MICHELIN Star Chef in Washington DC | Chef Danny Lledó | AAA Five Diamond Recipient
Meet Chef Danny Lledó, who joined the ranks of MICHELIN Star chefs in DC in 2021 for his fine dining Valencian concept Xiquet -- one of the best restaurants in DC for elevated seafood, meats, and produce. Lledó is also an international award-winning chef for his renowned Valencian paellas, and the only AAA Five Diamond recipient in DC for 2022.
Meet Chef Danny Lledó
International award-winning Chef Danny Lledó finds inspiration in his Portuguese and Valencian heritage to create memorable culinary experiences at Xiquet by Danny Lledó, which has held a Star in the MICHELIN Guide since 2021, and earned the Guide’s Sommelier of The Year Award in 2022. Xiquet also received AAA’s highest distinction of Five Diamonds in 2022 – the only restaurant in Washington DC to do so.
A native of the Washington DC area who has also lived in the small Valencian town of Dénia, Chef Danny knows the capacity of good food to bring people together for both monumental conversations and simple moments of joy. The son of a chef and nephew of fishermen and farmers, he has seen firsthand the power of simple flavors and the impact of meticulously sourcing the finest products available. In 2021, he was recognized as a Chef Ambassador for the Valencian Community for his commitment to the region’s cuisine and products.
His passion for fresh seafood and quality vegetables can be witnessed in every dish on his signature tasting menu at Xiquet, which is a perfectly balanced culinary experience, from bite to bite and course to course. Xiquet is the culmination of years of menu development and perfecting the wood-fire cooking techniques inspired by his upbringing. As the focus at Xiquet is on products and execution, Chef Danny and his world-class culinary team devote themselves to elevating the essence of select products from their stations in Xiquet’s open wood-fired kitchen.
A graduate of the University of Maryland in College Park, Danny worked for several years in the financial industry. He consulted on business ventures, real estate transactions, and the hospitality sector. This melding of his talents and interests eventually drew him back to his first love—creating delicious dishes to share with others. In 2012, he made the transition to restaurant owner and managing director of Fancy Hospitality, purchasing his first restaurant, Crush Kitchen & Winehouse in Annapolis, Maryland. In 2013, Lledó took over management of Slate Wine Bar, which he later bought in 2019. The following year, he finally realized his dream of creating a Valencian fine dining restaurant that pays homage to his father by opening Xiquet. At the end of 2022, Chef Danny closed Slate Wine Bar to make way for an expansion of the award-winning Xiquet.
XIQUET DL
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