Owned by husband-and-wife team Jean and Francoise Francois for over 25 years, Le Refuge is Old Town Alexandria's eldest, and perhaps most popular, French restaurant. The cozy and casual dining room is small but friendly, and the wait staff, many of whom have been employed by the restaurant for years, are equally pleasant. The familiarity contributes to a regular patronage of older couples and others who come back to Le Refuge again and again because the staff feels like old friends, and the food is some of the best country French grub in the metropolitan area.