L’Auberge Chez Francois

Celebrants of all ages—grandparents, grandmillennials, even the occasional TikToker—head to the Haeringer family’s rustic Alsatian-inspired cottage for a dining experience that feels ever more singular. The decades-old restaurant, which opened in DC in 1954 and moved to Virginia in 1976, takes you back to a time when fine dining meant sorbet palate cleansers and napkins folded into bishops’ hats. Entrée prices are eye-popping, but they include an appetizer, salad, and dessert (the towering soufflés are worth the upcharge). You can go big—standouts are Chateaubriand and lobster with Sauternes—or head to the more casual back bistro for a burger or boudin blanc.