Leunig’s Bistro, Burlington, Vermont

In case you missed it, I blogged about our stay at Sonesta ES Suites Burlington, Vermont here.

Our weekend in Burlington was a cold one, but it sure was cozy, and one of the restaurants we found (and visited three times!) really helped to make it special.

On a very chilly morning, we needed a place to get out of the cold and stumbled upon Leunig’s Bistro, which not only occupies a corner of the Church Street Marketplace with its adorable cafe and bistro, but also has a pastry kiosk right across the pedestrian street.

I was instantly smitten with both, and while we needed heat most, I knew we would be back to visit Leunig’s Petit Bijou at some point during our stay.

A rich and delicious hot chocolate at Leunig’s bar was the perfect respite from winter, and the lovely staff made us feel at home and unrushed as we enjoyed our chocolate and read the paper. The pace and the warmth of the space was so nice; it definitely felt far from the hustle and bustle of our Boston lives.

Isn’t it just beautiful? It’s rare that we spend an hour just sitting and enjoying a hot drink early in the day, and this was the perfect start to our Burlington wandering.

We loved it so much, in fact, that when it came time to find a place for dinner, we made our way back to Leunig’s to see if there was any possibility of getting a table without a reservation. While the restaurant was full, we were in luck that they keep some tables for walk-ins, and the hostess happily let us know that there was room for us.

We got settled into a cozy table and looked at the extensive menus, unsure how we would decide. We wanted mussels and fries and all the salads and truffle fries and onion soup. . . and all of the entrees.

While we decided, I also noticed that they had a nice menu of non-alcoholic drinks like the refreshing pineapple sage sour that I went with for my “cocktail”.

In the end, after devouring a basket of fresh rolls and Vermont butter, we went with the petit portions of steak frites (with truffle fries, of course) and Beef Bourguignon. I rarely finish anything, so I love when smaller portions are offered, and the size of these was perfect.

This was amazing comfort food at its absolute finest. Perfect fries, a delectably medium rare steak, creamy horseradish. . .

And my Beef Bourguignon was a melt-in-your-mouth feast. It must have cooked all day. The rich and incredibly tender meat was complemented by onions and crisp green beans and the creamiest garlic mashed potatoes. I need to make this at home when I am able to drink wine again. I know it’s a time-consuming dish, but it is so worth it!

After dinner we took a nice walk around Burlington before heading back to Leunig’s Petit Bijou for hot chocolates with French vanilla whipped cream, paired with one of their homemade chocolate croissants, which we decided to save for a cozy breakfast the next day.

We fell in love with Leunig’s and found it the perfect date day and date night spot. If you are visiting Burlington, Vermont, I would highly recommend this spot for any time of day.