The Inn at Little Washington has become the first capital-area restaurant to earn the highest three stars Michelin Guide award since the Guide’s D.C. launch in 2016.
Opened by chef and proprietor Patrick O’Connell in 1978 in a rented auto repair shop, the restaurant has since grown into a luxurious five-star retreat. In the recent years, the restaurant has been awarded two stars by the previous D.C. Michelin Guides. The three stars award coincides with the restaurant’s 40th-anniversary celebrations.
The Inn At Little Washington Celebrates 40 Years With A Three-Star Win
It’s a milestone for the newly-minted three-Michelin-starred restaurant. https://t.co/qz0GRBYWFr— The MICHELIN Guide (@MichelinGuideUK) September 14, 2018
“That a kid from South Capitol Street, via Clinton, Maryland, who worked in a Mr. H hamburgers … can teach himself to cook and measure his progress every year against the greatest restaurants in the world, realizing that if he kept at it and [was] committed and willing to sacrifice, [he] could make an achievement like this, it’s like being in the midst of a fairy tale,” said O’Connell.
“To have him, in his 40th year of his activity, have the ultimate accolade from Michelin and our universe is a source of great pleasure for all of us,” Michael Ellis, the outgoing international director of the Michelin Guides, told The Washington Post.
Thirteen other D.C. restaurants were recognized and awarded one star by the guide, while Ryan Ratino’s Bresca and Robert Wiedmaier’s Siren became the new additions.
“Our inspectors are especially impressed with the consistency of the restaurant scene in D.C.,” Ellis said in a news release. “Every starred restaurant recognized last year has maintained exceptional quality and steadiness.”