Leunig’s Bistro

For me, the rep didn’t match the actual experience.
Let’s start with our server: «perfunctory» is probably the kindest thing I could say. «Hung over» might have also applied; hard to say exactly why his hand shook while he poured coffee.
Beng immediately directed upstairs for seating makes you suspicious that you failed some «beautiful people» test. I guess the poor kid on crutches also failed, thus he and his family were also banished to upstairs.
But let’s dig into the meal, shall we? Mimosas: weak, served in a wineglass. Maybe the champagne flutes were downstairs?
Breakfast poutine: the base were deep fried hash brown potatoes. I HATE deep fried breakfast potatoes. There were a few micrograms of sausage hidden in the cheese, which I guess at least lent an air of mystery and discovery.
Breakfast scramble: the «rosti» somehow escaped from McDonald’s deep fryer into our skillet. My Swiss ancestors are slowly spinning over this imposter rosti.
Blood orange pancakes: actually a win! Which is a nice break before I move on to…
Beignets: Oh, wait, their waiter actually mentioned that special. Oh, Apathetic Andy, could we have some too, please? Sort of a beignet amuse bouche, based on their size. The syrup had «a hint of maple». Was it real or Mrs. Butterworth’s? Hard to say.
Summary: at lest their brunch prices weren’t insane, but I’ve certainly had better in Burly.

The lounge upstairs at Leunig’s is my FAVORITE place to grab a cocktail. The maple manhattans are fantastic. Dining and relaxing at Leunig’s feels like being transported to another era. Atmosphere is warm and romantic… old world style with a bit of whimsy. The food is outstanding and the service impeccable. Always buzzing with locals and out-​of-​town visitors.

Another local favorite!!! Yes, they are on the pricier side, but if you go at the right time, you can take advantage of their specials.
Oyster special: $ 1 oysters Sunday to Wednesday from 3pm to close!
Fabulous brunch deal: Between 9 and 10am on Sundays only– $ 10 app and entrée from a shortened menu… not many choices for this deal, but everything is delicious!
Early bird or Late night dinner specials every day.
They also have an extensive wine list and excellent desserts. I just had the key lime pie on Valentine’s Day and OMG! You have to try this!
My husband’s favorite is the brunch burger. I like the beef bourguignon… But really, it’s hard to go wrong with anything here.

The service and food was great! Sat at the bar since the wait for a table was over half an hour. Jesse and Matt are amazing staff: Jesse recommended three items on the Charcuterie menu, all of which were superb! Matt went out of his way to accommodate me (since I was sick) by constantly making sure that not only my water was always filled, it also did not contain any ice cubes. I noticed that they did little things like that to many people, which really showed that they both cared about their patrons.
Ordered the following foods, all of which I highly recommend: duck mousse pâté, pork country pâté, Angels black truffle salami, salad niçoise.
Will definitely come again.

Food was amazing. Service great. Had a full gluten free menu. The molten lava cake was perfect. Cappuccino delicious.

I can’t say enough great things about this place but I will try: You walk in the door to a great atmosphere accompanied by amazing smell of food. The bar is quaint but inviting and the staff is TOPS and knowledgeable. I walked around the place to get a «feel» and I cant express how old world Italy, inviting and warm it felt. Next is the food… the food… all I can say is WOW. We had a table of 10 of us and we all shared so I got to sample everything and everything was absolutely delicious. The appetizers, drinks, food and desserts. DELICIOUS. I wish I would have taken some pictures to share but if you search TA, you will get the idea.
One word of warning: Parking is limited and it is a busy, busy area so plan accordingly

Loved it here. I had a white bean with pesto soup that was soooo good. My husband and I wanted a light meal. We ordered their Vermont Sharp Cheddar platter. We both loved it. A great place for lunch. Enjoy!

I enjoy Leunig’s «early bird special» which includes an appetizer and entrée (and a glass of wine for a couple of dollars more) for a very reasonable rate.

My favorite restaurant in Vermont! World class cusine and service. They also carry my favorite wines, On my last visit I ordered 2 bottles of Cake Bread Cabernet. I highly highly recommend.

When I come to Burlington for business trips, this is the only restaurant that is a must visit for me on every trip. I stumbled on to Leunig’s one night as I walked Church Street, and I was attracted by its lovely décor, the sidewalk windows, and the aesthetic that reminded me so much of Parisian bistros that I had experienced in Paris. I was a single diner, but I was greeted with warmth by the host. I have been quickly seated every time that I have come for dinner.
Every meal I’ve had here has been pure deliciousness, and the service has been incredibly friendly and attentive. My favorites are the duck gravy poutine (very large and rich, so I encourage sharing), the very generously portioned cheese plate with fruit and bread, and the steak frites (Ok, I got a little carried away with the french fries). Every entrée is impeccable.
It’s hard to beat this experience at any French bistro, but you can be assured of a wonderful meal and friendly service at Leunig’s. Bön appetit.

Love, love, love the ambiance here! We came here for dinner without any intention of trying to make it romantic or sweet, but the ambiance and the service here really made it a top-​notch meal. It’s located at a corner of Church and College, which gives a really great view of the downtown, especially if you’re sitting in the outer room.
Our waitress was fabulous, and made some really good recommendations off of the menu for us. The duck confit poutine was absolutely to die for (it’s a good thing I don’t live in New England, because I’m pretty sure I’d eat my weight in poutine), and we lucked out with $ 1 oysters during happy hour. Drinks were strong, and they had some great charcuterie selections (try the Lake’s Edge if you like goat cheese!). Also, since this is a French restaurant, order the French onion soup! Considering how packed the restaurant was, our waitress was always attentive with checking on our water and food.
And yes, like everybody else has mentioned, the tables are really close together and you should probably watch your conversation topics!

Wonderfully romantic and nostalgic, incredibly busy French restaurant and bar. I was impressed with the drink selections and the experienced bartender didn’t disappoint. My dirty martini was on point. I had the pâté, which was beautifully presented and tasted just as good. I will say then entire place is a tight squeeze. They really pack guests in. But the alternative is waiting around in the cold, so I suppose I’ll take the close quarters. I also enjoyed some wine and conversation with the seemingly never-​ending bar patrons that filed in and out, there just to enjoy a glass while they rested from shopping and then went back on their way. Despite how busy it was, I never felt rushed by the bartender or staff to give up my chair.
Pro tip: if you want to practice your French language skills, this is the place to park yourself. Most the bar guests were from Canada and happy to practice!

I came here this past summer on August 25^th to celebrate my birthday and as absolutely picky as I am — especially living in a U.S. food mecca being San Francisco, this place was one of the BEST dining experiences yet. The food, drinks, ambiance and service were all impeccable.
We started with the cheese plate, unreal. Such a huge serving of each cheese. YUM! Only recommendation, should have been served on a large plate vs a medium side plate or it would have looked even bigger to the eye.
I had the filet and VT mash potatoes, and my parents had the salmon and eggplant vegetarian dish. We were all raving. I think I remember saying it was he best steak I’ve ever eaten.
We also had a bottle of Mumm Napa sparkling wine. Of course great, but glasses should have been served chilled. Desert was some chocolate thing and all I remember was that too was yummy.
Service was friendly and perfectly attentive. Wish I remembered his name. They also sat us right in front of the big open windows that look over church st.
Thank you for a fabulous meal! Looking forward to making reservations for New Years Eve here within the next few days!

Very gourmet, romantic ambience, and smartly located at the corner of church and college.
I had the Soup Au Pistou:
French Vegetable & White Bean Soup, Asiago & Pesto — wonderful, Spaghetti Squash Almandine: Roasted & Pulled Spaghetti Squash, Veggie Sausage, Baby Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Baby Spinach & Chicory Sautéed in Sage & Almond Brown Butter Sauce — creative & amazing, Pumpkin Brown Butter Tart: Classic French Pâté Sucre Tartlet Filled with Roasted Pumpkin & Brown Butter Topped with Vermont Cider Mascarpone Cream & Praline Pecan — hints of bygone thanksgivings — superb. Recommend!

A cute eclectic spot in the middle of the Church st. Marketplace. We stopped there for lunch. There was a decent wait for a table so we decided to take a seat at the bar. A little bit of a tight squeeze but they do have those hooks to hang your purse/​jackets which is nice so your stuff isn’t on the ground or sprawled on the barstool with your butt keeping it from it falling on the floor.
The bartender was very nice. And service was quick. My wife had the grilled cheese and tomato soup which looked awesome. I had a bite and it was delicious and savory. The flavor of the fresh melted cheese alone (what do you expect we, re in VT!) made it all come together.
I chose the pork belly melt… because I just had to. When else is that really an option? So I turned a blind eye to my rising cholesterol and dug in. There was an arugula salad all over the plate instead of fries so that nicely offset the fat I was about to ingest.
It was an open face sandwich which I wasn’t so sure about initially. But flavor was so good, didn’t matter at all. To top it off (literally) a brie mushroom sauce was drizzled over it. Come on — it just kept getting better. And yes, in the end it was delectable. In fact I’m still salivating from it.
Great little place. Glad we stumbled upon it. Go check it out!

I tried Leunig’s while I was in Burlington for work. They had a lot of great options for small plates or appetizers so our table decided to just do a variety of those and share. I had an opportunity to try a variety of items, and they were all good. I had a tuna, watermelon and cucumber salad which was amazing. I also tried the calamari, duck sliders, duck fries and a veggie dip. Our waitress made a great wine recommendation. The list was extension, and it was all reasonably priced.
The only downside to this restaurant is that I ate there on a hot day in August. They opened all of the windows, but I was still hot and sweaty. This isn’t ideal when you are trying to enjoy a nice dinner. It might be ok if you are grabbing a burger and a beer, but for an expensive upscale restaurant you want to be able to relax and enjoy your dinner.

«They really pack people in here, huh?» — First thing my husband said when we sat down inches from another couple. Yes, I could’ve eaten off of their plate with ease but the food and service made up for that… I think.
I got the aperol spritzer for a drink and it was good. Had lots of oranges and lemons in it. For an appetizer, we got the truffled buratta salad. The buratta was luscious with just a hint of truffle. Yummy.
For an entrée, I got the stuffed chicken. It had little dumplings around it with fresh corn, carrots, wilted spinach, all in a cream sauce. The chicken was stuffed with artichokes and prosciutto but the stuffing could’ve been omitted and it would’ve still been delicious. The chicken was super moist. It was pretty much Leunig’s take on chicken and dumplings. I would definitely order it again. My husband got the filet; it was perfectly medium rare and tender. The mashed potatoes had a lot of bacon in them which he didn’t care for.
The service was impeccable all night. Our waitress was always filling up our waters. We will definitely be back when we’re in the area!

I called to place a lunch order for take out. It took 4 minutes before I was connected with someone that could take my order. I ordered the «Leunig’s Falafel» to go… $ 12.
The menu described it as… House Made Chic Pea Croquettes, Taboulleh, Shredded Romaine, Cucumbers, Tomatoes Red Onions with maple brook Feta Tzaziki Spread on Pita Bread Served with Mixed Greens.
When you start with a item name like Leunig’s Falafel, it kind of sets an expectation that there will be more than 3 small flattened «house made chic pea croquettes.» The flavors were pretty good, but if it wasn’t for the pita bread, I would still be hungry. I wasn’t expecting an overloaded pita, but it would’ve been going if the filling at least reached the edge of the pita. The side salad was fresh, and had a nice light dressing on it.
I won’t be ordering this again.

This restaurant is everything you’d want in a restaurant. One of my friends and I walked by it while looking for breakfast places and loved the vibe, so we went in. They sat us immediately right next to an open window. It was a beautiful day so it was very relaxing and pleasant. Not only did we have one waitress, but it’s as if we had a sous-​waitress, who both got us our drinks and food in a timely fashion and were extremely friendly.
Not only was the ambiance and service fantastic, but the food was just as great. I got a crab cake eggs benedict and my friend got stuffed french toast, both of which were fresh and very well made. Great experience and I would definitely go back when I come back to Burlington.

We were persuaded to try Leunigs rather than the many other options on and around church street by many of the people we encountered in Burlington. The cuisine is primarily French food with many other Americanized options. The atmosphere is beautiful. Deep reds, beautiful light fixtures, candles, mirrors, statues, etc. I automatically felt as though I were in a five star restaurant before even sitting down. We were nicely greeted and brought to a table on the second floor which was quaint and romantic.
Our server was WONDERFUL; I wish I knew his name because he deserves all the praise in the world. I tried the French pear martini which was very good. The wine selection is extensive, ranging from $ 20 to $hundreds. We were given homemade bread to start which came with the most amazing butter ever. Vermont made, cultured butter which blows every other butter I’ve ever had to pieces.
For an appetizer, we shared the calamari which was amazing. Crispy rings, seasoned perfectly served with a spicy aioli dipping sauce. My only complaint is that the calamari consisted of primarily rings, and we personally prefer a mixture. For entrees we tried the carbonara and the steak frites. The carbonara was in a thick, creamy, flavorful sauce served with tomato strips, peas, and chicken. The steak frites are what I would recommend; $ 22 for a beautiful cut of steak with a sweet Demi glase. I subbed the fries for the mashed potatoes and they were amazing. All around, a wonderful meal, great service, and a beautiful ambience.