This article contains a complete list of Michelin-starred restaurants in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area. The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out started to become more valuable. [1]
Multiple anonymous Michelin inspectors visit the restaurants several times. They rate the restaurants on five criteria: "quality of products", "mastery of flavor and cooking techniques", "the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience", "value for money", and "consistency between inspectors' visits". [1] [2] Inspectors have at least ten years of expertise and create a list of popular restaurants supported by media reports, reviews, and diner popularity. If they reach a consensus, Michelin awards restaurants from one to three stars based on its evaluation methodology: One star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars signify "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars denote "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey". [3] The stars are not permanent and restaurants are constantly being re-evaluated. If the criteria are not met, the restaurant will lose its stars. [1]
The Washington, D.C. guide started in 2017, and is the first US Michelin Guide released in a new region since the Chicago guide in 2011. [4] It is the fourth US guide after New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. Although originally stating that all restaurants would be within the city limits, Michelin awarded stars to The Inn at Little Washington, which is in Virginia. [5]
As of the 2024 guide, there are 26 restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area with a Michelin-star rating.
Indicates a restaurant with one Michelin star | |
Indicates a restaurant with two Michelin stars | |
Indicates a restaurant with three Michelin stars |
The Michelin Guides are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic areas. Michelin also publishes the Green Guides, a series of general guides to cities, regions, and countries.
Komi was a restaurant in Washington, D.C. operated by Chef Johnny Monis, serving Italian cuisine and Greek cuisine.
Daniel Humm is a Swiss plant-based chef and owner of Daniel Humm Hospitality, the New York-based hospitality group behind the highly acclaimed Eleven Madison Park, Clemente Bar, and direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand Eleven Madison Home. In September 2024, he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for food education due to his advocacy for sustainable food systems.
Nicholas Stefanelli is an American chef and restaurateur in Washington, D.C., known for his Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Masseria.
Rose's Luxury is a restaurant on Barracks Row in Washington, D.C., created by chef-owner Aaron Silverman. It is known for not taking reservations which creates long lines, such that a nearby bar's top cocktail is called 'Waiting for Rose's' and line waiters are reported to make up to thirty dollars an hour waiting in line. President Barack Obama celebrated his 54th birthday at Rose's after First Lady Michelle Obama previously ate at the restaurant. The opening of Rose's Luxury in 2013 was the subject of a documentary, New Chefs on the Block. Chef Aaron Silverman had prior experience at Momofuku. It opened a fine dining restaurant next door to Rose's Luxury named Pineapple & Pearls in 2016. Silverman has been the subject of a profile in The Washington Post, which characterized his work as mastery of 'the art of serious play'.
Fiola is an Italian restaurant located in Washington, D.C. that opened in 2011. It has received positive reviews in The Washington Post. It is one of several restaurants owned by the couple Fabio and Maria Trabocchi in the city. The Trabocchis have announced plans to open a second location in Miami.
Fabio Trabocchi is an Italian chef and restaurateur based in Washington, D.C., where his restaurant Fiola earned a Michelin Star. Before opening his own restaurants, Trabocchi ran kitchens in London, Virginia, and New York, winning a James Beard Foundation Award in 2006.
The Dabney is a restaurant located in Blagden Alley, in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Chef-owner Jeremiah Langhorne opened the restaurant in 2015, focusing on Mid-Atlantic cuisine. The Dabney was named one of the Best New Restaurants of 2016 by Bon Appétit magazine, it was a awarded a Michelin Star in 2017, and Chef Langhorne won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic in 2018.
Rooster & Owl is a restaurant in Washington, D.C. that focuses on American cuisine. The restaurant has had one Michelin star since 2021.