9 Best Restaurants in Northern Vermont, Vermont

Dinner here will make you dream of bygone days, as piano music wafts in from the library of this 1880s mansion on the shores of Lake Champlain. Count on just-grown ingredients that come from the Market Garden right outside, as well as flavorful locally raised venison, beef, pork, and chicken.

The wood-fired clay dome ovens pump out delicious and amusingly named pies like "Dancing Heart" (garlic oil, Italian grana padano cheese, toasted sesame seeds) and "Power to the People" (chicken, buffalo sauce, carrots, mozzarella, and blue cheese dressing) in full view of the tables at this popular pizza spot. Fresh salads topped with locally made cheese round out the meals.

The sign on the door says "HOT." when this bumping breakfast spot is open, and it's right; the meat-free menu with treats like chicken-fried egg and "bonuts" (biscuit donuts) is a darn good time. Go for breakfast, stay for the music and the amusing antics of brothers/co-owners Allan and Travis Walker-Hodkin.

The local outcry when Charles Reeves and Holly Cluse closed their longtime breakfast spot, Penny Cluse Café, in November 2022 was only matched by the widespread sigh of relief when Reeves took over the kitchen at Deep City a year and a half later. Attached to popular Foam Brewers near the Burlington Waterfront, the airy, sunny space is a brunch-lover's dream, with dishes everyone in town has come to love, including a loaded bucket of spuds and herby gravy over biscuits. If there's a wait, grab a beer next door or take a waterfront walk to kill time.

The line out the door on a typical weekend night should tell you a lot about the local esteem for this farm-to-table restaurant. Serving only local beef, cheese, and produce in a classy but laid-back style, Farmhouse Tap and Grill provides one of the finest casual meals in the area.

Turkish breakfast towers, tightly wrapped shawarma, and the most sought-after donuts in town are signatures of this breakfast and lunch spot from the team behind Honey Road. Like its nighttime sister restaurant, it focuses on flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean. There's usually a waitlist, but it moves quickly.

Sister restaurant to Laura Wade and Aaron Josinsky's beloved Misery Loves Co. (now a market and takeout sandwich counter), this casual spot up the rotary serves up fried chicken in various forms—from honey-butter wings to whole birds. Comfort-food sides include collard greens that you can add house-made bacon to, a whole grilled onion, fluffy beignets filled with cheddar, and yes, there are oysters (options change daily).

Scuffed wood floors and chunky country tables bring the "rustic" at this converted farmhouse—but not too much—and the intimate bar and maroon walls adorned with woodcrafts and art add a touch of elegance. The brunch is deservedly popular, especially for the warm house-made popovers served with herb butter.

Nadia Dole brought this bakery back to its original name—it was founded in a former laundromat in 2010—and its reputation for destination-worthy pastries when she took over in 2021; the cardamom buns are a must-try, as are sourdough croissants and Basque-style cheesecake. A massive wood-fired oven churns out fluffy pita to mop up Turkish eggs for brunch; pair an order with oysters or a simple salad. In front of the coffee bar, shelves are stocked like an eclectic épicerie, with spices, oils, tinned fish, multiple mustards, linen aprons, and baskets of blooms.