Post food critic Tom Sietsema awarded almost 120 starred restaurant ratings in 2016. They ranged from the absolutely dismal — remember Founding Farmers? — to the totally scintillating.
His most highly rated restaurants are a mix of reliable standbys and relatively young upstarts. Here's a gathering of the best of this year's best as determined by Sietsema, featuring restaurants that earned three stars and above.
4 stars
Inn at Little Washington: Patrick O'Connell's 38-year-old country escape is as elegant and splurge-worthy as ever. 309 Middle St., Washington, Va.
Komi: Sietsema calls chef-owner Johnny Monis “one of the finest chefs of his generation.” His tasting menu dinners feature flawless food and service. 1509 17th St. NW.
Little Serow: Monis's second four-star dining room offers a fiery — no reservations! — trip through northern Thai cuisine. 1511 17th St. NW.
Minibar: It's expensive, but a night at José Andrés's creative, whimsical ode to avante garde cooking is one you won't soon forget. 855 E St. NW.
Pineapple and Pearls: Aaron Silverman's prix fixe experience showcases the best of new fine dining. 715 Eighth Street SE.
Rasika: Fans of Indian cuisine take note: Sietsema believes this is the best Indian restaurant in the country. 633 D St. NW.
3.5 stars
Bad Saint: You'll probably have to wait for one of its 24 seats, but when the Filipino food is this good, you probably won't mind. 3226 11th St. NW.
Fiola: Fabio Trabocchi's most established restaurant in Washington is downright fabulous. 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
Métier: Escape for an evening with Eric Ziebold's seven-course tasting menu, which affirms his role as one of Washington's premier talents. 1015 Seventh St. NW.
Rose's Luxury: Silverman's first Capitol Hill restaurant is still casting a spell over its customers. 717 Eighth St. SE.
3 stars
All-Purpose: Chef Mike Friedman's Italian-American spot captured the No. 1 position in Sietsema's Fall Dining Guide. 1250 Ninth St. NW.
Central: Founding chef Michel Richard died earlier this year, but his protege, David Deshaies, is keeping the Frenchman's spirit alive. 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
Clarity: Jonathan Krinn and Jason Maddens present polished but accessible food in a suburban setting. 442 Maple Ave. East, Vienna.
Conosci: Michael Schlow's hushed and handsome dining room excels with its fish-focused menu. 465 K St. NW.
Convivial: The food and setting are as joyful as the name at Cedric Maupillier's restaurant. 801 O St. NW.
The Dabney: Mid-Atlantic cuisine is emphasized to delicious effect by Jeremiah Langhorne, with the help of his wood-fired hearth. 122 Blagden Alley NW.
Fiola Mare: Fresh seafood is one of the many reasons to visit Trabocchi's restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront. 3050 K St. NW.
Jaleo: Andrés's flagship restaurant helped introduce the country to tapas, and it's still turning out some of the very best Spanish small plates. 480 Seventh St. NW.
Johnny's Half Shell: Ann Cashion moved the restaurant from Capitol Hill to Adams Morgan, and her cooking is as sparkling as the new location. 1819 Columbia Rd. NW.
Kinship: Ziebold's second dining room in a single address is stylish, serene and serving a menu full of the chef's passions. 1015 Seventh St. NW.
Le Diplomate: Hands down, it's the best French restaurant in the city, Sietsema says. 1601 14th St. NW.
Masseria: The Italian retreat in Union Market is a rich experience thanks to chef Nicholas Stefanelli. 1340 Fourth St. NE.
Rasika West End: This sibling to the original has an identity of its own, including Sunday brunch. 1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW.
Sushi Taro: The best way to eat here is at chef Nobu Yamazaki's six-seat omakase counter. 1503 17th St. NW.
Tail Up Goat: Great pasta, bread and wine are among the main attractions at this spot from three veterans of Komi and Little Serow. 1827 Adams Mill Rd. NW.
Woodberry Kitchen: The Mid-Atlantic, and Maryland in particular, may not have a better culinary advocate than Spike Gjerde. 2010 Clipper Park Rd., Baltimore.
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