French Room (The), Dallas

If there’s one restaurant that is synonymous with old-school Dallas dining, it’s the grand Adolphus Hotel’s legendary French Room. This is the place to shimmy into the outfit you picked up at one of the glitzy stores in Highland Park Village—it’s jackets required and they mean it. Denim and sneakers won’t get past the baroque door. Once inside, you might be distracted from the impeccable wine pairings and classics, such as citrus-glazed turbot, seared yellow-edge grouper and amaretto flan, by the gilt, the ornate frescoes and the chandeliers dripping from the high ceilings of the 1912 room, but the setting is a huge part of the Adolphus experience. Intriguing amuse bouches punctuate courses (carrot jello, on occasion). The French Room is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of dining experience and prices reflect that, but portions are decidedly petite and won’t go far if you’re ravenous. Reserve up to two weeks in advance for weekend nights.

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