"Ryan Ratino's two-star, 16-seat counter on 14th Street runs a $375 luxury tasting — book it to impress a client."
About Jônt
Sixteen seats, one counter, fifteen courses, $375. Ryan Ratino opened Jônt above his bistro Bresca on 14th Street in 2020 and had two Michelin stars within a few years. Dinner starts with foie-gras jelly doughnuts and rye tartlets piled with kaluga caviar, then moves through the rarest produce he can fly in. Ratino took the Michelin Young Chef Award for Washington in 2023 and now holds five stars across his group.
This is the most luxurious tasting menu in the city, and it knows it. Compare it against the field in our Washington DC dining guide.
The Kitchen
Ratino builds Jônt around luxury ingredients flown in at their peak: kaluga caviar, A5 wagyu, foie gras, ishidai, Hokkaido uni, Miyazaki mango. The fifteen-course menu opens with the two dishes regulars come back for, foie-gras-laced jelly doughnuts and rye tartlets heaped with kaluga caviar. From there it might run ishidai, a prized Japanese fish, bathed in a buttermilk sauce and topped with more caviar; a tart of wagyu tartare; uni crowned with bluefin; Koshiibuki rice with Dungeness crab.
The cooking leans Japanese in its restraint and French in its technique. The tasting is $375 before tax and service, with a beverage pairing on top, served at a 16-seat counter where the cooks plate in front of you. Jônt holds two Michelin stars in the 2025 guide, and Ratino, who also runs Bresca downstairs and Ômo in Orlando, was named Michelin's Washington Young Chef in 2023. The room sits at 1904 14th Street NW, on the second floor above Bresca.
The Room
Jônt is a 16-seat counter on the second floor above Bresca, dim and intimate, the cooks working an arm's length away. The pace is theatrical and forward-facing, and watching the plating is part of the point. Sound stays low; the room is small enough that it rarely roars. Lighting is dark and moody, seats are stools at a polished counter, and dress is smart, no jacket required. Two seatings run nightly, and the kitchen keeps the timing tight across roughly three hours.
Best for Impressing Clients
Book Jônt to impress a client for three reasons: the ingredient list, from kaluga caviar to A5 wagyu and ishidai, reads like a flex before the first plate lands; the counter puts the cooking on display so there is always something to talk about; and two Michelin stars give the booking its own credibility. The $375 menu signals you spared nothing. Picture the caviar tartlet arriving as you make your case, the chef plating a foot away, the client quietly recalculating.
Not for
Skip Jônt for a relaxed dinner or real conversation — it is a forward-facing 16-seat counter running a $375, fifteen-course performance across three hours.
Frequently Asked
Is Jônt worth it?
Yes, if luxury ingredients and a front-row seat are the point. Ryan Ratino's two-Michelin-star counter builds a $375, fifteen-course menu around kaluga caviar, A5 wagyu and ishidai, plated an arm's length away. Reviews run high but not unanimous at this price. For sheer ambition it is DC's most luxurious tasting; compare it in our Washington DC dining guide.
How hard is it to book Jônt?
Moderately hard. Jônt releases its 16 counter seats on Tock about a month out, and prime weekend slots go quickly. Two seatings run nightly, so the earlier seating is often easier to land. Be ready to prepay the tasting when you book, because the counter does not hold unconfirmed reservations and rebooking a cancelled slot can take weeks.
What is the dress code at Jônt?
Smart, with no jacket required. Most diners dress up for the occasion and the price, but the counter is relaxed about formality; clean, polished, evening-appropriate clothing is the norm. Skip shorts and athletic wear. The room is dark and intimate, so there is no need to overdress, and a well-cut shirt or a dress reads exactly right.
What is the average price at Jônt?
The tasting menu is $375 per person before tax and service, with an optional beverage pairing adding roughly $200 or more. With pairing, tax and gratuity, a single seat lands near $700. It is the most expensive tasting menu in Washington, on par with the city's other two-star rooms, so plan the spend before you commit the date.
Is Jônt good for impressing clients?
Yes. The luxury ingredient list, the cooks plating a foot away, and two Michelin stars make Jônt a strong choice to impress a client, which is why it appears in our guide to restaurants to impress clients. Book the counter, order the pairing, and let the room do most of the work for you.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Jônt
Tock reservations open about a month ahead; two seatings nightly.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1904 14th Street NW, 2nd floor, Washington DC
Neighbourhood14th Street / Logan Circle
CuisineNew American tasting
Price$375 tasting, plus pairing, ex-tax and service
Dress CodeSmart; no jacket required
Seating16-seat counter, two seatings
ReservationTock, about a month ahead, two seatings
