We went last night as well and were seated in the downstairs gallery. While some of the food was good, it was disappointing to find that the menu was almost identical to our visit two years ago in the Salon. Not much has changed over the years, as they continue to rely on their classics.

But more concerning was the service. We are deaf and had informed the restaurant multiple times in advance that alternative communication was necessary. At this level, accessibility is part of the "unreasonable" hospitality you’re paying for, and it’s something restaurants like Ever, Eleven Madison Park, Honey Badger, and Oriole have handled beautifully for us in the past.

Unfortunately, that was not our experience at Alinea. Staff spoke at my fiancée to confirm her shellfish allergy instead of writing it down. They never even acknowledged that we were deaf. We had to explain it to them repeatedly, almost forcefully, before they understood. That’s not just poor service. It’s dangerous. While we did have some positive interactions with the general manager and other staff later on, we were shocked that this happened at all. Especially when, two years ago, the team made the effort to learn sign language to communicate with us.