The 2025 D.C. Michelin Guide has been stacked with eight additions to its coveted roundup of best restaurants.
The restaurants could be up for Michelin stars or Bib Gourmand designations; those announcements will be made at a ceremony on Nov. 18.
The cuisine spans a range of tastes. The menus are influenced by international flavors from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The list includes restaurants that lean on the casual side, such as Your Only Friend with sandwiches and blue cheese-brined wings.
Other dining experiences are a bit more intimate; Raw Omakase only seats two parties a night.
Counting the latest additions, 115 restaurants in D.C. are recommended by Michelin. A total of 24 restaurants have earned at least one star and 26 have been designated as Bib Gourmand — an award for restaurants that serve high-quality meals at a reasonable price.
Here’s what Michelin inspectors wrote about the newbies on the list of recommended restaurants:
Elmina (African)
Northwest D.C.
“Choose between a multicourse tasting menu or the à la carte bar menu, a play on Ghana’s popular, counter-service-style ‘chop bars,’ with snacks like tartare, okra fries and pork belly.”
Fish Shop (Seafood)
Southwest D.C.
“The fish is sourced from the Chesapeake region and from a D.C. farming operation, and the menu presents plenty of interesting items, like sugar toads, or northern puffer fish, served whole and crispy fried.”
Karravaan (Asian)
Northeast D.C.
“The wide-ranging menu promises bold flavors and generous portions intended for sharing.”
La’Shukran (Middle Eastern)
Northeast D.C.
“From escargot and sweetbreads to labneh with Maryland crab, summer peppers and corn in green harissa, some dishes lean less traditional, while others, like haswei, or fried rice with seven-spice lamb, seem simple but are spot on.”
PhoXotic (Vietnamese)
Northwest D.C.
“Chef Hai Le has a background in butchering, perhaps best seen in signatures like the Butcher’s Choice with brisket, bone-in rib and beef shank, or The Works, with an array of different cuts topped with torched bone marrow.”
Providencia (Contemporary)
Northeast D.C.
“Even dessert is wild and unexpected, with a Japanese twist on baked Alaska featuring kakigori-style shaved ice with guava and strawberry puree and coconut lime sauce enrobed in a torched meringue.”
Raw Omakase (Japanese/Sushi)
Northwest D.C.
“A pan-fried tomato set over onion mayo and topped with salmon roe shares a spectacular flavor combination before a smart progression of nigiri with seasonal nods.”
Your Only Friend (Gastropub)
Northwest D.C.
“The menu is cheeky — think sandwiches like the ‘Hot Nug’ with chicken nuggets and Nashville hot sauce, the ‘Caul Me Maybe,’ a roasted cauliflower number, or the ‘Mortz & Mootz’ piled with mortadella, mozzarella and pickled red pepper jelly.”