Two Chicago restaurants have been named among the best in North America in a new ranking.
The latest list came from The World’s 50 Best, known for its ranking of best pizza spots in the world, which has now awarded accolades to what it says are the 50 best restaurants in North America.
Smyth in Chicago not only made the list, but made the top five in the ranking.
Also noted for being the best restaurant in the Midwest for 2025 by the group, Smyth, from chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, was listed for its “inventive dining with a progressive, farm-to-table approach.”
The West Loop highlight ranked at No. 4 on the ranking overall, behind only Atomix in New York, Mon Lapin in Montreal and Pearl Morissette in Ontario.
The restaurant earned a rare three-Michelin star status in 2024, making it one of only two three-star Michelin restaurants in the city, and one of only 13 in the U.S.
But Smyth wasn’t the only Chicago restaurant represented on the list.
Kasama, a notable Ukrainian Village spot, ranked at No. 31, listed for its “Filipino comfort food by day with an elevated tasting menu at night.”
The bakery and modern Filipino restaurant opened in July of 2020 and in 2023, the husband and wife team behind the restaurant won a James Beard Award in the Best Chef – Great Lakes category. It also recently landed on the New York Times’ list of “25 Best Chicago Restaurants Right Now.”
The 50 best list was created using votes from the company’s 300-member “Academy of regional restaurant industry experts.” The votes were anonymous and confidential, a release on the ranking stated.
“The list also celebrates under-the radar destinations, proving that world-class cuisine thrives well
beyond traditional hotspots,” the press release said.
