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Alinea

Molecular Gastronomy Restaurant$$$$

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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Alinea

9.1^/10

481

ratings

Ranked #1 for wine in Lincoln Park
Has a stamp of approval from CNN and Epicurious
"2013 - 3 Michelin Stars"(3 Tips)
"Food, service, wine pairings were all perfect."(5 Tips)
"Gallery includes more theatrics to go with the meal."(4 Tips)
"The Helium Balloon is unforgettable."(3 Tips)

139 Tips and reviews

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molecular gastronomy
tasting menu
theatrics
trendy
helium balloon
lifetime experience
desserts
restaurants
foie gras
tours
bar
Thai curry
earl grey tea
fritters
dinner
cake
potatoes
good for special occasions
chefs
soup
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jiresellAugust 3, 2017
The best meal of my life! Don't skimp, get the full tasting menu in the gallery. If you want the back story on Chef Grant Achatz on Netflix Chef's Table.
EaterMarch 9, 2016
Dinner as theatre, dinner as laboratory, dinner as pop culture commentary: The only constant at this country’s foremost modernist restaurant is its relentless drive to evolve and surprise. Read more
Keith WoodJuly 25, 2015
Definitively my best culinary experience. When put up against EMP and Chef's Table@BK Fare, Alinea wins hands down. While both are great, the adaptive & edgy service at Alinea is second to none.
Paul SmithMarch 26, 2019
mark this off my culinary bucket list. The dinner was amazing and whimsical. Everything was awesome and all the food served in dramatic fashion. Not every dish was good but everything was delicious.
A.J. BrahmFebruary 2, 2020
Top 25 - 50 restaurant in the world. A playful, theatrical take on what we think of as food (fine dining).
JKAugust 6, 2021
Try Scallop noodle with Thai curry sauce and dried scallop tuile & Beef Rossini, A5 Miyazaki tenderloin with foie gras, truffled jus, and french fry emulsion
EpicuriousMay 29, 2015
Alinea is a high-concept experience where the theatricality and rigor of molecular gastronomy are applied to top-flight ingredients and presented in a spare yet stunning setting. Read more
Edward ForteJune 16, 2023
Love the interactive aspect of the meal.Standouts for me was smoked fish, squab, wagyu, and last dessert. Desserts is not only show but tastes really good too
Dan SohaydaOctober 11, 2018
A unique experience from beginning to end. We got there an hour ahead of our reservation and they sat us immediately anyway. Unbelievably friendly and attentive staff, and amazing food, of course!
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Duck Course - Top, duck breast on a smoking cinnamon log; bottom left, foie, Quince and sage with a cool duck "soup"; right, fritter with persimmon and burning oak. (via @Foodspotting)
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Tapas - Alinea "tapas"- bocadillo (left, iberico ham and manchego), gilda (top right, anchovy and olive) and patatas bravas (potatoes with chile and garlic). (via @Foodspotting)
EaterJanuary 19, 2017
This year’s renovation made America’s most audacious fine-dining restaurant more interactive and more luxurious — which is to say, better than ever. Read more
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Hummingbird pepper - Today I'm posting dishes from @goalbustersjim birthday dinner at @alinea! This was hanging above our table and ended up in one of the courses. (via @Foodspotting)
joahnnaJuly 28, 2015
Perfect place for date night. Every course is a delight - and of course the helium apple makes you feel like a kid again.
Condé Nast TravelerOctober 24, 2016
“Relaunched in 2016 after a top-to-bottom renovation, with a warmer and softer interior (a huge improvement on the ascetic, hard-edged original) and more tasting menu options.” - Peter Jon Lindberg Read more
Katherine M.July 14, 2015
The most delightful and enchanting dinner I have ever had? Reservations a few months in advance. Save for a special occasion, unless you're in from out of town -- then go for it!
EaterJanuary 18, 2017
Food obsessives make pilgrimages from around the globe to the 10-year-old Lincoln Park restaurant to experience Achatz's emotional, interactive and expensive tasting menus. Read more
The FeastJune 9, 2011
Alinea isn't just one of the best restaurants in Chicago, it's rated as one of the best restaurants in THE WORLD. Phrase most commonly associated with dining at Alinea: "an experience."
TripExpertMay 15, 2015
Considered best restaurant in N. America. "20 moving, transformative courses that often require...participation and humor-'Eat with your fingers here...Use nothing here.'"-Michelin Guide on Tripexpert Read more
Aneta AllenOctober 18, 2011
Grant Achatz a culinary wunderkind pushing the envelope with food ingredients and presentation think truffle-juice ravioli with melted leek and bison with multiple preparations of Iranian pistachios
IvySeptember 14, 2014
Perfect place to celebrate a special occasion - let the restaurant know when they confirm your reservation, they'll do something special for you. Tickets go on sale 2 months in advance on the 15th.
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Table Top Dessert Composition - Tabletop dessert composition at @thealineagroup to conclude a fabulous meal! @goalbustersjim #birthday (via @Foodspotting)
EpicuriousJanuary 22, 2015
Chef Grant Achatz's two epic tasting menus are accompanied by a carefully paired wine-tasting progression. This is rarefied cooking, but not so rarefied that it loses its sense of fun. Read more
MariFebruary 23, 2015
One of the most amazing experiences of my life. Beautiful and delicious. Worth the time and every penny.
Andrea TanziDecember 16, 2016
What an incredible and astonishing experience!!! Never had I thought eating could be such a fantastic journey.
_February 17, 2015
Amazing tasting menu that will provoke all of your sense! If you're lucky, Grant Achatz might make your dessert!
Kyle FowlerOctober 7, 2021
An amazing experience well worth the money. With the menu constantly changing there is always opportunity for something new.
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Graffiti - Matsutake mushroom made to look like concrete on a concrete slab with parsley oil "graffiti" @goalbustersjim #birthday (via @Foodspotting)
Allison KaminskiJanuary 8, 2016
Amazing restaurant and totally worth every penny!! Here is the menu and it can speak for itself 😉
M SOctober 8, 2019
If you’re lucky (like us) Chef Grant Achatz will be the one who presents you with your dessert.
Horia DragomirAugust 6, 2017
If you can get the chef's table, it is one of the best dining experiences you will ever have
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Sparkling Wine Cocktail - Sparkling Avinyo Cava Reserva Penedes, infused at the table @goalbustersjim #birthday (via @Foodspotting)
David HeiserJune 18, 2015
Best meal of my life. Food, service, wine pairings were all perfect. Worth the investment if you can afford it.
Go Find AliceNovember 6, 2017
Once in a lifetime experience! The whole experience was a journey & piece of art. Must!
JohnDecember 23, 2012
Awesome experience. It's a gastronomic show. Valet park if you have a car. Do NOT park on the street. You need a zone sticker or you'll get a ticket.
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Parsnip With Burgundy Truffle, Vanilla And Orange - Surprisingly hearty and sweet for a vegetable course (via @Foodspotting)
Nathan KamOctober 31, 2010
An experience of a lifetime. The 24 course Tour is like a 4.5 hour roller coaster ride of flavors, textures, surprises, and emotions. Superior service without being pretentious. Prepare to be wow'd!
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Brook Trout With Uchiki Kuri Squash - Tender trout with squash and Thai banana @goalbustersjim #birthday (via @Foodspotting)
Rafi RomeroSeptember 7, 2015
unbelievable. best restaurant I've been to. just do it. and split the wine pairing.
HklingApril 11, 2022
Great food however don’t expect them to make any accommodations if you’re lactose intolerant - couldn’t really enjoy all the dishes
Mark BardwellAugust 23, 2016
The food is amazing and the service is beyond outstanding. The menu is set by the chef so no choices necessary.
Staff PicksDecember 6, 2016
Alinea was one of the more wished for places throughout 2015’s I Want Somewhere holiday campaign. Where’s your somewhere? Enter to win a bucket list experience. Read more
CNNAugust 6, 2014
The always-evolving multi-course tasting menu comes out of the kitchen in a series of deconstructed bites served on everything from driftwood to lavender-scented pillows. Read more
mig rodDecember 23, 2018
most overrated experience i've ever experienced. at 25% of the price, this might be worth it.
foodforfelFebruary 28, 2013
They're not lying when they call it the "truffle explosion" - it really WILL explode! Close your mouth tight or you'll feel like an idiot (like me!)
Redeye ChicagoAugust 3, 2014
Tickets—released periodically at alinearestaurant.com—for dinner for four may exceed your monthly rent, but many would call this experience priceless. Read more
Justin DeanMay 26, 2015
I mean yeah of course this was the best meal I've ever had. Don't fear the waitstaff (or anything really) -- they're having as much as you are.
GourmetLiveOctober 18, 2010
It was the kind of experience, like summer camp when you’re 15, that is so powerful that it aligns with all the words you wish you could have saved to describe this: amazing, stunning, life-changing.
Alice FerrisDecember 19, 2015
Try the Lamb With Grapes And Olives - Served with olive cake. Perfectly done. (via @Foodspotting)
Steve FunteasDecember 17, 2018
What an experience! Oh ya, food was outstanding as well. Definitely a must try at least once type of place.

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