★ Michelin · Modern Indian Fine Dining · Penn Quarter
By Monty Khas, Anonymous Critic. Pays every bill.
Some Indian restaurants want to be your weeknight regular. Rania wants to be the dinner you talk about for a month. This Penn Quarter dining room, from the team behind Punjab Grill DC, has earned a Michelin star by treating Indian cooking the way fine-dining kitchens treat French food: precise, seasonal and plated with real ambition.
How it works
There's no à la carte menu in the main dining room. Instead you choose between a four-course prix fixe, where you pick a dish from each course, and a seven-course chef's tasting for the full show. Wine pairings are available with both. It's dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday, so plan ahead.
What to eat
The first course is where Rania shows its sense of humor. Shrimp koliwada, the crunchy, spice-coated fried shrimp of Mumbai's fishing communities, arrives looking far more elegant than any beach shack version. Gobhi Manchurian nods to the Indo-Chinese street food every desi kid grew up on, and nargisi kofta, the egg-stuffed meatball of Mughal kitchens, is a rich, old-school pleasure.
Mains are where the kitchen gets bold. The Long Island Peking duck vindaloo marries crisp-skinned duck with Goa's tangy, chili-heavy sauce, and the lamb shank rogan josh is slow-cooked comfort in a glossy Kashmiri gravy. A beef short rib comes with saffron nihari, a clever riff on the slow-braised Old Delhi breakfast stew. Menus change with the seasons, so expect some dishes to rotate.
The bar
Cocktails are as dressed up as the food. The list has included playful names like the Lychee Bomb, Rang Birange and the Golden Mantra, and the spirit-free drinks get the same attention: This Is Not Lassi is exactly the kind of joke this kitchen likes to tell.
The room
Rania is polished and glamorous, made for celebrations and date nights. Service moves at a fine-dining pace, so give yourself time and settle in.
Before you go
Book ahead, especially for Friday and Saturday. Rania is a short walk from the Metro Center and Gallery Place stations, which makes it easy to pair with a show downtown.
Why it matters
Rania proves that Indian cooking belongs in the same conversation as the city's best tasting menus. It isn't the place for a quick curry fix. It's the place to see how far a skilled kitchen can take the flavors you grew up with.
The Quick Fix
What to order: Shrimp koliwada; gobhi Manchurian; nargisi kofta; Long Island Peking duck vindaloo; lamb shank rogan josh; the chef's tasting if it's a big night; a Lychee Bomb or a spirit-free This Is Not Lassi
Pricing: Splurge. Prix fixe and tasting menus only, with optional wine pairings.
Best for: Anniversaries, milestone birthdays, serious food lovers and anyone who wants Indian food with a Michelin-level finish
How it compares: The most ambitious Indian dinner in Washington; more refined and more expensive than Rasika; less playful than Daru or Tapori, and that's the point
See where Rania ranks: The Best Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Restaurants in Washington D.C.: Our Top 10 for 2026
The food was always this good. We're just paying attention.