The Michelin Guide has been active around the Washington, D.C. area since it’s 2017-edition, which was published in late 2016.
In 2017 there were only 12 resaurants featured, three of them were two-star restaurants and the remaining nine each named one-star restaurants.
Since then the list of local Michelin-rated restaurants has increased consistently each year, with at least one new star being added with every new annual edition of the guide being published, growing from just 12 restaunts to 26 in only a few years…
At least that was the case up until yesterday, when the 2026 edition ratings were released and it was confirmed that no new restaurants in the D.C. area would be given a new star this upcoming year!
Did the D.C. area get any honors or accolades from Michelin this year?
While the local food scene around the District did not claim any new stars this year, there were two spots around the District that were given “Bib Gourmand” distinction:
- PhoXotic, a new authentic Vietnamese pho shop right here in the District offering carefully crafted soups complete with expertly prepared meats.
- Your Only Friend, a popular spot in Shaw that takes the clean trendy look of popular cocktail spots and applies it to sandwiches, making this a fun spot serving great food without taking itself too serious (while also serving killer cocktails).
There was also a special “Mentor Chef” award given local legend Chef José Andrés, for his 2-michelin star restaurant ‘Minibar’, located in Penn Quarter.
How the Michelin Guide created controversy this year
The Michelin Guide made an unprecedented decision to publicize the demotion of several very iconic long-time 3-Michelin Star rated restaurants around the country in the week leading up to their annual rating announcement event, which took place yesterday in Philadelphia.
Typically, all star related announcement, whether they be promotions or demotions, are made during this specific annual event, but this year they broke this protocol to share that The Inn at Little Washington near DMV area, Alinea in Chicago and Masa in New York each were being demoted to a 2-star rating.
While certainly not the most earth-shattering controversy to rock to the streets of the ever-so-dramatic Washington, D.C., our food scene is something we’re quite proud of… so this felt like it hit home, at least to us.