The Inn at Little Washington

From the moment we arrived the staff treated us like royalty; welcoming and delightful. The property was magnificent and the restaurant a five star meal. The room was spotless and beautiful and the amenities complete. We were treated to many indulgences during our stay, can’t wait to return.

I have to say, our experience was truly underwhelming. This is a 3-Michelin-star restaurant, which we expected to exceed our visit to the 1-Michelin-star restaurant Unforgettable (Turin, Italy) and Jean-Georges in Philadelphia (which is not Michelin-starred). Unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations. We drove 4.5 hours to dine here for a special occasion, (and paid 3 times more than the other two) but we left extremely disappointed. The portions were small, and the amuse-bouche was underwhelming. At both of those restaurants, they served a delightful selection of multiple small bites, each unique and memorable. Furthermore, the overall experience here felt overly commercial and impersonal, detracting from what should have been a refined and intimate dining experience. Most of the staff, including those at check-in and serving, seemed barely engaged and rarely smiled. Their demeanor was robotic and impersonal—unlike the other two restaurants, where the impeccable service enhanced the entire evening and left us feeling truly amazed and delighted. Sadly, this fell far short of the standard expected from a 3-Michelin-star restaurant, and we won’t be returning.

Unsolicited observations from a Florida couple on their 27th wedding anniversary. Friends gifted us a stay at the Inn at Little Washington. We found that every aspect of the visit was a 10/10 - restaurant, accommodations and physical plant. Most impressive was the large number of highly skilled / experienced professionals trained in the philosophy of "Esprit de Corps". This was exemplified by two trivial observations - delicious tomato soup that was delivered below temperature and a minor delay in retrieving room service dishes resulting in us placing them in the hallway - when this was pointed out to the staff - they photographed the dishes left in the hallway - posted and delivered the image to the entire staff - the ultimate in service recovery. We will make this a favored vacation destination. Sarasota, Florida

The food preparation itself was classic Patrick - exquisite! However, the lack of options for selecting the courses and the DIMINUTIVE SIZE of the courses was beyond ridiculous; this is based on having been to the Inn on several occasions. For the price charged versus the quantity of food provided, there was NO VALUE FOR THE MONEY SPENT! BITE SIZED PIECES WERE SMALLER THAN A QUARTER (we were both extremely hungry the next morning, having eaten very little the night before). We were apoplectic about being served a small box of popcorn half way through the meal???? Perhaps it was to make up for the lack of food???? To say we were disappointed to have chosen the Inn to celebrate an anniversay is an understatement. It is not The Inn I remember from days past, and it makes me sad.

We went to The Inn at Little Washington for a one-night getaway from the Washington, D.C. area. Having lived in the area for many decades, we decided it was time to give this fabled restaurant/inn a try. With its 3 Michelin stars and numerous other accolades, there was a lot of hype. To say we were not disappointed would be an understatement. Both my husband and I have traveled all over the world, and have had many dining and hotel experiences with which to compare this. To begin with, we were greeted by name by the concierge and other staff. They immediately made us feel like family. After a brief tour of the main part of the Inn, we were shown upstairs to our room for the night, which was the Jacques Pépin room (many of the rooms are named after famous chefs with whom Chef O'Connell has a personal connection). The room was very comfortable and roomy. To call it a "room" would be underselling it - it really and truly felt more like a suite. Because we arrived early enough in the afternoon, we were able to partake of the lovely tea service in the solarium, which featured an interesting assortment of teas, as well as a yummy collection of sweet and savory snacks. We were then taken on a tour of the campus -- yes, it's called a campus, as it encompasses so much more than just the original Inn building. Cameron was our tour guide. We found out later that Cameron was the fromager during dinner, and has been doing his thing with the cheese cart (a whimsical cow named Faira) for 17 years. Dinner was like being in a fairy tale. Five courses with several amuses bouches in between. We opted not to do the wine-pairings, instead ordering single half-servings of a couple of different wines with a few of the individual courses. Everything was prepared to perfection and displayed to perfection. It was truly a sensory experience, not only for the palate, but also the eyes and the nose. It's difficult to single out any one of the courses to elaborate on - they were all just so delicious. After dinner, we were treated to a tour of the kitchen, featuring the largest oven/stove I've ever seen! Think of it like an enormous kitchen island with multiple cooking surfaces on all 4 sides, but that doesn't really do it justice! And it was made by some company in France, and came in one piece! In the morning, we were again treated to culinary delights at our breakfast table. In addition to the continental breakfast, which was included with the room, we split an omelette, accompanied by a tomato tartlet and a waffle stuffed with potatoes. We then went across the street to Patty O's Bakery to get some delicious bread to bring home. Chef O'Connell has truly thought of everything. In addition to serving up world-class food, the décor in both the inn and the restaurant are out of this world. It's amazing to see so much creativity at work here. We are so glad we took the time to indulge in this fantasy!