La Reprise
388 Pine St., lareprisewines.com
A wine bar, restaurant, wine shop and market all at the same time, La Reprise is a place to eat and drink. But as stunning as chef Brian Popov’s pasta, seafood and tomato toast can be, the succinct menu’s greater goal is to make you thirsty. Sip a chilled red on the patio or in the seasonal garden out front, or linger over a perfect pairing in the restaurant — think grilled swordfish with a Corsican rosé, or chicken confit with Côtes du Rhône blanc. Not sure where to start? The shop offers free tastings every Thursday, and owner Ari Sadri and his team can swiftly guide you to something special, like a California pinot noir that hasn’t been available in Vermont in decades. They’ll give you the full story behind the bottle, complete with tasting notes that could be poetry.
Brio Coffeeworks
266 Pine St., Suite 116, briocoffeeworks.com
Brio keeps much of Vermont caffeinated with its robust wholesale biz. But its Soda Plant coffee bar rewards those who journey to the source with excellent espresso drinks, flash-chilled iced coffees and seasonal specials, including a sprinkle-topped Maple Creemee Nitro that made our summer. The space is bright and cheery, just like Brio’s light bulb logo, and stopping by is always a great idea.
Burlington Beer
180 Flynn Ave., burlingtonbeercompany.com
More is more at Burlington Beer. The sprawling taproom offers 20 house brews on draft; staff-curated flights; and cider, wine, kombucha, cocktails and nonalcoholic options for non-beer drinkers. It’s not complicated to sip a hazy double IPA called It’s Complicated Being a Wizard — or its variants, Little Wizard, Dank Wizard, Grove Wizard and Lunar Wizard. They’re all spellbinding.
Nomad Coffee
208 Flynn Ave., Suite 3I, nomadcoffeebtv.com
This funky brick-walled, industrial-chic space makes for a fun hangout. But the drinks are great, too, from flat whites, Americanos and iced coffees made with Brio beans to golden milk lattes, seasonal lemonade and blackberry matcha. Housemade flavors such as spicy mocha and rose-cardamom jazz things up even more. Pair your beverage with a pastry, or grab breakfast until 1 p.m.
Queen City Brewery
703-B Pine St., queencitybrewery.com
Queen City is old school in the best way. While other breweries chase hazy crazes and hop on the latest trends, the crew here sticks to European styles such as schwarzbier and Scotch ale. Bask in the various traditions while you sit and drink barley wine or an extra-special bitter around the pub’s 50-year-old mahogany bar — there’s probably a cute dog or two underfoot.
Scout
696 Pine St., scoutvt.com
Coffee and homemade ice cream in the same place? Sign us up. The third location of this local biz set up shop in the South End in 2022. Like its other cafés, this plant-filled space uses a rotating roster of roasters from Vermont and around the country, sourcing from BIPOC-, queer- and women-owned businesses. And where else can you get a scoop of gochujang chile crisp ice cream?
Speeder & Earl’s Coffee
412 Pine St., speederandearls.com
The South End has run on Speeder’s Blend since the family-owned café opened on Pine Street in 1993 — six years before “third-wave coffee” was a thing. More than 30 years on, the cozy café’s drinks are still big, and the coffee’s still affordable: Think $3 for a 20-ounce cup of drip and $14.99 for a full pound of maple French roast beans.
This article appears in Art Hop Guide • 2026.
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