What Happened to Michel Richard Citronelle After Best Thing I Ever Ate?
Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 5 Washington, District of Columbia Closed 2012
Current status
As of October 2026, Michel Richard Citronelle has closed — confirmed via washingtoncitypaper.com, July 12, 2012.
What the source shows: Yelp continues to list Michel Richard Citronelle as CLOSED (updated July 2026) at 3000 M St NW; no reopening reported since the 2012 water-damage closure. How we decide a status →
- Episode Season 5, Episode 10
- Address 3000 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007
- Website No current website found
- Show map
© OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO
What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?
On Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate, in the 2011 episode "Eggstraordinary," Gail Simmons named Citronelle's Lobster Begula Pasta, a dish of lobster and poached egg topped with squid-ink-dyed couscous styled to resemble beluga caviar, as her favorite; Simmons had also worked in Citronelle's kitchen earlier in her career. Citronelle was chef Michel Richard's flagship French restaurant, located inside the Latham Hotel at 3000 M Street NW in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood, and it was long regarded as one of the city's top fine-dining destinations under Richard's playful, technique-driven cooking. According to Washington City Paper, reported 2012-07-12, Citronelle closed due to extensive water damage at the Latham Hotel following area storms; Bisnow later reported that Citronelle would not reopen in the Latham once repair estimates stretched into months. Google's Places listing, checked 2026-09-08, still marks Citronelle as permanently closed.
The episode
Also in Season 5
Season 5: 61 of 104 still open · 7 renamed, moved or under new owners
-
Ep 9Everest
Closed -
Ep 10Blue Springs Cafe
Open -
Ep 10Cafe Ino
Closed -
Ep 10Cafe Jacqueline
Closed -
Ep 10Cafe Pasqual's
Open -
Ep 10Mcguire's Irish Pub
Open -
Ep 10Picholine
Closed - Closed
Nearest open restaurants
-
Food Paradise
Open -
Man v. Food
Open -
Food Paradise
Open -
Best Thing I Ever Ate
Open -
Best Thing I Ever Ate
Open -
Food Paradise
Open
Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources we checked
- washingtoncitypaper.com https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/357312/citronelle-closes-due-to-water-damage/
- bisnow.com https://www.bisnow.com/washington-dc/news/washington-dc-dining/Citronelle-Wont-Reopen-in-the-Latham-38153
- foodiepie.com https://www.foodiepie.com/list.php?e=Best-Thing-I-Ever-Ate-Eggstraordinary
We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.
Record btiea-0472 · checked by Cal Marchetti.