Alinea Chicago

Alinea is at 1723 N Halsted St. It sits a ten-minute walk from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, placing it well north of the city’s dense cluster of downtown hubs.

The restaurant holds a Michelin star and leans heavily into a creative, contemporary culinary style. It is dressier than its neighbours in the area, where the scene typically favors casual storefronts over the rigid, choreographed pacing found here. While the room runs smart and elegant, the distance from the tourist-heavy lakefront is its strongest asset. You come here for the technical precision that defines modern fine dining, a departure from the rowdier taverns that dominate the local landscape.