This Lincoln Park establishment opened in 2005 and has acquired countless accolades since, including once being named the No. 1 restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine. The environment is unmistakably modern, with mahogany furniture, a steel staircase separating the three dining rooms, and a reflecting pond. Gastronomic mad scientist/visionary chef Grant Achatz breaks food down to a molecular level using various techniques to maximize flavors in his contemporary American cuisine. You may not immediately understand the arrangement of the food that appears before you, but the waitstaff is more than happy to explain what you're looking at and how you should go about consuming it. Alinea offers seasonally changing degustation menus of 12 and 24 courses to be enjoyed over the course of several hours. Full bar. Serving dinner Wed-Sun. Closed Mon-Tue.
Where the Locals Eat Rating
Top 100 Restaurant, Chicago
"Known worldwide in culinary circles as one of the leaders in the forward-thinking movement, [chef-owner Grant] Achatz realized a lifelong dream by opening Alinea in Chicago in May 2005. ... Under Chef Achatz' leadership, Alinea has received worldwide attention for its hypermodern, emotional approach to dining."
– Alinea website
"Redefining the American restaurant once again for an entirely new generation."
—Gourmet magazine
"With so much pre-opening hype, it would have been easy for this super-anticipated, super-posh restaurant to be a super-flop. But young, brash and risk-taking chef Grant Achatz, whose kitchen's already filled with the country's top culinary awards from his time at Trio in Evanston, has managed to pull it off with aplomb. While on the surface his sci-fi food creations possess a certain gee-whiz, how'd-he-do-that technicality (many are presented on specially designed service pieces), they also pack remarkable depth and, importantly, flavor."
—Chicago Tribune
"Discreetly located in a town house spitting distance from chef Grant Achatz's first employer, Charlie Trotter, Alinea is marked only by a valet's sandwich board at the curb."
– Martha Bayne, Chicago Reader
"Alinea should charge you just to tour the place."
—Gayot
"Alinea will be the hottest restaurant in this city for quite some time. ... Bottom line. Alinea is working along the lines of the small-plate nibbles-and-bits concept. This is a restaurant that you can take with a grain of designer salt or not. My experience was one of awe mixed with admiration. However, unless you are really into food, this might not be the restaurant for you. How many flavors can you focus on and still appreciate the experience?"
– Pat Bruno, Chicago Sun-Times
How others rate Alinea
James Beard Foundation
Grant Achatz, Best Chef: Great Lakes, 2007
Outstanding Chef Award winner (national), 2008
Gourmet magazine
No. 1, America's Top 50 Restaurants, 2006
Chicago Tribune
**** (Outstanding)
Zagat 2009
29 Food Rating (Extraordinary to Perfection)
Chicago Reader
Best Place to Eat When Someone Else is Paying, 2009 critics' and readers' polls.