We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Ratings and reviews

#31 of 1,286 American in Chicago
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

PRICE RANGE
£118 - £785
CUISINES
American, International
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
View all details
meals, features

Location and contact

North Side
1.0 miles from Lincoln Park Zoo

MICHELIN Guide's Point of View

Chef Grant Achatz continues to burst with novel ideas at this ingenious, substantive, and festive temple. Dining here is part theater and pure pleasure...
Read more on MICHELIN Guide
Three MICHELIN Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!
Reviews (1,602)
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
Filter reviews
1,458 results
Traveller rating
1,150
152
78
42
36
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
More languages
Traveller rating
1,150
152
78
42
36
Show reviews that mention
All reviews tasting menu caviar seafood scallops molecular gastronomy chef grant dining experience the reserve liquid nitrogen michelin star months in advance food and wine courses presentation dish sommelier foodie
Sort and selected filters
Sort FilterEnglish
Updating list...
Reviewed 2 days ago

One of a kind restaurant. The meal was delicious from beginning to end. The artistry of the plates is unmatched. Very good food.

Date of visit: March 2024
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 days ago

Alinea is one of the best restaurants. The food is creative. It is like art. The wines and cocktails are great too. Everything was tasty.

Date of visit: March 2024
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 28 December 2023 via mobile

An incredible experience from start to finish. Fun and adventurous, the food was delicious, approachable and thoughtfully presented. Touring the kitchen was memorable and the staff were knowledgeable and engaging.

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 26 November 2023

Booked Alinea for our Anniversary and unfortunately only had the option of early dining that truly felt rushed despite in fairness being informed in advance of the time limitation. The cuisine was excellent and somewhat brilliant, but not incomparable, as was the accompanying service, but...regrettably did not live up to either the hype or resultant expectations. Having dined in many a Michelin star restaurant throughout the world, Alinea somehow lacked the sophistication of the others both in respect to ambiance and servicing culture seemingly somewhat "raw". Having experienced the full tasting menu accompanied by the reserve wine pairing, the writer deemed both to be overvalued given the aforementioned lack of diminished and exceptional distinctiveness. In our minds eye, this establishment certainly doesn't equivocate to the likes of Eleven Madison Park, Azurmendi, Joel Robuchon, Den, Kyoto Kitcho Arashiyama to name but a few competitive institutions. There is simply something special that sets these others up and above Alinea infusing a desire for many return engagements that Alinea did not present.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?4  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 18 November 2023

The Alinea is a superb restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. It has garnered numerous accolades including a string of Michelin 3-star ratings. It prides itself on an innovative approach to modern cuisine using on-demand ingredient building-blocks for culinary courses. Within the restaurant...are 3 different dining experiences: the Kitchen Table, the Galley Menu and the Salon Menu that are home to such inventive food fare as Lamb with caper leaf, grapes & olive to proscuitto with passion fruit & zath lavana. My party, under reservation, opted for the Kitchen Table seating. A cutting edge multi-course culinary experience was had where I should have taken notes to remember what I eat. I did remember; however, the Octopus with the Asian Sauce ..........delicious, tangy ...........crying for more. One of Chicago's best restaurants..........a bucket list spot to eat in.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 November 2023

First Michelin 3-star restaurant experience, over a celebratory weekend in Chicago. Staff excellent, food creative, ambiance perfect. Except for the filo layered biscuits with foie gras, none of the 6 courses blew us away, but the food and the wine pairings were perfectly balanced. Price...somewhat reasonable, but we are validated that equally lovely and less expensive eats are in our own hometown SF Bay Area.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 14 November 2023

Alinea has been a bucket list restaurant for my husband and I for quite some time so we were thrilled to be able to secure a reservation for the Salon on our recent trip to Chicago. Our favorite courses were the hot potato, truffle explosion,...smoked black cod, and, of course, the absolute artwork that was the dessert course. The staff were engaging, funny, and extremely attentive. Overall it was a truly memorable experience and a great way to celebrate our anniversary.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 12 November 2023

We were really looking forward to celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary at Alinea. I will say the ambience is very nice. That's where the compliments end. Our meal was OK. We purchased the wine pairing, and the pours were like small tastings at a vinyard....The food was very salty. The dessert was just down right icky. I don't enjoy eating directly off of the table. When I asked for a touch more sherry, I was told, "I'll have to check." Really? They were in a rush to get us out the door, as the 2nd seatings were starting. Absolutely not worth the $1500 price tag.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 7 November 2023

Great celebration for my birthday, 16 courses everything so creative and memorable! Our reason for visiting Chicago!

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 19 October 2023

Very good food? Was served ON the table and very small portions. If my grandpa was her he'd say- this is a scam/ ripoff for notoriety.

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 October 2023 via mobile

Worst three star dining experience EVER. My partner and I had a super disappointing meal here. First off, with a 3* meal, I would expect flawless execution in both service and food. The staff was condescending, dismissive & outright hostile / rude. The food, uninspired...and messily executed. I've had the privilege to dine at multiple 3*'s around the world, and sadly, this doesn't even compare. I feel this place is resting on their reputation, but is failing to maintain what made it great.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 14 October 2023

It's been less than two weeks since we had dinner here and I have no recollection of what was served,,,,besides the "paint" dessert and that course only because of its presentation; the dessert itself was ordinary. This sums up Alinea - long on showmanship, but...short on substance. The ambience is nice, the service is good, the food is fine, but three stars this place is NOT. You are going to drop nearly a thousand dollars for this "experience." I would definitely not add insult to injury by dropping a few hundred more on the wine pairing; get a reasonably priced bottle, enjoy the show and tasty morsels, realize that you have been duped and seek out Chicago's finer restaurants.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 25 September 2023 via mobile

Almost every dish was too salty. It felt like Alinea is more about the forms much less about flavor. The last dessert “show”, which I think tried to be Jackson Pollock splashing different ingredients on a piece of frozen plastic board, was very messy with...mediocre flavor and not very artfully performed. It was a strange evening with so many things going on during, but without a single dish standing out. Very surprised it’s still a three star.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 August 2023

It was a great experience for sure, quite dramatic in all aspects. I enjoyed it, but I have to say I have eaten better food in NY and Paris. We did the wine paring, which I would recommend. One of the parings was a beer,...which , if you are doing a wine paring, that doesn't fit it, or you should make sure the guests do drink beer, or offer an alternate, as I don't drink beer at all. The biscuit (bread) had too much baking powder. I could taste it in my mouth. The response was " We will let the kitchen know." Staff wanted to know your comments after every course, but it was a little bit of overkill, as if you didn't love it, what were they going to do about it? I would not go back, something to try once ,but save your money and look for the upcoming chefs instead, who need to work hard to prove what they are doing on a daily basis. The wine list was well curated and very impressive. We went for my birthday celebration. They have a Betty Crocker cake that is liquified, white impressive, but too sweet and gross for me.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 1 August 2023 via mobile

Expect excellent, professional service with carefully curated courses and (optional) wine pairings. This is food as performance art so pay attention to the descriptions and directions of the staff who will take you on a journey through haute cuisine that has both substance and whimsy....The courses and wines proceed from first bite to the last lick of the dessert spoon in a manner designed to engage all the senses. I won’t mention details as that would spoil the fun and detract from the overall experience. Yes, it’s pricey, so highly recommended with the caveat, “this is for foodies; don’t take a ‘meat & potato’ guest—they may not get it.”More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
View more reviews
Best nearby
Best nearby hotelsSee all
Hotel Lincoln
2,854 reviews
.73 miles away
Level Chicago - Old Town
69 reviews
1.00 miles away
Hyatt Place Chicago/Wicker Park
317 reviews
1.00 miles away
Claridge House Chicago
352 reviews
1.10 miles away
Best nearby restaurantsSee all
Boka Restaurant
715 reviews
.02 miles away
Vinci Restaurant
142 reviews
.02 miles away
Uncle Julio's
214 reviews
.22 miles away
Best nearby attractionsSee all
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
230 reviews
.07 miles away
Spamilton - An American Parody
18 reviews
.10 miles away
Royal George Theater
111 reviews
.10 miles away
McShane's Exchange
6 reviews
.31 miles away
Questions & Answers
Get quick answers from Alinea staff and past visitors.
Note: your question will be posted publicly on the Questions & Answers page.
Submit
Posting guidelines
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing

ALINEA, Chicago - Lincoln Park - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Alinea

Alinea is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5