Vermont's outdoor dining season is short enough that it produces a particular kind of urgency. Not, “Let’s do this one of these weekends.” More like, “NOW.”

We’ll start by saying this is not a comprehensive list — we will inevitably leave someone out, and we're sorry in advance — but these are the spots that come up again and again when the conversation turns to eating outside in this corner of the world.

On the water in Burlington

For a city on the shore of an almost Great Lake, Burlington's “truly-on-the-water” dining options are more limited than you'd expect. But the ones that exist are the kinds of places people return to again and again.

Spot on the Dock brings a laid-back, lake-life energy to the waterfront…fresh food, a full bar, and now open for the season. It’s accessible by boat and Burlington's most direct answer to the question: where can I eat with the lake right there? Just a short walk north, Splash at the Boathouse is open daily from 11 to sunset…and dog friendly, too. And up at North Beach, Beach House, a new-ish tiki bar right on the beach off the bike path, is worth knowing about if time on some sand is part of your summer plan.

Also worth mentioning here: Foam Brewers, whose waterfront beer garden has become one of Burlington's default summer gathering spots for good reason. Lake views, live music drifting through on many evenings, and a front-row seat to the bike path and waterfront crowds make it feel woven directly into the rhythm of the city once warm weather arrives.

Still close to the lake

A short walk or drive from the waterfront, a few more spots deliver that lake-adjacent feeling…no boat required.

Shanty on the Shore on Battery Street, a Burlington original dating to 1833, has outdoor tables on a deck overlooking the harbor…the building has been on the water for two centuries for good reason, and is the place for a top-notch fried seafood basket or many other seafood specialties.

Original Skiff Fish + Oyster at Hotel Champlain Burlington has a beautiful patio at the front of the hotel with fire pits and a clear sightline across to the Adirondacks…the seafood concept paired with a rum bar and raw bar fits the setting well.

Also nearby, Juniper Bar & Restaurant at Hotel Vermont has one of the city's best outdoor terraces…elevated above Cherry Street with fire pits, cocktails, and harbor views that make lingering very easy on a summer evening.

Church Street and downtown

Church Street is the obvious destination for in-town outdoor dining, and the options are plentiful: sidewalk tables at Leunig's Bistro, Pascolo Ristorante, the newly reopened Sweetwaters, Farmhouse Tap & Grill, and E.B. Strong's Prime Steakhouse, to name a few. And a real find is the back patio at Halvorson's Upstreet Café…an oasis in the middle of downtown that many people have never seen. Quiet, shaded, sometimes with live music. Seek it out.

And speaking of places hidden in plain sight…Captain Tom's Tiki Bar, out the back door of Ken's Pizza and Pub on Bank Street, may be the only true “outdoor bar” in downtown Burlington. Tropical cocktails, frozen drinks, and people-watching as Church Street foot traffic passes by. A very Jimmy Buffet kind of good time, opening for the season right around now.

Not every outdoor meal needs to turn into a sunset dinner reservation. A few more casual spots reliably fill up outside the minute Vermont realizes it’s getting warming. Zero Gravity Brewery has a front patio on Pine Street that stays busy from sunny afternoons straight through the evening, while American Flatbread hides a cozy back patio that feels pleasantly removed from downtown despite being right in the middle of it all. And for a more brewery-driven outdoor hang, Switchback Brewing has evolved into one of the stronger casual outdoor gathering spots in the city once the weather turns warm.

A little farther afield

Waterworks Food + Drink in Winooski has one of the great outdoor patios in the area…large, heated for cooler evenings, right on the Winooski River. The people-watching is a different kind than Church Street…fishermen standing in the shallows on a calm day, kayakers navigating the rapids when the river kicks up, and occasionally, during a big storm, the rapids going from serene to something considerably less so right below the patio. It never gets old.

Out in Essex, a few newer and newly expanded outdoor setups are worth the short drive. Bramble recently added outdoor dining, bringing its polished-but-relaxed approach to a handful of outdoor tables for the season. Nearby, The Lazy Goat Tavern at The Essex Resort & Spa has one of the prettier patios around…tucked behind the resort overlooking the property's vegetable and herb gardens, with a pet-friendly setup that feels pleasantly removed from everything else. And Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling continues to draw a steady crowd with their out-front seating for drinks, food and music.

For a special occasion, Shelburne Farms is in its own category. The drive out already feels like you’re leaving everything behind, winding along the lake until the historic inn rises in the distance. The back lawn and outdoor patio overlook spectacular gardens with the lake just beyond, and the food is farm-to-table in the most literal sense possible…go early and have a drink in an Adirondack chair.

And not far down the road, In a similar spirit but a different setting, the stunning Philo Ridge Farm in Charlotte also delivers rolling pasture views of its working farm…it’s rustic elegance that actually earns the phrase. The whole property feels thoughtfully designed for lingering…whether that means a long lunch outside, a slow walk around the farm afterward, or simply sitting for a while with a glass of wine and one of the best pastoral views in the state.

Worth the drive: The Lake Champlain Islands

If you're going to do waterfront dining right and you’re up for a drive, get in the car and head north.

Shore Acres Inn & Restaurant has, in our view, the finest outdoor table anywhere in the region. The restaurant has ONE outdoor dinner table: a table for six, with a $100 reservation fee that goes entirely to local volunteer fire departments, EMTs, and the Sheriff's office. They've raised over $7,500 through that program. It's one of the more purposeful reservation fees we've encountered, and the view that comes with it is unmatched.

Even if you don't manage to reserve that one outdoor table, the main dining room still delivers some of the finest views of Lake Champlain you'll find anywhere…broad, panoramic water views that make lingering over dinner feel almost mandatory. Before or after dinner, settle into one of the Adirondack chairs on the lawn or by a fire pit and watch the lake change colors as the evening settles in. For something more casual, their Bravo Zulu lakeside bar is right next door on the water…full menu, live music, and docks for your boat if that's your situation.

The nearby North Hero House Inn & Restaurant is the other essential Islands answer for dining on the lake. The historic inn was beautifully renovated a few years ago, with both indoor and outdoor tables that face the lake. Across the street, their Pier Bar extends out over the water with lobster rolls, cocktails, and a view that makes it hard to leave. Note that there are no reservations at the Pier Bar…first come, first served.

Also worth knowing about in the Islands: the Sand Bar has a second-floor deck with panoramic views over the lake and is open daily, while Blue Paddle Bistro remains one of the region's longtime destination restaurants…the cozy, highly regarded Islands favorite has a pleasant front porch that's perfect for waiting with a drink before dinner on a summer evening.

In closing…as we said, this list undoubtedly has gaps. Outdoor dining in Vermont is practically its own summer sport, and everyone has a favorite we missed. But these are the places we return to year after year once the patios open, the lake finally loses its icy edge, and dinner outside starts sounding better than dinner anywhere else.