The Windy City mainstay triumphs thanks to its thoughtful sourcing, inventive dishes and passionate leadership.
The eyes of the North American culinary scene have been trained on New Orleans this week, in anticipation of the announcement of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.
After an exciting countdown, Smyth, the progressive Chicago restaurant with a farm-to-table approach, has been named The Best Restaurant in North America 2026, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The No.2 spot was claimed by Eight, Calgary, followed by Restaurant Pearl Morissette, Lincoln at No.3.
The list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants was inaugurated in 2025, when New York's Atomix was announced as No.1.
At Smyth, John Shields takes the lead on savoury dishes while Karen Urie Shields heads up pastry
Led by chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, dishes at Smyth demonstrate both technical rigour and bold creativity. This year marks 10 years since the duo first opened Smyth, with this win marking a new high in an already storied career.
"It feels absolutely incredible," says John Shields. "What an honour. We had our 10 year anniversary this year and to be where we are now with the restaurant, it's an unbelievable feeling."
After meeting at now-closed Chicago restaurant Charlie Trotter's, Karen and John moved to rural Virginia. Here, they developed their philosophy, prioritising locally grown and foraged food and transforming Town House restaurant in the process. Eight years later, in 2016, they returned to Chicago to open Smyth, named in homage to Smyth County, the mountainous corner of Virginia they previously called home.
John sums up the philosophy in one word: "Product. It's always product, but then we look at it differently. Whatever we do, we always make sure that diners leave with a lasting memory."
Smyth is located in Chicago's West Loop
At Smyth, Karen is in charge of pastry while John takes the lead on all things savoury. Often, however, these elements are brought together, such as with the warm mushroom-chocolate tart, an unexpected crowd-pleaser.
For John, it's the team that makes Smyth so special. "It sounds cliché, but it's the people. We have a shared vision, but we all have different personalities, which creates a lot of growth within the restaurant."
Beneath Smyth sits The Loyalist, a more relaxed offering from the couple. Dishes are classic and bistro-inspired, with burgers, trout a la Grenobloise and French onion soup all on the menu. This stacking of innovative fine dining on top of French comfort reflects the diversity of Chicago's food scene, as John explains. "It's always vibrant, it's always different, but I think it's better than ever."
Chicago is not the only Midwestern restaurant to be recognised on this year's list. Diane's Place, in Minneapolis, holds the No.50 spot, while earlier in May, Cincinnati's Wildweed was announced as the winner of the One To Watch Award 2026.
Looking ahead, John is tight-lipped about the future of Smyth: "We've got a few things in mind, but we've been talking for years. We'll see – this year might be the year we start doing some things." 
The menu at Smyth features locally sourced and foraged ingredients
For now, however, there's the question of celebrating this impressive achievement. "We'll have some champagne, I'm sure."
Discover the full list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
