West Loop’s Smyth named No. 1 restaurant in North America

Smyth, Chicago’s only three-Michelin-starred restaurant, was named the No. 1 restaurant in North America on Thursday.

Last year, the West Loop restaurant won the No. 4 spot at the inaugural Best Restaurants in North America ceremony, hosted by 50 Best. Smyth is the sole restaurant from Chicago on this year’s list. The accolade comes ahead of the New American establishment’s 10th anniversary in August.

The restaurant’s executive chef, John Shields, and his wife Karen Urie-Shields, a pastry chef, are the power couple behind the restaurant. The Shields couldn’t be reached for comment on Friday as they traveled back to Chicago, but John Shields said in a press release that they were “deeply honored” to be named this year’s best restaurant in North America. He added that the award also belongs to their team, partner and diners.

“As we look ahead to the next decade at Smyth, we are deeply grateful for this moment to reflect on their hard work,” John Shields said in the press release.

Located at 177 N. Ada St. #101, the team serves up multi-course tasting menus made with seasonal ingredients sourced from farmers, fishermen and food purveyors across the country. The menu is constantly evolving, making each visit a unique and unpredictable experience.

They also operate the downstairs bar, The Loyalist, with craft cocktails and more contemporary, chef-driven selections on the menu.

More than 300 experts were consulted for the second edition of the regional list, which focuses on chefs who are “redefining modern dining,” according to the press release. This year’s ceremony took place in New Orleans.

Second and third place went to two Canadian restaurants: Eight, a restaurant with only eight seats available per night in Calgary, Alberta and Restaurant Pearl Morissette, which serves French-inspired farmhouse cuisine in Lincoln, Ontario.