Alinea Chicago Tripadvisor Reviews - Alinea Chicago - Buy Reservations
- Anything Postpaid
- Postpaid Table for 2
- Postpaid Table for 4
- Postpaid Table for 6
- The Alinea Kitchen Table - Any Table Size
- Table for 6
- Table for 4
- Table for 5
- Table for 3
- The Gallery @ Alinea - Any Table Size
- Table for 2
- Table for 3
- Table for 4
- The Salon @ Alinea - Any Table Size
- Table for 1
- Table for 2
- Table for 3
- Table for 4
- Table for 5
- Table for 6
Getting a Reservation at Alinea Chicago for Today or Tomorrow is Easy!
Buy a verified reservation at Alinea Chicago from someone who doesn't need theirs anymore.
If there is nothing that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
We only list verified Reservations!
All listed Reservations are reviewed by our team before appearing in the calendar or being allowed to answer a bid you place. That's why AppointmentTrader comes with a included Money Back Guarantee for each transaction.
Chicago's Best Prepaid Restaurants that are most frequently booked by customers of Alinea Chicago
Booked 4 times by Alinea Chicago customers.
Ranked #2 in Chicago's Best Prepaid Restaurants.
Booked 1 times by Alinea Chicago customers.
Ranked #14 in Chicago's Best Prepaid Restaurants.
Alinea Chicago Tripadvisor Reviews
Latest Reviews On Tripadvisor
35 Reviews
0 Replys |
Very good food
One of a kind restaurant. The meal was delicious from beginning to end. The artistry of the plates is unmatched. Very good food.
Be the first to ReplyTasty meal
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.
Be the first to ReplyExceptional and excellent
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.
Be the first to ReplyExcellent, but not Exceptional
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.
Be the first to ReplyA Bucket List Spot To Eat In.
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.
Be the first to ReplyAlinea Chicago
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.
Be the first to ReplyMemorable way to celebrate our anniversary
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.
Be the first to ReplyNot as expected
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.
Be the first to ReplyIf you can, experience Alinea
Great celebration for my birthday, 16 courses everything so creative and memorable! Our reason for visiting Chicago!
Be the first to ReplyFine Dining
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.
Be the first to ReplyExceeds expectations
We had the opportunity to upgrade our reservation to the kitchen table last minute and do not regret it! Alinea has been on our bucket meal list for years now and we finally pulled the trigger for our 25th anniversary. What an experience! The glass box set in the kitchen corner, the professional service (shout out to Bruno and Bronson for an incredibly personal meal) and the food! Oh the food. All senses are satisfied with each dish. The Paint experience is especially fun! It’s definitely a monetary investment but the memories made are worth it for us. Again thanks to Bruno and Bronson for making our night truly special.
Be the first to ReplyIncredible Experience
My wife and I went here for our anniversary. It was our first fine dining experience. Eating at a 3 Michelin star restaurant was on my bucket list. We had a 9 course meal with wine pairing (for myself) Almost every course was a show in and of itself. From dishes turned upside down, ceiling decorations becoming part of the meal, table fires, dessert painted on the table and edible balloons. The food was excellent and some courses were better than others. It was the most expensive meal I’ve ever eaten but well worth it.
Be the first to ReplyAbsolutely Impeccable Culinary Experience
I honestly had no idea what to expect here other than a memorable experience and amazing food. I was not disappointed it was a blast. It was a very entertaining experience. The service here was out of this world. The staff were very knowledgeable about everything including the wine. This was a very scientific based meal, the tastes of everything were altered with certain ingredients it was wild. My favorite part of the meal was the Mexican dish. The dessert was a beautiful disaster but it was delicious. This was a culinary experience I will never forget. If you’re thinking about it- YOLO DO IT!
Be the first to ReplyZERO STAR for hostess
I'll preface, I've been a hostess and server when I was young, so I am appreciative when service is consistent and solid. We went to the Gallery - $550 per head (tax + gratuity included) + drinks. Group of 4 Hostess team - ZERO STAR! HOSTILE! Garrett's popcorn team gave me friendlier service for spending $30. We were the earlier patrons for 9pm seating. They showed us the table and asked if we're okay. We didn't sit down and asked if we can take one of the tables of 4 beside it AWAY FROM THE DOOR. There's a draft from the door and then the patrons from upstairs would be walking behind part of our table when they leave the Salon. Not okay for $550 a person. They said the seats are assigned, with no further explanation. The standoff continues. One of hostesses came from the front came to join the discussion saying there are assigned seats because of dietary restrictions. I asked her if she memorized every seating and their restrictions, she said yes because that's what they do at Alinea. I think that's BS, she is not a server, she doesn't even offer us water, I doubt she would know. We asked about another table across, also, "No." We reluctantly sat down. Shortly after a gentlemen offered us a different table. WTF? The worst part, our original table by the door ended up going to a table for a 2!!! That made more sense for them since it has more room for the couple to shuffle away from the doorway / stairs where the salon patrons would use! Food 4.5 stars - Great food. Great theatrical experience even for our colleague who is a repeated patron. Service is questionable 3 or 4 stars. I'm Asian, I asked for my hot water and lemon since the beginning of my meal. They were good at topping up my hot water, just that my teapot of hot water was always cold. No tea or coffee offered at the end. Maybe they just don' they don't have any. They didn't offer the guests at my table, those who did drink whether they want to have a dessert wine. Just thing I expected wasn't there. I dined at Jungsik NYC (currently Michelin 2 star) earlier this month, the food was okay, but their service was better even though they had a glitch one of the dishes (you'll have to read my YELP review) and we caught them making an excuse for that too. Overall, it's still a great foodie experience to share with others. We will return. I just wish the Bartender/ manager at Roister can show the Alinea hosting team what service is. He was awesome!
Be the first to ReplyThe most expensive salt lick in our lives
This was my second visit to Alinea. First time was 8/2019 when Chef Grant Achatz was the head chef and I had a marvelous time there. It was one of the more memorable meals of my life and I wish I could say the same about my most recent visit last month. We dined in the gallery with 3 other girlfriends. The staff were very courteous and lovely and the ambience was luxurious, but I have to knock stars off of the food. The first few bites were great, I really enjoyed the ocean trout combo (seared marinated trout and the roes in consume jelly), it was the high light of the evening. Considering that Alinea is a restaurant first and foremost, my entire group was extremely disappointed in the food. Many of the following dishes were nearly inedible because they were over salted (especially the mushrooms in the Japanese dish) to the point that I left a good amount of food uneaten on the plates. Some of the dishes with sauces also seemed to emphasize each individual element rather than how they come together, resulting in sauces overpowering other elements or a semi-incoherent mouthful when mixing items together. Like other reviewers mentioned, I can't help but think the executive chef, Douglas Alley, focused more on rare and exotic ingredients than on cooking a delicious dish that combined all the elements together. The wine pairing (we had the Reserve tier pairing) was very on point and all the wines were lovely. Absolute shout-out the sommelier! He provided really good introductions to the wines and also recommended really good wine. Lastly, because we dined there on Sunday for a 9 PM seating, there was no coffee or tea service at the end of the meal. For a 3 Michelin star restaurant with that price tag, that was honestly a bit surprising. Long story short, if you have money and don't care about where or how you spend it, you can eat here and enjoy the experience. If you want good food, don't waste your money.
Be the first to ReplyUnique and Phenomenal
Where to start..Alinea has been on my foodie hit list for the better half of its existence and we were so excited to secure a Salon reservation in June. Each course was timed perfectly and flowed from one to the next, like a story. The food was inventive, delicious, and surprising, but most of all - it was fun. We were not expecting such entertainment and a meal full of boisterous laughter. After all, you're in a supposed prissy 3-Michelin star establishment! We were pleasantly surprised by how hilarious the servers were and really played into our jokes and playfulness. The service and the servers themselves were half the reason the meal was so good and so memorable. I'm terrible and cannot remember our main server's name, but she was so so much fun and you could tell this was her genuine personality. I do recall the Floor Manager's name, Stuart - who was also hilarious and fed into our overly enjoyable meal. This was truly not just a dinner, but an emotional experience. We will remember some of these dishes vividly for years to come and the laughter that ensued our entire meal. The dessert painting at the end, though artistic and beautiful, I found the least tasty, but that's just personal preference. The Trampoline Papillote was a personal favorite due to creativity and taste, but really every course was enjoyable and an experience. We were offered 3 levels of wine pairings and even the basic tier was quite good. Don't worry about remembering every course, you will be handed a detailed menu at the end. We can't wait for another opportunity to be back at Alinea!
Be the first to ReplyDinner to Remember
We had dinner at Alinea on a Monday night. We sat in the Salon area and were on the second floor. The wait staff was very professional and attentive. They made us feel comfortable and were very informative about each dish. Each course was given a brief description while it was served. After we would finish, they would describe the dish in more details. Each course was an experience in itself and left me wondering what would happen next and what the chef was imagining when he put it together. The flavors we experienced were some I had never enjoyed before and I will not forget. It was delicious, interactive and fun. The chef and staff made this an evening we will always remember.
Be the first to ReplyIt's an experience...
We have been planning to go here for several years now. I'd have to say the restaurant lived up to my expectations. Each dish is a unique presentation and theater of the unexpected. The dessert finale was a great ending, if you still have the appetite to eat it. Overall thoughts... 1. The service is tremendous. The wait staff knows every detail on the courses and wines. 2. The menu is preset and unknown until you arrive. Hence, you better not be a picky eater. 3. Not going into detail on any dish as it changes. However, each is unique. There is some twist, the unexpected, or unique about its taste/presentation 4. Hence, you might lose some of the surprise when you see other tables seated near you. 5. I'd say the only negative a few of the dishes were on the salty side to my taste. Nevetheless, worth it as a one time experience at least for some very very special occassion. Book 3 months in advance!
Be the first to ReplyIt's not for everyone - decide if it's for you.
I'm not sure I would call Alinea a restaurant. It was more accurately culinary theater. So many things were done to evoke surprise. It's an impressive experience, especially for a blowout occasion, and some of the stuff was magnificent - the best to me was an arctic char that had been smoked until about half the moisture was gone, concentrating the flavor. Service is excellent without being stuffy, and that contributed to the enjoyment. You won't like this restaurant if you aren't willing to have the meal Alinea prescribes, the way they want you to experience it. If you're not in the mood to be dictated to, even politely, don't waste the money. Alinea is all about molecular gastronomy and transformations - if your aesthetic of great food is beautifully sourced ingredients presented to take natural advantage of them, Alinea will make you crazy. My companion loves "tricky food" and even she wondered why they had to freeze dry and then shred the osetra caviar. Because they could. It didn't taste better. If you're not in the mood for that kind of pushy showmanship, it's a waste of money. Even if you love the idea, Alinea was not perfect - which frankly at the price they charge, you have a right to demand. The biggest mistake (and why you might want the Gallery, where service is communal over the Salon). In the Salon, they staggered service, so unless you deliberately hid your eyes, you saw what they were going to do at another table - so the surprise they worked so hard for was sometimes given away. That's just dumb in a restaurant that sweats so many details - and charges a fortune. If I had to use only a single word for the food - Essential. Everything was concentrated or distilled to an extremely strong flavor. Extremely. In the char, that was magnificent. But everything was salty, sour or intense, with flavors dialed to 11. The kitchen was referencing Thai and Mexican spices and flavors, that gives you an idea of the mindset. CHILI! CHOCOLATE! FISH PASTE! It sometimes felt like spending an evening with someone talking loudly without modulation the whole time. I would have loved one subtle course that let the ingredients do the talking. Did I have a great time? Yes, when I sat back and enjoyed the show. Would I go again? Probably no need. Once was enough.
Be the first to ReplyDinner in Chicago...and Beyond
This was a really fun and enjoyable evening. The service was top notch, with the service being very friendly, and attentive. The ambience and dim setting has created a very firm memory of a beautiful evening for me and my partner. The food was very interesting and tasty, well presented and spanned different parts of the globe, the type of variety we enjoy. The wine pairings were well done and the sommelier was a wealth of information. One minor quibble was that the Salon was fairly cool. I was comfortable in my blazer, but my partner was cold in her short sleeves. In the last minute, we did have some recent dietary restrictions and even with the short notice, they did their best to accommodate. All in all, it was a wonderful evening and worth the high ticket price.
Be the first to ReplyIf Possible, Exceeds the Hype
I've had the good fortune to have eaten at some of the top restaurants in the world. Alinea certainly deserves its place among them. Each dish was an experience, but more importantly each was incredibly delicious and equally innovative. Each course unfolded and built upon the last to create a wonderful whole. Service was as exceptional as the food. Yes, it isn't cheap, but if you want an unforgettable experience that transcends a mere meal, then this is the place.
Be the first to ReplyWonderful Food but Not For Everyone
I have been to Alinea 3 times over a number of years on visits to Chicago (I live in San Francisco) and this meal was the best of the three. The first time I went, which was near when it opened, I was blown away by the uniqueness and surprise of each dish. But the second time I felt the use of special "molecular" techniques was overdone. While I was full when I left and the courses tasted very good, I oddly felt that I hadn't eaten real food as almost everything was altered in some way. However on this visit I thought the use of "molecular" techniques and more classical approaches was well balance and very satisfying. The presentations are amazingly creative and the quality of each dish was very good to excellent. The only dish I did not care for was a squash served with a mole sauce, which to me was too salty and not very nuanced, in contrast to all the other courses (however one of my dining companions loved it). Highlights were a caviar course, an arctic char, a thai influenced king crab, a Japanese influenced portobello mushrooms with razor clams and an amazing desert which is actually made directly on the table and when finished resembles a painting by Jackson Pollack; this dessert consists of butter pecan, dark chocolate, a liquid nitrogen prepared ice cream and various sauces spread out in an array of colors and textures. We had the highest tier of wine pairings (they offer 3). The wines were good to excellent on their own but with a few exceptions were not particulary good matches to the food, which led me to give the restaurant 4 rather than 5 stars. The service was excellent, efficient without being intrusive. The wait staff and the sommelier gave rather extensive descriptions of the preparation and ingredients of the food and wine. I have eaten at a number of Michelin 2 and 3 start restaurants around the world and of those meals this meal would rank it among the best. Of course this meal was expensive, but not the most expensive I have had at similarly acclaimed restaurants.
Be the first to ReplySuch a disappointment…
I hate to admit that this long anticipated restaurant experience was completely subpar. This was the dinner we were looking forward to the most in Chicago and it was by far our worst dinner and least hospitable experience. We had the salon tasting menu and immediately got yelled at for using flash photography (we weren’t advised otherwise until snapped at). The first course tasted like French onion chip dip on a crepe… 90% of the dishes were room temperature and seafood forward. The best dishes were the beef and dessert. Don’t let the hype of the experience sucker you into paying for this overhyped and overpriced dinner! Also, they do not serve cocktails and you basically eat in the dark.
Be the first to ReplyQuestionable
I never felt cheated out of 1k USD before. I've eaten at four 3 stars in Paris and in Bangkok. I went here, and I disliked half the courses. Come on guys.
Be the first to ReplyAline is terrible
Disgusting— should have left without paying. There is a reason you prepay! Hands down the most overhyped restaurant in the world! The food is all pre-made. Assembly line delivery of total garbage.
Be the first to Reply