Alinea: menu prices and booking guide

Salon, Gallery or Kitchen Table?

Chef Grant Achatz's team runs three experiences every night. The Salon has individual tables and what the FAQ calls "a more classic dining format." It takes about two hours for two people and two and a half for four to six. When we checked Tock on September 8, the Salon listing said it was only reachable by stairs.

The Gallery is the communal version, "a multi-sensory, immersive journey" with "elements of theater, surprise, and shared discovery." Tock listed two showings each evening. The Kitchen Table gives your group the same kind of meal in a private room with a direct view into the kitchen. Both take about three and a half hours. Pick by the evening you want rather than the price. The Salon is shorter and closer to a normal dinner. The Gallery is a performance you share with other guests. The Kitchen Table is that performance for your group alone.

FAQ with the three experiences and durations

A useful budget for two

Alinea's own site doesn't list menu prices. On the booking pages in September, the Salon was $375 to $395 a person on Tock for October dates and $395 on OpenTable for November. The Gallery and Kitchen Table were $495. The Kitchen Table needs 3 to 6 guests, so two people can't book it.

Alinea adds a 20% service charge. Extra tips are up to you, and the FAQ says they go to front-of-house staff who aren't on salary. At November prices, two Salon menus come to $948 with service and two Gallery menus to $1,188, before tax and drinks. There are three wine pairings, Standard at $195, Reserve at $285 and the Alinea pairing at $475, all before service and tax. Everyone at the table who drinks wine has to take the same level. Two Gallery menus with two Standard pairings come to $1,656 with service. With two Alinea pairings, it's $2,328. That's our arithmetic, not a checkout quote.

Compare corkage with the pairings, including the cost of the wine you bring. You can bring one 750 ml bottle per person for $125 a bottle, as long as it isn't on Alinea's list or in the pairings.

FAQ with pairings, service charge and corkage · OpenTable, checked September 30 · Tock, checked September 8

When and how to book

The booking platform changes on November 1. The homepage says to reserve October dates on Tock and November dates on OpenTable. A line further down the same page still says Alinea uses Tock, which is out of date from November. Dates open on the 15th of each month at 11 a.m. Central, for the month after next. On January 15, for example, March opens.

Everything is prepaid and non-refundable. With at least 72 hours' notice, Alinea will move you to another date in the same calendar year. After that, no changes. If you miss the reservation, the FAQ says "We are unable to apply missed deposits to future dates." Email host@alinearestaurant.com if you're running late, because arriving more than ten minutes late can mean missing part of the meal.

Gift cards can't be applied on OpenTable. Book first, then email hospitality@alinearestaurant.com with the card number, the amount, a photo of the card and your booking details to get a refund.

Homepage with booking platform by month · FAQ with release, change and gift card rules

November's public listing takes 1 to 6 for the Salon, 2 to 4 for the Gallery and 3 to 6 for the Kitchen Table. Transfer rights remain unverified; confirm them for the platform and date you choose.

Dietary needs, stairs and dress

With at least 72 hours' notice, Alinea can do ovo-lacto vegetarian, pescatarian, seafood allergies, tree nut and peanut allergies if coconut is fine, no gluten, and pregnancy restrictions. Egg and dairy run through the whole menu and can't be removed. Neither can the pork gelatin in the vegetarian version, but staff will tell you which dishes contain it so you can skip them. There are no substitutions for dislikes. Alinea also says it can't take guests who react to cross-contamination.

If you need step-free access, choose your room with that in mind, since the Salon listing we saw specified stairs. Email hospitality@alinearestaurant.com with your needs and the experience you're considering, and get the answer in writing. The dress code is "elevated casual." Jackets aren't required, though the FAQ says many guests wear one.

FAQ with dietary rules and dress code

Age rules and detailed Gallery or Kitchen Table access are unverified. Ask about the specific room, not simply whether Alinea is accessible.

Is this the right special-occasion booking?

Alinea is at 1723 N. Halsted Street in Lincoln Park. Valet starts at 4:45 p.m. and costs $19 a car. There's no published phone number, so email is the way to reach the restaurant. If you book the Gallery or Kitchen Table, keep the rest of the evening free.

Alinea's introduction still claims three Michelin stars, but MICHELIN's 2025 Chicago selection lists two. The directory uses that selection. Choose by the room, duration and dietary fit, since the menu changes. Groups can book the Gallery privately for up to 16 seated guests, or the whole restaurant for up to 66. For a different kind of tasting menu, compare Kasama's Filipino tasting menu or Oriole's dining room and kitchen tables.

FAQ with valet · Private events

Compare before booking

Ever's menu is $828 for two with mandatory service before tax and drinks; Alinea's November Salon is $948 and Gallery $1,188 on that basis. The Salon lasts about two hours for two guests, while Ever estimates two to two and a half and the Gallery three and a half.

BOKA offers à la carte and lists vegan accommodation, while Alinea requires a prepaid experience and cannot remove egg or dairy. For a guest needing step-free access, Ever publishes an ADA-accessible route from its garage; Alinea's Salon requires stairs.

Ever · BOKA

Sources and editorial approach

This is a researched planning guide based on the restaurant's published information and official booking pages. Planning recommendations and cost calculations are ours; this page does not report a firsthand meal or assign a critic's score. Prices and policies can change. Confirm the terms for your date before paying.

Checked September 28, 2026. October Tock prices retain their September 8 check; November OpenTable prices and limits were checked September 30. Found a change? Send a correction with a source link and the detail that needs updating.

Public booking listing checked September 30, 2026. We did not verify live availability or final checkout. Other sources retain the dates stated.