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Food was pretty good but it didn't have the authentic Indian flavoring that we had expected. The food was all served at the appropriate temperatures and we enjoyed everything that we ate. At the 3rd course, all meals come with rice and naan. Service was good although i felt like the servers really pushed for you to buy the expensive items on the menu instead of how the items tasted. I was thoroughly impressed with the presentation of everything. The ambiance was very elegant and romantic. Although the bathrooms were dirty and needed cleaned and updated. The one bathroom had waterlines exposed. Both were out of paper towels.
Stopped in for their restaurant week brunch special with a group of friends and had a mostly delightful experience. A few things we enjoyed; - the decor and ambiance is really lovely! - our server was great! Made sure those doing the bottomless mimosa option were never without. Also offered great recommendations. - most of the dishes on the brunch restaurant week menu were GREAT! The Daal stole the show! The shrimp Koliwada was our 2nd favorite and the lamb dish was the third. A few duds, but overall, food was a solid 4. Reason for 4 and not 5: wasn't in love with everything, a few dishes fell flat. Toward the end of our meal...JUST after we finished our dessert, we were told they needed the table despite there being MULTIPLE open 4 tops in the restaurant. Overall, I'm looking forward to returning to try more of the menu!
Easy to get reservations online. The interior ambiance is high end, super beautiful clean with the stone decorations on the walls, the marble like tables. There's areas for small groups and large groups and private rooms if needed The most affordable One Star Michelin Experience I've ever had. There the 4 course pre-fix meal at $90 per person. This is way cheaper than any other one Star Michelin Experience. The service was top notch. Drinks and cocktails were so good. Probably some of the best I've ever had. Exceptional food presentation. Curry kick $12- fresh tangerine juice with club soda. Super super good, refreshing. Sweet with hint of tart. Kharbooza $12- honeydew juice with wasabi foam- you don't taste the wasabi I think it helps give the color. This super good. Sea pear serpent $20- excellent presentation, it comes out with dry ice and incense. The drink is very subtle with the gin, not too sweet. Golden mantra $25- whisky but has karat gold flakes. Make me famous- angel envy whiskey. Comes with this cool incense smoke. Prince Edward Island Oysters- 6 oysters with hollandaise sauce. A little salty, cooked oysters. Nargisi kafta, quail egg, truffle cream- the cream sauce was good. The kafta and quail egg was a good combination. Lamb cheela- very interesting concept, light, multilayer flavors. The meat flavor was good. Diver scallops with curry- scallops cooked perfectly. The curry super good The naan- acceptable. I like that they were thin. The rice and lentil side dish- this was the best dish. The lentil side dish was super super good, it was creamy, tomatoes like flavor with some sour cream. I would get this again. Beef short rib- average short rib. Meat was t that soft. I wish it was more soft. The sauce was okay.. Lamb shank- the meat was super soft and cooked well. The sauce was odd a little bitter for my taste. I didn't like this dish. Kesari mangle with the brittle was super good- multiple textures. Mango was tart. Shirkhand mousse- a little sweet. There's a layer of sugar you can break. Very unique. I would get this again.
Two of us went for dinner on a Tuesday night a couple weeks before Christmas. Could have made a reservation but we weren't sure if we wanted to do the set menu or order a la carte (the latter only being served at the bar) so we wanted the option. After looking at the menus we decided on eating at the bar. Food was great -interesting ingredients and combinations, flavors were amazing. I especially enjoyed the fried rice and the lamb shank which was easily enjoyed with a fork (no knife needed!). The Michelin star seems well deserved!
Rania is a Michelin Star Indian restaurant and my experience here lets me know that it was well deserved. We came here for our anniversary and booked the Chef's Menu dinner experience. Our server was exceptionally nice & patient with us as this was our first time there. They do as for any food accommodations, which is nice. I'm not sure if they can adjust menu items completely (non veg to veg). We opted out of the wine pairing and ordered cocktails- highly recommend as their drinks are curated beautifully and tastefully. The food portions are perfect! They kept you content until the next item. We absolutely loved each plate and the Chef's play with known Indian spices and styles of cooking and making it modern. The ambiance is very stylishly done. There's a bar with bar seating, a private dining area/space that can be booked. Towards the back the restaurant opens up to a cozy dining area with lots of seating. If you're wondering if the Chef's Menu is worth it, I'm here to tell you it is. The dishes are carefully made to be packed with different levels of intensity and flavor, they pair well with one another and you leave feeling quite full. We were told that this menu was the icing on the cake for obtaining their star.
Dinner at Rania was such a unique experience that allows you to experience Indian cuisine in a different way than the classic dishes that are typically served. My friend and I came here on a Saturday night and started with a cocktail. When I tell you we were UNPREPARED for the drink delivery I am not exaggerating. It was such an unexpected bit of whimsy and we loved it! The entire tasting menu was so exquisitely done and delicious. I don't think there was a single item that we didn't like. Unexpectedly, the Duck was one of our favorite dishes of the night, which we almost didn't even order! My one down side was at the time of our visit, the sommelier had recently left so they had no one on staff to discuss wines. Typically this is fine - we'd make due.. but our waiter was very insistent and overly confident about what we'd like can kept opening bottles telling us this is what we wanted. He was very wrong multiple times and eventually we just had to ask him to stop to google the wine list ourselves. Overall this was still an amazing dinner and we'll 100% come back.
I was so excited to try their restaurant week dinner menu and it did not disappoint. For the first course, I tried the PEI mussels kulcha and the Hokkaido scallops. As a scallop enthusiast, the latter dish was definitely my favorite. The light char on the outside of the scallop added a nice texture and the summer corn curry it was paired with complimented the sweetness of the scallops beautifully. The mussels were delicious too, but the Amritsari hollandaise and the chickpea stuffed naan it was served on top of overpowered the mussels themselves. While it was fantastic as a whole, the mussels were the least exciting part of the dish. For the second course, I tried the duck leg and lamb shoulder. The duck leg was fantastic. It was so tender and the perfect amount of gamey. The skin was crisped up to perfection and the sauce it was paired with was so fragrant and brought out the slight sweetness of the meat. The herbs on top added a crucial touch of brightness. The lamb shoulder was also incredibly tender and fell apart with just a fork. While the texture of the lamb was fantastic, the rest of the dish was quite lack luster and the flavor paled in comparison to the duck. For dessert, I tried both of the ones listed on their menu and what a lovely way to end the meal! The mishti doi was incredibly bright and fruity with rhubarb and strawberries. My favorite was definitely the kesari mango frozen yogurt. Coconut and mango are always a classic pairing. The sesame brittle was such a pleasant surprise and added so much nuttiness and texture to the dessert. It was so delightful to eat. Beautiful restaurant, lovely service, and fantastic food. I look forward to dining here again.
My husband and I came for restaurant week and had a great meal / experience! The space is beautiful. The waitstaff attentive. And the food is wonderful - especially the Gobhi Manchurian, lamb shoulder and mango dessert. The cocktails are all made with eclectic ingredients -- and, for some reason, Rania seems to have made a name for itself having Tiki Bar like presentations for each which feels odd for a Michelin star spot. My husband personally prefers a slightly new take on standards like an Old Fashioned - which these cocktails are not. I, however, really enjoyed my cocktail, Let it Snow. Really well balanced. We look forward to coming back!
This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants in DC. This is my third time here. The first time was for the restaurant week a couple of years ago. We were here to celebrate our friends birthday. We did the $175 tasting menu that includes 7 courses. We ordered drinks separately. Overall we spent about $280 including the drinks. This is a pricey affair if you want to go with this option. 7 courses included variety of Indian dishes from various parts of India. This is what I absolutely love about this place. They don't stick to northern or southern Indian cuisine. They combine the flavors from various regions in India and make the food taste absolutely delicious. For example, I would have never thought about adding fish tartare in paani puri instead of the traditional potato stuffing. Sheek kabob on dosa like crepe was so good. My favorite was the scallop served with the coconut curry sauce. Absolutely delicious. For cocktails, I had golden mantra and lassi. Presentation is great. Service and ambiance are great as well. Definitely cannot afford to hear regularly. Hopefully next year.
Rania has been on my list for a couple of years now. I booked a last minute late Friday night solo dinner before RW ended, but I chose the Chef Tasting Menu instead and I was absolutely blown away by the entire experience! From the moment that I walked in until the moment that I left out, I was met with nothing short of outstanding service, hospitality, and kindness! My host for the evening, Jonas (who also works as the bar manager and creates all of the super fancy (strong) drinks, was absolutely wonderful! I loved the presentation of everything and how everyone explained each dish and drink to me in detail before handing it over to me. I love the interactive experience, especially since I was a solo diner! Jonas explained that he focuses on incorporating the five senses in his cocktails and I was truly in awe by each one of them! I will definitely return for another sensory experience on a Tuesday to try some of the other cocktails! It's called a Sensory Soiree of Cocktails and Bites. They are far too unique to call it simply a "happy hour"! I started with the Hocus Pocus drink and it was superb! I dont recall the last teo but not because they were forgettable. It's because the first one had kicked in and I was feeling pretty good! 10 out of 10! Haha As far as the dishes, everything was absolutely fantastic! I had a couple of first experiences, quail egg and squab. They were very tasty and glad that I chose this spot to introduce me to them! The rest of my meal was seven courses and it was a LOT of food! Far more than I expected, which was a plus! I had food to take home! The way the flavors intertwined together made each bite worth savoring the entire meal! Because my dinner reservations were so late, I ended up closing out the restaurant with another table. To my surprise, I got to meet Chef Pete and his kitchen crew! It meant a lot to be able to personally give them all kudos and praise for my dining experience. Seeing how close nit they are made me want to join the fun but, I've watched The Bear tv show! I wouldn't last a day in the chaos, especially during RW! Haha! This will be a memorable experience for me and I have been sharing it with all if my friends for the past few weeks! I can't wait to return!
Tldr: Amaaaaazing food and great service! Don't read more if you want to be pleasantly surprised and just go, especially if they're still doing their restaurant week. We went for dinner during Restaurant Week where they had the three course for $65. Ngl we weren't really sure what to expect from fine dining Indian food but boy were we surprised! Two of us shared the shiso chaat and Hokkaido scallops for the first course, monkfish moilee and house paneer for the second course, and mishti doi and kesari mango froyo for dessert. The shiso chaat had a really creamy white pea ragda with some chutney on top that made for a delectable bite accompanied by a nice crunch from the fried shiso, but the winner of the first round was the scallops that were perfectly cooked with summer corn curry that was unlike anything I've tasted. It was the best scallops that we've had in a while. For the second round, the curry that came with the monkfish was really delicious (some sort of coconut green curry maybe?) but the paneer was hands down the best paneer I've had: soft and crumbly on the inside and with a little kick from poblano peppers. The second course came with a bowl of smoked black daal, a piece of garlic naan, a piece of roti, and some garnished rice, and even this side daal was so flavorful that I thought it had meat in it but the server told us that it was just lentils and tomato. After wiping our dishes clean with the roti and naan, we got our dessert. Both the mango froyo and the mishti doi was light and refreshing but the froyo had a savory sesame brittle that just brought the whole dish together. Overall, it was a great experience into how elevated Indian food could be.
1 year ago
I wanted not to like Rainia. Really--I came in ready to be unimpressed. The lobby was oddly cold, like they'd accidentally left the front door open. The bathrooms weren't as clean as I expected for a Michelin-starred spot. And the hostess's uniform had a noticeable stain that made me pause. I even exchanged a look with my dinner guest like, this might be one of those places... But then--the food. Oh my god, the food took over. Like a full-stage production that starts slow and then knocks the wind out of you. We did the chef's tasting menu, and every course built on the last like chapters in a novel you don't want to end. The amuse-bouche was some kind of whipped trout roe on a warm potato puff with fermented ramp oil--I could have cried. And that was just the introduction. Course after course came out like a revelation: A saffron-scented crab bisque with a single perfect basil blossom. A duck confit tartlet with a delicate yuzu glaze. Wagyu with a bone marrow bordelaise that I think rewired my brain. There was a palate cleanser that tasted like citrus snow falling on an herb garden. I'm not kidding--it was transcendent. The service? Almost hilariously attentive. I joked at one point that if I dropped a fork, three people might dive to catch it before it hit the table. Water glasses never dipped below half-full. Napkins were refolded when you left for the restroom (which, yes, still needed cleaning, but at that point, who cared?). At one moment I thought, this might be a little much, but then another perfect plate arrived, and I stopped caring completely. This is one of those rare places where the food doesn't just speak for itself--it sings, lectures, and occasionally screams at you in delight. Chef is clearly working on a different level. Rainia may not have impressed me at first glance, but by the end of the meal, I was a convert. A believer. A devotee. I'm already plotting my return read more
Easy 5, from the food, to the service and the atmosphere! I went for RW Summer 2023 and got to choose a 3 course meal for $55. Truly some of the most unique and amazing flavors I've ever had. The shrimp for the first course blew me away immediately, it was so crispy and the sauce was divine. All three courses exceeded my expectations and the amazing and attentive service amplified my experience. I will be thinking about this meal until the next time I can stop by. read more
Had a wonderful dining experience at Rania this past weekend! Located in Penn Quarter, Rania is the only Michelin starred Indian restaurant in D.C. The restaurant itself is a large space with an opulent interior. We made reservations a week out from our visit, but seems that walk-ins are definitely possible, especially earlier in the evening. We were seated quickly and started off with drinks and the amuse bouche. The restaurant has a $90 prix fixe 4 course menu with an additional dal, rice, and bread course served with the main course. I'm vegetarian and opted for the aloo chat, chana masala panisse, paneer tikka, and shrikhand mousse. The aloo chat and Chana panisse really capture the essence of Indian street food. The shrikhand is a creamy mousse/ice cream texture. It was a very unique flavor and not commonly found in Indian restaurants. The paneer was the only dish I wasn't impressed by. The paneer is soft but lacks the smokiness of paneer tikka and didn't compare to the rest of the meal for me. The black dal, rice, garlic naan, and roti were delicious and some of the best dal I've ever had in a restaurant! The service itself is impeccable and flows well. The servers were extremely attentive to our table and transitioned between courses seamlessly without feeling rushed. Overall, a memorable Indian fine dining experience in D.C.! Worth it for a special occasion! read more
I dined at the bar at Rania last night and had a great experience. The ambiance is pretty cool and I'm guessing more Indian traditional than contemporary. My one pet peeve about the bar is how close it is to the ball when you enter the bar area. I can see the seats against the wall being hard to navigate behind people, especially overweight people. I say opt for a seat facing away from the window if you value space and don't mind not looking outside. The food and drinks were great here. It was nice seeing Tony (Bar Manager) who I know from way back in the day at Del Campo. I think I got hooked up with 1-3 free drinks so kudos to him for taking care of me. The drinks are outrageous with all the smoke and cool stuff they do. The Rang Birange display is absolutely nuts with all the snake and box. The Make Me Famous was also good. I forget the 3rd drink I had but all were great. At a price point of around $19 per drink, the presentation made up for it. I opted for the $90 Prix-fixe menu and it didn't disappoint. You better bring your appetite as course 3 is huge with the Naan and Rice on the side. I started with the Shrimp Koliwada which was very spicy and tasty. The second course was Chana Masala Panisse, which was also very good. The Hay Aged Pork Loin was also very good but I had no room left after the first two courses and all the Naan and Rice that was on the side. For dessert, I opted for the Chocolate Tart, which was light and delicious. The service here was great and almost too attentive, but that's a Michelin star experience for you. I can see myself being a regular here but will opt for the a la carte menu at the bar unless I'm starving and can handle the prix-fixe. read more
Very nice experience at Rania, the first Michelin Indian restaurant in DC. The interior is beautiful and immaculate--a good blend of modern but classic Indian decor. The service is also impeccable and our waters were always full and tables were wiped clean between each course. The course menu had some interesting choices. The amuse bouche was quite good--a fried fritter with roe and avocado. I had the gobi Manchurian (fried cauliflower), which was flavorful and good but spicy. My partner thought the shrimp was okay but nothing special. For the second course, we had the oysters (okay but didn't feel Indian at all) and the scallop and mussels dish (very good but also seemed not Indian). For our mains, I got the charred cabbage in curry (I enjoyed it but the Massaman curry is Thai so I was confused to see it on the menu) and my partner got the beef short rib, which was also good. It came with nice classic Indian side dishes like garlic naan, saffron rice, and dal. The dal was amazing and we loved it. Dessert, they brought us all three options since we were celebrating a birthday. The chocolate tart was very rich but the chai flavor was a nice accent. I thought the mango sorbet was a little too strong and the rhubarb saffron pudding was okay but not spectacular. Overall, I thought the meal was worth the price and had a good experience. However, I feel that the food was a little bit confusing because I was expecting more Indian influence but didn't see as much of it in the dishes. read more
Booking a table for Valentine's Day, my wife spent an evening at Rania and walked out impressed. Located in Penn Quarter, the space is beautifully designed with a glowing bar in the front and dining rooms in the back. Service was friendly and mastered the art of timing. Each dish reached our table in perfectly timed intervals. Every dish was excellent, but the standout plates were the oysters and chaat. They take tradition Indian items and add a little twist to it. The cocktails were excellent and the menu offers something for everyone. read more
First time to this newly minted Michelin starred Indian restaurant. To say a unique dining experience is a disservice...it truly stands above the other offerings in town. Though it's a fixed price menu, there are still a number of options per course. Service is excellent...friendly, knowledgeable ( just learned that vindaloo is actually based on a Portuguese recipe...not what we think of !). Well appointed dining area, bright and energetic. Though a number of tables were occupied it was remarkably quiet. Being in DC, the $90/person tab was still a value, based on quality, presentation and portion. Won't go into a lengthy description of our dishes, just to say it's not your typical industrial Indian cuisine. Worth the splurge! read more
They delivered on their promise of Indian food with a twist. My favorite Indian restaurant is Rasika, who I think does lentils as they always should be done and has some amazing fish dishes... BUT... I would consider this a close second after dining here just once. I LOVE aloo gobi and just about any paneer dish, so it might not be too surprising that two of my dishes out of the 3-course prix fixe meal were... you guessed it, cauliflower and cheese :) Sauces, textures, spices and a gentle heat that builds through the course -- it was the perfect twist on classics and an incredible meal. To be honest, I was so engaged in the symphony of flavors happening on my dishes that I wasn't really paying attention to what my fellow tablemates were eating, but the consensus was a round 5-stars for our dining experience :) Besides the food, the ambience is romantic with low-lighting and some sort of fire stick on the table (maybe not the wisest choice, we almost set our menus on fire!). I am not sure I entirely understand the difference between the two dining rooms either, but then again I didn't wander around the restaurant on my visit, but the main dining room was well appointed. In terms of drinks, they were well-crafted and I liked the added touch of the lighted coasters underneath that made them glow. Some would probably say they are gimmicky, but hey, I am a fan of the theatrics and love the idea of a little show during my meal :) Bottom line, I am looking forward to a return visit! read more
In recent memory, this has been one of my favorite dining experiences! From start to finish, the culinary journey, ambiance, and service were impeccable. Since the menu is prix-fixe, highly recommend grabbing a friend or two so that you get to try more of the menu. We had a group of 4 and were able to rotate our dishes and taste everything we wanted to. My rankings of each course are as follows - First course: Aloo Chaat, Gobhi, Shrimp, Chicken Kofta Second course: Northpoint Oysters, Lamb, Chana Masala Third course*: Lamb Shank, Beef Shortrib Dessert**: Keasari Mango, Chocolate Tart, Shrikhand Mousse Note: my rankings are not reflective of the rest of my group and in now way is a dish ranked low a bad dish - rather a preference or subject to opinion. For example, most of my group LOVED LOVED the Chicken Kofta but I just love cauliflower (the Gobhi Tomato) and shrimp more than meatballs *shrugs*. *We only ordered 2 options from the third course - everyone wanted their own shortrib so definitely not as well rounded of a sampling as previous courses; also did not order any of the vegetarian options from the third course and I wish we could've ordered a few a-la-carte to try. **Some miscellaneous comments about dessert: the plating of the the mousse was by FAR the most fun and interesting of the options, however the flavors were only okay to me. I thought the sesame brittle accompanying the Mango dessert was not only texturally pleasing but aromatic. Chocolate Tart was very solid and paired well with the earthy barley ice cream. My TLDR; Run! With their new Michelin star, I'm sure it'll become harder to snag a reservation. We had a great time at Rania and I highly recommend a visit. read more
Overall, Rania was a fine experience and worth it for a prix fixe $25 meal during restaurant week, but not for the normal $75 given food quality and portion size. Rania is more like a 3.5 rather than a 4-rounding up. Rania's ambiance is beautiful-meant to look like an Indian palace with servers wearing black-tie attire, cut-glassware, and inlayed tiled walls and tables. The service was mixed. My friend and I had a brunch reservation during restaurant week and arrived at 11 AM but were not seated until 11:15 (the restaurant was almost empty at that point) due to Rania thinking we were a party of 11 and even then only once I asked the bartender about our table status. Once we were seated, the service was excellent until we got our check, which took a while to receive. However, when I asked our server to ask the manager if they'd be willing to take off the basmati rice or the malabar parota from our check as an acknowledgement of the seating delay, they took off both plus a coffee I ordered. This is above and beyond doing right by one's customers when a restaurant makes an avoidable mistake and Rania deserves special kudos for this. The food overall was good but could have been better, especially for fine dining. My friend and I each got an appetizer, main, and dessert, basmati rice, a malabar parota, and coffee, and shared everything. Appetizers: Ash Roasted Sweet Potato Chaat: Great spice, smoke, and texture with a perfectly fine taste but nothing special. Chicken Kofta: The cream sauce was one of the best I've ever had. There was the right amount of creaminess and not too salty with a great spice level on the back note of the sauce. The mushrooms had excellent umami and texture. However, the meatball itself tasted rubbery and may have been slightly undercooked in the center (albeit safe to eat). Main: Wild Mushroom Uttapam: The mushrooms provided good umami, but nothing else notable about this dish. Parsi Chicken: This dish strangely had a ground beef texture which was fine. I liked the spice and Rania presented this dish beautifully, but tasted average. Sides: Basmati Rice: Perfectly cooked, in retrospect not necessary for either dish we ordered. Malabar Parota: Outstanding-buttery, flaky, a nice blend of dense and light layers. Dessert: Mango Sorbet: Delicious sorbet but the fennel gratin didn't add anything to dish. Mishti Doi: This dish seemed to be Rania trying to be unnecessarily innovative and falling short. It was a slightly elevated fruit salad, with something topping the dish resembling astronaut ice cream. I'm glad I tried Rania, especially at an affordable $25, but not sure I could be willing to pay $75 for a three-course meal here. read more
1 year ago
The ambiance was 10/10 and the service was nice as well. I absolutely loved the lamb taco but the butter chicken was watery and not as flavorful. Overall good experience. read more
3 years ago
Excellent! From the decor, to the customer service, to the food and drinks, everything was executed magnificently. I came here for dinner with a couple of my coworkers. We had an incredible meal. Tip: Don't order the same things. There will be plenty to share. I definitely want to come back with my husband. read more
1 year ago
Excellent service with delicious food made for a delightful dining experience. Definitely worth a visit! read more
11 months ago
Food, service and drinks were all on point. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal! We sat at the high top tables near the bar and ordered a La carte. MVPs of the night we're the Chicken kofta and the chaat for apps and the Parsi chicken for the entree. The cachaca cocktail was also delicious and the skrikhand mousse dessert - served very artistically - was splendid! read more
Wow. This dining experience was truly phenomenal. I went to rania on a Thu evening with my husband. The two of us got a cute comfy booth table - excellent date night spot and vibes. I had just recovered from a cold, so went with a NA option. It was quite good, but I'm def curious about their cocktails next time :) For food, the amuse bouche at the beginning was a sign of good things to come. We shared all courses and chose 1. kofta and shrimp, 2. dosa and oysters, 3. Lamb and monkfish 4. Cheesecake and gelato. Each dish was the perfect combo of acid, spices, and tenderness. There was not a miss. The third course came with bread and rice as well, so it was all perfectly filling. My favorite was probably the monkfish and my husbands was the lamb. But I'm sure you can't go wrong. A truly splurgeworthy meal that has me wanting to go back. Put it on the list! read more
2 years ago
The food and service at this newly Michelin starred restaurant is definitely worth a visit. As a bonafide super white lady, I was worried that the Indian spices might be too much for me, but was so pleased that flavor and heat aren't one and the same here. Yes, there was spice, but it was intentional and nuanced with other delightful flavors. I did a wine pairing that was charming, but the stars of the beverage show are definitely their cocktail selections. As a single diner, I appreciated being seated along a banquet in the main dining area and enjoyed the decor. The chairs with shelves for handbags were a thoughtful touch. Bathrooms are convenient and well maintained. I will note that the volume of the dining room (7:30pm reservation on a Friday) was a robust 107 decibels. At times I had difficulty hearing my server and the sommelier. I can't imagine the difficulty nearby couples had maintaining a conversation without shouting. Also of note, I had a drink at the bar before my dinner seating. Definitely consider doing this as the cocktails have exciting presentation and fun ingredients. However, as a person of size, the bar seats were not large enough for me to sit in comfortable. Think about your comfort before planning to eat at the bar. read more
This is a gorgeous place with such beautiful decor even the bathroom is pleasant to look at! My friend and I sat in the Passage to India dining room where there are a few booths with the choice of a 3 course or 4 course menu where our waiter took great care of us. We loved the Lavender Bliss drink. The garlic naan is just incredible--! Really loved the kick of the shrimp offered in the first course selection as well. My friend enjoyed her beef cutlet and pork belly dishes but weren't blown away. She said the sauce of the pork belly reminded her of a Spanish sauce she makes. :) These dishes are small-- you won't be going home with leftovers. It was a lovely experience with interesting flavors of food but for a higher price tag, it is only a place I would try out once. read more
2 years ago
Came here to celebrate my husbands birthday. Was excited to try this Michelin rates restaurant and the tasting menu seemed like a good bargain. Overall the experience felt elevated but not the most "wow" Michelin star experience you will have. Food could have used more creativity and personality. Drinks overall were good. I'd recommend if you are looking for something more basic but for more elevated experiences there are other places in the area. read more
Loved my experience here. Food is served in a nice timely manner. It's $90 for four courses but you have the option to add additional dishes for different prices for each section of the course. The price is very fair. The definite stand outs for me was the oysters, lamb, and beetroot. I think the oysters were #1 for me bc I've never had oysters served with this sauce. It's amazing and warm. The beetroot chop was nice and crispy with fresh veggies that made it refreshing. And I just love the lamb and the sauce with crispy almonds on top. Everything else was perfectly cooked. Like the short ribs melted like butter, so freaking tender. Everything else was just delicious but nothing that I'd die to come right back for. Overall, high recommend trying this spot out. Great for dates. read more
wonderful meal recently at rania. the food was great, starters were the favorites. can't complain about service, they were attentive and dishes came quickly. The cocktails we sampled were delicious with fun presentations for firsts, both shrimp koliwada and chicken kofta were delicious. for seconds, the lamb cheela and oysters were delicious, the beet dish was pretty good as well. We tried all the breads, the garlic naan was the favorite - fluffy and delicious. for the entrees, we tried the pork loin and short ribs - both were great dishes overall, with the weak spots being the actual proteins for me. Skipped dessert but it looked good. read more
2 years ago
Visited for lunch during restaurant week. I was not impressed with the dishes because the portion sizes were small. I expected the entrees to be slightly bigger than the appetizer, but they were pretty equal. The service was excellent and the ambiance was perfect! read more
I don't eat at a lot of Indian restaurants but I have my merit badge. So when I say "this is not your traditional Indian food place" I have context. Rania serves Indian cuisine from a different region so there was no butter chicken on the menu. The spices with all the dishes were layered and not burn your mouth drink beer levels. The salted margarita and lamb and shrimp tacos for happy hour were all worthy repeats. The lamb shank was cooked and served perfectly. The chicken korma had a rich sauce that I wish we had gotten the naan earlier for mopping purposes. It was a 3 course tasting menu so I got the chocolate tart and it was excellent. I will bring my family here next time we are in town. read more
3 years ago
Every bite is an explosion in your mouth (in the best possible Way) you cannot eat Quickly (inhale your food) at this venue... every bite is an exquisite experience. The service is gracious and attentive. You are never left feeling ignored... and never have to seek out a server... they are always on top of things... from the sommelier to the waiters to the bus people everyone is enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable about the food. The restaurant itself is Indian elegance... sophisticated... Lovely Indian electronic trance music plays in the background which serves the chilled out atmosphere perfectly. Currently this is my favorite restaurant in the world! read more
I was hesitant to try this restaurant for a long time because modern Indian food can always be a hit or miss in my opinion. However, during DC restaurant week I decided to give it a shot. I was quite impressed with the beautiful intricate decor inside. The cocktails seemed to all have their unique way of being presented. We were even given an Amuse-bouche, which was a fried crispy puri in a floral shape with roe on it. It was a great way to start the meal. For the first course, we got Dungeness Crab Momo and Nargisi Kofta. Both were incredible but I was especially a fan of the momo, as the green sauce it came with blew me away. As for the main courses, I got the butter chicken and my husband got the Grilled Monkfish. The choice of butter chicken may seem basic but this didn't taste like ordinary butter chicken. It had a good bit of heat and smokiness that you don't typically see in many butter chicken dishes. Entrees did come with a small bread basket, rice and daal which was a nice touch. I am ready to come back here on an ordinary day and experience the menu outside of restaurant week. read more
Maybe closer to a 3.5. What I got off the tasting menu: - Shrimp koliwada (3.5/5) - Shrimp were well cooked and there was an explosion of flavor, but it was a little on the salty side. - Lamb cheela (3/5) - Kinda reminded me of a lamb birria taco. Decent but not amazing - Pork vindaloo (3.5/5) - Large, nicely cooked pieces of pork belly in a pretty tasty curry, but I dunno how this could be called vindaloo without any spiciness. - Mishti doi (3/5) - I don't remember too much about this dessert. - Cocktails (4/5) The service was super attentive, and the restaurant had a nice vibe to it. But ultimately I think I'd prefer to go to Daru (or even Indigo) for Indian food in DC. read more
2 years ago
This was an absolute glorious restaurant which I would say has the best ideas on food creations and they taste amazing. Our server gave us the best tasting foods in his opinion which was needed because we didn't know what to order off the tasting menu. Also it was such a vibe there. I will be coming back here again to this well deserved Michelin star restaurant once I come back to DC. read more
2 years ago
The food here is just so unique flavor and fantastic. Great twist on Indian. Innovative and fun cocktails. With a great well curated wine list without being over the top price wise. Beautiful interior and great service. A must try for a foodie and/or an Indian food lover. read more
3 years ago
Came here for lunch during Summer restaurant week and this place did not disappoint. Due to it being restaurant week the three course meal was perfect and left us full. I am curious how it would be if you ordered entree during non RW. Started meal off with Lavender bliss drink and ordered cauliflower manuchurin for first course, chicken parsi as second course and mango yogurt for dessert. I will say I am use to getting rice and/or Naan and was surprised that we had to order this separately. The Gobhi (cauliflower) was delicious and had a bit of kick to it. The Chicken Parsi was good but it was more of a ground chicken but the flavors were on point. I also enjoyed the mango yogurt which was mango ice cream with yogurt on the side. My friends and I enjoyed our experience here. The decor and service were exceptional as waiters attended to our needs and the manager walked around to make sure we were fine. read more
2 years ago
Vegetarian variety: 8/10. Each section of the three-course menu had two vegetarian options, one of which was dairy-free. Each table also gets three small sides to share, all of which were vegetarian. Taste: 8/10. My first two courses were terrific - textured, creative riffs on familiar chaat dishes with intentional flavors and really pretty plating. I would have happily enjoyed another plate of each! In comparison, my main dish of tandoori paneer felt a little flat and heavy, though still tasty with the shared sides and rice that came with it. Ambiance: 8/10. Comfortable chairs you could sink into, wide tables, accents of gold without going overboard - what's not to like? Price: 8/10. $90 per person for a Michelin-starred three courses plus dessert was very reasonable. read more
At Rainia, the dishes were artful. They were both beautiful and delicious and the whole meal was a delightful celebration. From the first bite of the offered amuse bouche that exploded with flavor and texture, we knew we were in for a treat. Everything was so well done from the food to the service which was attentive and graceful. Each dish was so pretty to look at and then tasted so good. Articles have mentioned sitting in the special RR dining car but we actually liked the main dining room better. There was more space and it was very gracious. Rania made our birthday dinner worth waiting a year for and, if we get to come back again next year, we won't even mind getting a year older! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Chef tasting menu was incredible along with the service drinks and food! The food has the perfect amount of heat and they do a nice job to hit all the senses read more
More info about Rania
427 11th St NW
Washington, DC 20004
Directions
(202) 804-6434
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http://www.raniadc.com
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Ask the Community - Rania
Based on the pics it looks like another Indian "fine dining" place with overpriced dishes and tiny helpings. Is it so?
Definitely a big ole' yes on the tiny helpings however definitely one of the cheaper fine dining meals I've seen.
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Rania - wine_bars - Updated May 2026
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