The Inn at Little Washington ⭐⭐⭐🍀, Washington, VA, April 2025

Amuse-Bouche: The oyster was awful. It was served with its own creamy fish stock sauce with melted cheese on top, and it absolutely didn’t work. The potato crisp filled with pomme purée was lovely, and the addition of chives was a great touch. The “breakfast egg” wasn’t the best filled-egg I’ve had before, but still very good, filled with a rich egg white mousse with bacon, egg yolk custard, maple syrup, and a few other things. 17/20

“A Tin of Sin” – Caviar with Chesapeake Crab and Cucumber Rillette: A great start to the courses! The caviar is served over a delicious, rich crab spread, and the addition of a little cucumber provides a lovely freshness. It’s beyond fantastic on top of the crunchy and buttery bread. 19/20

Parmesan-Black Pepper Savory Panna Cotta: Chef Patrick has always supported being “proud of your past” and loves playing with flavor memories from his American childhood, unfortunately, this dish went back to his childhood, literally… the 50s-60s. The panna cotta was overly gelatinous, with little cheese or pepper flavor, and the jellied sides had a very strange mouthfeel/taste. While the individual jellies were good, they were awful when eaten together. There’s no need to be serving a dish that’s jelly on jelly on jelly in 2025. 13/20

Carpaccio of Big-Eye Tuna and Swordfish with Wasabi Sorbet and Puffed Wild Rice: Fantastic! I was sad at first that they replaced their signature lamb carpaccio with this dish, but not anymore! The tuna and swordfish, pounded together and lightly drizzled with oil, blended beautifully in flavor and texture. Paired with crunchy puffed rice and wasabi sorbet (which mainly tasted of herbs with only a slight wasabi kick), it was superb! 19/20

Chartreuse of Savoy Cabbage and Maine Lobster with Caviar Beurre Blanc: A signature Chef O’Connell dish, and for good reason! Rich, buttery lobster melts in your mouth, balanced by crisp cabbage, plus the salinity from the incredible caviar beurre blanc. 20/20

“A Duo of Duck” – (1) Foie Gras & Spätzle (2) Pepper-Crusted with Rhubarb Compoate and Turnips: The duck was perfectly cooked in both servings. The first, with seared foie gras, stock-port wine sauce, and spätzle, was incredible, balanced beautifully by tangy sauerkraut-citrus gel quenelles, though they gave a bit too much. The second serving was just as perfect, with a divine blend of pepper, rhubarb sauce, turnip purée, and onion. I couldn’t get enough of the sauce! 20/20

Cheeses: Not only is The Inn’s cheese trolley the gold standard for the US, it might be the best in the world! No other restaurant I’ve been to has had cheeses from so many countries represented, and all the cheeses served, plus the accoutrements, were spectacular! 21/20

“George Washington’s Pawpaw Posset”: Wow! A small palate cleanser, but it really packed a punch. I’ve never had pawpaw before, George Washington’s favorite fruit, and it was phenomenal! This tasted like a rich mango and banana mousse with the perfect amount of sweetness and a touch of acidity. The vanilla cookie on the side provided a nice crunch. 20/20

“Apparently a Pear”: A signature dessert of The Inn, that’s essentially just a playful dressed-up mousse on cake, both of which were lovely. The macerated fruit inside was nice, but the sauce was slightly too sweet and thick; some more acidity would’ve also been nice. 18/20

The service here, as always, was beyond perfect! It’s professional and sophisticated, yet still very fun, cheerful, and whimsical! The wine sommeliers and wine list are equally amazing! Chef Patrick’s story is simply incredible and I’ve never had a less than stellar experience at The Inn! If it’s your first time, I also highly recommend an overnight stay and watching the documentary on Amazon. Overall, The Inn will always be one of the most deserving 3* restaurants in the world… a restaurant truly worth a special journey unto itself!