Northern VT hosts fine dining in Stowe, Burlington, and more

Soft music, flickering candles, attentive wait staff: Those are all features of the AAA Four Diamond rated restaurant at Rabbit Hill Inn, one of Vermont’s best dining establishments. And that’s before you get to the food. Morning meals at the bed-and-breakfast inn are bountiful: begin with homemade baked goods and granola, fresh fruits and yogurts. Then choose from two tempting and creative hot entrees. But dinner is a true work of art, featuring innovative menus based on seasonal and local ingredients – summer fare includes 72-hour beef short rib and Moroccan spiced monkfish – presented artistically. The restaurant also offers a carefully selected wine list. For those craving a craft beer, the Irish-style Snooty Fox Pub is ready to serve. Current menu is available on website. Rated #39 of the Top 100 Hotels Worldwide, #3 in the USA, and #1 in the Northeast by Travel & Leisure, July 2020.

Fine dining in a casual atmosphere is the hallmark of The Whip Bar and Grill at the Green Mountain Inn. Relying on Vermont products and fresh ingredients from local farmers, the restaurant’s dinner menu ranges from Angus Steak to the popular Green Mountain Turkey Dinner. Breads and desserts (check out the decadent Sac de Bon Bon) are homemade. And don’t forget lunch (Maple Buffalo Wings) and Sunday brunch (Eggs Oscar with crabcakes) – or visiting the bar for a local microbrew on tap. In the inn’s Main Street Dining Room, there’s a definite homey vibe, with its fireplace, hardwood floors and antique dumbwaiter. The restaurant offers up hearty breakfasts (ask for the homemade oatmeal bread) as well as afternoon tea and cookies.