The French Hound

Food was delicious. The steak came with a Merlot butter which was fantastic. The scallop risotto was also divine. The scallops tasted like butter. Highly recommend.

My husband and I had a very nice lunch here. A few mistakes were made with our order, but they were corrected quickly and the staff was very nice about it. I would definitely come back.

Great ambiance but wasn’t very satisfied with the food that we ordered. The pizzas did not look and were not appetizing. However, the caramel pudding/​crème brûlée was exquisite! Could have eaten 10 of those!

I am giving this a 3 to 3-​and a half stars. On a Saturday night in fall we were able bag an early table. Although the initial feel and décor is that of a mid-​range French restaurant, the actual experience is not.
The restaurant has 2 sections — the main area and then a second ‘back room’ that leads to the restroom. That room gets quite loud and this flows into main dining area which is more demure by contrast.
Now the food is just so-​so. The day we went the specials were crispy shrimp — meh; butternut squash ravioli — again, meh. And the piece de resistance — the quail — was cooked on the outside but undercooked towards the center — and that goes for both pieces of quail.
We fled without dessert.
Tip: beware as you make your way to the bathroom: the entrance is from the back room and there is a sudden stair that gives way under your feet. Although it is signposted, be aware and vigilant of a sudden slip.

Worst service I’ve had in a long time!!! Well I should say the first 10minutes went great, we got our drink order taken and ordered escargot, Caesar salad, soup and a pizza to share, also two beers. After I ordered for the two of us, she looked to my husband and asked anything for you? Made me feel like a pig! Anyway after an hour all we got was the Caesar, escargot and beers out waitress never returned and another server cleared our plates. At the 45 minutes point I asked another employee for our check for our sever to then return to ask if we still wanted our other food. We kindly said so and asked for our check to only have her come out with the piZza we never got boxed up and ready to go but not for us! Crazy experience, we will never go back and I suggest u don’t either. $ 30 for Lettuce, 2 Stella’s and some snails! Boo! Boo! Boo!

Menu looked good. Food was ok. Could have been a little more gourmet. For instance, the frites were as special as ore ida, and the beef bourguiguon sauce was bland. The service was lacking and perfunctionary. Had to ask for bread, got it when meal was almost over. Tea service was awful. We were served lukewarm water, and in two individual sized tea pots that could not provide for four. No tea spoons. No sugar; and milk in a glass. Disappointing since they have the ingredients to be so much better.

The meal and the service was as good as it gets. We had Oysters Rockefeller for starter and scallops as the main course. Both were excellent. But just as good was the superior service that our young waiter Dan provided. He was knowledgeable friendly and efficient. In fact the entire staff were wonderful, including the folks at the front desk that helped us secure a table earlier than our reservation (and in a full restaurant) All in all a most pleasant and memorable meal.

Nice enough, and attentive service. The beef bourguignon, however, was watery with just a few small cubes of meat floating in it.

Went with a big group of friends to celebrate a birthday. Was very disappointed. The roomer were in was the large one at the bottom of the stair to your right where the bathroom is. Apparently it is also where employees go to take their break and smoke. Had to deal with cigarette smell all night. Then the birthday day girl ordered a drink in the waiters recommendation and it was not what she had told him she liked. So instead of taking the drink and offering to change or add the sugar around the rim to sweeten it he began to tell us they have a new bartender and he hasn’t figured out the menu yet. Proceeds to bring some simple syrup so she can add it herself with no stirrer either. It just went down hill from there. The lobster risotto was dry, the paella was not seasoned well and the seared ahi was just bland. We were just hoping for better quality food.

Last night my wife and a close friend and I had a wonderful meal here. We did not plan to eat here but were drawn in by the friendly staff, the historic interior and the menu. We got a table outside on a beautiful late afternoon and enjoyed it immensely. The fried shrimp was superb, as was the escargot. The hanger steak was a little raw and watery which is the only reason we didn’t give them five stars. We will be back!

I stopped here last night with my girlfriend, but we didn’t have a reservation. They had two seats at the bar which was just fine with us. Jamie was a great bartender/​server. He was gregarious, and made us feel quite at home.
I had the Bouillabaisse, and my girlfriend had the Lobster Risotto. We shared the Pannacotta for dessert. Everything was remarkable, even the bread. We will definitely return!

Great food & a beautiful atmosphere. We loved the food & the fact that they use local produce & meats. The confit de canard was fabulous!

We ordered two appetizers two entrees and two deserts I must say the appetizers and entrees were delicious really high quality and you could tell a lot of love went into the dishes. The deserts on the other hand we mediocre which was surprising for a french resturant, but with that said we will definitely be back

Had my birthday lunch here back in May… Just sat at the bar and chatted with the staff. It was a quiet Saturday. Amazing escargot, healthy cocktails, great atmosphere. Highly recommend!!! Can’t wait to go back for dinner! Hmmm maybe tonight…

I’m definitely a fan of this place. My wife and I went for a good quality lunch on a Friday before wine tasting in Middleburg. We were impressed by the escargot, which was very good (no weird smells or anything) and came out piping hot. The potato leek soup was the best we’ve ever had, and the lobster risotto was delicious, maybe even iconic. We also had the halibut which was cooked perfectly, yet the flavor was subdued and was overshadowed by how great everything else was. The wine recommendation went well with the meal.
Ambiance and people. The clientele were fairly WASPy (I guess it was Middleburg after all), but the ambiance wasn’t fancy enough to be considered stuffy. There was paper over the tablecloths, which was surprising given the pricing and quality of the food. The staff weren’t refined and snooty, much the opposite, although they were all very kind.
Overall I was a fan and would like to return. However, this place is not like Goodstone or the Salamander. If you want a knockout, 5-​course French meal with wine pairing, go to Goodstone. If however you want to spend less than $ 100 for two people (including wine), go here.

After a long day of tasting in VA wine country, we stopped by here (with reservations) for a great meal. This cozy French spot serves up amazing comfort food. Since, I as drinking all day, why not continue, right? So, I ordered the hibiscus sparkler that came with an edible candied flower. Not to mention, the drink is just so pretty! To start, I shared the escargot then had the lobster risotto for my entrée. The escargot was delicious and soooo flavorful. It was definitely a highlight of my dinner. As with the risotto, it was pure guilt-​inducing comfort food. Amazing. My boyfriend ordered the steak frites, but I was so obsessed with my choices that I didn’t even try it (and I usually do). So happy we made the choice to dine here! No regrets.

Came here this past weekend with my fiancé’s family and some family friends of ours: fantastic! We were greeted and waited on with top-​notch service and everyone enjoyed the delicious food! Chef John is a genius in the kitchen.
We each sampled various dishes. The jumbo shrimp app was to die for, as was the lobster risotto. Definitely the favorite dishes of the night!
Shout-​out to our waiter, Gerald; he was the best! Very attentive, polite, and informative. The perfect host for our evening!
Highly recommend. Ask for Gerald!

I was in town for business and stopped by for lunch before I drove back to DE. The place looked fantastic and menu is fine dining bistro. I ordered iced tea and it was the chemical mix concentrate you add water too. Of course it’s disgusting and I was going to switch to diet coke but I never got the chance. The tea came out quick but that was the last time anyone came to my table. I stared at the menu for about 10 mins. I know waiters typically think if you’re looking at the menu you’re still trying to decide. I put it down. I started trying to make eye contact with the one waiter I saw. Nothing. I waited another 5 mins And walked out. There was only 9 people in the restaurant. I don’t get it.
I had so much time to study the menu it all looked good. Maybe next time.

The French Hound is a cute little french bistro nestled in the town of Middleburg.
The menu is small, but offers both familiar French comfort foods (croque madame/​monsieur, boudin blanc, cassoulet, steak frites, etc) and more Americanized fares (pizza, ceasar salad, etc). They also have a nice wine list and a well stocked bar.
I love coming here for brunch.
If you are in the area for the Middleburg Christmas parade you absolutely must make a reservation here as their Bloody Mary or Mimosa is the perfect send off before watching corgis in the cold.

What an adorable restaurant!
We came as a group of 3 friends, looking for a nice place to catch up in. We made reservations at The French Hound which took me about an hour to get to from Alexandria. but was worth the trip!
I appreciated the classy yet non pretentious atmosphere, the cute yellow walls, and the vintage décor.
For appetizers we had the escargot– which was served in the classic buttery preparation and were all nicely sized.
I appreciated the wine menu which took me right back to France, and we ordered a bottle of Cotes du Rhone to share.
For entrée, I ordered the lobster risotto which was AMAZING. The serving was plentiful, and the dish was filling. The lobster was served removed from the shell and served cut up. The risotto was prepared perfectly.
For dessert, we ordered the Le Torte au Chocolat et Noisette which was a rich chocolate cake-​like dessert.
The service, atmosphere, and food were amazing and I would highly recommend.