This was an interesting experience overall. However, their services are lacking. It was evident that the sommelier was not uptodate regarding wine pairings and often skipped over our table. The valet was not available and when he showed up, he was overwhelmed and instructed me to park on my own. Now, I do not mind any of this in general. However, if we are going to be paying $500+ for a fine dining experience where they advertise all of these services, I expect them. The food was heavily truffle based and felt like a repeat at times. The waitress was very friendly and other staff were knowledgeable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
R
Service was great although a bit fake and robotic. The room was small. The food was very lacking. I had pretty high expectations given the cost, and most of it was pretty disappointing. Nothing really wowed me except the artsy element of the dessert. I've been to several high end restaurants, and this one wasn't worth it. I would have regretted going here, but I can now tell people not to and save somebody's money and time if not mine.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 5
C Brown
It goes without saying that this is the best restaurant in the region. All 12 courses were excellent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MS intrinsic
We were greatly disappointed in the food. There wasn’t a single dish that was wow and none that’d we’d be interested in having again. It’s clear something has changed. For the popular dishes like the ruffle explosion, ours was cold and the noodle was raw and chewy. The a5 steak was mediocre and I’ve had better at us steakhouses and street vendors in Japan. They try to wow you with the story of the food but that doesn’t matter when it sucks. My fiancé is tiny and even she was still hungry after eating all the courses. HIGHLY recommend avoiding and saving your money.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Mike
Alinea is an extraordinary dining experience…intimate, romantic, and impeccably executed. The cuisine is inventive and beautifully balanced, each course feeling thoughtful and surprising, while the service is warm, attentive, and seamless. It’s far more than a meal; it’s an unforgettable evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lizzie Hendren
Outstanding. If you're thinking about celebrating something special here, do it! We had an amazing experience thanks to all the staff, especially Tyler, Henry, John and Zac.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marilyn Cruz
It’s expensive, but it’s worth it. I don’t think I would go back. We were missing one course that was never brought to our table, but we were already too full.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Lotem Hayun
I don’t often write reviews, but I felt obligated to share our experience at Alinea.
I was truly looking forward to this visit. I booked the reservation specifically to celebrate my husband’s birthday — he’s a huge foodie — and we traveled all the way from California to a Chicago winter just for this meal.
Unfortunately, I can only describe the evening as unpleasantly surprising.
The hosts were kind, and we were escorted to our table within a few minutes of arrival. We were asked right away if we wanted water, and then… we waited. For nearly 15 minutes, no one acknowledged us. The dining room was full of staff walking around, yet no server approached our table.
Eventually, we were asked if we’d like a glass of champagne, and after ordering, we waited another 10 minutes.
While still waiting for food, we requested the wine list. After another long pause, a server returned only to explain that the wine book offered bottles only, not wine by the glass. We confirmed that we were indeed interested in a bottle — and then continued waiting. No sommelier ever came to speak with us.
When we finally selected a wine and placed our order, two different servers returned separately to confirm that we wanted a bottle and that we were aware of the price.
I don’t know the reason behind this treatment, but I have never experienced anything like it at a Michelin-level restaurant. It felt like profiling — as if we didn’t look like the kind of guests who could afford a bottle of wine. Perhaps it was because we both have prominent tattoos; I honestly don’t know. But it left us feeling extremely uncomfortable.
About 30 minutes after sitting down, we received the first course. At no point before then did anyone explain the menu, set expectations, or ask if we had any questions.
Once the dishes began arriving, the staff was pleasant and knowledgeable, and the food was certainly creative and interesting. That said, I don’t believe the experience was worth the cost, and it was definitely not worth traveling across the country for.
To be honest, if the meal hadn’t been prepaid, we would have left after 20 minutes.
I’m deeply disappointed, especially because I’ve long admired Chef Achatz and had waited a very long time for the opportunity to dine at Alinea.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Nate Tran
I went in 2023 and they still served one of my least favourite meals ever. I'm one of the least picky eaters I know. So many incredibly creative dishes with an unpleasant aftertaste, and the only plate I've ever not finished Restaurant was cold too
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jason Ellis
The Salon experience was wonderful. The menu had many nostalgic flavors in a unique presentation not found elsewhere. The staff were beyond professional, warm, and courteous. The drink pairings were perfect and definitely complete the experience. The quality of the ingredients was second to none and offered many new offerings I had yet to experience. This was absolutely bucket list worthy if you appreciate food and are open to me experiences.
100% mind-blowing. My new favorit restaurant in the World 👌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Camila Araújo
I went to Alinea with my husband to celebrate my birthday last December, and it was an amazing experience. At first, the atmosphere felt a bit overwhelming, but one of the servers noticed we were Brazilian and introduced himself as Brazilian as well, which was a warm and welcoming coincidence. The service was impeccable, and the food was absolutely outstanding. Truly a memorable dinner and totally worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raymond Johnson
My wife and I had the privilege of celebrating another anniversary dinner at Alinea, it was our 42nd anniversary. We have been spending our anniversary at Alinea for many years and we have been amazed and astonished at the creativity and excellence of our meals and the care provided by the staff. A special thank you to Greg for his excellent service during this year’s dining experience. Thank you again for another memorable meal and experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicholas Capriola
This place reaffirmed my belief in God. We had the table in the kitchen and wine pairing. Beyond exceptional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tamara Taber
I don’t think I can tell you anymore than what other people have experienced. Yes, the food is unique, but there is nothing that I would ever want again. Nothing blew my mind that I’m gonna talk about it at parties or crave an item and have to go back. Very creative, very unique, I’m glad that I experienced it, but it was definitely not worth my time or my money. I found the waitstaff and atmosphere good. Everybody was professional and nice but when asked one server what the duck liver she was serving us was confit in, she said butter, but we weren’t sure because she wasn’t sure. She had to think about it and then simply said butter, but we’re wondering was that right? Either way, it was good but not fabulous.
This was an interesting experience overall. However, their services are lacking. It was evident that the sommelier was not uptodate regarding wine pairings and often skipped over our table. The valet was not available and when he showed up, he was overwhelmed and instructed me to park on my own. Now, I do not mind any of this in general. However, if we are going to be paying $500+ for a fine dining experience where they advertise all of these services, I expect them. The food was heavily truffle based and felt like a repeat at times. The waitress was very friendly and other staff were knowledgeable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Service was great although a bit fake and robotic. The room was small. The food was very lacking. I had pretty high expectations given the cost, and most of it was pretty disappointing. Nothing really wowed me except the artsy element of the dessert. I've been to several high end restaurants, and this one wasn't worth it. I would have regretted going here, but I can now tell people not to and save somebody's money and time if not mine.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 5
It goes without saying that this is the best restaurant in the region. All 12 courses were excellent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were greatly disappointed in the food. There wasn’t a single dish that was wow and none that’d we’d be interested in having again. It’s clear something has changed. For the popular dishes like the ruffle explosion, ours was cold and the noodle was raw and chewy. The a5 steak was mediocre and I’ve had better at us steakhouses and street vendors in Japan. They try to wow you with the story of the food but that doesn’t matter when it sucks. My fiancé is tiny and even she was still hungry after eating all the courses. HIGHLY recommend avoiding and saving your money.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Alinea is an extraordinary dining experience…intimate, romantic, and impeccably executed. The cuisine is inventive and beautifully balanced, each course feeling thoughtful and surprising, while the service is warm, attentive, and seamless. It’s far more than a meal; it’s an unforgettable evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Outstanding. If you're thinking about celebrating something special here, do it! We had an amazing experience thanks to all the staff, especially Tyler, Henry, John and Zac.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s expensive, but it’s worth it. I don’t think I would go back. We were missing one course that was never brought to our table, but we were already too full.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
I don’t often write reviews, but I felt obligated to share our experience at Alinea.
I was truly looking forward to this visit. I booked the reservation specifically to celebrate my husband’s birthday — he’s a huge foodie — and we traveled all the way from California to a Chicago winter just for this meal.
Unfortunately, I can only describe the evening as unpleasantly surprising.
The hosts were kind, and we were escorted to our table within a few minutes of arrival. We were asked right away if we wanted water, and then… we waited. For nearly 15 minutes, no one acknowledged us. The dining room was full of staff walking around, yet no server approached our table.
Eventually, we were asked if we’d like a glass of champagne, and after ordering, we waited another 10 minutes.
While still waiting for food, we requested the wine list. After another long pause, a server returned only to explain that the wine book offered bottles only, not wine by the glass. We confirmed that we were indeed interested in a bottle — and then continued waiting. No sommelier ever came to speak with us.
When we finally selected a wine and placed our order, two different servers returned separately to confirm that we wanted a bottle and that we were aware of the price.
I don’t know the reason behind this treatment, but I have never experienced anything like it at a Michelin-level restaurant. It felt like profiling — as if we didn’t look like the kind of guests who could afford a bottle of wine. Perhaps it was because we both have prominent tattoos; I honestly don’t know. But it left us feeling extremely uncomfortable.
About 30 minutes after sitting down, we received the first course. At no point before then did anyone explain the menu, set expectations, or ask if we had any questions.
Once the dishes began arriving, the staff was pleasant and knowledgeable, and the food was certainly creative and interesting. That said, I don’t believe the experience was worth the cost, and it was definitely not worth traveling across the country for.
To be honest, if the meal hadn’t been prepaid, we would have left after 20 minutes.
I’m deeply disappointed, especially because I’ve long admired Chef Achatz and had waited a very long time for the opportunity to dine at Alinea.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
I went in 2023 and they still served one of my least favourite meals ever.
I'm one of the least picky eaters I know. So many incredibly creative dishes with an unpleasant aftertaste, and the only plate I've ever not finished
Restaurant was cold too
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
The Salon experience was wonderful. The menu had many nostalgic flavors in a unique presentation not found elsewhere. The staff were beyond professional, warm, and courteous. The drink pairings were perfect and definitely complete the experience. The quality of the ingredients was second to none and offered many new offerings I had yet to experience. This was absolutely bucket list worthy if you appreciate food and are open to me experiences.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
100% mind-blowing. My new favorit restaurant in the World 👌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I went to Alinea with my husband to celebrate my birthday last December, and it was an amazing experience. At first, the atmosphere felt a bit overwhelming, but one of the servers noticed we were Brazilian and introduced himself as Brazilian as well, which was a warm and welcoming coincidence. The service was impeccable, and the food was absolutely outstanding. Truly a memorable dinner and totally worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife and I had the privilege of celebrating another anniversary dinner at Alinea, it was our 42nd anniversary. We have been spending our anniversary at Alinea for many years and we have been amazed and astonished at the creativity and excellence of our meals and the care provided by the staff. A special thank you to Greg for his excellent service during this year’s dining experience. Thank you again for another memorable meal and experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place reaffirmed my belief in God. We had the table in the kitchen and wine pairing. Beyond exceptional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I don’t think I can tell you anymore than what other people have experienced. Yes, the food is unique, but there is nothing that I would ever want again. Nothing blew my mind that I’m gonna talk about it at parties or crave an item and have to go back. Very creative, very unique, I’m glad that I experienced it, but it was definitely not worth my time or my money.
I found the waitstaff and atmosphere good. Everybody was professional and nice but when asked one server what the duck liver she was serving us was confit in, she said butter, but we weren’t sure because she wasn’t sure. She had to think about it and then simply said butter, but we’re wondering was that right? Either way, it was good but not fabulous.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
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