A Georgetown fixture for more than forty years, Bistro Francais has the feel of a Belle Epoque restaurant in Paris. With its pressed tin ceiling, etched stained glass, gleaming mirrors, and Edith Piaf soundtrack, its French leanings are as authentic as can be. What’s more, it’s also a family affair. Chef-owner Gerard Cabrol is still shaking sauté pans in the kitchen, while son Thierry, manages the front of the house.  You’ll find all manner of old-guard French classics on the menu, from house-made pâtés to coquille St. Jacques and coq au vin. This is the place to rediscover the heady simplicity of eating an artichoke leaf by leaf after dipping it in creamy vinaigrette. Steak frites is a chewy (in-a-good-way) hangar cut with Bernaise sauce and pale shoestring fries. Homier still is roast lamb with rosemary-scented jus and a crisp sauté of onions and potatoes. Cold poached salmon with vivid green watercress puree is just the thing to remind us why “French Women Don’t Get Fat”. Sometimes there are unexpected finds too, such as the wonderfully silky leek-crabmeat soufflé that’s served alongside sautéed sea bass in coral-hued lobster sauce. Sweets are decidedly old school too, from a glazed strawberry tart and a Napoleon that is a marvel of pale yellow custard layered between thin brittle sheets of puff pastry.