As I finally get around to writing this review, it is almost a year since we visited Washington, DC and dined at Cranes (April 2023). Although the food was very good, we weren’t blown away (in that Michelin kind of way) with Cranes. I noticed that it lost its single Michelin Star in November of 2023. Nonetheless, I include it here as I believe it is an excellent restaurant and with some attention to consistency and innovation, it will be able to gain back that coveted star.
Chef Pepe Moncayo melds the best of Spanish and Japanese cuisine at this eatery and sake bar. This was our first time in Washington, DC and we were eager to entice our palettes with an explosion of flavours from one of the city’s 25 Michelin christened restaurants.
The decor is understated – boarding on unremarkable – with low back chairs, earth tones, laminate table tops and functional stoneware serving dishes. Of course, Michelin doesn’t award points for ambiance – but perhaps they should.
We opted for the 8-course omakase (“trust the chef”) dinner experience ($128 USD pp) and wine pairings, ($68 pp). You can elevate your wine pairing experience for $98 pp. (Don’t forget these are US dollars – which means add 30% if you are from Canada!)
We didn’t eat anything as dramatic looking as you find on the Cranes website but the food was generally imaginative and tasty. I’m not convinced we picked up a marrying of Japanese and Spanish cuisine – and having been to both Japan and Spain, I think we’d have noticed. So, the idea is intriguing but not executed to our satisfaction.
So, Cranes Restaurant, Washington, DC. rates a 7/10. As of this writing, it has lost its single Michelin Star. The good news is that the chef will be trying harder now and perhaps the price will come down!
Read about our Washington weekend HERE.
Read about our Michelin Starred Dining Journey at the following restaurants:
LEVADURA DE OLLA (OAXACA, MEXICO)
Okeya Kyujiro (Vancouver, BC)
KISSA TANTO (VANCOUVER, CANADA)
PUBLISHED ON MAIN (VANCOUVER, CANADA)
ST LAWRENCE (VANCOUVER, CANADA)
And read about a couple of restaurants that don’t have a Michelin Star – and SHOULD!
THE PALM COURT (LONDON, ENGLAND)
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