There are just 11 tables at The Ox and Hound. It’s the kind of restaurant where the early 6pm booking is the most coveted, because diners get to choose from the whole menu before the limited-run dishes, well, run out.

The venue serves classic French and Italian bistro-style dishes informed by local produce. Start with twice-baked, three-cheese soufflé with a Stanley pear and pecan salad; perhaps followed by the handmade potato gnocchi with braised pork shoulder and white wine ragu (if you’re adding a pasta course like a true Italian).

Pan-fried Harrietville trout comes with a crunchy red cabbage and spring onion slaw. To finish, there’s panna cotta made with raw True Blue Honey from Beechworth. Hearty meats, pastas and stews warm the belly during cooler months.

The wine list features plenty of bottles from around Beechworth and other parts of Victoria, plus French and Italian imports.

White pressed metal ceiling aside, the space exudes a forest bistro feel. Owner-chef Sean Ford and his partner Lauren Heidke recycled old Snowline Fruits apple crates to create box shelving and wall panelling behind the bar, and discarded wattle tree limbs form lighting arrangements overhead.

Explore the High Country further using our detailed Out of Town to the High Country guide.