Houndstooth

Lovely and intimate — like being is someone’s kitchen. But someone who can turn out small, well-​crafted dishes. Likely to become a go-​to favourite.

Have walked by this place for years ever knowing that you could get food.
As a big eater who loves having options, this place won me over immediately with 3 courses for $ 30 (no one really needs starters to graze on when you’re getting three courses).
I came here for the first time the other night with a group of people, so got to see a lot of the dishes. I personally had the rice/​corn chips (different way to get rid of leftovers, great), fish fillets (fish was cooked really well) and vanilla ice cream affogato (what could go wrong with ice cream?).
Was very full after but not bloated, there’s good spacing between the dishes. Everything I had, and tried of others was great. None of the food was amazing in of itself, but combined with the experience of a full course meal and relaxed environment — it’s a place well worth coming back to.

Houndstooth has a really relaxed vibe. Great hospitality. And an interesting many based on the number of courses you choose.
If the weather is good, I’d advise going into the back outside area which is kind of like anybody’s back yard in Fitzroy.
A cool place to have relaxing drinks and food with friends.

A small, no fuss place where you order at the bar, Houndstooth is a great place to grab drinks with friends and order from their ever-​changing menu.
The appeal of Houndstooth is the affordable, yet varied offerings. A 2-​course meal costs $ 20, a 3-​course meal costs $ 25, and a 4-​course meal costs $ 30.
With each course, Houndstooth usually offers 4 options that can simply be defined as Modern Australian with inspiration from all over the world. At times, their menu isn’t a very cohesive approach to eating — you might have coconut rice with chicken for your main and bell peppers stuffed with gorgonzola for a starter. In the end, you’re getting a variety cuisine that doesn’t necessarily complement each other, but good on their own.
For the price you pay, expect smaller dishes, but you do have many courses so you don’t leave hungry. I actually prefer Houndstooth for drinking rather than a full meal — order a bottle of wine and share some of their dishes.

Are sick of going to restaurants and wishing you could throw caution to the wind and order a proper three course meal without having to wash dishes out the back to pay for your evening out? Well the owner of Houndstooth, Joseph Simone, has come up with an answer to your problem. At Houndstooth you can get a two course meal for $ 20, a three course for $ 25 and a four course for $ 30.
How you may ask has he achieved this? Well the menu is pretty simple with usually about three or four different options (there is always a vegie option too) — but it does change pretty much weekly to keep things fresh. The food is simple but very tasty and easily decadent enough, say, to take your romantic date there. The menu is written up on a blackboard and you are required to order everything at the bar i.e. there is no table service. Oh and payment is in cash only, so leave your credit card in your wallet where it belongs.
I highly recommend giving Houndstooth a go. The food really is quite good. The servings may be a little lighter than your average restaurant, but they are certainly not stingy. And if you are eating a few courses, this is actually a good thing. The décor is simple but nice and the food of the Modern Australian/​Italian variety. It is also a fully licensed restaurant (as I assume they rely on sales of alcohol to make a profit), but the drinks are very reasonably priced. They do a pretty potent espresso martini for a measly $ 9 or $ 10 — can’t quite remember the price as the drink was just that strong.