Ambiance - dim, tight tables, open kitchen, wasn't a huge fan of the scent of the candles they lit up throughout the restaurant Service - exceptional, servers were super nice and went over every course Food - super creative dishes & flavors, their EMBER dessert was so unique and literally gives you aromas of a campfire/fireplace read more

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2025 Chicago. Dinner review. Tasting menu. Fire-focused (obviously). Alinea group. ASPARAGUS Grilled purple asparagus, charred ginger oil, smoked rice wine vinegar, tiger prawn stuffed morel SCALLOP Horseradish and dried shiso cured Hokkaido scallop seared over American binchotan charcoal, finished with shirodashi butter RED SNAPPER Kombu cured and hearth steamed red snapper, purple shell mussel broth set with seaweed, braised kombu, pickled ramps, and white oak smoked mushroom MAITAKE Cast Ironed Four Star Maitake mushroom, spice-blackened cucumber, fermented Napa cabbage, and charcoal toasted fenugreek salt SACCHETTI Hearth broiled purse-shaped chestnut and black truffle filled pasta, ash cooked leeks, burnt onion-black truffle tea, and scorched chestnut shell oil BEEF Spice cured and binchotan kissed beef cheek, smoked Sicilian anchovies, charred baby gem lettuce, and blackened peas OR ROHAN DUCK +30 Fig-lacquered duck, smoked over oak wood, wild berries, fermented radicchio, charred mole SWEET POTATO Chamomile smoked sweet potato, heaven's honey and Délice de Bourgogne EMBER Glowing log scorched dairy with sweet hazelnut mole, banana nectar, Blis barrel aged banana infused maple syrup Overall, this place was great. Sad it's so short-lived. "As good as it gets." read more

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We were excited to try this new concept from The Alinea Group on a Saturday night and came to celebrate my birthday. All the courses are centered around wood-burning cooking - even the dessert! The space looks similar to Roister (it's predecessor) but the experience is much more elevated. The tasting started off with carabineros (prawns) cold smoked, steamed, and in a bisque. The presentation was great but flavor wish the prawns lacked flavor and the bisque was texturally a bit grainy. The courses did get better from there. I loved the super flaky and buttery kombu steamed halibut and the cast iron maitake mushroom that came next. The beef course with beef cheek, puffed rice and turnip three ways was probably my favorite dish. The beef was cooked perfectly and so tender and the turnip was great. The dessert courses were unique as well. I loved the log scorched ice cream which had so much smoky flavor. I've never had anything like it and it was a great way to end the meal! read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Fire. Service was exceptional, the food was good, as was the wine pairing. The real standout for me was the lobster bisque that was one of the components of the first course, it was amazing. Overall the food was good but not exceptional, hence 4 stars. read more

FIRE by The Alinea Group - View from our seats at the kitchen counter. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We really enjoyed our meal at Fire. The service was exceptional, the maî·tre d was incredibly friendly and really elevated the service we got. The ambiance with the warmth off the open fire in the kitchen set a really nice mood for an intimate dining experience. Overall the food was incredibly delicious and we could really feel the hearth highlighted in each dish. The highlight for us was definitely the smoked ice cream, which may have forever ruined every other ice cream for us going forward it was that good read more

FIRE by The Alinea Group - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Plutarch once said, "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." Well, I'm pretty sure Grant Achatz took that literally because at Fire, not only is your mind kindled, but so is just about everything else. Between the blazing grill and the flame thrower-size butane torches, I'm surprised my napkin didn't come out charred! This new concept, located in the former Roister space, is a fiery love letter to all things flame. Each dish carries the essence of fire--whether it's smoked, charred, scorched, or kissed by embers. The results are as dazzling as they are delicious. What Set My Soul (and Taste Buds) Ablaze The Carabineros (Spanish prawns): Cold-smoked over juniper branches, these prawns were smoky, tender, and perfectly balanced with the salty umami of soy and the freshness of shiso. A delicate powerhouse of a dish! The Beef Cheek: Sous vided in spices and crusted with puffed wild rice, it was a rich, smoky celebration of everything fire can do to meat. The Sweet Potato: Fire-flashed and paired with smoky Autumn Crisp apples, it was as comforting as sitting around a campfire--if that campfire also happened to serve Michelin-level cuisine. And the Ember dessert? A sweet, glowing homage to the theme with scorched dairy, hazelnut mole, and banana nectar. It's the dessert I didn't know I needed. The Atmosphere Watching the chefs tend to the roaring hearth felt like watching a symphony conductor orchestrate flames. The open kitchen and glowing firepit set the tone for an experience that's primal yet refined. It's rustic elegance at its finest, with flames playing a lead role in every moment. Why You Should Go If you've ever thought, "I love my food grilled, but could it also be poetic?" then Fire is your place. Achatz has created a space where each dish doesn't just feed you--it tells a story of transformation, of heat, and of flavor. Final Verdict: Whether you're a die-hard foodie or just someone who appreciates a good flame-kissed meal, Fire is a blazing success. Leave your fire extinguisher at home--you'll want to soak in every charred, smoky, delicious moment. read more

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A long-time fan of Roister, I was intrigued by their new concept, FIRE. My party of 4 enjoyed our experience on a recent Saturday night. I appreciate other reviews I've read, but personally, it's all about context and expectations. Service was professional and informative. Presentation was solid, with some courses presented with energy and zest, and the team approach to service. My group ordered drinks a la carte versus the wine pairing, so my comment on cocktails is there were a variety of wines, spirits, cocktails, and mocktails. The Hibiscus Bliss is a refreshing n/a drink that I recommend. Foodwise, everything to me ranged from creative to outstanding. The 1st course of 3 prawn-based items really set the stage. The highlight was the Bisque, which was so smooth and flavorful. The next course (Halibut) included the purple shell mussel broth set-the textures were the star there. The top 3 items to me were: Saccchetti-think of a deconstructed French Onion soup with a crafted pasta "pocket"-so good! Next would be the Sweet Potato-I suggest tasting from the top center and working your way outward to begin with the headline ingredient, then to experience the creamy and light apply flavors. Finally, the Ember, an inventive ice cream option to close the courses had great texture-crunch, temperature-cold but not dense. Hazelnut, banana and maple syrup on top were great. I look forward to the evolution of this restaurant and recommend to anyone who wants to experience a tasting menu experience for the first time or appreciates the Alinea Group. read more

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TLDR: Got to go to Fire on only its second day of opening!! Chef Grant Achatz does it again with a beautiful tasting menu with "fire" or elements thereof incorporated into each dish. With an open kitchen where you can watch the magic happen, Fire was well worth the visit. SETTING: my partner and I are visiting from NY and had a reservation at Roister. We received an email a week before that we could change our res to Fire (the new restaurant) or cancel. We of course decided to change the reservation and are so glad we did. Arrived on Thursday night at 8pm to a fully packed restaurant. It was a bit chaotic (but as mentioned it's only the second day this restaurant has existed, so that's to be expected). The interior is dark, sleek, and minimal with seating in the front and back separated by a big open kitchen with kitchen counter seating. FOOD: The food was damn good!!! I particularly loved the creativity of the prawn three ways - as my partner remarked it was some of the best prawn he's ever had (and I agree). There was a chestnut filled purse shaped pasta which was just so savory, and decadent, thinking of it now my mouth is automatically watering. There was a maitake mushroom dish that might be my favorite vegetarian dish I've ever had at any fine dining restaurant. I don't know how they pulled so much flavor out of that one mushroom piece (with cabbage), but it was heavenly. Finally, the ice cream dessert. I think I set a record for how quickly I shoved that down it was so so good!!! The two dishes that were a bit of a miss for me (and why this review is 4 stars rather than 5) was the sweet potato and halibut. The halibut was a bit bland and underwhelming, and the sweet potato never came together with the other elements of the dish for me. Everything else though was crème de la crème (5/5), incredible. SERVICE: service was a bit slow but again this is their second day, and they were jam packed, and towards the end of our meal, service was flowing nicely !! VERDICT: 100% recommend coming to try Fire. I have no doubt this will be another successful endeavor by the Alinea Family Group, and the food really really shines, with its creativity and balance. I'm so glad we got to try Fire!! read more

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I really wanted this place to be good. Unfortunately the Alinea Group name didn't live up to its reputation this time. Based in the Fulton Market district not far from Next, another Alinea Group restaurant, Fire promises a bold tasting menu. The open concept kitchen which produces the "Fire" inspired dishes is impressive and the plating is as always superb. Dishes were actually quite tasty and my favorite was the shrimp course. We did go on a Friday evening so the place was packed. The let down I thought was the wait staff. Placing the plates in front of you, they just reeled off what they were with little to no effort then walking off. One member of staff was actually recovering from an illness and so we couldn't hear the dish that was being described. To this we got told "I'm getting over being sick and I still have a sore throat". This shocked me. If she was sick, maybe wear a mask then? There are other restaurants that require staff to wear masks for lesser reasons. One of our dinner guests spoke to the manager who did change the wait staff at our table but that just meant that the waiter just got moved to other tables who didn't know about their illness. Not what I was expecting from a meal that was still over $250 per person if you included the wine pairings. A bit disappointing. read more

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We had the good fortune to both be in Chicago and get a table shortly after The Alinea Group opened Fire in the restaurant formerly known as Roister. We loved Roister--the food and the vibe--and were simultaneously disappointed at the loss and excited for the new concept from Chef Grant. We absolutely loved it. We sat at the counter watching the chefs prep and cook our amazing tasting menu. Original both in presentation and deliciousness we had an amazing meal and an incredible experience. Though Roister will be missed (particularly the fried chicken!) FIRE is an incredible new experience that can't be missed. read more

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Appearance by Chef Grant: CHECK! Wobbly Table: CHECK! Servers' Butts and Crotches: CHECK! ‍ Fire replaced Roister (almost overnight?) and is the most 'affordable' Michelin-like experience from the Alinea group. We enjoyed most dishes, enough so that we'll return next year after the menu resets. The courses are paired down to match the $120/person price and still, they're pretty delicious... Excellent beef cheek with turnips 3 ways, amazing Comte cheese pre-dessert, and a delightful final dessert (no take-home gift for this meal). Unfortunately, the set-up here is still all Roister-style, meaning side-by-side tables squeezing out a maximum return. Consequently, this means servers have to squeeze between each table, so diners keep getting their elbows and shoulders hit with butts and crotches, constantly interrupting their meals; it's surreal, kind of gross(!!!) and unacceptable even at Denny's, let alone here. (Sorry, this really annoyed me as you can tell.) We also had a wobbly table, but didn't want to ask to fix it on-the-spot. It was really noticeable and at least an acknowledgement of our drinks shaking around could have been made... Hopefully they repaired it later, LOL! Finally, Chef Grant was there, which was awesome; he was in the open kitchen flaming the wrapped leaves of the halibut dish. He never really even turned our way (the dining room), but perhaps that would have helped him spot the problems? Who knows, but we appreciated this new Alinea-inspired experience and would recommend it. HINT: Sit at the kitchen to avoid dinner interruptions. read more

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Chef GA and the Alinea group is at it again with their latest avant-garde experience with Fire. The moment you walk in the door, you are overwhelmed with various scents related to different herbs and incense, and the smoking is from the hearth that is visible to most of the patrons. (good or bad depending on your olfactory sensitivities, I loved it). Right off the bat the service was impeccable, with the timing of seating us down, to the synchronized well oiled machine of plating the various courses. I don't wanna go to in depth to the actual meals, but I can say that each one was more unique and different than the last. I highly recommend the wine pairing if you drink alcohol, but I've been told that the nonalcoholic cocktails are also very good. I have to say, though, I can tell the sommelier really put a lot of time and effort to figure out the right combinations that Would amplify the food with the drink appearing. Everyone was incredibly kind and well-versed in both of food and drink, and it was a truly unique and wonderful experience. The intangibles were out of the park, and it was just as much about the experience as it was about the food. *of note: I went with three family members, and one of them who has a very heightened sense of smell, and overly sensitive taste to potent flavors did not necessarily enjoy some of the dishes. Be aware that this restaurant is trying to push the limits on him sensory experiences, so someone who may be easily affected by these things may not have the five star experience that I had. read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed my time at FIRE! I thought the new concept was awesome and the use of fire in each course was noticeable and tied in to the dish well. The prawns course was visually appealing and a great start to the meal! The sachetti was another favorite and the beef was perfection! We were celebrating my sisters graduation and thought it was so cute they gave her a little toaster marshmallow. Definitely looking forward to the menus to come and the only reason I'm giving 4.5 out of is because I love Next and st. Clair Supper Club more. read more

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I was excited to try the new Alinea concept, so I got a reservation the first few weeks it opened. There were some pros and cons, but I think the cons are largely due to the fact the restaurant is so new. Pros: Service was fantastic. Everyone we interacted with had a great attitude, and our server was knew a lot about the wine pairings. We sat at the kitchen table, and it gave a fantastic ambiance. A little hot though so wear layers you can take off! The Sacchetti was my favorite, and the beef cheek was a close second. The dessert was AMAZING, could have taken a whole carton home with me. Plating on the dishes was impressive, but not surprised given the Alinea brand. Cons: I did not feel like the tasting menu in its entire + the wine pairings was worth $500 for a couple. The fish was halibut. It wasn't bad, but it was cooked in a leaf. When they pulled off the leaf to reveal the halibut, it was stuck to the leaf. They had to give it a few quick tugs to get it out, and it took half the fish with it. It also left ash from the charred leaf in my lap. Obviously the plating was also ruined, but my husband's came out fine, so I got to see what it was supposed to look like. The first dish was prawn 3 ways. Prawn isn't the most exciting to begin with, and I would have liked to see more of a variety. I also left the meal feeling slightly hungry still, which was not ideal for a meal of this price. Overall, I liked the vibe and some of the dishes. I'd wait until they work out the kinks before going back. read more

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Dined at FIRE with my fiancée about a month after it opened. $115 for an Alinea Group tasting menu is an absolute steal. This dinner featured some of the best dishes I've ever had. The bisque, maitake, truffle pasta, sweet potato, and ice cream were our favorites. Another review called the ice cream dish mind blowing. I couldn't agree more. Oh yes, and we sat at the kitchen table and had a front row seat to watch Chef Achatz prepare our dishes (no extra charge for the kitchen table seating as of right now). Truly a once in a lifetime experience. I am not a food critic or a professional chef, but I've been to a lot of excellent restaurants around the country, several of them Michelin starred--some of them three Michelin starred--and this meal is up there with the best I've had. I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but to bash this restaurant and Chef Achatz's masterful creation is like bashing 90s Michael Jordan. Oh and if someone offered you the chance to watch Michael Jordan court side in the 90s for around $100--reverse adjusted for inflation--that would be a ***cue Larry David*** prettttty good deal. And you can essentially get that experience here at FIRE. Highly recommend booking now. Thank you to Chef and the FIRE team for an incredible experience. read more

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Thomas and Journey (spelling may be inaccurate) were beyond amazing. Asparagus dish with morels? The purse dish? NOMS. However, icing on the damn cake? Journey reading the vibes, seating is with Thomas, and a generally spectacular experience. Can't wait to hear from y'all when you figure out where you land-we'll be there in a heartbeat. Hugs and high fives - Matty and Mac :) read more

What used to be Roister is now Fire, the latest restaurant concept by the Alinea group, which features an affordable tasting menu comprised of dishes that all embody the use of fire. It's a unique tasting menu, and I appreciated the innovative takes on each dish, but unfortunately many of the dishes were either way too salty or way too sweet, like the cold smoked prawns, the prawn bisque, the broth of the sacchetti dish, and the beef being excessively salty, and the two dessert dishes being overly sweet. If they had balanced the flavors better, then the tasting menu would be a sure success, but I think they'll still need to work on refining these flavor balances some more as they continue to develop as a restaurant. That's not to say that there weren't any standout dishes - the kombu cured halibut was cooked perfectly (though the accompanying chawanmushi custard was again on the salty side), and the juniper perfumed tails with the honey glaze was absolutely delicious. Maybe I would wait a couple of more months to let the restaurant and menu develop before visiting again, so hopefully things will improve. read more

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Love the concept of cooking everything in fire/smoke/wood. Food and drinks were overall good but you can tell they just opened as they have some kinks to work out. First course which was actually 3 courses was super tasty and great presentation. That bisque was unbelievable. The halibut was extremely underwhelming as it was just straight up bland. The next 2 dishes with the mushrooms and the truffle pasta were on point. Both the beef and duck were good although I think the duck was worth the up charge. In my opinion the star of the show was the ember ice cream. Tastes like a campfire. They had a palate cleanser that was a smoked pomegranate ice cream with pistachio oil. Was super excited to try it since it sounds like a great concept, however the execution was overpowering smokiness. If that was fixed it would be awesome. Pairing menu was good nothing crazy. Disappointed that 2 of the courses had the same wine pairing. read more

A little disappointed. I don't expect to love every dish, but I do expect to like more than not and that wasn't the case here. Regarding the food, I echo a lot of the other reviews. The service was friendly but food runners often seemed uncomfortable delivering course descriptions. It's also a pet peeve of mine to pour my own wine and that happened several times. read more

Our first restaurant experience by the Alinea group did not disappoint. Excellent service and the food was delicious with earthy and complex flavors. Highly recommend the wine pairing and sitting at the counter for the full experience. read more

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The first 3 courses are actually just 1 course. The food completely lacks flavor other than the beef cheek and the one piece of ravioli they serve you. This place is more focused on how the food looks versus how it actually tastes, not surprised given it's an Alinea Group restaurant. You will leave this place hungry and disappointed. Steer clear. read more

Some dishes weee good but most are overly complicated and the flavors do not mix well. The wine pairings are nice but all in all I would say it is well over priced. Food is salty. Nothing spectacular. Fire is not incorporated nearly enough into the menu. read more

Don't listen to the critics. This place is FIRE! Perhaps one of the best culinary experiences I've ever had, and I've been all over the world. From the fresh ingredients..to the presentation...to the very attentive waitstaff, the entire experience was first class. Creative use of Kombu in the halibut course, and the clam and mussel custard was unique and flavorful. One of my favorite courses was the maitake mushroom, hot iron pressed by the chef table side. Impeccable service. Must come. read more

We had high hopes for Fire. Although the service was exceptional, the food was so disappointing. Some of the dishes were so salty that we couldn't eat them after one taste. Not one person at our table could eat the cheese and sweet potato course. The flavors were so confusing. The Ambience is seriously lacking as well. The only thing they got right was the wine pairing. The bill for 4 of us was over $1000 and we left hungry. read more

Please understand that I am writing this review because I WANT Fire to be the restaurant I think It can 100% achieve in being. The concept that the Alinea group is aiming for is something I think could be wildly successful if they can just deliver on the food that the concept is aiming for. I've been to a number of Alinea groups restaurants (multiple times) and loved them every time i've been. This however, was a big miss in the dishes that were provided and the concept they were aiming for. Overall Summary - There was only (1) dish that evoked any sort of sense/flavor of open fire cooking, smoke, or char. Almost none of the other dishes felt at all like the concept Fire is proposing. In all honesty, most of the dishes felt like bad interpretations of Next-style dishes. They almost all had flaws to them and felt quite overpriced for what you received. If you are trying to create a concept based on open fire cooking, than give me dishes where I can taste or experience the fire/char/smoke. The only dish I could honestly say i truly felt what the concept was advertising was the Ember (Ice Cream) dish. There is something seriously wrong with a concept menu when the very last dish is type of representative dish i was looking for the entire time. My party left feeling let down and slighted by the food that was provided (and the portion sizes overall). Everything else about the dining experience was top-notch just like every other Alinea restaurant. I truly hope Fire can keep modifying the menu and become the restaurant that i think it has every possibility of being. The main takeaway from my dinner tonight was that there were so many chances/opportunities to deliver the concept proposed and they just kept missing the mark in both execution and concept. MY THOUGHTS ON THE DISHES (see photo of menu) - *These next (3) dishes are all presented on the same plate as essentially one plate of food* COLD SMOKED SPANISH PRAWN - This was actually one of the better bites of food the entire night. My only criticism was that it had zero smoked taste to it. So all i can really say about it is that it was a pretty decent amuse bouche. But had little at all to do with the concept. JUNIPER PERFUMED TAIL- It tasted like a very fresh/sweet/succulent prawn tail that was quickly seared. But that's literally all it tasted like. It didn't taste like any of glaze or ingredients and we didn't really get any sort of juniper scent. It just tasted like a very fresh cooked prawn, that's it. BISQUE - The Bisque was a very rich seafood bisque that was quite tasty. But they gave you basically two sips of it and again, had zero relation to the concept. HALIBUT - Overall the Halibut lacked any flavor (they were also served lukewarm) and was marginally helped by adding some of the shellfish custard on top of it. Why in the heck serve bland, lukewarm steamed halibut at a restaurant devoted to fire cooking??? SWEET POTATO - Instead of searing the sweet potato why not roast them in the open fire hearth!? In my version of the dish, they added a sliced 'smoked' grape but I couldn't taste any of the smoke. Adding a sliced grape just added a bizarre texture to the dish. It threw off the balance completely because at some point you just got a big bite grape. Which, who the heck wants a big bite of grape and sweet potato in a dinner they are paying $110 for. This dish was legitimately unappetizing, ditch it. MAITAKE - This dish fit the Fire concept well and wouldn't need much tweaking to be a mainstay. I think they needed to be much more aggressive in the sear from the cast iron in both the Maitake and the Cucumber, it would fit the concept well. However, I also felt like the portion size for this was quite stingy. Given how inexpensive most of the ingredients are for this dish, it felt like a cheap move. SACCHETTI - The ash cooked leeks/burnt onion additions to the tea gave it a very nice smoky/charred flavor. Sadly though, the way the pasta was stuffed and cooked, it made eating the pasta quite awkward. The top of it was almost crisped/fried and the bottom was sitting in the tea. So when you went to eat it, picking it up didn't quite work because the bottom was falling apart. Then trying to cut it was difficult because the top was fully crisped. Overall i think this dish 'could' work, but they really need to go back to the drawing board on it. BEEF - This was a great example of method ruining a great ingredient. The cure they used on the cheek completely overwhelmed the flavor of the cheek itself. Instead of the opportunity for intense beefy flavor of the cheek, all you tasted was cure. It was more akin to an over-cured corned beef than a tender beef cheek. The only 'smoky/toasty/ element was the sesame seeds. The parsnip puree was loose and tasted quite unappetizing. EMBER - This was the only dish I can honestly say they executed perfectly and fit the concept. read more

FIRE by The Alinea Group - Fire Menu - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had a sincerely incredible experience at FIRE. Every dish felt like it came straight from the flames--smoky, rich, and incredibly thoughtful. It actually feels impossible to choose a standout, but if I must: the halibut, the maitake, and the sacchetti are all worth returning for, again and again. The food was precisely balanced, the pacing was perfect, and the flavors were surprising and bold without being overbearing. The space itself is stunning, and I highly recommend any party of two sit at the counter when possible. Witnessing each dish come together is like watching a performance--each player and movement focused, intentional, and quietly mesmerizing. You can feel the care that went into building this experience--from the food to the service and all the little details that make it exceptional. Truly unforgettable. read more

Food was very good as expected, though not a fan of the beef cheeks. We had the tasting menu with the wine pairings, which were excellent. Food not as good as Alinea, of course, but less expensive and atmosphere was great. One big complaint - without warning, a 20% service charge is added to "pay the employee salaries and benefits" and it does not include any gratuity - according to the staff and the receipt. So you end up paying 40% on top of the advertised price. Misleading and low class. We won't go back as a result. read more

Hate having to say this, but Fire was disappointingly mediocre overall, despite the excellent service (which has been with all of our Alinea related experiences). Love the idea of what this could be as a concept, but felt it was subpar in execution/taste/presentation given the price. Overall ambiance was relatively standard for a Fulton Market restaurant, although we did get center counter to have a front row of the Chef's working incredibly hard to make the meal enjoyable. read more

FIRE by The Alinea Group - Center counter view - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service and ambiance were very nice (we sat at the kitchen counter). The wine pairings were excellent. Although the menu was very creative there were a few misses. The shrimp course was tasty and the presentation was very original. The mushroom course was a Grifola frondosa (Hen of the Woods) that I felt was over worked...first confit, then seared with a hot iron and basted with an odd tasting syrupy emulsion that really didn't add anything to the presentation or the flavor. As a dedicated mushroom hunter and mycophagist I firmly believe simplicity is the key to capturing the umami of mushrooms. The beef cheek had an odd texture that was somewhat disagreeable. The vegetables served with it were the best part of the dish. The sweet potato with Delices de Bourgogne was very nice...very creative. The dessert was excellent: a smoked ice cream with hazelnuts and maple syrup. Overall a very good meal, but not among the best...yet. read more

My partner and I celebrated my birthday at Fire. We had a spectacular experience from the moment we stepped into the space. Our server, Jacob, was warm, friendly and playful with expert descriptions of all dishes. His suggested cocktail pairings were exceptional and added a great deal to all courses. My partner loved the wine pairings! The food was brilliant. Every single course was incredibly imaginative and delicious. Some highlights for us were the Carabineros, maitake, beef and ember. The Carabineros consisted of a cold Spanish smoked prawn bite, a prawn served on a hot rock (so creative) and a sumptuous cream soup. The presentation was gorgeous and the aromas surrounding the bites added so much to the flavor. The maitake mushroom presentation was a showstopper! Chefs cook the dish, at the table, with a hot iron that's been sitting in the hearth. So much fun and the flavors went beautifully together. Finally, we thought the ember desert was wonderful. Light, Smokey and sweet. What a treat! We felt like Fire was a value! The artistry, ambiance, technical precision, warm personal service and DELICIOUS flavors were exactly what one would expect from an Alinea group restaurant. We will be back soon!! read more

Confused with this rating... FIRE has a *fire* tasting menu. Everything we had was very special, creative, and infused with their signature smokey flavor. Absolutely loved our experience. The service and ambiance were top-notched. read more

Glad I tried another Grant Achatz establishment but can't say I left loving the place. Thomas our server started strong but service suffered as the evening went on. Surprising considering the restaurant group and the automatic 20% charge. Not much changed from ambiance perspective since Roister days except everything got darker. Food was ok. The upgrade duck dish was probably the best thing on the menu followed by the pasta and mushroom. The sweet potato dessert and halibut were awful. read more

So, reviewing a restaurant on it's third evening is a bit fraught. You expect missteps. I like the idea of a lower priced tasting menu and hope they can find a way to make this work. Service: Very good. The servers were knowledgeable, helpful and professional. The courses came out a bit unevenly but nothing to complain about. Food: All in all, very good. Carabineros - The three prawn presentations ranged from good to great. The tartare was good but a bit bland. I felt like none of the ingredients made itself known. The tails were great. Perfectly cooked on the hot rock and delicious. The bisque was outstanding. Halibut - The fish itself was fabulous. I felt like the description of the dish as a whole could have been better explained and the fingerling potato was good, but nothing to write home about. Was the shellfish custard a stand-alone or an accompaniment? It was great either way and I would have appreciated more guidance. Maitake - Yum, although the sauce was a bit too salty. The napa cabbage was great. Sacchetti - Wonderful. Sweet potato - Wonderful and surprising. I think it was the dried fruit that made it so. Simply unexpected in its layering of flavors. Beef Cheek - Oof. The only miss on the menu and an almost complete one. The cheek was perfectly cooked and fork tender. However, there was no flavor other than salt. Overwhelming. It was less the brine than the sauce, as the small bit of meat I had without sauce was very good. The turnips were great as long as they stayed away form the sauce. Ember - How could the dessert be the most elevated part of the meal? It was. The most layered, perfect course. The ice cream was more like a sherbet in weight, which I thought was the same weight as all the other flavors/elements. The smokiness and the textures all were the same. Perfectly balanced. I loved it. My friend would have preferred a bit more creaminess. I disagree. Wine - a very good list, with solid options at every level. All in all? A solid 4 stars on day three, with lots of potential. read more

Service and presentation are exceptional, the dishes are very creative and highlight the transformative effects of fire....but the dishes left me wanting for the most part and the open seating takes away some of the surprise that makes the elaborate dishes so special. read more

while the service & presentation of each dish were very good, the overall execution & tastes / flavors were solidly...meh. disappointing given the hype / alinea grp lineage and previous excellence of roister in this same space. might give the next menu a shot, might not read more

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Congrats to Chef Achatz for the single worst meal of 2024. I've had some poor experiences at Next but this blows all of those away in being a uniquely awful meal. Most of the courses are inedible and yes, the single course that does have smoke/fire flavors is beyond overpowering and simply not good. In fact, the Alinea group should strongly consider renaming this bustling new restaurant to, "Simply Not Good". 0 stars if it were an option. read more

Very fun dinner. Everything is cooked over fire. It's kind of Alinea Light. The halibut and sweet potato were so good. Wine pairings worked well. read more

lackluster food, not very creatively presented - most dishes had the same flavor profile service ok ambiance - perhaps sprucing up the place would help - it looked like they just plopped down fire in the old roister space with little regard. very disappointed read more

A fun dining experience. You get the fire touched notion in every dish. The final ice cream dish is kind of mind bending and lovely. I thought it was all very creative and thoughtful. The staff is quick, kind and thoughtful. read more

This a big disappointment. The concept was well advertised but none of the courses bothered tying the concept to the dish. There is lack of passion in cooking and service and it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Someone made a decision to replace Roister with this, and hope they can sleep at night with that. read more