Two West Town Restaurants Make It On 'Top 100 In The World' List

CHICAGO, IL — Chicago's West Town neighborhood is home to two restaurants named on Elite Traveler's 'Top 100 Restaurants in the World' list. The neighborhood's restaurant scene has been growing rapidly and food critics are taking note. Next, at 953 W Fulton Market Street was ranked No. 41 on the list, and Smyth + The Loyalist was ranked No. 96.

Elite Traveler described Grant Achatz’s second Chicago restaurant Next as "the game-changing sister" of his Michelin-starred restaurant Alinea in Lincoln Park. "Previous themes have included everything from an El Bulli-inspired menu to traditional Japanese kaiseki and vegan cuisine, with the current menu taking inspiration from French bistro-inspired dishes."

Elite Traveler said Smyth + The Loyalist, at 177 N Ada St #001, offers a menu that's "innovative" and "modern." The magazine called the restaurant's interior "a thing of beauty."

"With hints of Scandinavia, the restaurant is filled with exposed brick walls, dark wooden beams and furnishings and an expansive open kitchen," the review said.

It may come as no surprise that Elite Traveler gave the number one spot on its list to Alinea in Lincoln Park.

"From taffy balloons to edible tablecloths and cinnamon bark chopsticks, the zany to the sublime, dinner at Alinea is always a distinctly modern and painstakingly curated experience," the review said.

Alinea has been named on countless 'best of' lists and continues to receive many awards despite undergoing a major renovation recently.

Image via Shutterstock