Social Profile: 
![]()
✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out ✔️Delivery
… View more
Chef Grant Achatz draws foodies with New American tasting menus featuring highly creative plates.
Hours
| Thursday | 5–10 PM |
| Friday | 5–10 PM |
| Saturday | 5–10 PM |
| Sunday | 5–10 PM |
| Monday | 5–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 5–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 5–10 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Website: http://www.alinearestaurant.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Alinea
Enjoy a unique, multi-course tasting menu experience in one of our main dining rooms at Alinea, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Alinea – Chicago, IL – Tock
Alinea has been universally praised for its innovative approach to modernist cuisine. It has been named the Best Restaurant in the World by Elite Traveler, …
Alinea – Chicago – a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
… Alinea. 1723 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, 60614, USA. $$$$ · Creative, Modern Cuisine. Notes. Visited. Save. Favorite. Reserve a table. Book. Alinea.
Reviews
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.
… moreSwetha Thanabalan
It cost $500 per person, and I expected at least privacy, quality, and consistency.
We drove a good couple of hours to experience this mediocrity and spent money on a city stay for an average experience. What a shame.
It was also close to Valentine’s Day, and they did absolutely nothing to acknowledge it. No small gesture, no themed touch, no attempt to make it feel special. For a place positioning itself as an “experience,” that felt like a missed opportunity.
I don’t trust any place that messes up desserts; that’s the one place where you can redeem yourself.
The initial item was an osetra caviar so salty it was inedible, with salty cheese and a disgusting sauce that did not pair well.
After this experience and few other items on the menu, I am traumatized by caviar.
Then they moved on to a Chicago-style hot dog, deconstructed and served as a jelly. This was honestly the highlight and what I came expecting.
Then they gave a smoked salmon with a charred topping, which felt mediocre, nothing special.
And then an underwhelming deconstructed parsnip: below average, very salty, and it left me wondering what I just tasted. It was not cohesive.
And then something called a skate, which tasted like an explosion of tamarind. Worse, it tasted like the tamarind paste you buy at the grocery store.
And then they moved on to some white asparagus with a strawberry dish, which I honestly don’t remember tasting like anything, and I don’t know what the point of it was.
And then a squab, which, if I had known what it was, I would’ve said no, thank you. I literally did not finish it. It was so bad.
Again, a lot of dishes with just salt, and that’s the only thing I remember, not the taste of the dish itself.
Dishes I could eat but were very, very MID:
King crab, wagyu (I’ve had better wagyu at a one-Michelin-star restaurant).
They did some market testing with a new dish that was Asian:
Massaman curry in a sponge cake. This was amazing. The curry definitely needs some refinement and balance, and I would even recommend adding a little less, since it was too much. The taste was good.
There were a few other good things: distilled grape with in-house sesame oil, hot potato, cold potato, and the Chicago-style hot dog (highlighted and the best).
Absolutely disgusting:
The dessert.
Dessert:
Pumpkin, chai, and chocolate are an abomination of flavors. I absolutely hate chai as a dessert and pumpkin flavor in general, and I couldn’t taste the chocolate. Now, this dessert also had ginger, which I could taste strongly, probably the only thing I tasted, and I couldn’t eat more than two or three spoons. What a waste of money.
Theatrical experience:
The dessert part was theatrical and nice, but that was the only part where they actually tried to entertain.
There was another instance where they took us into the kitchen and asked us to take pictures if we wanted. Honestly, it felt like nothing special, and it felt like they thought too much of themselves.
Ambience:
3/10.
Nothing special. The lights were dimmed, people kept walking up and down, and what we picked turned out to be the most expensive experience of them all. We expected some privacy.
The gallery (the experience itself):
They seated us with others who also chose the same experience, and it felt like a group activity done individually, which I felt did not justify the price. I would’ve loved to sit facing my date rather than a random stranger.
They should consider making dishes that are globally appealing and think about the theme. Instead of only asking for dietary restrictions, they should also ask for dietary preferences, because I need to tell you that I don’t like squab and extremely salty food.
… moreWe drove a good couple of hours to experience this mediocrity and spent money on a city stay for an average experience. What a shame.
It was also close to Valentine’s Day, and they did absolutely nothing to acknowledge it. No small gesture, no themed touch, no attempt to make it feel special. For a place positioning itself as an “experience,” that felt like a missed opportunity.
I don’t trust any place that messes up desserts; that’s the one place where you can redeem yourself.
The initial item was an osetra caviar so salty it was inedible, with salty cheese and a disgusting sauce that did not pair well.
After this experience and few other items on the menu, I am traumatized by caviar.
Then they moved on to a Chicago-style hot dog, deconstructed and served as a jelly. This was honestly the highlight and what I came expecting.
Then they gave a smoked salmon with a charred topping, which felt mediocre, nothing special.
And then an underwhelming deconstructed parsnip: below average, very salty, and it left me wondering what I just tasted. It was not cohesive.
And then something called a skate, which tasted like an explosion of tamarind. Worse, it tasted like the tamarind paste you buy at the grocery store.
And then they moved on to some white asparagus with a strawberry dish, which I honestly don’t remember tasting like anything, and I don’t know what the point of it was.
And then a squab, which, if I had known what it was, I would’ve said no, thank you. I literally did not finish it. It was so bad.
Again, a lot of dishes with just salt, and that’s the only thing I remember, not the taste of the dish itself.
Dishes I could eat but were very, very MID:
King crab, wagyu (I’ve had better wagyu at a one-Michelin-star restaurant).
They did some market testing with a new dish that was Asian:
Massaman curry in a sponge cake. This was amazing. The curry definitely needs some refinement and balance, and I would even recommend adding a little less, since it was too much. The taste was good.
There were a few other good things: distilled grape with in-house sesame oil, hot potato, cold potato, and the Chicago-style hot dog (highlighted and the best).
Absolutely disgusting:
The dessert.
Dessert:
Pumpkin, chai, and chocolate are an abomination of flavors. I absolutely hate chai as a dessert and pumpkin flavor in general, and I couldn’t taste the chocolate. Now, this dessert also had ginger, which I could taste strongly, probably the only thing I tasted, and I couldn’t eat more than two or three spoons. What a waste of money.
Theatrical experience:
The dessert part was theatrical and nice, but that was the only part where they actually tried to entertain.
There was another instance where they took us into the kitchen and asked us to take pictures if we wanted. Honestly, it felt like nothing special, and it felt like they thought too much of themselves.
Ambience:
3/10.
Nothing special. The lights were dimmed, people kept walking up and down, and what we picked turned out to be the most expensive experience of them all. We expected some privacy.
The gallery (the experience itself):
They seated us with others who also chose the same experience, and it felt like a group activity done individually, which I felt did not justify the price. I would’ve loved to sit facing my date rather than a random stranger.
They should consider making dishes that are globally appealing and think about the theme. Instead of only asking for dietary restrictions, they should also ask for dietary preferences, because I need to tell you that I don’t like squab and extremely salty food.
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.
… moreI 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.
Regen Chan
This may be the most exciting meal I’ve ever eaten. It’s a place where spoilers should not be shared so I’ll withhold much of the experience, but Grant Achatz and his team delivers one of the most extraordinary dining experiences possibly anywhere on the planet. I was able to secure a seat at the Gallery after a last minute cancellation, and while I cannot speak to the experience at the Salon, I would highly encourage trying the Gallery if you are at all fortunate enough to be able to make the reservation. The whole night was an experience straight out of The Menu (except you get to go home at the end of the night). There’s a lot of talk saying Alinea’s not able to top the creativity that they used to be famed for, but if this is your first time and having had the experience before, I would argue it’s worth experiencing for yourself since it would still obviously be a fresh new experience for you. That said, if I ever have the chance, I would personally do this all over again.
… moreJavier Kohen
What a unique experience. I went knowing almost nothing and I loved how I was constantly surprised by the creativity of the team in how they present the food, combine the flavors and and create a roller coaster experience.
I’m adding pictures to my review for myself, but I strongly recommend to avoid spoilers before visiting.
… moreI’m adding pictures to my review for myself, but I strongly recommend to avoid spoilers before visiting.
Scott R
My first return after visiting 10 years ago. While the presentation has changed, the quality of the experience has not. My companion and I agreed on two areas for improvement. First, the arrival experience is not optimal. With the Gallery experience, most people arrive a few minutes prior to the service time. There were 12 of us jammed into the foyer area. Also, the staff were friendly and professional but seemed stressed and a bit disorganized, creating a less relaxed atmosphere. Chef Achatz was notably in Japan on this date, so perhaps that was part of it. Our Fossil “toolkit” was missing some items- a rare missed detail. This was quickly corrected. The food has gotten even more inventive and the Gallery is an amazing culinary adventure. Alinea remains an unparalleled experience.
… moreTravel WithMe
Absolutely phenomenal.
The entire staff was welcoming and fun. They all had a special flare that they added to each dish. Lots of surprises and whimsy!
Highly recommend. Well, worth the money.
… moreThe entire staff was welcoming and fun. They all had a special flare that they added to each dish. Lots of surprises and whimsy!
Highly recommend. Well, worth the money.
Nicole Capps
Alinea was a bucket list place for me. The food and staff were excellent. The quality, and artistry really make a one of a kind experience. Special mention to Rizqi, who really went above and beyond to make our visit to Chicago that much better. Would love to come again.
… moreLaura A-O.
Fantastic culinary experience! Excellent, professional, knowledgeable, funny, entertaining waitstaff. Simply amazing food that will leave an indelible mark on your psyche. I will remember this meal for the rest of my life.
… moreRobert Greening
An absolutely amazing experience. I would highly recommend you go as a group to get full advantage of what they offer. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience for most. Food was out of this world and so unique. The experience was even better. Definitely a special occasion type place.
… more