As of the 2024 Michelin Guide, there are 26 restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area with a Michelin-star rating. The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out became more valuable.[1] While Michelin often partners with tourism boards or other financial partners for the creation of new guides, that was not the case with Washington, D.C. and it was an extension of existing US Michelin guides.[2]
Multiple anonymous Michelin inspectors visit the restaurants several times. They rate the restaurants on five criteria: "quality of products", "mastery of flavor and cooking techniques", "the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience", "value for money", and "consistency between inspectors' visits".[1][7] Inspectors have at least ten years of expertise and create a list of popular restaurants supported by media reports, reviews, and diner popularity. If they reach a consensus, Michelin awards restaurants from one to three stars based on its evaluation methodology: one star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars signify "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars denote "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".[8] The stars are not permanent and restaurants are constantly re-evaluated. If the criteria are not met, the restaurant will lose its stars.[1] The Washington, D.C. guide started in 2017, and is the first US Michelin Guide released in a new region since the Chicago guide in 2011.[9] Although originally stating that all restaurants would be within the city limits, Michelin awarded stars to The Inn at Little Washington, in Rappahannock County, Virginia, which is included in the Washington metropolitan area.[10]
