In honor of making it a quarter of the way through the 21st century, Robb Report recruited a jury of 250 well-regarded chefs, successful restaurateurs, expert sommeliers, reputable ingredient purveyors, accredited diners, and others, to conjure up a list of the top 100 American restaurants since the year 2000.
While the ranking certainly did reveal a few head-scratching placements, Washingtonians can rest assured that the District and the surrounding DMV area were well represented!
So, without further ado, here are the four restaurants from the D.C. area named among the ‘100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century’:
Jônt
Jônt first earned its Two Stars in the 2021 edition of D.C.’s Micheline Guide and has retained it each year since!
Located directly atop chef Ryan Ratino’s other Michelin-starred restaurant, the Parisian-style bistro Bresca, Jônt’s 16-seat counter provides a unique and highly intimate dining experience.
Diners at Jônt can enjoy a refined tasting menu featuring recipes that fuse French and Japanese cuisine using premium ingredients and a wide variety of creative culinary techniques to create dishes that are just as visually stunning as they are delicious.
Jônt was ranked #98 out of the top 100 greatest American restaurants of the 21st century.
Albi
After claiming the James Beard Award for being the nation’s most outstanding chef in 2024, it’s no surprise to see chef Michael Rafidi’s own Albi earn a spot on the ranking.
Considered one of the best dining experiences, it was ranked the #1 best restaurant in the District by The Washington Post and Washingtonian!
Located in the District’s Navy Yard, at Albi, you can taste some of the finest Middle Eastern food in the nation.
Albi was ranked #89 out of the top 100 greatest American restaurants of the 21st century.
Minibar by José Andres
The living icon that is Chef José Andres just recently received a special “Mentor Chef” award for his 2-Michelin-Star restaurant, Minibar, one of the few new honors that Michelin gave to the D.C. area in its recent update for the 2026 guide to the D.C. area.
Here diners can enjoy an avant-garde tasting menu featuring modern recipes with worldly ingredients and culinary influences from cultures around the world!
Minibar was ranked #73 out of the top 100 greatest American restaurants of the 21st century.
The Inn at Little Washington
While The Inn at Little Washington was the D.C. area’s highest Michelin-rated restaurant for seven consecutive years, just a few weeks ago, Michelin announced a controversial decision to demote the restaurant from three stars down to just two stars, making it the third 2-star restaurant in the region.
Nonetheless, this iconic eatery, located in Washington, VA, serves diners some of the most celebrated dishes in the nation and is certainly a must-visit for any certified foodie in the area.
The Inn at Little Washington was ranked #49 out of the top 100 greatest American restaurants of the 21st century, the highest in the DMV area!