Metro Weekly

The Inn at Little Washington Turns 45

The fabled Michelin 3-star restaurant is celebrating with a house party and an exclusive pendant designed by Fabergé.

The Inn at Little Washington x Fabergé
The Inn at Little Washington x Fabergé

In mid-April, the Inn at Little Washington turns 45, a milestone that the fabled restaurant will commemorate as only they can, with a heightened sense of extravagance and symbolism, teaming up with a storied global luxury brand for a one-of-a-kind collaboration.

The Michelin 3-star restaurant will host a two-day grand house party that will come with the ultimate designer keepsake. Chef-owner Patrick O’Connell worked with Fabergé, the world’s most iconic artist jeweler, to design a limited-edition hot air balloon pendant.

The 45th-anniversary party kicks off at the picturesque 26-acre property featuring charming cottages and luxurious suites with afternoon tea on Monday, April 17, with guest of honor Archduke Dr. Geza von Habsburg, a world-renowned historian who is also Fabargé’s curatorial director.

A cocktail reception will follow in the early evening, where the Fabergé x Inn at Little Washington Limited-Edition 45th Anniversary Hot Air Balloon Pendant will be unveiled, along with an exhibit of special Fabergé jewelry and objets d’art, including another limited-edition collaboration, the Fabergé x Game of Thrones High Jewelry collection, as well as the company’s iconic Heritage Collection.

The evening ends with an intimate dinner at O’Connell’s newest restaurant, Patty O’s Cafe.

Chef Patrick O’Connell in the new kitchen area in The Inn at Little Washington
The Conservatory at The Inn at Little Washington

After breakfast on Tuesday, April 18, guests of the Inn will take a day trip to Hillwood Estate and Gardens in D.C. for a private tour of the grounds, as well as historical insights from the Fabergé creative team about the impressive collection of Fabergé eggs amassed by Hillwood’s founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. The excursion wraps up with a private luncheon curated by O’Connell and served in Hillwood’s conservatory.

That evening offers dinner in the main dining room of the Inn capped off with a cordial bar, chocolates, and cigars, plus a fireworks display, with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, from the property that has singlehandedly put its quaint colonial town, also named after the first president, on the map.

Fabergé x ILW Balloon Pendant Design

“The Inn is a beacon of unparalleled culinary and hospitality perfection and has created a world that is so enticing because of the pioneering spirit and pursuit of excellence in everything they do,” says Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, Fabergé’s creative director. “In that same vein, Fabergé’s history of creating extraordinary pieces [to] commemorate milestones will be showcased at the Inn for the first time. [The] partnership represents a wonderful meeting of masters.”

Visit www.theinnatlittlewashington.com or call 540-675-3800 to inquire about reservations for the party.

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