Michelin Reveals 2024 Stars for D.C.

Michelin’s famously anonymous inspectors have spoken, and a pair of D.C. establishments only open for about a year — a small omakase counter on Barracks Row and sleek vegetarian restaurant in Shaw — just joined the elite class of local destinations deemed worthy of a visit by the French tire company.

Joining Michelin’s one-starred family in D.C. includes Omakase @ Barracks Row, where Sushi Nakazawa alum Ricky Wang puts his knife skills to work across pricey prix fixe menus full of Japanese delicacies; and Mita, a Latin-leaning tasting room in Shaw where two El Cielo alums put vegetables on a pedestal.

Omakase @ Barracks Row

The coveted little red book’s annual crowning of D.C. stars adopted a new structure in 2023, announced live alongside two other cities (New York and Chicago). Monday night’s swanky sit-down ceremony was held at the Glasshouse in Hell’s Kitchen. Mita’s one-starred ranking marks a historic moment for its Venezuelan co-chefs, with Miguel Guerra becoming the youngest from the South American country to receive a star and Tatiana Mora is now its first female to earn the honor. Mita was born as a pop-up in Union Market’s La Cosecha food hall, and an on-stage Guerra said it was “a crazy journey” to get to this point.

Multi-city awards included a green star for sustainability, which locally went to Oyster Oyster — chef Rob Rubba’s vegan-centric, one-starred tasting pad in Shaw. The Sommelier of the Year went to William Simmons of one-starred Albi in Navy Yard; Thi Nguyen of Moon Rabbit — one of Punch’s Best New Bartenders of 2024 — received the the Exceptional Cocktails Award; the Young Chef of the Year went to Peruvian chef Carlos Delgado of one-starred Causa; and Jill Tyler, co-founder of one-starred Tail Up Goat in Adams Morgan, was D.C.’s 2024 winner for Outstanding Service.

TV host and Texas native Java Ingram — the emcee for the November Texas Michelin awards — led the tri-city announcement in the Big Apple on Monday.

The guide started rating restaurants in D.C. in 2017, Chicago in 2011, and New York in 2005. The guide is in eight American markets: California, Florida (Miami/Orlando/Tampa), Colorado, Atlanta, and Texas. It’s also in Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico, and Quebec.

The D.C. area is now home to 26 Michelin-starred restaurants. Only one retains the title of its highest three-starred status: Inn at Little Washington, chef Patrick O’Connell’s American showstopper out in rural Virginia. Meanwhile, two-starred tasting room Pineapple & Pearls was demoted to one star this year. That leaves Jônt and Minibar as D.C.’s only two-starred restaurants.

One glaring omission from D.C.’s newly refreshed Michelin-rated cast is Maydan, the fire-fueled Middle Eastern mainstay that’s held onto its one-star status since 2019. The only other times an operational D.C. restaurant lost a star was in 2023 (Penn Quarter’s Spanish-Japanese restaurant Cranes); 2022 (Dupont institution Sushi Taro); and 2019 (Park Hyatt’s Blue Duck Tavern).

Meanwhile, two D.C. restaurants joined the value-driven Bib Gourmand club: Dupont’s Eater 38-designated Mexican eatery Amparo Fondita and downtown’s Italian showpiece L’Ardente. Four restaurants lost their Bib Gourmand titles for 2024 — China Chilcano, Kaliwa, Honeymoon Chicken, and Sfoglina — which slightly lowers the total local count to 27 restaurants.

Rey Lopez for Leading DC

NY stole the limelight at the end of the lavish ceremony, when Jungsik was crowned the first three-starred Korean restaurant in the country — and the city’s first to gain the top status in 12 years.

Three stars means “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey” and two stars mean “excellent cooking, worth a detour,” while one star means “high quality cooking, worth a stop.”

Here’s the full list of starred restaurants around the District, followed by Bib Gourmand-designated eateries.

*Denotes new for 2024

Three Stars

The Inn at Little Washington

Two Stars

Jônt

Minibar

One Star

Albi

Bresca

Causa

El Cielo D.C.

Fiola

Gravitas

Imperfecto: The Chef’s Table

Kinship

Little Pearl

Masseria

Métier

*Mita

*Omakase @ Barracks Row

Oyster Oyster

Pineapple and Pearls

Rania

Reverie

Rooster & Owl

Rose’s Luxury

Sushi Nakazawa

Tail Up Goat

The Dabney

Xiquet

*Denotes new for 2024

*Amparo Fondita

Astoria DC

Cane

Daru

Dauphine’s

Ellē

Hitching Post

Ivy City Smokehouse

Karma Modern Indian

*L’Ardente

La Tejana

Laos in Town

Lapis

Makan

Maketto

Menya Hosaki

Oyamel

Queen’s English

Residents Cafe & Bar

Sababa

Stellina Pizzeria

Taqueria Habanero

The Red Hen

Toki Underground

Unconventional Diner

Yellow

Zaytinya