Itinerary

Date night in the West Loop

A two-stop dinner-plus-drinks sequence designed for couples with a reservation made a week or more ahead. The dinner is a tasting room or a marquee Randolph restaurant; the after-drinks spot is quiet enough to talk; the two sit a few blocks apart at the western end of Fulton Market.

For: Two people with a reservation and a walking pace.
Length: About 3 hours. · about 2 minutes of walking total

Stops

1. 1 Dinner at Smyth (or The Loyalist downstairs)

   Three-Michelin tasting menu upstairs; casual gastropub The Loyalist downstairs — same address on North Ada.

   177 N Ada St 1st 101, Chicago, IL, 60607

2. ↓ 2-minute walk

   2 After-drinks at After

   Café-bar at 1338 W Fulton that turns into a wine bar in the evening — quiet enough to talk.

   1338 W Fulton St 1, Chicago, IL, 60607

Frequently asked questions

Are there alternates if Smyth is booked?

Sepia (Jefferson), Girl & The Goat (Randolph), and Avec (Randolph) are all Michelin or Beard-recognized and take same-day reservations more often. The /best/where-to-take-out-of-towners list catalogs the marquee dining set.

What about a walk between dinner and drinks?

The direct walk from Smyth to After is about five minutes north. For an unwind between courses, detour south instead: Smyth to Mary Bartelme Park (the park's gateway-arch sculptures are lit at night) and back is about 12 minutes before you head north to Fulton.

Itinerary stops link through to each business's full page; walking times are computed at build time from coordinates. The /itineraries hub lists all available themed sequences.