Something's happening on Cherry Street. New kitchens are opening, old favorites are coming back from the dead, and the region is having a bit of a restaurant renaissance. Here's what's got us fired up:
The Harborvale — 25 Cherry Street, Burlington
Doug Paine cooking with Lake Champlain right outside the window, not a lot of people know, he's been doing this stuff in Burlington for years. This is the kind of hotel restaurant that actually makes you want to eat at a hotel: handmade pasta, roasted local chicken, breakfast through last call. Come for an authentic Burlington sunset - the hotel celebrates each sunset with a signature cocktail, stay for a menu that's uniquely Burlington.
Café Napoli — 163 Cherry Street, Burlington
A Neapolitan espresso bar with an old beer keg rigged up to pour cold brew. Burlington needed this type of upgrade. Dante Seguino built the whole place around his family's roots in Naples, and it shows in the details, down to the Pulcinella on the cup. Grab a blood orange Italian soda and try something new for once!
Thingz From Yaad — 152 Cherry Street, Burlington
This is the good kind of glow-up: a beloved South Burlington counter spot moves downtown and comes back three times the size, with a full Caribbean cocktail list to match. Oxtail, jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish. Might as well order everything, because it's hard tellin' not knowin'!. Shaneall Ferron-Cowey said Burlington is where this belongs, and one visit will tell you she's right.
Burl's Downtown Kitchenette — 189 Bank Street, Burlington
An almost-70-year-old diner car got its identity back, and it's serving fried catfish and grits like it never left. Farmhouse Group turned this Bank Street landmark from tacos to biscuits and gumbo in about three days flat, which is its own kind of impressive. This is authentic comfort food with a twist of Northern flare behind it.
Sweetwaters — 120 Church Street, Burlington
Four years gone, and Church Street finally has its heart back. Same corner, the original owner, and yes! The cornflake-and-almond chicken fingers are exactly as good as you remember. Few restaurant comebacks feel this deserved.
Mule Bar — 38 Main Street, Winooski
Your favorite Main Street bar in Winooski just got a whole lot bigger, and the payoff is worth the wait. A brand-new dining room is coming with steak and pasta joining the burgers and wings, plus weekend brunch this winter. Stay tuned, the best part hasn't even opened yet.
Black Ice Premium Ice Cream — Essex Junction
Three teenage brothers running their own ice cream stand is exactly the kind of local story that makes you want to show up and order too much. Açai bowls, a stacked flurry menu, real Vermont creemee mix — this is a season-only stop, so get there before October. Bring cash and an appetite for toppings.
Coming Soon: Worth the Wait
Leunig's on Market — Catamount Run, South Burlington
A 46-year-old Burlington institution is finally getting a second home, and it's a big one. 5,300 square feet, a signature bar, room to gather — this is South Burlington's City Center leveling up in real time. Mark your calendar for winter; this one's worth the wait.
Tree Tops at the Sugarhouse Hotel — Winooski
Get ready for the only rooftop restaurant in the Burlington area, suspended above the trees with the Winooski River and the Green Mountains laid out in front of you. It's part of the Sugarhouse Hotel — Marriott's first all-electric, net-zero property in the world — where every room is named for an actual Vermont sugarhouse. Landing late summer or early fall; this is the kind of view worth planning a night around.
