New American Small Plates$$old-north-endDaily 17:00-22:00
Old North End neighborhood bar with house-baked bread, in-house charcuterie and a natural-wine list. Small plates and deli-inspired sandwiches.
Signature: Daily sandwich, Charcuterie, Wine flight
Order: Daily sandwich plus a charcuterie plate to share.
Tip: Open Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; the bar walk-up holds the same menu as the dining room. Resy holds reservations 2 weeks out.
Eclectic New American$$church-street-marketplaceSun 11:30-21:00, Mon-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri 17:00-24:00, Sat 11:30-24:00
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.
Cafe$waterfrontDaily 07:30-20:00
Burlington's waterfront creperie on the corner of Lake and College streets on Lake Champlain. Member of the Vermont Fresh Network sourcing local producers.
Signature: Choco Monkey crepe, Johnny Crepe, Maple BBQ pulled pork
Order: Choco Monkey sweet crepe and the Johnny Crepe with maple-BBQ pulled pork.
Tip: Lake patio in summer and expect a 20-30 minute wait on weekend brunch; the Choco Monkey crepe goes to nearly every table.
Pizza By the Slice$hill-sectionMon-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri 11:00-02:30, Sat 12:00-02:30, Sun 12:00-22:00
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.
Wood-fired Pizza$$shelburneWed-Thu 11:30-20:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-21:00, Sat 11:30-20:00
Sourdough wood-fired pizza on Route 7 in Shelburne, sharing a building with Fiddlehead Brewing. BYO Fiddlehead; voted Vermont's Best Pizza since 2023.
Signature: Sourdough pizza, BYOB Fiddlehead beer
Order: A naturally leavened Margherita pizza plus a Fiddlehead Mastermind IPA from next door.
Tip: Fiddlehead is the BYOB source; Folino's provides frosty glasses. Walk-in only.
Contemporary American$$$church-street-marketplaceMon-Fri 07:00-11:00, Sat-Sun 07:00-13:00; Dinner Daily 17:00-21:30
Hotel Vermont's lobby-level bar and restaurant from Executive Chef Doug Paine. Wood-burning hearth, ingredient-driven cocktails, terrace overlooking the lake.
Signature: Hearth-cooked plates, Vermont-spirit cocktails
Order: Whatever is off the hearth, plus a Vermont-gin cocktail.
Tip: Open all day; breakfast from 07:00, bar to 22:00 most nights.