28 Best Cocktail Bars near Shelburne

“Wonderful experience. Taylor was an attentive waitron and very accommodating to our concerns about food sensitivities and preferences. The drinks were perfect and the food was delicious!! We will be back!“

“WOW what a shock! I came home to Vermont tonight after 24 years being away and decided to grab a bottle to celebrate with some friends. I first grabbed a bottle of an “old faithful” brand to remain nameless out of respect, and then I thought it would be fun to grab a bottle of a Vermont distilled bourbon and have a blind tasting to see how Mad River stacked up to a known brand that is nationally available and probably in every “bourbon guy’s” collection. Thinking I had an unfair advantage because I am a self described “bourbon guy” I just knew my palette would let me choose my “old faithful” bottle as my favorite of the two. Then wouldn’t you know it I chose Mad River Straight as my favorite of the two. But not only did I choose it everyone else chose it as well. This is a great bottle of bourbon it hits the palette smooth with a subtle slow heat, followed by gentle notes of smoke, cherry, light hints of maple and a amazing vanilla caramel finish. Being from now from Florida I like light ice in my bourbon to beat the mind bending heat so after the blind tasting I went full Florida threw in some ice and it got even better. I will be the first to admit this is a rare thing most great bourbons don’t stand up well to “Florida Man” drinking but yours does. Congratulations on a great bottle of bourbon, it made for a great welcoming home!“

“Great atmosphere and expert mixologists“

“This place REALLY threw me for a loop… walking there I was expecting a quickie bite.. not an amazing dinner meal that even my picky husband enjoyed!

The vibe definitely did not match the level of culinary skills in the food. We got chive pancakes, they were chewy crispy and savory - perfect appetizer!

Two Asahi’s to complement our entrees:
crying tiger fried rice, the sirloin was marinated to PERFECTION! Best I’ve EVER had.
Duck Penang was an entire duck leg in a creamy delicious curry sauce with pineapples and tomatoes. So mouthwatering thinking about it now..

Staff was soooo young but SUPER hospitable and lovely! Luckily we’re not locals otherwise it’d be a weekly meal here for us!“

“Service and the vibe were fantastic. The cocktails tasted great. The oven roasted hot wings were very nice and the beef tartare was fantastic. The little pop from the pickled mustard seeds were amazing. The hot dog was simple and delicious with a good snap to it. The let down was for the fried chicken and the fish and crisp. The fish tasted fresh but it wasn't crispy at all and the fried chicken was very crispy but the batter was missing seasoning. It was very bland. The biscuit was dry and not hot enough. The collard greens were the highlight of my night.“

“Disappointed. The food was mediocre and a little pricey. Husband and son had the steak burger which was small and not very well seasoned. Wait staff was very nice. Ambiance is pleasant.“

“This review is for the mobile pizza oven catering experience (and not the restaurant). We had Pizzeria Verita cater our wedding fora Friday night welcome party for 100 guests, and they absolutely knocked it out of the park!! 6 stars out of 5 would recommend, you cannot beat the entire package they are offering: Sara is incredibly communicative and made the planning part a breeze, the culinary team are consummate professionals and kept the pizzas coming all night, and the pizza...OMG IT IS YUM. You cannot beat the value for money!! Honestly the Pizzeria Verita catering for our Friday event ended up being better tasting than our more formal dinner for our Saturday wedding event. Hire them!!“

“We were the 1st couple to arrive last night with no reservations and were quickly seated. Both my husband and my dinners were excellent. I ordered the pork ribs and clams and my husband had the pork schnitzel. We really enjoyed it all as well as our cocktails. It was too dark in there for me, but I got through it!“

“Came here with my husband. It was an amazing experience. Atmosphere was on point, decor, music, lighting and wonderful wait staff. Best of all the food was amazing! Try the Guava Cosmo. 5 stars!“

“Amazing food and staff! Makes one feel right at home!“

“Visiting Burlington and decided to stop by for my 1st dinner in town. I decided to order a bunch of things to try for carry out:

- House fries: 4/5, good flavor, but a bit soggy (this might be my own issue as I did carry out)

- Artichoke dip: 5/5, I ordered the GF option which came with cape cod chips. The dip was delicious and had a great flavor.

- Buffalo , WOW were these delicious. The buffalo sauce was truly one of the best I have eaten. The cauliflower was firm and coated perfectly. The house made ranch was creamy. Definitely my favorite dish.

- Empanada : 3/5, I don't love mushrooms, but wanted to give these a try because I do like jackfruit. I didn't quite love the taste on these, but that's my own personal preference. I did like the crispiness, and the cilantro lime cream dipping sauce was divine!

- Classic , These were SO good! I'm a fan of the impossible burger, but honestly it was the cheese and special sauce that made the sliders so tasty.

Overall I really look forward to coming back to visit, Despacito will become one of my go-to restaurants while in town!

Dietary restrictions: Menu is vegan. Gluten free options clearly labeled“

“This is one of those kinds of restaurants that makes you not want to leave when you’re in from out of town! A local recommended it and I’m SO glad I came. There was already a bit of a line at the door when I got there a few minutes before open. Inside the restaurant is adorable. The white bean dip with focaccia was to die for!! The burrata was a bit smaller than expected for the price but was also fabulous. Fancy’s is the new kid on the block and I fully expect to wait in an even longer line when I’m back in town next.“

“Music forward spot that's eccentric in a good way. While the live bands were switching set-ups (4 bands were playing the night we were there), the DJ in the other connected room was jamming. You can float between the two separate spaces as you want, with bars in each. There is some seating, but it's mostly standing room with a definite college crowd...although that probably had to do with the bands that were playing while we were there which were VT alumni.“

“Soothing and upbeat jazzy vibes is a quick, relaxing getaway in this hip spot in Burlington!“

“Awesome little place with soda mocktails, real alcoholic drinks, and great beer cheese. highly recommend, especially on Sunday for some great karaoke“

“Another great meal. Try the secret menu item, Maria Burger! You can’t go wrong !“

“If you're looking for excellent produce or hard to find quirky ingredients from all over the world or perhaps the perfect coffee cup or one of the greatest sandwiches you've ever had....you are in the right place at this neighborhood gem.“

“Amazing bartenders amazing drinks amazing prices I would recommend to go here to drink“

“wonderful dinning experience“

“We had the best time at Backyard Bistro. Staff was so attentive to my shellfish allergy. The food was amazing, Wine and cocktail selection was perfect. Thank you Jill and Adam Spell & staff, you continue to deliver incredible food and ambiance. Love the atmosphere and will definitely return.“

“Thé freshly made pasta makes all the difference“

“Our server was great. I ordered the fish and chips and the first one came out with raw batter in the middle. They were super apologetic and made me a new one and gave me free dessert. They also have a great list of drinks, both n/an and alcoholic.“

“Everything was so wonderful!!!!! Incredible food, great atmosphere!“

“Seated right away per our reservation at a lovely table ordered drinks and very quickly (too quickly) our meals arrived . They were absolutely delicious! But I was still sipping on my cocktail. We saved room for dessert and each ordered one. It took over 20 minutes for them to arrive. Ridiculous! Again, they were amazing but Ed waited way too long as we did for the check. They did comp the dessert at my request but it still but a damper on the evening.“

“We have been coming here since 1986 when it was a tiny spot that let us teenagers sit and drink coffee all day. They are one of Burlington’s oldest and most loved restaurants, known for their early bird Bistro dinner that serves French classics like Beef Bourgignon, Steak Frites and even gluten free Cavatappi Carbonara. Tonight it was snowing hard and the restaurant was still full and the service was terrific. It’s our go-to place for the last 35 years and I’m grateful they are still around.“

“The self serve no cash ordering system is a PIA and enough to make me not want to do business with them. The food is good enough and the atmosphere is clean and to be clear the people actually working were great. Kind prompt and happy to help. But the ownership needs to reexamine their business model.

Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly“

“Excellent experience at Barnyard Essex tonight. We arrived just before their new, earlier closing time, which we were not aware of, and the staff was courteous, friendly and more than accommodating in making sure we didn’t go away without dinner. Thank you!“