Smyth embodies the creative vision of chef John Shields and his wife and business partner, Karen Urie Shields. Since opening in 2016, the West Loop restaurant has earned numerous accolades—including three Michelin stars and recognition from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants—but remains grounded in its core values of humility, hospitality, and exploration. “We toast to it,” Shields says of the acclaim. “It’s amazing, and it builds our confidence to continue to learn.” For Shields, the restaurant’s identity lies not in awards but in what he calls “a real honesty” in their approach—a balance of technical precision and heartfelt warmth.
What sets Smyth apart is its living, breathing approach to cuisine. The kitchen team is in a constant state of experimentation, working with house-made ingredients like sprouted grains, malts, fermentations, and infusions. “The restaurant is alive—it’s literally alive,” says Shields. “What makes it alive is the constant curiosity among the people who work here and never settling for anything.”
This creative ethos carries through to the dining room, where director of operations Christopher Gerber has helped shape a distinctive approach to service. “Our service is technically proficient and purposefully perfect,” Gerber says. “Riding alongside that is the more important rail of empathy, listening, validating, and ultimately fulfilling guests’ needs.”
The ever-evolving tasting menu at Smyth balances innovative technique with approachable, ingredient-led flavors. Dishes like lobster custard with raspberry butter, hazelnut oil, and a poached lobster claw topped with lobster tuile; a quail egg cured in black walnut miso, fig honey, and magnolia vinegar; or caramelized butternut squash with miso, sikil pak, and mushroom vinaigrette showcase Shields’s gift for layering unexpected ingredients into memorable combinations.
Behind the scenes, Karen Shields masterfully manages the business while a dedicated team—many of whom have been with Smyth for years—helps bring the Shieldses’ vision to life. Together, they’ve created a restaurant where consistency meets creativity, and where, as John proudly puts it, “People don’t forget coming here”—a lasting testament to their shared culinary vision.
