Michelin Finally Gives A D.C.-Area Restaurant Three Stars

The Inn at Little Washington is D.C.’s first three-star Michelin restaurant. (Photo by Wally Gobetz)

As if we needed any more reasons to struggle getting restaurant reservations, the esteemed critics at Michelin, experts in both tires and cuisine, have swooped into our fair city to render their judgment on our dining scene. This year, there’s some excitement: Washington has its first three-star restaurant in The Inn at Little Washington.

Since Michelin began creating annual guides for D.C. in 2016, no restaurant has been deemed worthy of three stars—the guide’s highest honor—until now. Three stars are given to eateries that offer “exceptional cuisine” and are “worth a special journey.”

The Inn at Little Washington, which has received two stars for the past two years, represents the only exception to Michelin’s rule to only consider restaurants in the District—it’s in Washington, Virginia.

As Michelin Guide International Director Michael Ellis told Washingtonian in 2016, the pricey restaurant from chef Patrick O’Connell was just too good to skip over. “We sent multiple inspectors out, and found a fabulous place with great food, a worthy destination,” he said.

The rest of the list remains the same as previous years, with only two freshman additions to the list of one-star restaurants: chef Ryan Ratino’s vegetable-forward Bresca on 14th Street and Robert Wiedmaier’s Siren in the Darcy Hotel near Logan Circle. Both opened in 2017.

In 2016, D.C.’s inaugural year of Michelin accolades, 12 area restaurants were rewarded. Nine of these, including Shaw’s The Dabney, Noma’s Masseria, and Barracks Row’s Rose’s Luxury, earned one star; another three—The Inn at Little Washington, Minibar, and Pineapple & Pearls—raked in two.

Another two restaurants—Komi and Métier—joined the one-star club in 2017.

In addition to restaurants with hefty price tags and too many forks to count, Michelin also releases an annual Bib Gourmand list of “affordable” eats: a list that, as of this year, includes 39 D.C. restaurants.

Yes, all of these restaurants are likely to be crowded following their wins. But hey, maybe they’ll celebrate as Minibar did in 2016, by hosting an open house with free drinks and snacks? (HINT HINT)

Here are all the D.C. recipients of Michelin stars (Newly-starred restaurants in bold):

Three stars:
aka: “worth a special journey”