40 Postcards
Smyth is a plush yet unstuffy tasting-menu haven in the West Loop, where seasonal Midwestern ingredients transform into dazzling, artful dishes that push culinary boundaries.
"Smyth offers a fantastic tasting menu experience in a casual atmosphere. It’s $325 for about 10 courses, and while it’s expensive, it doesn’t feel formal. In fact, the dining room feels like someone’s very nice family home, with wildflower-filled vases on top of bare wooden tables, and an open kitchen with drawings on the fridge. You’ll find dishes like beef tongue served alongside brioche doughnuts, and a cured-egg yolk meringue dessert that’s in the running for one of the best ways to finish a meal, ever." - sam faye, adrian kane, veda kilaru, nick allen
"John and Karen Shields have brought their vision to life in Chicago, pushing fine dining boundaries delivering an extravagant tasting menu. The techniques, ingredients, and service are all top notch, and they are one of a handful of restaurants that have attained a full three-star rating from the Michelin Guide. Developing close relationships with purveyors all of the Midwest, Smyth dishes out creative dishes with fantastic produce in one of Chicago’s most expensive meals." - Ashok Selvam
"Price: $325, or $25 for Chef's Table Smyth in the West Loop feels like someone’s very nice family home, with wildflower-filled vases on top of bare wooden tables, and an open kitchen with drawings on the fridge. You can choose to do a 12-course seasonal menu for $325 or a $425 Chef's Table experience, and while it is expensive, it’s even less formal than Oriole. You’ll find dishes like avocado glazed in pistachio and peanut milk, and a cured-egg yolk dessert that’s in the running for one of the best ways to finish a meal, ever. " - adrian kane, john ringor
"Smyth in Chicago landed at No. 90 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list." - Dianne de Guzman
"Smyth was upgraded in 2023 as Michelin awarded the restaurant with its maximum three-star rating. The food from John and Karen Shields is a tasting menu that can only be conceived through close relationships with farms and a thorough understanding of how that would play inside a restaurant where diners have high expectations. One of the best items on the current menu is king crab that’s been shelled and once again wrapped in a new shell made of beeswax. Why would they take the extra step? The beeswax adds a pleasant aroma and an additional sweetness to the crab. And it’s much easier to break versus the crab’s original shell. This is the type of thoughtfulness that Smyth brings to the table consistently." - Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman
