All the Stars in The MICHELIN Guide Washington, D.C. 2025

Two Stars

Jônt
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Ryan Ratino's ambitious counter is an experience like nothing else in the city. Sitting just above Bresca, the room is a constant hive of activity with sharp-suited servers gliding about and laser-focused chefs working in perfect tandem. From the cutlery to the cooking, expect beauty and boldness. Top-rate seafood and meat from Japan and beautiful sauces form the core of this menu. Think delicate tarts with wagyu tartare, grilled sawara with beet and pomegranate sauce, and a particularly striking king crab rice cooked in a donabe. Dessert is its own counter that ends with a treasure box of mignardises. All throughout, a high-energy playlist matches a high-performing team who want nothing more than for guests to enjoy themselves.

minibar 
Cuisine: Contemporary
A single door, with a host to match, marks the entrance to this culinary laboratory that goes far beyond its tiny name. Dinner begins in the lounge with a fun, brainy cocktail before moving to the main room where guests settle in at a curved counter built around a stainless-steel workspace. Through a series of small bites and courses, whimsy and surprise are driving forces of inspiration. From chicharron with avocado to cauliflower with caviar, nothing is ever quite what it seems. The fun is carried through to the very end. A recent riff on mango sticky rice was a playful delight followed by the signature, crowd-pleasing fried ice cream donut. Along the edges of the room, sharply suited servers ensure a seamless, sincere experience.

The Inn at Little Washington 
Cuisine: American
The iconic Chef Patrick O’Connell has long been the steward of this idyllic restaurant outside Washington, D.C. In a town whose very existence seems tied to his success, dinner here recalls another era. The dining room is a celebration of maximalist décor and stately grandeur.
The menu offers an array of signature preparations, such as the vegetable-forward ratatouille from the garden with roasted garlic custard, the contemporary-minded, tomato-cured hamachi in watermelon gazpacho, and the enduring classic of lobster mousse wrapped in Savoy cabbage dressed with caviar beurre blanc. And all throughout, roaming bread and cheese carts are a reminder of a luxury that’s less and less common.

One Star

Albi
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
This Navy Yard denizen is hip and lively. Arranged around a roaring hearth, the space also features an inviting bar. Albi is a sterling example of open-fire cooking at its best. À la carte is one way to go, but guests may just do better with the hyper-seasonal tasting menu. Regardless, Chef/owner Michael Rafidi's dishes are full of surprises as he weaves in the flavors of the eastern Mediterranean with a myriad of local ingredients. Favorites like baba ghanoush and kefta are handled with precision, but the tastiest dishes come from the wood-fired hearth, imbued with smoke and char. A dessert of brown butter knafeh with yogurt ice cream is a marvel, while the wine program flaunts a litany of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern labels.

Bresca
Cuisine: Contemporary
It's set on busy 14th Street, but beautiful Bresca far from blends in with the crowd. Instead, it mixes the warmth of a neighborhood treasure with the talent of a special occasion spot. Inside, splashes of gold, a living wall crafted from moss and design elements teetering between whimsical and downright surreal, create a contemporary vibe. The cooking is casual yet ambitious, thanks to Chef Ryan Ratino’s cutting-edge credentials. Find a clear sense of artistry in the likes of a foie gras "negroni" topped with Campari gelée or the agreeably priced and perfect pappardelle with lamb ragù. Service is highly professional without a trace of pretense.
Cocktails, like The Daulphine St. Punch, may be relished in lieu of dessert.

Causa
Cuisine: Peruvian
Chef Carlos Delgado delivers a taste of his birthplace in a dual concept space in Blagden Alley. Nestled on the first floor, Causa seats around 20 for a tasting menu that takes diners on a journey of flavors inspired by Nikkei cuisine, blending Japanese heritage with Peruvian ingredients and technique. It all begins in Lima with coastal seafood, then progresses into the Andes and the Amazon. Chicha morada kombucha, made from purple corn, is a perfect partner for the Peruvian classic and namesake dish, causa, with its mashed potatoes hit with aji amarillo paste, then topped with cucumber, avocado and tuna tartare. A beautifully cooked wagyu is finished with a Peruvian au poivre sauce. Dessert definitely doesn't disappoint, as in the passion fruit and mint gelato scoops piped with macambo mousse.

Elcielo Washington
Cuisine: Colombian
This concept from Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos can be found adjacent to Union Market's La Cosecha. Presentation is the cornerstone here, with an admirable level of showmanship, and dishes embody a love letter to the chef's native Colombia. This is deeply personal cooking, with the chef utilizing Colombian ingredients in dishes that share history and purpose.
Two set menus are served throughout the restaurant's two dining rooms. From the snacks to the corn broth that makes you rethink this staple to the chocotherapy dessert, this dining experience is seamless. The ingredients are Colombian, many of the dishes have history, purpose and definition. All the while, a warm staff enhances the experience.

Fiola 
Cuisine: Italian
With stone walls, seasonal arrangements and Warhol-esque prints, this DC powerhouse is equal parts retro glitz and country lodge. Before even crossing the threshold, diners are met by gracious servers. While they may rhapsodize about their favorite dishes, take your time to peruse the menu, complete with stunning creations and playful twists.
Classic and modern elements come together in the regional Italian food, which is as likely to celebrate Roman inspiration as it is to represent Venetian flavors. Cubetto Genovese D'Antra, or delightful squares stuffed with shredded duck ragu and sauced with a duck jus reduction, is a memorable dish. Lamb with red pepper gel and eggplant caponata is another standout.

Gravitas
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Matt Baker is luring diners to Ivy City with this gorgeous spot, which transforms local products into modern, deeply complex items. The décor pays homage to the place's industrial bones with exposed brick and stark walls, softened by greenery. Fine service and an open kitchen enhance the appeal.
Set menus are available with three, four, and six courses to choose from, along with some supplements. Wonderful yellowfin sashimi comes with a complex soy vinaigrette while the tagliatelle with sweetbreads in a pork and pancetta ragu with brown butter cream and sun chokes is a standout. For dessert, it has to be his riff on a Butterfinger with salted caramel, peanut butter nougat, chocolate cremeux, salted caramel ice cream, and candied peanuts.

Imperfecto: The Chef's Table
Cuisine: Latin American
Boasting all the buzz of a hornet’s nest, this soaring box of glass and marble virtually reaches for the sky. Inside, it's decked out with brass accents, terra-cotta, and a tight counter positioned directly under Chef Enrique Limardo’s perch. The counter functions as a restaurant within a restaurant with room for just a handful of diners to enjoy an elaborate tasting menu that celebrates Latin flavors, ace ingredients, and exacting technique.
The attention to detail is superb, and meals take on an intimate form. Dishes, perhaps aged grouper with BBQ lettuce and broccolini tabbouleh, or duck with Carolina rice, hum with flavor. Desserts are equally skillful, as in pickled peach with matcha sponge cake.

Kinship
Cuisine: Contemporary
Kinship is a prominent fixture thanks to Chef Eric Ziebold and wife/partner Célia Laurent’s inspired cuisine. They have earned a devoted following who gladly dress to dine here. In addition to Métier downstairs, the space comprises a fireplace-warmed lounge, lively bar, and minimalist-chic dining room.
The à la carte is driven by the seasons, changing often to adapt to what's available. The food hums with flavor and balance, as in Catalan spiced confit squid with tempura tentacles, lemon shallot gremolata, and Romesco sauce, or perfectly rendered and lacquered duck. For desserts, any of them seal the deal, but the roasted Maui pineapple with coconut frangipane, lime all-spice cream, and pineapple sherbet is a fierce competitor.

Little Pearl
Cuisine: Contemporary
Just down the street from Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple and Pearls, this intimate boîte is yet another feather in the same restaurant group’s proverbial cap. Possessing all the charm of a carriage house, the dining room is closer to a sunroom encased in glass with expansive views of the green surroundings. The cooking is equally attractive: Seasonal fare prepared with panache and a touch of luxury. Think oysters with fried potatoes and seaweed remoulade or poached pears with bay leaf ice cream. The menu is a revolving door of ideas, except for the signature angel egg amuse. An eclectic wine list makes for a thoughtful pairing. In total, dinner here goes for less than other tasting menus in town, but with no less boldness, care, and creativity.

Masseria 
Cuisine: Italian
With its seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces, this is a shining beacon amid high-rises, restaurants and stores. Donning that requisite brick walls and farmhouse vibe, the former warehouse feels glam yet spartan—with a stainless-steel kitchen, chrome accents and an impressive glass-encased wine cellar. Such a feel-good sense extends to the staff, who clearly like working here as much as diners enjoy lingering over meals.
Chef/owner Nicholas Stefanelli's Puglian heritage comes through in the menu. His dishes hit all the right notes, balancing playful with serious elements, as in the turbot with mazza frissa and brown butter-poached artichoke hearts or creamy risotto packed with parmesan, butter and fermented black truffle oil. Lemon souffle with lemon verbena gelato is a strong finish.

Métier
Cuisine: Contemporary
Métier's spare and sleek dining space may be best described as one part living room and two parts art gallery, and a window to the kitchen gives a taste of what is to come. The space is elegant, and the service echoes the sophistication with an attentive eye. Chef Eric Ziebold plies his "metier" in an ambitious tasting that pulls global flavors in inspired ways. A riff on cassoulet, for instance, unveils flageolet bean purée with a pork jowl croquette and Santa Barbara uni. The crowning flourish is a sorbet made from aji dulce peppers grown at the restaurant's garden in Virginia. A satin-smooth, double fermented chocolate ganache with toasted fennel-crème anglaise is as stunning as it is ingenious.

Mita
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Latin American cuisine, only plant based. That's the premise behind this contemporary space set in the Shaw neighborhood. It's tasting menu only, but short and long formats ensure a fit. Chefs Tatiana Mora and Miguel Guerra share their creative spirit here, where influences span from Brazil and Bolivia to Colombia and dishes sport originality. A basket of arepas is a fun dish featuring a variety of textures and flavors with tasty sauces like guasacaca, cashew sour cream with chili oil, and butter made of chontaduro. Watermelon crudo with fermented carrot in a cucumber leche de tigre sauce is inventive and bold, while a slice of mushroom terrine wrapped in greens with layers of potato delivers on umami, bite after bite.

Omakase at Barracks Row 
Cuisine: Japanese
Chef Yi "Ricky" Wang, who trained under Chef Nakazawa before running a series of pop-ups, is now settled in at this counter, located up a set of metal stairs in an industrial-chic space. Take special note of the paintings that line that staircase—they're nods to a longstanding tradition of fishermen brushing their catch with ink and pressing it into rice paper—and you may be presented with a similar piece at your meal.
Chef Wang's omakase features a few otsumami, perhaps poached sweet shrimp in a smoked Maine uni sauce, before progressing to nigiri. It's all impressive, from the Boston surf clam finished with kumquat kosho to the hay-smoked Spanish mackerel sourced from the Carolinas that's bold but balanced. Musk melon with strawberries imported from Japan is a satisfying finale.

Oyster Oyster
Cuisine: Vegetarian
It is highly rare for a tasting menu to leave one feeling—well—energized, but so goes the imaginative cooking at this vegetable-focused gem where local farms are the very essence of this passionate operation. The imaginative compositions from Chef Rob Rubba and his team offer delicious insights into what is possible with vegetables. There is true creativity here, as in a pasta course which features agnolotti filled with a creamy eggplant and house-grown mushrooms, served brodo-style with a roasted corn broth and accompanied by a truffle tart. Even bread service is special—enriched with "garleeks" and accompanied by sunflower seed and marigold "butter." A baton of summer squash is elevated by a filling of pumpkin seed "ricotta."

Pineapple and Pearls 
Cuisine: Contemporary
With oversized Champagne bottles, velvet dinner jackets, and balloons galore, Chef Aaron Silverman’s Pineapple and Pearls focuses on playful reverie; the upbeat mood rings closer to a New Year’s Eve party, and guests are encouraged to dress to impress. Dinner is a noticeably condensed affair, punctuated with potent surprises like tableside absinthe cocktails and truffle-infused amaretto warmed over candlelight. Everything comes with a story, and the approachable staff is happy to tell these tales. The equally friendly sommelier is always at the ready with terrific suggestions to pair with dishes like marinated tuna with compressed watermelon and the feather-light gnocchi with rich parmesan cream.

Rania
Cuisine: Indian
This fine dining concept seems fit for a queen, and good thing too, since Rania translates to "queen" in Hindi and Sanskrit. The team delivers something entirely enticing here with an inventive menu. There are plenty of contemporary touches along with a few surprises with dishes like chana masala panisse dressed with green garlic chutney, or hay-aged pork vindaloo featuring tender flavorful loin and a block of crispy skin belly accompanied by a rich bowlful of dal Kolhapuri, fluffy Kashmiri pulao and butter-brushed hot naan. Cocktails are designed to complement the rich, bold flavors.


Rooster & Owl
Cuisine: Contemporary
A talented husband-and-wife duo is behind this appealingly contemporary, hipster hot spot. The setting is the perfect match for its modern, edgy cuisine, which meanders from the Middle East and Mediterranean all the way to Asia. There is unabashed creativity unleashed in such dishes as ricotta gnudi along with a frothy sour cream soubise and lemon beurre. Baby carrots with labneh and cashew pesto are an alluring side dish, while the pistachio olive oil cake with goat cheese mousse, blackberry and candied pistachio will leave a lasting impression. Since you get to mix and match menu items, the bar follows suit and tailors wine options to guests' selections.

Rose’s Luxury
Cuisine: Contemporary
This dining room is all about fun, with a laid-back décor including exposed bulbs strung above the counter facing into the open kitchen, lending a convivial mood that’s like dining in a friend's backyard. The family-style prix fixe menu has its own cheeky tone, starting with the "really, really, really good challah" (and it is), served with an artful ruffle of caraway honey butter. The cooking is equal parts approachable and ingenious, as in a signature salad of spiced pork paired with airy coconut cream and lychee, spiked with lime juice and a bevy of fresh herbs, or Korean rice cakes coated with a creamy, spicy gochujang alla vodka sauce. Desserts offer their own excitement, as in a sticky toffee pudding enhanced with earthy, complex mole negro, paired with a soothing horchata ice cream.

Sushi Nakazawa
Cuisine: Japanese
This second outpost of Chef Daisuke Nakazawa’s critically acclaimed sushi house is elegant and intimate with dark wood and gold accents. For the best seat, angle for one of the leather stools at the marble counter, where you can watch the itamae work their magic. The team works in a tidy fashion, their hands moving as adeptly as a surgeon along meticulously organized counters. Ingredients are sourced both locally and from abroad and each course is presented like a revelation—from Japanese sumi ika with shiso and pickled plum sauce to lightly torched kama toro with spicy daikon. It will take you a couple of hours to work your way through the luxurious 20-course omakase of the chef, who trained under the legendary Jiro Ono, but rest assured it is time well spent.

Tail Up Goat
Cuisine: Contemporary
When three forward-thinking restaurateurs combine their talents, the result is bound to be an easygoing haven, where the food, drinks, and hospitality mesh effortlessly. Fittingly, the mood here is buzzy, but don’t be fooled by the casual vibe, as this kitchen team is serious.
Start with an assortment of snacks, including a crudité of radishes and wax beans with white miso dip, or a crisp tart shell filled with creamy eggplant and serrano pepper apricot relish. Mains offer a refined take on Americana classics, like steak and potatoes with a seared strip steak and a crunchy potato pavé with a dusting of green onion powder. To finish, consider the rather un-French version of baba au rhum, featuring apricot honey, toasted marshmallow, and vanilla gelato.

The Dabney
Cuisine: American
The Dabney exudes charming, contemporary farmhouse vibes with its exposed brick, light walls, and dark wood, and the look is completed by a slickly arranged open kitchen complete with a wood-fired hearth. Chef/owner Jeremiah Langhorne serves up the flavors of the Mid-Atlantic with a hint of a Southern accent and the tasting menu is a deeper, more committed expression of the team's talents. Begin with bite-sized snacks including their pie crust tart with pickled blueberries, granola crumble, and cheese fondue or their Madeira compressed melon. Then, hearth-roasted vegetables are served over a bed of farro salad with whipped ricotta, herbs from their rooftop garden, and finished with a pour of a basil sauce. American wagyu cap grilled over coals is accompanied by eggplant prepared three ways for a perfectly satisfying main dish.

Xiquet
Cuisine: Spanish
Chef Danny Lledó's kitchen is equipped with a smoker and a wood-fired hearth to produce a menu that proudly extols Spanish cuisine with a focus on the delights of Valencia. Morsels like dill-cured bonito arranged with creamy, cool ajo blanco lead up to heartier compositions such as crisped-skin turbot with smoked trout roe-studded beurre blanc. The rice preparations steal the show, like the Alicante-style rice with rabbit and mushrooms cooked over the hearth. The meal is creative and intriguing, while showcasing first-rate products procured with an eye toward sustainability. The sparely elegant third-floor room hosts a mere handful of tables. After dinner, guests are invited to conclude the evening with coffee and mignardise in the lounge.

Green Stars 

The Inn at Little Washington
Cuisine: American

Oyster Oyster
Cuisine: Vegetarian 

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