Mirabelles Café
198 Main St., Burlington, mirabellescafe.com
Enter this sunny Main Street bakery-café — a BTV staple since 1990 — and you’ll be greeted with a buttery scent. The tantalizing aroma is just one of Mirabelles’ many charms. The crowds come for the sweets stacked in tiered trays and glass cases — croissants, cinnamon buns, French macarons, meringues and more. The sit-down menu specializes in more savory fare. We dig the popover breakfast, heaped with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and lemon-shallot crème fraîche.
August First Bakery & Café
149 S. Champlain St., Burlington, augustfirstvt.com
Laptops and tablets are off-limits at this screen-free café — so you’ll have to actually strike up a conversation with someone over a delicious mocha and fresh-made pastry.
Nunyun’s Bakery & Café
139 N. Champlain St., Burlington, nunyuns.com
This bright Old North End café pairs a living-room vibe with egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos and buttery French toast.
Penny Cluse Café
169 Cherry St., Burlington, pennycluse.com
The long lines are a testament to this café’s eternal popularity. Try the Zydeco Breakfast — two eggs any style, black beans, corn muffins and andouille sausage.
Sneakers Bistro
28 Main St., Winooski, sneakersbistro.com
Weekend brunch at this retro café is legendary, and the daily specials are always eclectic. The classic eggs Benedict is a home run.
The Spot
210 Shelburne Rd., Burlington, thespotvt.com
Chill out at this surf-inspired space, where the menu features breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros and several omelettes.
The Swingin’ Pinwheel Café and Bakery
11 Center St., Burlington, theswinginpinwheel.com
Grab a stuffed popover or wafflini — that’s a waffle sandwich — at this Western-themed bakery. The cowboy coffee is strong enough to bring you back to life.
This article appears in What’s Good 2016: The Seven Days Field Guide to Burlington.
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