Leunig's Bistro and Cafe is a french bistro restaurant in Church Street Marketplace, Burlington.
The corner French bistro on Church Street. The sidewalk patio is the canonical downtown lunch seat; the weekend brunch is a Burlington Sunday institution.
Signature dishes: Onion soup, Quiche du jour, Mussels
Must order: French onion soup, the daily quiche and a glass of Cotes du Rhone.
Tip: Lunch starts at 11:30; brunch weekend mornings. The patio is the best people-watching seat on Church.
Address: 115 Church St, Burlington, VT 05401
Bohemian downtown bar-restaurant with a tranquil solarium and an outdoor patio. Open since 1982; the cocktails-and-eclectic-plates Burlington institution.
Signature: Cocktails, Eclectic plates, Brunch hash
Order: Whatever the cocktail of the month is plus the daily blackboard plate.
Tip: The solarium is the off-Church gem; weekend brunch runs from 11:30 with the eggs Benedict the canonical order.
Family-owned Vietnamese counter on North Winooski Avenue; the Burlington pho benchmark. BYOB. Closed Sun-Mon; queues hard at lunch and dinner.
Signature: Pho tai, Banh mi, Vermicelli bowls
Order: Pho tai with meatballs; banh mi for take-away.
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon and cash-or-card both accepted; BYOB and the lunch rush after 12:30 clears fast.
Old North End neighborhood bar with house-baked bread, in-house charcuterie and a natural-wine list. Small plates and deli-inspired sandwiches.
Signature: Daily sandwich, Charcuterie, Wine flight
Order: Daily sandwich plus a charcuterie plate to share.
Tip: Open Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; the bar walk-up holds the same menu as the dining room. Resy holds reservations 2 weeks out.
Bohemian downtown bar-restaurant with a tranquil solarium and an outdoor patio. Open since 1982; the cocktails-and-eclectic-plates Burlington institution.
Signature: Cocktails, Eclectic plates, Brunch hash
Order: Whatever the cocktail of the month is plus the daily blackboard plate.
Tip: The solarium is the off-Church gem; weekend brunch runs from 11:30 with the eggs Benedict the canonical order.
Burlington's waterfront creperie on the corner of Lake and College streets on Lake Champlain. Member of the Vermont Fresh Network sourcing local producers.
Signature: Choco Monkey crepe, Johnny Crepe, Maple BBQ pulled pork
Order: Choco Monkey sweet crepe and the Johnny Crepe with maple-BBQ pulled pork.
Tip: Lake patio in summer and expect a 20-30 minute wait on weekend brunch; the Choco Monkey crepe goes to nearly every table.
Long-running Main Street pizza counter near UVM; thin-crust slices, craft beer, arcade games and pool in the back. Late-night standard till 02:30 weekends.
Signature: Buffalo chicken slice, Veggie slice, Cheese steak
Order: Two slices and a Sip of Sunshine pour.
Tip: Open till 02:30 Friday and Saturday; the most reliable late-night slice in Burlington.
Sourdough wood-fired pizza on Route 7 in Shelburne, sharing a building with Fiddlehead Brewing. BYO Fiddlehead; voted Vermont's Best Pizza since 2023.
Signature: Sourdough pizza, BYOB Fiddlehead beer
Order: A naturally leavened Margherita pizza plus a Fiddlehead Mastermind IPA from next door.
Tip: Fiddlehead is the BYOB source; Folino's provides frosty glasses. Walk-in only.
