The pandemic continues to keep many eateries and craft brew outlets closed to on-premises service. With a vaccine becoming available, a return to normal operations is on the horizon. In the meantime, diners are looking for ways to get together for a drink or a meal and still be relatively safe. 

Outdoor dining is the perfect solution. Too cold, you say? This is Vermont. When did a little cold stop us? Throw in a wood fire or a patio heater, and we’re golden.

Here’s a pair of eateries that have stepped up to the plate to provide a place for intrepid Vermonters eager to gather together for food, drink, and friendship. 

Juniper at The Hotel Vermont

Located in downtown Burlington near the shores of Lake Champlain, Hotel Vermont combines rustic and modern to create a uniquely Vermont home-away-from-home.  With three great eateries mere steps from the hotel, the Cherry Street dining scene provides locally sourced cuisine, indoor two-hour free parking, and a vibrant atmosphere for drinks, dinner, and dessert.
Juniper offers diners the ambiance of a wood fire either in the open hearth by the bar or out on the terrace overlooking Lake Champlain. They’re open for take-out seven nights a week and Wednesday through Sunday for indoor dining and drinking. You can get cozy either inside or out, and enjoy an evening of comforting food, tasty cocktails, beer, and wine. 

Their beer program is built on relationships with brewers, maltsters, and those who love beer. Juniper offers its guests what it considers to be the best beers in the world. From crisp lagers brewed on Pine Street to juicy New England IPAs only found at the restaurant, beer is a highlight of the Juniper experience.

Zero Gravity Taproom

Zero Gravity Craft Brewery opened in May 2004 in Burlington inside a restaurant known as American Flatbread Burlington Hearth. One of the distinguishing elements of the beers at Zero Gravity is adherence to the qualities of the classic beer styles that make those beers great.
When production maxed out at Flatbread, the South End location opened in 2015. The new space allows for a 30-barrel brewhouse, along with a full canning line. This location offers a spacious taproom, retail shop, and patio.

Outdoor seating is available, with 12 tables in the outdoor, heated, and dog-friendly patio section. There are seven additional tables in the unheated area. Hours of operation are noon to 8pm, daily. Takeout and curbside pickup also available.