Rania

Verdict

Rania earned a Michelin star in 2024 and an Opinionated About Dining nod in 2025, and at the $$$$ price point it sits at the leading of Washington D.C.'s Indian dining tier. If you are looking for a first serious introduction to contemporary Indian cooking in the capital, this is where to go. The cooking is inventive without being gimmicky, and the cocktail program is built to match the kitchen's ambition rather than exist alongside it as an afterthought. Book at least three to four weeks out — this is not a walk-in restaurant.

About Rania

Rania opened at 427 11th St NW in Penn Quarter with a premise that D.C.'s Indian dining scene was ready for a $$$$ fine-dining format. The name translates to "queen" in Hindi and Sanskrit, and the kitchen follows through on that framing: the menu runs through the subcontinent's regional traditions with a technical confidence that earns the Michelin recognition rather than just gesturing toward it. Chef Laurent Cherchi leads the kitchen with a menu that mixes classical reference points with contemporary technique, producing dishes that Opinionated About Dining described as "entirely enticing" with "plenty of contemporary touches along with a few surprises."

The award citation gives you a clear sense of the register: chana masala panisse dressed with green garlic chutney, hay-aged pork vindaloo with a block of crispy skin belly, dal Kolhapuri, fluffy Kashmiri pulao, butter-brushed hot naan. The cooking works in textures and layered heat rather than flattened spice profiles. For a first visit, pay attention to the vindaloo if it is on the menu — it has drawn specific attention as an example of what the kitchen does well: a familiar category dish pushed into fine-dining territory without losing its character.

The Cocktail Program

The cocktail program at Rania is one of the cleaner reasons to book the restaurant over comparable $$$$ Indian restaurants in the city. OAD's citation notes that cocktails are "designed to complement the rich, bold flavors" of the menu , which means the bar team is working against a difficult brief and apparently meeting it. Indian spice profiles are not cocktail-friendly in the obvious sense: bitterness, heat, and fat can bury most standard builds. A program designed explicitly around this challenge, rather than running a generic upscale cocktail menu alongside a spiced kitchen, is worth noticing.

For a first visit, treat the drinks as part of the meal architecture rather than a warm-up act. Ask your server which cocktail pairs against whichever protein course you are ordering. The program is built for that conversation. If you are the kind of diner who treats a restaurant bar as a destination in its own right, arriving early and eating at the bar (if that option is available , confirm when booking) gives you a more relaxed way into the menu. This is also a useful strategy if you cannot secure a full table reservation on your preferred date.

Compared to the bar program at Daru, which has built a strong reputation specifically as a cocktail-led Indian venue, Rania's approach is more integrated into a full dining experience. Daru is worth knowing if the bar program is your primary interest; Rania is the call if you want a kitchen-forward evening with serious drinks alongside it.

Atmosphere

The room sits in Penn Quarter, a neighbourhood that tilts toward pre-theatre and post-work diners during the week and a broader weekend crowd on Sunday. Expect a composed, adult dining room rather than a high-energy floor , the fine-dining framing keeps the noise at a level where conversation is possible, which matters when you are working through a complex menu and want to ask questions of your server. This is not a loud room. If you are booking for a business dinner or a date where the conversation is as important as the food, the atmosphere works in your favour.

Sunday service runs a brunch slot (11 AM to 1:45 PM) in addition to the evening sitting, and the energy at lunch reads differently from dinner. The weekday dinner sitting runs Tuesday through Saturday, 5 PM to 10 PM. Sunday dinner closes at 9 PM. Monday is closed.

Booking & Logistics

Rania is hard to book. A Michelin star with a finite number of covers in a city with a strong restaurant culture means demand consistently outpaces availability. Three to four weeks of lead time is a reasonable starting assumption; for weekend evenings, push that to five or six weeks. If you cannot get a weekend dinner reservation, a weekday evening or Sunday lunch are viable alternatives , the kitchen does not change its ambition based on the day of the week.

For broader context on where Rania sits in the D.C. Indian dining tier, the comparison set includes Rasika (long-running, arguably the city's best-known Indian restaurant), Karma Modern Indian, and The Bombay Club. Rania is the newest entrant with the most recent critical validation. If you are choosing between them, Rania is the call for a special occasion at the leading of the price range; Rasika remains the easier booking for a more established experience. Globally, the reference points for what Rania is attempting are venues like Trèsind Studio in Dubai and Opheem in Birmingham , contemporary Indian fine dining that takes the cuisine seriously as a technical category.

Practical Details

FAQ

• What should I order at Rania? Based on the OAD citation, the hay-aged pork vindaloo has been specifically called out , tender loin, crispy skin belly, dal Kolhapuri, Kashmiri pulao, and hot naan as accompaniments. The chana masala panisse with green garlic chutney is another dish that appears in critical notices. Beyond those, lean on your server: the menu changes, and the kitchen is inventive enough that asking what is leading that evening is a sound strategy.
• Can I eat at the bar at Rania? Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the venue record , call or check when booking. If bar seats exist, they are worth requesting if your first-choice date is sold out on tables. Bar dining at this format typically gives you full menu access and a more relaxed pace.
• What are alternatives to Rania in Washington, D.C.? For contemporary Indian at a lower price, Daru leads on cocktails and is a more accessible booking. Rasika is the long-standing benchmark for Indian fine dining in D.C. and slightly easier to get into. For $$$$ non-Indian alternatives, Albi (Middle Eastern) and Bresca (Modern French) operate at the same price point and difficulty level.
• How far ahead should I book Rania? Three to four weeks minimum for a weekday dinner. Five to six weeks for a Friday or Saturday evening. Sunday lunch is likely the easiest entry point if your schedule is flexible. The Michelin star has compressed availability significantly since the 2024 award.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Rania? If you are a first-timer, Sunday lunch (11 AM to 1:45 PM) is a lower-pressure introduction and easier to book. Dinner runs the full format and is the environment the kitchen is built around. If a special occasion is the reason for the visit, book dinner.
• Is Rania worth the price? Yes, with a caveat: at $$$$ you are paying for Michelin-starred Indian cooking in a city where that tier has not historically been the norm. The OAD listing in 2025 alongside the 2024 star indicates sustained quality rather than a single-year spike. If you have eaten at Rasika and want to see what D.C. Indian cooking looks like at the leading of its current range, Rania justifies the spend. If you are price-sensitive, Daru gives you a strong evening at a fraction of the cost.

For more dining options in the city, see our full Washington, D.C. restaurants guide, or explore bars, hotels, wineries, and experiences across the capital.