The Carter House

Phenomenal! My husband and I had our marriage celebration at The Inn at Little Washington, and it was the most incredible day of our lives. The attention to detail made every moment flawless and breathtaking. Would highly recommend to any couple hoping to have the wedding of their dreams!

Everything about our dinner at 'The Inn' was nothing short of incredible. We've been blessed to visit some very special places and have eaten some insanely good meals, but our dinner here this past Friday tops them all, by a fair bit. The Inn is gorgeous, and expertly appointed; the hospitality was impeccable, the service during our Kitchen Experience was amazing (spec dial shout-out to Tyler), and Chef O'Connell's team performed with a precise choreography rivaling the Bolshoi. Pricey for sure, and worth every penny. Each course of the tasting menu was rife with creativity and flavor - I cannot begin to adequately describe all that went into each bite. Trust me - this is a once-in-a-lifetime meal that those fortunate enough to access should not miss.

This was the most special place that I have ever been (and I have been to a lot)! If I only had three words to describe this experience, they would be Excellence, Beauty, and Kindness. My husband and I went for a two-night anniversary get-away on February 29. When we arrived, the staff greeted us warmly and our room was ready. They took us on a short tour of the Inn, gave us a sparkling cocktail, then showed us our building called The Carter House, where our room was ready and waiting. We cleaned up and headed over to the main building for tea. I have a severe allergy to tree nuts and peanuts and they couldn't have handled it any better. At the first opportunity during tea service, the staff assured me that all was prepared and it was. My portion was separate from my husband's and was 100% nut free. This continued throughout our stay. Clearly they have coordinated across all staff for such things. Cameron, the tea expert and "cheese whiz", provided an optional 4:00 pm tour of the grounds and buildings. While his goal was to be informative, he was both charming and sweet. He shared the history of Chef Patrick - from humble beginnings to 3 stars - truly inspirational. Cameron's story illustrated how intentional Chef's journey has been. It was clear from our visit that the culture was one that while rewarding excellence, it also provided support, education, and most noticeably kindness. Kindness for each other as well as their guests. We enjoyed the Gastronaut's Menu on our first night. If you go, I suggest one of you get the "Apparently a Pear" dessert and the other get the cheese selection. Cameron is the resident cheese expert and he and Faira the cow deliver your cheese to the table. (Not to be missed!) During the day, we drove to the Shenandoah National Park and enjoyed the views. Check opening hours and plan accordingly. Chef and his team will pack a picnic lunch and if weather permits you could enjoy it there. On our second night we ate at Patty-O's - Chef's new casual dining restaurant. Of course, it was delicious. I had Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon and my husband had their scallops. A fire was burning in the dining room fireplace giving a lovely glow to the room. We had a chance to meet Andre LeTendre - another lovely person who seemed genuinely happy to talk with us. House breakfast each morning was a yogurt with granola and berries, breads, coffee, juice selections (served in a 4-glass flight). While I didn't need it, I added an omelette on my first morning - and wow, it did not disappoint. Seriously the best omelette I have ever had. On the second day, for guests that stay two nights, there is a special oatmeal souffle that I'm still dreaming about. Yes, its pricey - but its worth every penny or more.

I was expecting a lot from our visit to the Inn after having read so many good things, but I had to say I was mostly disappointed. - Price of a 3* - here no doubt, you are in a 3* :). When you know that you need to come from DC (1h30 train + 40min overpriced taxi) and that you pay your meal in advance (1000$ for 2), yes you arrive with some expectations :) - Service of a 2* - Service is great and heads (sommelier and maitre dhotel) are perfect (nice with the kids, knowledgable, smiling, etc). We also got the little attentions (menu with our names, visit of the kitchen..) For a 3* it could have just been one level higher I guess (the person at the door didnt greet us or hold us the door, we arrived early and noone told us we could have a drink at the bar, chef O'Connell was not here - which is quite rare in a 3* etc.) - Food of a 1* - Here lies the problem for me: the food was not at 3* level / or top100 list or whatever you take as the "best of the best" reference. And it was even quite far. It lacked originality, quality of ingredients and also quantity (the 3 of us were hungry when we left, which is so rare in you take a full menu in any michelin star restaurant..). In this "top of of the top" list you have The Fat Duck, Guy Savoy, Cellar Can Roca, Disfrutar, but also "lesser famous" 3* like lAmbroisie, lArpege, Troisgros, lAuberge de lIll etc. For each of these restaurants, even a few years later, I can tell you what we got and emotions we had - I am sure I wont remember anything in one month about the crab rillette, the tuna tartar, the pepper beef and the cheesecake. It was good yes, but not memorable. I heard words like "touch of originality", "perfection of sauce" etc about chef O'Connell - we got nothing of those :( A simple good nice 1* meal (and I know 1* that are better than the Inn - more original, more quality ingredients and more food) - the very last ones we went with went with my boyz in Roma (lAroma 1*), in London (Clove Club 2*) or in Blois (Fleur de Loire 2*) were all 3 better than the Inn on all criteria. Anyway the place is nice and beautiful, my kids had a great time no hard feelings here - but I am sure you can do much much better chef O'Connell!

This was my third visit to the Inn at Little Washington over thirty years - so a once a decade splurge. These days a meal will set you back at least $500 per person depending on how much you splurge on wine. The set price of $368 does not include all items offered on the menu - two of the options have a supplemental cost, including cheese at $32.00 per person. Four of went to celebrate a couple of milestone birthdays and had a lovely evening overall. The food - for the most part- was sublime, creative and beautifully presented. I didn't love the foie gras in pear (the appetizer for the non-veggies) but otherwise every course was a standout. But the experience diminished at the end for two reasons. First, we had eaten desert and were considering amongst ourselves whether to have coffee/tea when we were presented with the bill and the little to go boxes. This surprised us as several other diners who arrived at the same time were having coffee. We were seated at one of the few tables for four so perhaps they had another party coming? Whatever the reason, we felt rushed. Second, on reviewing the bill we discovered we had been charged for two classes of wine we had not ordered- at $40 each this was hardly a rounding error. I find it extremely rare to get overcharged at restaurants and for a fine dining establishment like the Inn at Little Washington I find it inexcusable. So the evening ended on a bit of a sour note. Finally, I do wonder if this price tag is sustainable. We had no difficulty getting reservations and looking ahead I found that most nights have availability.

If you enjoy fine dining and are looking for a place to spend over $1,000 of your hard-earned money, you can do much better than the Inn at Little Washington. For those chasing Michelin star experiences, this is one you’ll want to quickly check off your list, question why it has those stars in the first place, and likely never return – unless you’re one of the regulars who get special treatment. Like an uncanny blend of The Menu and The Village, the Inn at Little Washington promises to transport you back in time to when droves of wait staff acted as robots and were cycled through endlessly to accomplish highly specific individualized tasks for your dining pleasure. During our 5-course pre-paid meal, we met no less than 13 different staff members and were seated directly next to a wait station. The amount of anxiety and unease produced by the feeling that we were constantly being observed and listened to (and we were being listened to) in a quaint inn with many, many staff eerily standing around cannot be understated. Don’t get me wrong, everyone was perfectly pleasant in their demeanor and delivery, everyone was professional…but maybe too professional? Everything felt choreographed (in a bad way) and there was no sense of warmth or comfort that a good server often brings to a meal out. Alcohol quality and service were excellent and reasonably priced (if not slightly on the high end, but in line with what you’d expect at a place like this). With respect to the food: it was good (not great) and nowhere close to feeling like we got what we paid for. The portions on the amouse bouche, carpaccio, and lobster terrine were modest; however, the portion size of the main courses (duck breast and venison) were downright insulting. My wife got a single ***** of duck (which was cooked expertly) and I got two silver dollar sized medallions of venison (also cooked expertly) which left us both wondering where the rest of our respective dishes were. For almost $900 (not including alcohol) we felt ripped off. The kicker for all this was receiving a bill at the end of the meal which included a 22% service charge. Now, in isolation, this is not an issue. But here, when we pre-paid the meal (as you are required to do to dine here) we already paid a 22% service charge. So why then, Dear Reader, should another identical charge be assessed? The whole experience felt like a cash grab for the unwitting. I would not recommend this place and I have serious questions regarding how they are able to maintain 3 Michelin stars. For much better experiences where you can feel that the value of your dollar is either met or exceeded, I recommend The Kitchen, Ella, or Rose’s Luxury.

The Inn at Little Washington is a culinary experience. Dinner was sublime, service is impeccable and the location is amazing. A stay at the Inn is a must if coming for dinner. The team have an eye to every detail, and succeed at creating a transformative escape. They are totally invested in the guests and making sure they truly enjoying their stay.

We returned for two nights and stayed in the beautiful Claiborne House which is a truly special place where the chef owner once lived. But the hotel and restaurant has dipped in food and service. On arrival, the living room tea service was chaotic with personnel running in and out with supplies and tours being held. Dinner in the main dining room has gone very upwards in price but the selection and portions have gone downwards in size. I got two minuscule, but nicely tasting, pieces of venison. The appetizers were good but the dessert was disappointing. Similarly, the in room dining was mixed with a great smoked salmon and soup but vinegary roasted chicken and underwhelming dessert (I asked for the butter pecan sundae and got a regular kids one instead). Breakfast was fine but limited and they won’t cook you a well done omelette . Patty O’s is a great alternative to the fussy Inn food. Service was hit or miss. Alexandra was lovely but the maitre’d was obsequious. We did not like Navleen the front desk manager. She has poor intuition and is not authentic, calling to force us into a breakfast decision, misbiling us and hovering while I reviewed the bill. They also kept referring to my partner and me as Mr and Mrs in paperwork when we corrected them. Some people simply stated they wouldn’t even try to pronounce our complicated last name …(?) Still it’s a gorgeous locale and stop. With their upcoming expansion, I can’t help but think the trend here is towards commercialization. Somehow the charm was lost on us this time.

Nothing is left to think about. Your every wish and desire has already been thought of. The staff is unbelievable and the restaurant is superb plus plus. Our room “Paula Peck” was cozy. Very well appointed. Our first nights dinner was from the classic menu and delicious. Our second nights dinner was fix prix and unbelievable truly a wonderful experience. Don’t miss the afternoon tea