line at a Disney attraction. Once finally seated, the service progressed well until an embarrassing blunder from one of the table attendants who, while pouring into a bowl, splashed soup all over my attire - this detail does not exemplify a 3 Michelin star restaurant. While the attendant eventually apologized, our primary table attendant, nor anyone else, apologized for the disturbing event - this detail does not exemplify a 3 Michelin star restaurant. A remark about handling of the dry cleaning bill was conveniently made. To add insult to injury, as we were just about to get up from our seats to return home for the evening, our primary table attendant asked if he could quickly grab my menu that was given as a momento and do something "special" with it. A few minutes later, he returned the menu to me with "happy birthday" scribbled towards the back - a last minute thought for someone who was truly hoping that, if anything, a special birthday experience would NOT be forgotten - this detail does not exemplify a 3 Michelin star restaurant. While the courses were wonderful in every sense (literally), the delivery was not in line with the sublime execution of the chef and to me, does not justify a 3-star experience.

not a particular fan for their food but overall it was a very interesting experience.

Great food, great experience. Not pretentious at all.

It was an usual experience - made even more awesome because of the great friends I experienced it with. All the servers were surprisingly personable, and not haughty (I don't know why I expected standoffish manners - possibly because of the high price tag?) They made us feel at ease right away and we had a great time. That being said, not sure it's worth the price however. I am looking forward to trying Next and Aviary to compare the values.

Been here with my friends and was very satisfied with the food and customer service.

Out of my price range, but it was really good food! Special thanks to the Hanson family for the dinner.

It truly was an honor and privilege to dine at Alinea. To be able to experience the creativity and imagination of the staff here combined with the flawless service will forever leave a lasting impression.

I've said it before coming and I'll say it again...if my best meal was $100, I was never expecting Alinea to be 5x better because frankly that would be an unrealistic ask. What I most enjoyed about Alinea was the innovation, theatrics, and fully immerse dining experience.

Overall Thoughts

The gallery is well worth the sticker price if you are looking to experience fine dining from a visionary in the industry

A wonderful experience. I think it's worth the price for a rare treat. The staff is absolutely top notch. I even enjoyed the courses with food I didn't like because they go so above and beyond with all the senses

Went in feeling very skeptical, and could not have been more impressed. Honestly one of the best, coolest experiences I've had.The staff was incredibly hospitable, unreal food, and the sommelier even made up a beer pairing to go with the different dishes. The hostess offered to take my copy of Life on the Line, have Chef Achatz and Nick sign it, and ship it back to me. Fantastic, start to finish.

The dinner at Alinea was an unparalleled experience that I will not forget all my life. Many Thanks!

Had my proposal here, the staff was excellent to deal with. Creativity of anna and jane was great! Excellent atmosphere, she loved it. Many thanks is not enough, absolutely the greatest.

No, no, no....I really wanted to like this restaurant but it was extremely underwhelming. I ll start with the something positive. The staff. Very attentive and extremely nice. They make you feel welcomed and are eager to help you in every way. My wife has an soy allergy and they altered her courses to accommodate her. And now the negatives. The food. Every course was just gross...and I m not trying to be over critical of the food because it is a 3 star Michelin. It was just plain nauseating. Multiple times during the meal I would take a bite and it required all my strength to swallow the food. I guess maybe fancy food just isn t my style, but I ve been to other Michelin star restaurants and had the chef s tasting and loved every bite. For $1,200 you would expect to have one of the best meals and experiences of your life, but it ended up the worst meal of my life. Usually even if I don t like something I ll still eat it since you know I already paid for it. Other than the veal course, I left at least half the food on my plate for the other 9 courses. Which is impressive considering the portions are so small. In conclusion don t let the Michelin stars blind you like it did us. Save your money, you ll be glad you didn t just essentially flush 1k down the toilet by eating here.

Quality Meals, mmm, so delicious. I should have took a photo of the food but it was too good to interrupt. Nothing but enjoyable experiences here. Menu is like a cafe in Boston I loved.

I experienced something truly unique. Dining at Alinea, to us, was the experience of art with all our senses - sigh, touch, smell, taste, and sound. Additionally I appreciated that Chef Achatz has made his art accessible in that I did not feel that I needed to have a culinary degree or an art major to appreciate what he did (I have been to restaurants like that).

We cam to Alinea thinking this would be a once in a lifetime experience and left saying "Yeah, I think I will come back!"

How could you not love this place! It truly was an experience from the moment we walked in until the moment we walked out. Every dish was given its own atmosphere. In a restaurant that has prestige, it was a super fun and relaxed experience. I have 15 food allergies and that tends to stress out people when I arrive- if they were stressed about it, it was not shown. My allergies were quoted to me from memory from the staff! That has never happened before and I was super impressed and made to feel more comfortable about the food that was given to me. They made separate food that was safe just for me. All the dishes looked just like the dishes that everyone else had, but were made free of my allergens. This is was MUCH appreciated! I ate an amazing meal, among amazing people and felt like I was just like everyone else. That means more than they will ever know. And....let's not forget the helium balloon that allowed me to be 8 years old again for just a few minutes. The food needs no review from me. It speaks for itself (art for the tastbuds).

It had an excellent wait staff, very pretty, and the food I had was very good.

There are absolutely NO WORDS to adequately describe the experience we had here. I'm still dreaming...

You are paying for the ambience over the food. The theatrics are entertaining, but not worth the money.

Great theatre. Food is a little hit and miss with some great dishes but also average ones. Overall doesnt make the top 10 fine dining experiences which i would have expected for the reputation and price. Waiters also looked like deer in the headlights when i requested a hot chocolate after dinner. Was told there was only tea and coffee. Image that for a 3 star restaurant.

The service is very very good and all the stuff is very polite. The restaurant is soecialised in burgers.

A unique dining experience combining performance art with culinary art.

I went to Alinea to celebrate my 1 year wedding anniversary and I have to say that my expectations were exceeded... and I expected A LOT for how much money it cost. I was a little nervous as I am a vegetarian and I wasn't sure how equipped they would be to accommodate me. The vegetarian tasting menu was phenomenal. I never felt like any dishes were skimped out on.

Everything was deliberate and well thought out from the aroma in the air to the dishes/plating and flavor profiles of the food. The service was like nothing I've experienced before.. it was as if they knew me!

I did the wine pairing with my meal and would highly recommend it.. it really brought out the dishes and every wine was just amazing.