Leunig's Bistro — Restaurant in Burlington

Having a son that attends college in Burlington, we seem to be drawn to Church Street on every visit! Its eclectic atmosphere, the quaint shops, and lovely eateries are just so inviting. Being of French descent, I have always wanted to try Leunig's Bistro, and on this last trip, my son and I decided to give it a go for lunch.

It was sweltering out when we arrived, one of the hottest summers that I can remember. We did not have a reservation, but our timing must have been just right as they could take us in right away. The hostess asked us if we wanted to dine in or dine outdoors on the sidewalk, and I thought it would be better to eat in and enjoy the atmosphere in cooler conditions. The first thing that I noticed upon entering the establishment, NO air conditioning! I felt that the oppressive heat would ruin the experience, but surprisingly the place was quite pleasant, warm, but comfortable.

We were seated right next door to what I initially thought was a window. I remember thinking to myself, wow, these windows are spotless! My son chuckled as he knew what I was thinking and placed his hand right through the "glass" and I burst out laughing! It turns out there was no window at all!

Anyway, our waitress was quite pleasant and informative. I ordered the Beef Bourguignon, which has Beef Tips Braised in Red Wine, Bacon, Pearl Onions, Carrots, Celery & Button Mushrooms with Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Haricot Verts.

When it arrives, it's presented in a Lodge Cast Iron Pan, a lovely touch as I am a huge fan of Lodge, and my kitchen proves it! The meal was delicious and everything I had expected. The pan was clean at the end of it all!

My son and I had a very memorable experience, great food, and fantastic ambiance, and for sure, we will be back again. Perhaps then I will have my camera with me to take even better photos! Thank you, Leunig's for creating such a memorable moment of father...

Lovely little boisterous French eatery in the heart of downtown UVM. It was a surprising little find as I perused the outdoor mall on a sleepy brisk fall evening and was surprised to find this tiny restaurant overflowing with patrons, so I had to stop in!

The warmth and crispness of the venue was what jumped out at me as I walked in; this was not a stuffy French restaurant, but rather a hospitible dinner spot with a welcoming vibe. It's finer dining, but not over the top. Be comfortable and enjoy your cozy confines; as you will be very close to your table neighbors. However it's more part of its charm than a nuisance to be seated close together.

The menu is simple, though larger than I would expect from the atypical French restaurant. The fare was deliberate and well done. The warm soups and bread along with the deliciously prepare meats in the classic French styles. The wine menu was nicely done and offered a nice selection of accompaniments to the entrees.

Some additional details, the parking is generally difficult around the area due to it being a commerce center near a large state univesity, but the city manages it well. The service was succinct and professional, something you can appreciate in a restaurant seemingly striving for the crisp presentation with comfortable accents. The noise level is, as I said, boisterous, and the tables are a bit close together; however, don't let that discourage you, as you will see it invites the atmosphere nicely. They also offer most of the dishes in 'petite' plates, which I loved.

Overall, I suggest enjoying a meal here. Nice choice for a date, or small group dinner with friends; if you do, please partake in the creme brulee... you can walk it off with a nice stroll through the parlor after; trust me, it's most definitely with...

This restaurant appears to position itself as a french restaurant, there are ways they do well and ways they don’t. I’ll skip the fact that they gave us the plates and came back to take them away after a minute or two, because they mixed up the tables. I’ll consider this an exceptional mistake that was not politely handled and also very strange. Things they do well: the waiters are friendly and responsive. The food is tasty. The overall ambiance is good. There is a good selection of kid meals. Things they can improve: there was no bread on the table… for a french restaurant! Have they been to France!? 😊 We asked for some bread and they said we had to ask for it to get some. Again, have they been to France!? 😏 Then they said they might have run out of bread (right after serving bread to the table next to ours) but if they are some left they’ll bring it… well, well… French restaurant already running out of bread by lunch time… 😊 Enough with the bread now. One of my kids spilled her glass of water and they agreed to change the table cloth, but they came to do it after they brought all the plates, so it was too late. I asked for a steak frite, the most classic option of French bistrots. The steak was cooked to my request, but it was not a high quality steak, hard to cut through and to chew on. If it is a French restaurant, please make sure the quality of the food is good, that is what anybody would expect! The fries were good, although don’t come too hungry, they don’t put a lot of those. The mussels were good but won’t make a meal. The piece of salmon was small. The pistou soup is a recipe I had not tried before. Not the typical pistou soup, but it was good.

Overall, it is an Ok restaurant, but there is still a long way for me to call it a...