On November 8th, Michelin announced two new restaurants Michelin-starred restaurants in Washington D.C. that have been acknowledged for their outstanding cuisine and have been added to the 2023-24 version of the Michelin Guide. Those two restaurants are Rania, an elevated Indian eatery located in Penn Quarter, and Causa, a Peruvian restaurant that can be found in Blagden Alley.
1. Rania, Penn Quarter
Rania is one of the capital’s newest and hottest dining destinations and was brought to life by the same team that was originally behind the beloved Punjab Grill DC. The team behind the Michelin-starred restaurant described Rania as their “daring new vision that shatters stereotypes of what an Indian restaurant is and can be.” In essence, this is a restaurant that seeks to honor the 5000+ year cultural history behind Indian cuisine, while also modernizing its recipes to bring them into the 21st century.
Location: 427 11th St NW
2. Causa, Blagden Alley
Causa is a”Peruvian tasting room” created by Chef Carlos Delgado that pulls its inspiration not only from Peruvian ingredients and flavors but also from its topography. While their prix-fixe menu is set at $125 per person, between the six courses included in the tasting that will take you from Peruvian coasts to the Andes Mountains. In addition to their exceptional emphasis on fresh fish in their menu, they also offer an extensive selection of Pisco’s (the national spirit of Peru) to choose from to pair with your meal.
Location: 920 Blagden Alley
How does the Michelin Guide rate restaurants?
The Michelin Guide is a highly coveted list of the best restaurants around the world and operates on a rather simple scoring system: one star means: “high-quality cooking, worth a stop,” two stars mean “excellent cooking, worth a detour,” and finally three stars means, “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” There have been recent additional metrics added to the guide such as a “Bib Gourmand”, which is a designation that means the restaurant is of great value for its quality, as well as a “Green Star“, which is a commendation given to restaurants that are “at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices”.