French bistro$$$church-street-marketplace
Leunig's Bistro and Cafe sits on the corner of Church and College streets in the Church Street Marketplace and is one of the oldest continually operating.
Signature: French onion soup, Moules frites, Steak frites
Order: The French onion soup gratinee and the moules frites, plus a glass off the Burgundy list.
Tip: The sidewalk patio is the best people-watching seat in Burlington. Book lunch and brunch through OpenTable.
Italian$$$church-street-marketplace
Pascolo Ristorante returned to its original subterranean Church Street home at 83 Church in January 2026 after three years up the block at 120 Church.
Signature: House-made pasta, Wood Mountain Fish seafood, Cannoli
Order: Whatever pasta is on the daily board, plus a Wood Mountain Fish crudo to start.
Tip: The wine bar pours by the glass with no minimum and serves the full antipasti menu. Bar holds walk-ins.
Classical Chinese$$$church-street-marketplace
A Single Pebble has anchored Bank Street since the 1990s, serving family-style classical Chinese with a Sichuan lean. Mock eel is the long-running signature.
Signature: Mock eel, Dan dan noodles, Salt-and-pepper shrimp
Order: The mock eel (deep-fried shiitake in a tangy soy glaze), the dan dan noodles and a sizzling clay pot.
Tip: Lazy Susans at every six-top. Order family-style; minimum three plates plus rice. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Wood-fired pizza$$church-street-marketplace
Paul Sayler and Rob Downey opened American Flatbread Burlington Hearth in 2004; in-house brewery (Zero Gravity's original home) and an upper-deck patio.
Signature: Wood-fired flatbreads, Punctuated Equilibrium IPA, Local salads
Order: The New Vermont Sampler with house cheese and maple-fennel sausage, plus a Punctuated Equilibrium IPA.
Tip: Weeknight walk-in only; weekends take a Resy waitlist. Upper deck opens late spring.
New American, farm-to-table$$$church-street-marketplace
Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak (both Hen of the Wood alumni) opened Frankie's in April 2024 in the old Penny Cluse Cafe space. Daily farm-to-table menu.
Signature: Daily-changing menu, Vermont blue crab, Pickled sweet corn
Order: Whatever is on the daily menu; the kitchen leans into peak Vermont produce.
Tip: Open daily 17:00-22:00 with last seating 21:00; reservations open 60 days out on Resy and book the same day.
New American sandwiches and market$$winooski
Aaron Josinsky and Laura Wade opened Misery Loves Co. in Winooski in 2012. The 2024 reset made it a daytime bruncheonette with market and natural-wine bar.
Signature: House-cured pastrami sandwich, Daily market plates, Natural-wine flight
Order: House-cured pastrami sandwich plus whatever the daily market plate is and a natural-wine pour.
Tip: Daytime only; lunch and grab-and-go from the cold case. The sister restaurant Onion City Chicken and Oyster runs dinner two blocks away.