The Michelin Guide is tipping off D.C. foodies to 16 new restaurants that are newly recommended by the prestigious dining organization’s experts.
The new additions to the guide come in advance of the annual announcement of the Bib Gourmands and awarding of Michelin stars.
“By revealing some of the new additions made by our inspectors throughout the year, we enhance our digital tools to further strengthen the ties that bind us to food lovers,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Micheline Guides, in a news release. “We hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them.”
New recommendations include relative newcomers, from Mediterranean-flavored ala in Dupont Circle and Honeymoon Chicken in Petworth, to longtime Southern cooking favorite Georgia Brown’s near McPherson Square.
In December, Michelin added four new D.C. restaurants deemed worthy of discovery.
The first Michelin Guide for D.C. restaurants debuted in 2016. The organization relies on teams of inspectors — many of them former chefs — who make their recommendation after anonymous visits.
See the full list of newly added restaurants and the notes from Michelin inspectors.
ala
This relative newcomer is a beacon of Levantine cooking. These dishes are refined versions of traditional delicacies and products are immaculate, as evidenced by the mezze, complete with pickled red cabbage, tahini and refreshingly tart yogurt.
Apéro
Champagne and caviar are the menu’s mission, and owner Elli Benchimol and team nail it. It is typically offered with a host of classic accoutrements, like chopped egg, capers and chives, as well as batons of crunchy waffles.
Bar Chinois
The team here has envisioned a swanky and hip French wine bar with delectable Asian bites — and so this fantastic haunt was born.
Daru
The kitchen team takes classic Indian cuisine in a novel direction. Is that blue cheese on your tandoor-grilled chicken kebabs? Yes, indeed. Matched with sour cherry reduction and popcorn cashews, it’s as enticing a preparation as the boldly spiced minced bison momos.
dLeña
This large Richard Sandoval operation, spread over two floors, serves up the likes of guacamole de bonito, uplifted by smoky charred tostadas — a thrilling way to begin proceedings.
El Secreto de Rosita
Chef Cristian Granada’s dynamic menu certainly leans Peruvian, but it also embraces the nation’s wide terrain — from the coast all the way to influences from Europe and Asia. Behold the tiradito, featuring sashimi-grade ahi tuna with a passion fruit-and-orange sauce.
Georgia Brown’s
Everyone is here for the classic Southern cooking that is likely to conjure up many a nostalgic memory. Start off with the fried chicken livers accompanied by a mustard-soy emulsion. Then tuck into a steaming and fragrant bowl of Carolina gumbo floating with chicken, andouille, okra and shrimp.
Honeymoon Chicken
Chef Rob Sonderman of the Federalist Pig has expanded to chicken — well, an updated version of fried chicken to be precise. This Petworth perch resembles a modern diner with old-school vibes.
L’Ardente
With soaring ceilings and windows to match, this Italian kitchen has plenty more to offer. A wood-burning grill and pizza oven allude to its strengths. At no point does any dish want for flavor, down to the charred cabbage buried under a riot of trout roe, tarragon and currants.
La Bise
The menu is loosely French but with a number of detours, from steak tartare and Rohan duck breast to black truffle risotto and Maine lobster with pineapple.
Maïz64
If the name wasn’t already a giveaway, the large comal by the window and row of golden corn husks hanging along the wall should tell you what matters most to this restaurant — corn. Heirloom varieties sourced from Mexico are nixtamalized, ground into masa, pressed into tortillas and griddled at all hours.
Menya Hosaki
Carefully composed bowls of ramen feature thin, chewy, housemade noodles accompanied by delicate broths with nuance and depth. The signature bowl is a smoky, triple-threat combination of tonkotsu, chicken chintan and dashi.
Michele’s
The Eaton Hotel, which also houses Chef Matt Baker’s casual café and bakery, is fortunate to play host to such an accomplished team — one that sources well and seasons with panache, all the while running an impressive bar that is as large as the dining room.
Philotimo
The Greek cuisine reflects Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s heritage and features a contemporary accent. Meals begin and end with carefully crafted dishes that are presented as a prix fixe.
The Setting
John Snyder, Kiran Saund and Nick Hopkins are the brains behind this unique tasting concept that shines the light on street food from around the world.
Tonari
The Wafu cooking flaunts a certain uniqueness while remaining balanced and precise. Dishes may be best described as Japanese-influenced Italian. This mix is unfussy and seamless in the likes of spaghetti with Kurobuta sausage and a refined Tabasco-ketchup sauce.
