The Inn at Little Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Inn at Little Washington |
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Facade of the Inn at Little Washington
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1978 |
| Current owner(s) | Patrick O'Connell |
| Food type | Nouveau American |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide)
AAA Five Star Award (1988-2024)
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| Street address | Middle and Main Street |
| City | Washington |
| State | Virginia |
| Postal/ZIP code | 22747 |
| Country | United States |
| Reservations | Yes |
| Website | www.theinnatlittlewashington.com |
The Inn at Little Washington is a very special inn and restaurant located in Washington, Virginia. It was started by Patrick O'Connell and Reinhardt Lynch in 1978. They opened it in what used to be a garage. Since 1987, the Inn has been part of the Relais & Châteaux hotel group. This group includes some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world.
The Inn at Little Washington is famous for its food. It is the only restaurant outside of Washington, D.C., that is listed in the Michelin Guide for Washington, D.C.. It is also the only restaurant in that guide to have three Michelin stars. This is the highest award a restaurant can get!
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Amazing Awards and Honors
The Inn at Little Washington has won many awards. It has been written about in big newspapers like The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Top Ratings for Food and Stays
The Inn was the first place ever to get five stars for both its rooms and its food from the Mobil Travel Guide. It still holds this amazing record today. In 1989, it also became the first restaurant and inn to get five diamonds from the AAA for both its food and its rooms. It kept this honor until 2016.
In 2018, the Inn received a very important three-star rating from the Michelin Guide. This shows it is one of the best restaurants in the world.
Other Big Wins
The restaurant has also won five awards from the James Beard Foundation. These awards include:
- Best Service
- Best Wine List
- Restaurant of the Year
- Best Chef in the Mid–Atlantic
- Chef of the Year
The International Herald Tribune newspaper said it was one of the Top Ten Best Restaurants in the World. The Zagat Survey for Washington, D.C., ranked it number one in all areas for 14 years in a row.
Travel & Leisure Magazine has called the Inn the number one hotel in the world for food. They also ranked it number 8 in the world overall, and number 2 in North America. The restaurant has won Wine Spectator's "Grand Award" for its wine list for 12 years. Other awards include the "Grand Cru" award from Cigar Aficionado for its wine list. It also won the "Reader's Top Table" award in Gourmet magazine's Restaurant Issue.
Famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber once said, "For my money this little hotel provides the best overall dining experience I can remember in a long while, perhaps my best ever."
Making Guests Happy
A 2010 article talked about how the Inn's staff works hard to make sure guests have a great time. They try to understand how each person in a dinner party is feeling. Their goal is to make sure everyone feels very happy before they leave. This helps the staff make small changes to their service. This way, even someone who arrives feeling a bit down will likely leave feeling wonderful.
Who Owns The Inn
When The Inn at Little Washington first opened in 1978, it was owned by Patrick O'Connell and Reinhardt Lynch. However, Patrick O'Connell later became the only owner of the Inn.
See Also
- List of Michelin 3-star restaurants
- List of Michelin 3-star restaurants in the United States
- List of Michelin starred restaurants in Washington, D.C.
