38 Best Restaurants in Southern Vermont, Vermont

A longtime Brattleboro favorite helmed since 2012 by chef Zachary Corbin, this chic little bistro is known for impeccably presented cuisine that draws heavily on local sources. One room is painted a warm red, another in sage, and a changing lineup of contemporary paintings adorns the walls of both rooms.

There's a cozy romance to this oasis of seasonal and local cooking, with its corner seats, tea lights, intimate bar, and chalkboard menu. It was the area's first farm-to-table restaurant when co-owners Abby and Rogan Lechthaler opened doors in 2010, and it has continued to be a mainstay thanks to excellent hospitality, warm-spirited creativity, and nightly-changing specials. The interesting wine list and cocktail menu are among the best in the state.

So many Vermont restaurants claim the farm-to-table, local-sourcing, organic approach to cooking, but the chef at the Inn at Weathersfield is more passionate and rigorous than most, with more than 75% of ingredients coming from within a 25-mile radius in season. Enjoy the exquisite French-influenced regional dishes inside the inn itself, on its back patio, or in the separate "Hidden Kitchen" at the back of the property, where monthly cooking workshops and tastings take place.

For the best of French-inspired fine dining, look no further than the Left Bank, the signature restaurant of the luxury boutique hotel The Weston. The cozy wooden interiors give off major English countryside pub vibes, but the menu, which changes seasonally, is all French bistro; you might start with the exquisite onion soup gratineé, followed by the fantastically tender beef cheeks braised in red wine and served in creamy polenta. While seafood, chicken, and vegetables all make appearances on the menu and don’t ever miss (the Brussels sprout chips are a particular highlight), beef is really where the kitchen shines, with other stand-outs being the steak au poivre and a simple but pitch-perfect burger. And of course, don’t skip dessert—if it’s on the menu, go for the espresso crème brûlée.

This intimate, elegant bistro is owned by husband-and-wife team Mark and Melody French, who spent years in Puerto Rico absorbing the flavors of the island that are reflected in the eclectic international menu. After nine years in their original space on Main Street, in 2020 the couple moved their restaurant into the newly renovated, 123-year-old Skinner Library, fashioning a bartop from the 1897 wooden shelving. Reserve a table ahead of time, or sit at the wine bar for a casual and romantic dinner with a maple martini or a bottle from the impressive wine list.

Home of the World Famous Mrs. Murphy's Donuts, this beloved shop turns out fresh doughnuts daily from its small, white-clapboard storefront. Old-fashioned doughnuts come hot from the fryer in the wee hours of the morning, so arrive early for the best selection of flavors like cinnamon, maple cream, and cakey cider doughnuts loaded with warming spices.

The big red barn with a sprawling lawn and walk-up ice cream window is a quintessential summer snack shack. It's where paper boats holding cheeseburgers, loaded hot dogs, and lobster rolls make way for soft-serve sundaes, stacked ice-cream cones, and root beer floats.

Chewy homemade bagels, craggy loaves of sourdough, and brown butter maple cookies are just a handful of the offerings waiting at this tucked-away hidden gem, but remember to preorder as walk-ins aren't usually accommodated. Keep an eye out for seasonal specials like fresh fruit galettes and walnut-studded chocolate brownies—the menu is always changing.

The sourcing and gathering of local ingredients at the heart of chef-owner Cai Xi Silver's cooking is inspired by the food memories of her childhood in Chongqing, China. Her family's Sichuan and Shanghai influences come to life in a to-go menu that includes delicate steamed buns, perfect dumplings, and abundance boxes highlighting regional home cooking backed by Vermont ingredients. Cai's offers take-out and delivery only from her Brattleboro art gallery, with options for private in-home cooking and catering.

There is something wonderful about eating by candlelight in an old barn; and with the rooster art above their rough-hewn wooden beams, Chantecleer's dining rooms are especially romantic. The international menu runs the gamut from veal schnitzel to New York strip to Dover sole.

Walk to the very back room of the Equinox's Marsh Tavern to enter this special, very expensive, and very delicious steak house, with aged corn- or grass-fed beef broiled at 1,400ºF and finished with marrow butter. The marble above the fireplace is chiseled "L.L. ORVIS 1832," and way before he claimed the spot, the Green Mountain Boys gathered here to plan their Revolutionary War–era resistance.

Under the classic red neon sign at the main corner in downtown Wilmington, Dot's remains a local landmark and a reminder of diners of yore. Residents and skiers pack the tables and counter for American comfort food classics, starting at 5:30 am with the Berry-Berry pancake breakfast, with four kinds of berries.

This place has the best wood-fired pizza in town. It also has character to spare: sit in chairs from old ski lifts and step up to the counter fashioned from a vintage VW bus to design your pie from 29 ingredients.

This nanobrewery in the heart of downtown Bennington is a haven of craft beers with English-style porters and inventive brews like Melon Grab fruited IPA. All of these beers become the perfect palate cleansers for good pub fare like loaded nachos and deep fried chimichangas.

This classic French restaurant is tucked in a grotto on the climb to Bromley Mountain. The two dining rooms are perched over the Bromley Brook, and at night a small waterfall is magically illuminated—ask for a window table.

The team at this spot for coffee and conversation takes great pride in sourcing direct-trade beans from places like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Guatemala, and pairs them with an assortment of cookies, cakes, and muffins. This is ground zero for Brattleboro's bohemian contingent and fellow travelers.

The team at this spot for coffee and conversation takes great pride in sourcing direct-trade beans from places like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Ground zero for Brattleboro's bohemian contingent and fellow travelers, the café is open until 9 on Friday and Saturday, closing at 8 the rest of the week.

Originally a tiny bottle shop when it opened doors in 2017, the Crooked Ram has since transformed into a cozy beer-and-wine bar with an excellent restaurant and spacious summertime backyard serving wood-fired pizzas. It's now a destination for hyperlocal drafts, seasonal small plates, and brimming Vermont cheese boards, plus a thoughtful stock of unique ciders and natural wines to-go.