Leunig’s Bistro in Burlington, Vermont, definitely lives up to its tagline, “the Panache of Paris and the Value of Vermont”. Situated along Burlington’s pedestrian mall, the restaurant feels like a French brasserie, with large windows opening onto Church Street. Its menu lists French classics like French onion soup with the perfect ratio of cheese and bread ($8).
The poutine ($12) – crispy fries with melted cheese and delicious duck gravy – is a nod to Vermont’s northern neighbour.
At the same time, Leunig’s offers great value by serving up its great food in large portions. My husband ordered the blue corn crusted chicken roulade ($27) stuffed with Serrano ham and peaches and served with queso blanco sauce. The chicken was very moist, flash fried so that it was crispy but not greasy. The sweet corn mashed potatoes were yummy and unique. 
I had the Captain Cod ($28) – a perfectly pan seared, delicate cod filet over lemon gnocchi, which I thought was a pretty creative way of incorporating lemon into a fish entree. The filet was topped with roasted tomatoes, and accompanied by mushrooms and broccolini in a honey broth.
Everything that passed by our table looked absolutely delicious, including a thick steak served with frites and a giant lava cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
There were a few service gaffes during our meal – steak tartare was accidentally delivered to our table, for example. Interestingly, I didn’t find tartare on the dinner menu – I wonder if Leunig’s has a secret menu we weren’t told about? Still, service was friendly and our dinner was fantastic. It’s no wonder that Leunig’s is busy morning, day and night! I can’t wait to come back.
Food: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5 | Value: 5/5
Info: Leunig’s Bistro, 115 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05455, USA
The Busy Foodie 
Leave a comment