Inn at Little Washington

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#1 of 3 Restaurants in Washington$$$$, American, International, Vegetarian friendly

+1 540-675-3800+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Mon

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Tue

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Wed

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Thu

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Fri

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

Sat

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

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MICHELIN

What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

965 reviews

#1 of 3 Restaurants in Washington

MICHELIN

View more on MICHELIN Guide

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, American, International, Contemporary, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“The American restaurant scene has improved dramatically over the years, but t...”

“The cabbage, lobster, and caviar was divine, as was the duck three ways.”

“Since I paid for a tasting menu with a wine pairing I expected the restaurant...”

“... pair with Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and caviar dishes were of particular note.”

Location and contact

309 Main St Middle and Main Streets, Washington, VA 22747

+1 540-675-3800

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MICHELIN Guide's Point of View

Chef Patrick O’Connell has long been the steward of this idyllic restaurant just outside Washington. In a town whose very existence seems tied to his s...

Read more on MICHELIN Guide

Three MICHELIN Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!

First Course Selections

Carpaccio Of Herb Crusted Baby Lamb

with caesar salad ice cream

Beet Trinity: Three Iterations Of Our Garden’s Beet Harvest

with Allison Hooper’s Fresh Chèvre, Beet Sorbet and Orange Essence

A Tin Of Sin: American Osetra Caviar

with peekytoe crab and cucumber rillette. supplement twenty four dollars

Chilled Maine Lobster In Mustard Vinaigrette

with horseradish panna cotta

A Marriage Of Hot And Cold Foie Gras

with sauternes gelée and plum preserve

Second Course Selections

Aged Gouda Macaroni And Cheese

with virginia country ham

Olive-crusted Chesapeake Bay Rockfish

with artichoke tortellini in an orange-pernod essence

Does this restaurant have private dining rooms?

Yes

Unsure

Details

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About

A Michelin Three Star, Forbes 5 Star, AAA 5 Diamond country house hotel retreat, The Inn at Little Washington presents exquisite American Cuisine with a French influence in a charming and sophisticated dining room. The sumptuous award-winning cuisine is accompanied by a Wine Spectator Grand Award wine cellar with over 2,500 selections.

PRICE RANGE

$218.00 – $218.00

CUISINES

American, International, Contemporary

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Free off-street parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants

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4.5

965 reviews

Excellent

788

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

wfudd

Richmond99 contributions

Excellent

Jan 2020 • none

Ignore any rating less than four as those folks would clearly argue with accommodations in heaven. I look at two aspects when considering a review. First and foremost, what was the intent? Did the venue intend to provide exceptional service and quality? Let's face it, some places are just open. No offense to an Applebees, however I'm sure the server and cooks there aren't out to make sure they provide the very best every single time. Secondary is the execution of the intent. Best laid plains can still encounter hiccups. The Inn meant to deliver excellence and in our case succeeded. By all means, experience the kitchen table. Well worth the surcharge. Hotel accommodations were exceptional as well. Look forward to going back soon.

Written January 23, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Madmaxwell48

66 contributions

Unbeleivable Experience

Aug 2020 • none

The reputation of this restaurant speaks for itself, but we were still blown away by the quality of the food and the unbelievable service. Because of COVID-19 only 1/2 of the tables are being used. So that you don;t feel like your are dining in an empty restaurant the vacant tables have mannequins in various poses. In one instance a gentleman was proposing to his companion. We even saw the waiters serve bread and wine to the mannequins. Quite creative. Also, be prepared for a huge wine list of many interesting varieties.

Written August 26, 2020

jmktravelsalot

Arlington503 contributions

Excellent Re-Opening Weekend

Jun 2020 • couples

We celebrated our 25th anniversary the first weekend of opening after Covid shut down period. Staff did an amazing job welcoming guests back. Dining was served on the patio but the set-up made it feel like an extension of the dining room. Food was amazing (befitting 3 Michelin stars). We’ve dined before but this was our first overnight. The room was well appointed and comfortable and quiet. We did a cheese service to the room as a late lunch, and it was excellent with the Cheese Whiz actually doing the room service. Walking the grounds and garden was a highlight. Wine list is extensive and properly served befitting wine snobs. Over all an amazing experience to spend the night and dine at the Inn.

Written June 23, 2020

Aleyda V

3 contributions

If you are hungry stop and eat before you get to this restaurant

May 2021 • none

The miniscule portions of food were excellent, but we left the restaurant hungry, and they charged us over $200 for service, leaving us with a bill of $806 for a dinner for two, that included three glasses of wine. In previous dinners two years ago, the portions were satisfactory. At Chez Francoise restaurant in Great Falls, we could have had four exceptional dinners. I do not recommend it.

Written October 8, 2021

Nevermissameal

Philadelphia203 contributions

Amazing dinner

Jul 2020 • none

Incredible. My husband chose the classic tasting menu while I chose the vegetarian (even though I am not) option so basically between us, we got to try absolutely everything. And everything was delicious. I actually told the server that I wouldn't mind being vegetarian if I had dishes like that every evening - the textures and the flavours, were amazing. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and can see why this restaurant is a destination.

Written August 10, 2020

Nicole D

Falls Church5 contributions

Bucket list dining experience

Aug 2020 • none

The service was impeccable with great attention to detail throughout the two and a half hour meal, starting with a personalized menu to welcome you to the inn. They offer two tasting menus and allowed customization depending on your dietary preferences, which allowed me to select 1/2 vegetarian and 1/2 pescatarian options. Highly recommend adding the wine pairing and swapping out dessert for a five piece selection of “udderly” delicious cheeses. The dessert box to go is the cherry on top of a truly remarkable meal and bucket list fine dining experience.

Written October 25, 2020

Florida Key’s Foodie

New York City12 contributions

Make a Vacation out of it

Nov 2020 • none

Flew into DC with the sole purpose of dining at this restaurant. The entire dining experience was absolutely magical. From the pre dinner drinks, to the tour of the grounds, to the take-home chocolates after our meal; this restaurant truly understands the essence of hospitality and will do everything in their power to provide the “WOW” factor. Being a restauranteur, I was even able to tour the kitchen after the meal and meet chef! I will not bore you with the details of how perfectly executed each and every dish was, I will just say that this is one dining experience that you do not want to miss. Make a trip out of it :)

Written November 19, 2020

Linda S

Beavercreek195 contributions

Bliss in the Country

Jun 2022 • couples

The Inn at Little Washington is world class...3 Michelin star restaurant and AAA 5 diamond Inn. Our balcony room overlooked the enclosed dining atrium and was light and sunny. Shower was huge and bed was as well with superb linens and pillows. Our anniversary dinner was fantastic; I was able to "pick and choose" from the meat and veggie menus which was perfect. A wonderful South African syrah capped it beautifully. Complimentary continental breakfast is huge; you can upgrade to a full breakfast for a fee. We even got to meet Patrick, chef and owner! Two suggestions: a pool in the garden and kuerigs in the rooms to avoid going down for early coffee. One tip: make sure to check your final bill carefully-- there was apparently a computer glitch and our bill was almost $1700 too high. Thank goodness we checked. They fixed it but at a 5 star property, this is a little unsettling. Otherwise, all was perfect. Afternoon tea is a bonus.

Written June 9, 2022

chamdexor

Chesterfield1638 contributions

Excellent evening at the Inn

Nov 2022 • none

This is my 2nd 3-Michelin star restaurant and untold numbers of 1-Michelin starred restaurants. Overall, I found the service, atmosphere, food to be excellent. First, the atmosphere: very warm and southern. It gave me a comfortable feel which I liked. It's funny because usually I go for a more modern aesthetic, but I actually really loved the atmosphere here. Walking in the door, the fresh flower gave a beautiful scent. The crackling fireplace made it warm and cozy. Lots to look at with a busy, yet still cozy dinner setting. There are several rooms from what I could tell, but we were not far from the fireplace so that was lovely for us. The service was great. They kept the pace based on our clues. When I had to use the restroom, the pacing slowed to accommodate my return. The tables were a tad close together, but nothing bad. The food was great. I'm getting tired of going to fancy restaurants where they give us multiple amuse bouche(s) and they're large and it ends up we are full before the first course arrives. The Inn did the amuse bouche correctly - just a proper starter and a single one at that. On top of that, we loved real bread. One restaurant I went to brought us a puffy bread that was just air inside (like a balloon with a bread crust). Ugh. So I loved the Inn's bread offering. Outside of that, the dinner and wine pairings were delicious. We'd love to return.

Written November 15, 2022

Christi C

Centreville18 contributions

Not worth 3 Michelin!

Aug 2022 • none

Overall: 3* Food: 4* Service: 2* Valet and greeting staff: 5* Meal was very good, some amuse bouche were a little salty, boba was undercooked, but overall very good meal. I am critical of the service because this is a 3 Michelin restaurant, and in my opinion, the service was not comparable to other 3 Michelin US or European restaurants, and we are paying $600PP for the meal and experience. Our server, Nicholas, was polite but not very attentive. First, our napkins were not folded when we got up to go to bathroom. Our water was not refilled ( we asked the sommelier for it). Bread crumbs were not cleaned off our table, until the end, and Nicholas only cleaned one side of table with a napkin. Server and bread person reached their arms in front of us to serve. Food runners place their hands and fingers inside part of our plates, and only one person corrected the orientation of the plate. I ordered a glass of champagne $55, only half pour, pretty skimp

Written August 26, 2022

smokeater55

Milton924 contributions

This is my short updated review

Mar 2021 • none

I put a lot of time into my last review July 29, 2014 and realize it has been too long since we’ve been here. It was another birthday but so much was the same. Of course the manikins are new. I’d read about them, seen news stories but till’ you are waking through a dining room with them; you don’t get the full dramatic effect. Some folks get creeped out, probably the same folks that can’t deal with clowns. As it turned out, we had a table for tea that was in a back smaller area and all the others in the room were animated. We checked into our room that had a fantastic balcony that was right above the main entry. Now, this was a good thing in that we got a short walk from the lobby, had a fine view of the town and nice sunset. I was not till ‘about quitting time and folks were driving home that we realized how many folks had diesel trucks that we were thinking a room on the back of the building would have been a bit quieter. No big deal, after dinner we could not hear a thing from outside; the room was fun to watch the activities of town. As we recalled from days past, the menu was larger. I’m not talking aula cart of course it was just a matter of more pages of options. I’m thinking like now it had the vegetarian and gastronaut’s by at least some name and at least one other option: now that one other option is no longer. The good news is the Sommelier we had was very nice and knew her stuff; she told us not only the basic details about the wine but explained about why it worked with the food item it was paired with. Of course the leader of the cow had a fine command of his spread. He took my input of thing I’d had before and was kind in offering advice about items I would like. No cheesy snobbery involved! Indeed, of those we talked to, from the lovely woman at the front desk who promised to stab herself before stabbing me as attaching my boutonniere to the bread guy, everyone was perfectly charming.

Written April 18, 2021

Antionio10

New York City888 contributions

Quality that Few Restaurants Achieve

Jul 2021 • none

This was our second visit here in the past 15 years and over that time, the food and service has only improved. Having eaten at many Michelin three star restaurants over the years, this is among the top few. Everything was outstanding -- from the food to the service to the atmosphere. Not a detail was spared. They even through levity into the mix. The meal is no doubt expensive with a $265 per person price tag, however given the high standards and wonderful experience, it is worth it, particularly when compared to other Michelin three star restaurants that charge more and deliver less.

Written July 22, 2021

S. Ahn

11 contributions

Exceptional food, okay service

Oct 2020 • couples

We did each of the tasting menus and the food was exceptional. The only downside was the service. The servers were professional and friendly, but for a 3 star restaurant, lacked attention. Their wine list is extensive (and incredibly expensive) and we were trying to narrow our decision and asked to speak to the wine director. He never came and the amuse and the first course had already been served. We couldn’t find our server so we had to chase down another server (not ours, ours was more attentive to the other diners who were on average older than us by 20 years) to just order a bottle and hope that it was a good one. Having been to multiple 3 star restaurants, this definitely did not meet our expectations. Mind you we were trying to order a bottle that was $500. It was an overall great night and glad we tried since it’s the only 3 star in the mid-Atlantic area but would probably not come back.

Written October 11, 2020

Stacey

Washington DC111 contributions

Wonderful meal

Jun 2021 • none

Six of us dined here for a Saturday evening meal and everything was just so lovely. The meal with wine pairing left you perfectly content by the end - not too hungry, not too full. The flavors were rich, the vegetarian options were not any less delicious, and presentations were creative and fun. I loved the small touch of personalized menus to take home as well as treats to go. The mannequins were a little creepier in reality than I was anticipating and the wines were not described to us in the way we were hoping, rather mentioned to a few of us at the beginning only after asking and then getting a bit more descriptive later in the meal. Overall we highly enjoyed our meal and when we wanted to choose some bottles to go, the wine director was very helpful.

Written June 6, 2021

Michael C

1 contribution

A piece of Paradise on Earth

Jun 2021 • none

I have spent a thirty-year career in the marketing, branding, and advertising industry and what I have summarized over my career is this: “…experience is everything…” The experience! Not money, or billboards, or radio spots, or brochures, and not even websites; but the all-consuming experience of excellence that we encountered from the moment we drove up, walked in, sat down, and began an anniversary dinner of epic proportions. Patrick O'Connell's vision of food, love, service, hospitality, beauty and giving saturates every nook and cranny of your beautiful “home” – for we truly felt like we were among friends, in your home, and not in a “restaurant”. The attention to detail was superb. The personalized menus with our names and wedding date, the table we were seated at, the unbelievably kind and knowledgeable staff; every aspect said one thing “excellence”. It is this excellence, and our experience in your establishment that ensures the very BEST of marketing: the free kind. The kind where people like us brag, and go on and on about The Inn, about your staff, and about you. This marketing is priceless… But the world is not about marketing; it is about living, and beauty, and love. We are living in times that are challenging the soul of our nation, but for three hours on June 3, Mary and I left the world, and entered a paradise on earth. PS The food was spectacular. Gastronomic bliss.

Written June 8, 2021

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