The name speaks for this food truck and bar, which launched in 2015. From May to October the truck parks dockside at Burlington Harbor Marina alongside a tent; bikers and boaters can watch the sunset while enjoying a weekly seasonal menu, including items like fresh Maine lobster in brown butter on brioche rolls, Boyden Farm cheesesteaks, and Lake Champlain perch tacos. The rest of the year, Farmers and Foragers can be found on the University of Vermont campus at Brennan’s Pub serving breakfast sandwiches and lunch.

Chef Douglas Paine serves sustainably caught New England seafood along with Vermont’s local crop. Start off with fried Lake Champlain perch poppers on a bed of salsa verde with buttermilk ranch. Then choose from mains like Misty Knoll Farm chicken breast with maple miso glazed carrots, or Faroe Island salmon with sweet corn, chanterelle succotash, and fava beans. All are excellent reasons to visit this posh dining room.

The Burlington location of chef Eric Warnstedt’s acclaimed restaurant opened in the fashion-forward Hotel Vermont in 2013, eight years after the original Waterbury location. It still impresses with a daily menu driven by the restaurant’s relationship with some of the state’s most beloved farmers, growers, cheesemakers, and brewers. Snag a seat at the chef’s counter and watch as the team fires hunky rib-eye steaks that get plated with the restaurant’s eponymous mushrooms, buttered potatoes, and Jasper Hill Farm’s famous Bayley Hazen Blue. The bar is a destination of its own, offering locally sourced beer, wine, and an impressive list of craft cocktails.

French chef Hervé Mahé brings his culinary prowess and European approach to this Burlington favorite, named after his grand-mère. Bistro Margot is an homage to French cooking and dining with a weekly three course prix fixe menu. A meal might start with pork rillettes on toast, followed by seared arctic char, and finished with mousse au chocolat with citrus meringue.

A Burlington landmark for decades, this elegant, family-style Chinese restaurant has been attracting Vermonters for its bright dishes like Cantonese pineapple barbecued pork, steamed pork dumplings, and a hefty list of vegan and vegetarian options. It’s so popular, the restaurant has added a roaming food truck to its operation. If you’re dining with a group, try chef-owner Chiuho Sampson’s nine-course tasting menu.

Thin, bubbly-crusted wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas are the star at this popular pizzeria. The beloved pies are topped with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients like butternut squash, caramelized shallots, and blue cheese in the fall. In addition to offering some of the best pizza in Burlington, Verità stays busy with inventive twists on classic cocktails that feature Vermont spirits, like the Bella Contanti with Barr Hill Tom Cat gin combined with amari Meletti and Cardamaro. Save room for the cannoli and tiramisu.

Though this casual, family-friendly grill is known for burgers and a long craft beer list both on tap and by the bottle, it also has a full menu of hearty seasonal dishes. In colder months, warm up with a bowl of Vermont cheddar ale soup. In summer, enjoy salads like Adams Farm chicken on Pitchfork Farms lettuces with Cabot cheddar and dried cranberries. Underneath this Burlington favorite lies one of the city’s best drinking dens. Communal seating, a roaring fireplace, and over 30 draft beers make this subterranean bar a charming place to warm up with a libation in winter. The restaurant’s new outdoor patio is also heated, covered, and enclosed enough to keep guests warm while still enjoying the view of Church Street.

A Burlington institution, Leunig’s has been serving French bistro fare since 1980. Chef-owner Donnell Collins sources local ingredients for crowd-pleasing seasonal menus, including an elegant France-meets-Vermont brunch on weekends. The impressive spread includes duck confit poutine, classic French omelets, and local cheese and charcuterie. A waffled croque-madame comes with Vermont’s North Country Smokehouse ham and Gruyere on a Belgian waffle with béchamel and a sunny-side-up egg. It’s a fancy affair; here, “steak and eggs” means filet mignon with béarnaise and asparagus.

Honey Road deserves all the praise it gets. Eastern Mediterranean flavors meet Vermont produce with flair at this busy mezze-focused restaurant. Expect a vegetable-heavy menu, house-made pita served with whipped feta and hummus, and some heartier options like lamb and red pepper kofta or grilled octopus.

Burlington is far from the country’s most famous barbecue regions, but Vermont holds its own with its maple-enhanced version at Bluebird Barbecue. Owner Sue Bette infuses traditional barbecue with Vermont flavor. The menu also includes odes to the state’s French Canadian neighbors like barbecue poutine: hand cut fries, gravy, and Vermont cheddar curds topped with chopped brisket or pulled pork.

Misery Loves Co. reconfigured during the pandemic, transforming its bar and dining room into a marketplace with takeout, and setting up picnic tables outside. Now, it’s a retail shop and “bruncheonette” serving daytime cocktails, like iced tea with lemonade and whiskey, to go along with fried chicken or pastrami sandwiches, and a selection of soups, salads, and snacks.