Onyx Tonics Specialty Coffee ★ 4.7
Designed to feel more like a tasting room than a classic coffee shop; six-plus single-origin coffees rotating weekly from local and US roasters.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter, rotating weekly
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Burlington lingers in over a cortado.
Where to sit and slow down
Vivid Coffee Roasters ★ 4.5
Founded in Winooski 2015 by Ian Bailey; the Burlington roastery and cafe at 150 Cherry Street is the flagship. Loft layout with armchairs and a long table.
Signature drink: Iced coffee, light-to-medium-roast single-origin
Kestrel Coffee Roasters Maple Street ★ 4.5
Kestrel took over the historic Maglianero space at 47 Maple Street in 2019 inside the Karma Bird House. Ethically sourced single-origins; gallery seating.
Signature drink: House-roast espresso and pour-over
Scout & Co. Old North End ★ 4.6
Scout's flagship at 237 North Ave is where the ice cream is made and pastries are baked in the Pine Street kitchen. Coffee from BIPOC and Queer roasters.
Signature drink: Espresso and house-made ice cream
Zabby & Elf's Stone Soup ★ 4.5
Established 1997 and rooted in New York Jewish cooking plus off-the-grid vegetarian. Self-serve hot-and-cold bar sold by weight; fresh challah and chicken.
Signature drink: Daily soups, self-serve buffet, chai
August First Bakery and Cafe ★ 4.5
Phil Merrick and Jodi Whalen's bright renovated-garage cafe in downtown Burlington. Famous for award-winning maple biscuits and the Vermonter sandwich;
Signature drink: Vermonter sandwich, maple biscuit, locally roasted coffee
Pingala Cafe and Eatery ★ 4.5
100 percent plant-based cafe in the Chace Mill on the Winooski River; gluten-free options, fresh juice, smoothies and the Crunch Wrap signature.
Signature drink: Plant-based smoothies, organic espresso
Speeder & Earl's Coffee Pine Street ★ 4.3
Family-owned Vermont roastery and cafe since 1993. The Pine Street cafe in the South End Arts District is the more relaxed of the two outlets,
Signature drink: Speeder's Blend espresso
Brio Coffeeworks Cafe ★ 4.5
Woman-owned specialty roastery and cafe inside the Soda Plant building on Pine Street. Nate and Magda Van Dusen launched in 2014; specialty lightly-roasted.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter, lightly roasted
Dobra Tea ★ 4.5
Bohemian tea room with roots in communist Prague; Vermont was Dobra's first US location. Loose-leaf, gluten-free and vegan sweets, hand-crafted teaware.
Signature drink: Loose-leaf teas from 100-plus origins
Healthy Living Market and Cafe ★ 4.3
The biggest natural-foods supermarket in Vermont has a sit-down cafe with a hot buffet, salad bar, smoothie and juice bar, and a full coffee program.
Signature drink: Smoothies, juice and hot bar