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The source[1] dates it to the day: "The restaurant opened on May 4, 2005, and takes its name from the symbol alinea, which is featured as a logo."- Start
- May 4, 200590% CONFIDENCEsource
This place right now
Alinea Opens in Chicago
Grant Achatz's "maximalist modernist" restaurant opened on a Lincoln Park side street and went on to hold three Michelin stars from 2011 to 2024. It is named after the alinea, the paragraph symbol that is also its logo.
- Alinea opened on 4 May 2005, owned by chef Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, and is known for its "maximalist modernist cooking".[1]
- It held three Michelin stars from 2011 to 2024 and was downgraded to two in 2025.[1]
- The MICHELIN Guide lists it as a Two Stars: Excellent cooking restaurant in the 2025 Guide USA, at the $$$$ price band.[4]
- It closed temporarily on 1 January 2016, ran pop-ups worldwide, and reopened on 20 May 2016 after a remodel and menu overhaul.[1]
- In 2020 it served diners from a rooftop while indoor dining was closed in Illinois.[1]
Food photographs are from the restaurant’s official website and show seasonal or representative dishes; they may differ from the current menu and do not document the historical opening date.