Houndstooth Restaurant — Restaurant in Front Royal

Progressively more extravagant, and progressively more flavorful. Houndstooth’s unique atmosphere and flavors will leave you in everlasting awe of the chef and his creativity.

The white chocolate mousse and passion fruit egg had other guests asking if the egg was real and how much of it was edible (because it looked so realistic)! While the dessert dish was my favorite, each preceding dish was a standout as well.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had octopus that was a little too chewy or borderline rubbery. I thought that was what octopus was supposed to taste like! At Houndstooth, the octopus was insanely tender, cooked to perfection! I also loved the chimichurri sauce and mini potato chips, both of which were outstanding flavor complements and texture complements to the octopus.

And regarding the salad, wow. Just wow. So may times, I’ve been to a restaurant that has tried to incorporate a lot of different ingredients into a meal. The end result is usually a dish that looks great but feels detached from each ingredient, making you wonder, what was the point? Usually, I find a more holistic approach, where all ingredients can be incorporated into one spoonful/forkful, is better. But not in the case of the salad. The salad was clearly a dish that was cut into thirds, each third distinct and equally enjoyable, without any guesswork on the part of the diner. I knew just what to do when I received the meal, and my taste buds knew just how to rejoice when they experienced the meal.

The beef tenderloin was amazing, the shaved truffle atop the leek-based soup was amazing. The customer service, from our waitress to the owner (who wound up taking us on a tour throughout the property), was incredible. If you’re looking for the perfect dining experience, alongside perfect views of Shenandoah National Park, Houndstooth is a must. You will not be...

The atmosphere and presentation of the food were wonderful. Most of the dishes also tasted great. Especially the sunchock salad and the carrot ginger soup. I wasn’t a big fan about how salty the scallop was, and I was super not impressed with how boring the prime rib main course was. I barely touched the short rib because it tasted so weird.

Also given the price I paid ($180 per person plus tax and “service fee”), I have to give a 3 star for the unprofessional service.

There were 3 white wines that came with their pairing, and all of them were chilled way colder than they should be. They tasted like normal fridge temperature, like 38/39 degrees. When pouring the wine, the server poured it against the glass rim every single time, and still dripping on the floor in the end. Again, paying this price I expect the server to be trained about how to pour wine? The red wine was from “Russian River, CA,” which was written on the menu that’s given us. When the server presented the wine to us, they said the wine was from Russia. Even after my partner asked them to clarify, they still said, “Russia.” I have never, again when paying this much for a meal, been served with food that was too hot to eat. When the soup and the scallop plate came out, I was so surprised with how hot they were. The tomatoes on the scallops plate was literally steaming. When they came over to pour us water, my partner’s glass was on the opposite side. And instead of going to that side of the table, they would extend their arm and hold the jag right in front of my partner to pour water, while he’s eating, and touching the bottom of the jag on his plate!

Overall, i was very disappointed in the end. Not gonna come back or stay in...

An evening at Houndstooth Restaurant is likely to be one that sticks in your memory for quite some time. As you drive up to the restaurant (located inside Glen Gordon Manor), you are immediately immersed into an enchanting rural setting, one that becomes even more charming when you set foot inside. The manor itself is gorgeous, with artistic flourishes coexisting with dim, firelit halls, and luxurious dining spaces. It is the people, though, that give this place its true warmth. Dayn, the owner and head chef, was incredibly pleasant and welcoming, and even gave us a tour of the manor pre-meal. Our servers were also caring and attentive, putting us at ease with genuine smiles, and allowing us to comfortably enjoy a multi-hour 5 course dinner while watching the sunlight turn to dusk from our window views in the lounge.

The food itself was consistently at a high level, with a Chocolate Egg dessert (no doubt a purposeful choice ahead of Easter) a standout, both in terms of creativity and variety (the egg itself consisted of white chocolate mousse surrounding a passion fruit curd and encased in a milk chocolate shell, and with sides of cherry sorbet & pistachio cake). A Truffle Potato Leak soup was also a star, with the creamy and piping hot potato leak puree well balanced with a cooler creme fraiche foam and topped with shaved truffles (that the chef himself shaved at our table).

Overall, Houndstooth, as one of the few fine dining options in rural Virginia, is one of the best, and when you aren't sure whether you will more fondly remember the food, the service, or the setting, you know you have had an evening that will be...