30 Best Restaurants in Northern Vermont, Vermont

This restaurant and brewery in downtown Waterbury is always packed for a reason: fabulous craft beers, sandwiches, salads, and North Carolina-style barbecue served in an airy and friendly bar and dining room. The restaurant's Liquor Society offers flights of rare spirits, from local brandy to whisk(e)y from around the world. If you just want a quick bite and a draft, belly up to the tasting-room bar at the brewery in the back, or pop across the street to the Craft Beer Cellar, one of the state's best beer stores.

If you're a devotee of artisanal bakeries, it'd be a mistake not to trek the 7-plus miles from Montpelier (15 from Stowe) to have lunch, pick up freshly baked bread, or sample a sweet treat at what many consider Vermont's best bakery. Red Hen supplies bread to some of the state's premier restaurants, including Hen of the Wood, and has varied offerings every day.

This celebrated taproom remains one of the state's best, thanks in large part to its ability to acquire beers few others in the region can. The vibe feels straight out of an artsy neighborhood in Brussels, but with the earthiness of Vermont.

In 2012, co-owners Wilaiwan Phonjan-Azarian and Timothy Azarian traded their locally adored street cart for a cozy brick-and-mortar location offering some of the best Thai food in the state, if not on the East Coast. Most of the menu reflects the Laotian influence of Phonjan-Azarian's upbringing in northeast Thailand, and Vermont ingredients from eggs to chiles inspire dishes that change weekly.

Along with breakfast scrambles, challah french toast, homemade pastries, and lunchtime burgers made with local grass-fed beef, 3 Squares is known for that warm-and-fuzzy feeling running through the vintage-style dining room. Bright sunlight, fresh flowers, and a friendly atmosphere complement Vermont-sourced cooking that has been a Vergennes cornerstone since 2007.

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 original Bohemian Bakery began in 2010 as a Sunday-only pop-up in the home of co-owners Annie Bakst and Robert Hunt; it quickly became a weekly haunt for expertly made French pastries. The couple now roasts coffee beans in small batches and fills daily orders of rotating favorites like buttery kouign-amman (flaky pastry with fruit or chocolate) and croissants, custard-filled Danishes, and tall slices of cornmeal cake in their shop.

Local grass-fed burgers and handcut fries are the name of the game at this multicolored food truck. Try one of Burger Barn's more inventive offshoots, like the Nutty Goat: goat cheese, maple-crushed walnuts, caramelized onions, bacon, and mayo.

This may be a local hub for grabbing a quick sandwich or a case of beer, but its true fame stands with its seasonal creemee window. During the warmer months, lines snake around the corner for the café's beloved soft serve, particularly the house specialty: twisted black raspberry and maple ice cream in a cone, extra sprinkles. A large back patio has sweeping waterfront views, making it one of the nicest spots in town to watch the sunset.

For craft beer and inventive pub food, head to this spacious taproom in a historic factory building where the world-renowned Lumière brothers produced films in the early 1900s. Pair your pint of Strawberry Whale Cake (strawberry cream ale) or Vaulted Blue (IPA with notes of candied citrus peel and ripe peaches) with smoked trout dip and loaded birria fries, or opt for hearty sandwiches such as shaved steak or the mushroom Philly. An arcade room provides entertainment for non-beer drinkers, too.

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.

A gastropub from the folks behind the Hen of the Wood restaurant, this place has one of the best beer lists in the state, and a smash of a smashburger. The food is excellent and the ski-lodge vibe is perfect for lunch, dinner, drinks, families, or romantic two-top or solo bar seats.

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.

In prime position on the mountain road and the Stowe Recreation Path, this brewpub's Bavarian-style lagers and Vermont IPAs are only available on-site. A solid menu of pub food, a large outdoor patio, vegetable garden, and a rich, rustic, chic design, make it a popular stop.

The classics of Turkish cuisine are served with surprising authenticity and maximum deliciousness thanks to the culinary talents of its Istanbul-raised owners, plus locally sourced produce and meats. The open terrace upstairs offers the only rooftop dining in Burlington.

Two alumni of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, one of the country's most lauded restaurants, moved to Burlington in 2017 to realize their dreams of opening a coffee shop together. The married duo focus on meticulously sourced beans roasted fresh in-house, scratch-made baked goods, and a frequently changing menu of farm-sourced sandwiches. The maple latte is just sweet enough, and one of the best around.

At the base of mammoth Jay Peak sits a wood-shingled food truck cooking arguably the best ramen in the state. Owners Momoko and Jordan Antonucci met as rafting guides in Japan, and spent three winters in Hokkaido gravitating toward the steaming bowls of noodles made at après-ski ramen trucks parked mountainside. They later brought this mutual love of hearty Japanese cooking to several of Vermont's most notable ski resorts, slinging spicy miso ramen, homemade onigiri, and seasonal specials.

Just off Route 7 and on the way to the Charlotte Ferry, this classic Vermont general store got a big update when owner Jolene Kao took over in 2023; the charm's still there, but it's got a refined coolness, with minimalist wood shelves mixing classics like penny candy and toilet paper with unexpected finds, including Rancho Gordo beans, Kewpie mayo, a smart selection of natural wine and craft beer, and giftable homewares, books and magazines. The breakfast burrito and brown-butter chocolate chip cookie are unmatched, especially when eaten on the porch.

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).

This coffee-tasting bar would satisfy the staunchest coffee aficionado, with its rotating menu of specialty drinks designed to highlight the texture and flavor profile of distinct beans and roasters; so it's not surprising that co-founder Jason Gonzales won a top 10 spot in the 2013 World Cup Tasting Championship (the coffee Olympics). If a coffee education is what you want with your morning cup, Onyx Tonics offers it—thankfully with a friendly and inviting atmosphere—as baristas have been known to warn against adding milk to a certain drip coffee, because it would raise the acidity of the brew and alter its delicate flavor.

The handmade Italian brick oven is the centerpiece of this hot pizza spot, which shares a former department store building with AR Market and the curing facility for Vermont Salumi. The team cranks out perfectly blistered Neapolitan-style pizzas and thick grandma pies, with classic and weekly special toppings that range from fire-roasted mushrooms to roast pork and miso drizzle. The bar boasts a top-notch local draft list and affordable, well-made cocktails.

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.

Montpelier's most popular restaurant draws its crowd less for the classic American Italian dishes than the conviviality, charm, and sizable portions, not to mention the picturesque Winooski River flowing directly alongside the windows. The pizza comes fresh from wood-fired ovens, while the rest of the menu features your favorite pennes, Alfredos, and raviolis, with pleasing tweaks on the old formulas.

"Gather, discover, and connect” is the slogan and theme at this intimate Chinese restaurant on the first floor of a residential row house. Traditional Cantonese- and Sichuan-style dishes are served family style, and the "mock eel" was given two chopsticks up on the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

This family-owned coffee roaster has been turning out small-batch beans and blends since 1993, making it a well-loved local watering hole for almost three decades. This quirky, funky café is a prime old-school spot to pick up a bag of beans or mull over the morning paper with a cup of Maple French Roast.

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.

In 2016, the Von Trapp family finally realized its long-held dream of opening a brewery making Austrian-style lagers on the grounds of its expansive mountainside property, and what a brewery it is. Built of thick, massive Vermont wood beams, the cavernous chalet-style space houses a rustic-chic restaurant and bar alongside the beer-making facilities serving Alpine classics, with plenty of beer to wash it down.

Skiers stop on their way up the mountain for breakfast sandwiches (regular, vegan, or stuffed with local ferments from Burlington's Pitchfork Pickle), towering maple-glazed cinnamon buns, light-as-air croissants, and well-made coffee, from cold brew to espresso with steamed milk—4 ounces to 16, it's up to you. 

The open-front, woody interior, and community spirit make Stone Soup a downtown favorite for lunch, especially on warm days. The small but robust buffet and salad bar is the centerpiece, with excellent hot and cold dishes—a perfect complement to the wonderful soups and fresh sandwiches.