By Outbound Hotels
These eleven eateries make the case that outstanding adventuring isn’t the only thing on the menu in and around this skiing, hiking, and biking paradise
Most trips to Stowe are all about skiing, hiking, biking, and soaking up the small town vibes. Activities are the export, but any mountain town worth its salt can complement the get-up-and-go with some sit-down-and-eat. After all, the belt-tightening tradition of après was invented in ski towns like Stowe (and extends well beyond winter, by the way). The area is home to more eateries than per-capita guesses would wager. The absolute best restaurants in Stowe, VT, satiate with more than good food made with the local ingredients Vermont is known for; stellar views of the surrounding scenery are on the menu too.
Read on for our selection of the 11 best Stowe, VT, restaurants—including pizzerias, pubs, and fine dining—where the cuisine is matched by the area’s unique setting.
Eastside Bar + Bites
Address: 876 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
The on-site eatery at Outbound Stowe is a vibe. Smash burgers, spicy chicken sandwiches, wings, fish tacos, and more are served indoors, outdoors, and poolside, just steps away from the Stowe Recreation Path and the mountain biking trails at Cady Hill. Bucking mountain town traditional wood beams and dim lighting, Eastside is bright and breezy. An extensive and creative cocktail menu, which includes an entire section dedicated to tiki drinks, is available to make sure you stay bright and breezy too.
Piecasso
Address: 1899 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
Every small town needs its family pizza joint. In Stowe, that’s Piecasso. The restaurant’s location between the ski resort and downtown makes it a common stop for those on the way home from a hike or a day on the slopes. Pony up to the funky bar for a couple of slices and a beverage as an affordable afternoon refill, or bring the entire family to dig into full specialty pies like the Tree Hugger and explore an extensive menu that goes far beyond pizza into Italian American classics like chicken parm and stromboli.
American Flatbread
Address: 1190 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
Piecasso may be Stowe’s local pizzeria, but American Flatbread (or just “Flatbread,” per the locals) is a Vermont institution. The Stowe outpost is set in the former home of The Rusty Nail, a famed music venue where the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Muddy Waters once played. Now a sedan-sized wood-fired oven takes center stage, and the pizzas that emerge from it are thin, crispy, and topped with ingredients from local farms and purveyors. To-go is an option, but the homey atmosphere inside and patio seating outside are worth experiencing.
Cork
Address: 35 School St, Stowe, VT 05672
Located half a block back from the main downtown drag, this bottle shop-slash-restaurant has all the hallmarks of modern fine dining but none of the pretension. A rotating cast of small plates—think heirloom tomato toasts, hamachi and local veg, local beef with foie gras mousse, or a smashburger for the more timid—complements an expansive list of natural wines that includes bottles from Vermont’s small yet acclaimed cadre of winemakers. When the weather’s nice, Cork’s patio is the perfect place to post up and taste the terroir.
Plate
Address: 91 S Main St, Stowe, VT 05672
Vermont runs by the seasons and so does the menu at Plate, which is subject to change depending on what’s coming out of the ground and off the farm. No matter when you book a table at this Stowe, VT, restaurant, the dishes here tend to be lighter, drawing inspiration from food pioneered in California at places like the hallowed Chez Panisse, where Plate’s chef did a turn. The room feels like a neighborhood pub done up a little brighter but, like the food, without fuss or pretension.
The Dining Room and Tavern at Edson Hill
Address: Edson Hill, 1500 Edson Hill Rd Suite 1, Stowe, VT 05672
The main draw of eating at Edson Hill might be the location. Set on 38 acres in the forested hills just north of town, the inn’s property includes a manor house, guest houses, and barns. Like all good inns, it has a dining room and a bar room, and both are open to the public for dining—reservation required except for bar stools—but you’ll want to sit on the patio. From there, there’s little between you and the Green Mountain view (except maybe a cocktail and some crudo).
Von Trapp Brewing & Bierhall
Address: 1333 Luce Hill Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
Vermont is well-known in the world of hazy, hoppy beers, but when Johannes von Trapp began a brewing operation at his family’s lodge, he set his sights on European-style lagers and pilsners. That struck a chord, and now the 30,000-square-foot brewery pumps out 36,000 barrels per year. The scene inside evokes the Old Continent, with banners hanging from the high rafters and a food menu featuring pretzels, schnitzel, and bratwurst. Von Trapp Family Lodge’s bike trails and disc golf course are nearby, and the vast patio, where fires often blaze, offers Nordic ski-in, ski-out access in the winter.
Alpine Hall & Tipsy Trout
Address: 7412 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
Alpine Hall and Tipsy Trout are two different restaurants, but they occupy the same facility at Spruce Peak in the Stowe ski trail base area. At Alpine Hall, the open kitchen cranks out a highly local and seasonal menu in a vast space. The cozier Tipsy Trout slings oysters by the dozen alongside hand rolls and other seafaring specialties. Both feature big views of the slopes just outside the door.
The Matterhorn
Address: 4969 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
Once voted North America’s number one après-ski bar, the Matterhorn is more about the scene than the dining. The sushi, wings, spiced fries, and brick oven pies are all solid, but it’s the old school ski town tavern feel—the big bar, the plank ceiling, the photos on the walls—that you’re really after here. The outdoor and riverside seating is lovely, but after a certain time of day, all the action is indoors.
Prohibition Pig
Address: 23 S Main St, Waterbury, VT 05676
Stowe’s scenery is one you won’t feel the need to leave behind, but if you’re in the mood for a jaunt, the barbecue at Prohibition Pig in nearby Waterbury is a good reason for it. Vermont isn’t known for barbecue, but the smoked meats menu here—chopped pork, brisket, hot sausage, ribs, wings, plus pickles and slaw of course—speaks for itself, loudly. Pro Pig is also a brewery, and there’s a full list worthy libations to pair with whatever you put on your plate.
Gallus
Address: 92 Stowe St, Waterbury, VT 05676
Also in Waterbury, and operated by the same group that runs Pro Pig, Gallus is your go-to in the Stowe area for handmade pasta. Livestock feed was once produced in the early 1800s mill where the restaurant is set, but now pappardelle, campanelle, and tagliatelle—all made from scratch and dressed up with local ingredients—are the house speciality.
