8 Coziest, Best Burlington Vermont Coffee Shops to Visit in 2024

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Looking for cool Burlington VT coffee shops? I fully got you.

I lived in Burlington for several years and went to its local coffee shops nearly every day. So I’ve spent countless hours sipping coffee in Burlington and checking out the vibe of each place.

While I no longer live in Burlington, I visit a few times per year, and hitting up a few of my favorite Burlington coffee shops is a must. And some of the best ones have been there for years. May they never leave!

There’s a lot to see & do here in Burlington, but when you need a quick break, these 7 cozy coffee shops will help you refuel.

8 of the Best Burlington VT Coffee Shops

Muddy Waters

Interior of a dark Burlington, Vermont coffee shop with dark wooden walls and ceilings. In the forefront, a warm wood table is surrounded by chairs where two coffees sit.
Look up cozy coffee shops in the dictionary and I’m pretty sure this place pops up for reference.

Muddy Waters is very much a Burlington coffee shop staple. There’s a laidback, hipster vibe that is unquestionably “Vermont.” One of the highlights of this shop is its decor, which is rustic and cool and incorporates a lot of wood. It’s a little bit like a Hobbit hole!

Muddy Waters is popular with locals and college students, and is known as a great place to relax with a book and a beverage. In addition to tasty coffee & tea, you can enjoy bagels, desserts, gelato, smoothies, and fresh juices.

Interior of a warm coffee shop in Burlington, Vermont with brick walls and lots of plants on bookshelves. In the forefront, two tables are surrounded by chairs.
Looking for places to get coffee in downtown Burlington? Here ya go!

Muddy Waters is right in the heart of downtown Burlington just a block or so from bustling Church Street.

Essential Info:

Onyx Tonics

Onyx Tonics joined the roster of coffee shops in Burlington VT back in 2016. This coffee shop strives to be a little different than your usual spot as they feature a constantly rotating menu. Every week, new coffees are offered, reflecting the changing seasons and a desire to celebrate the variety of roasts. This means every visit you could try something new!

A creature of habit, I always had a maple latte, but damn, are they good! Extremely well balanced and of course, bedecked with professional latte art.

A cup of coffee on a table with latte art in Burlington VT.
How pretty is this latte??

The staff is especially nice at Onyx Tonics—an extra special touch as today’s hipster barista can often be a bit aloof. They were smiling and friendly here and I enjoyed working for a few hours in the cute, quirky shop. There weren’t too many people around either, so it didn’t feel overly crowded.

Onyx Tonics has some awesome pop art style pieces on the wall, where you’ll see some familiar faces! There’s beloved Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Nicholas Cage, Game of Thrones‘ Peter Dinklage, “The Dude,” Jared Leto, and even Barb from Stranger Things!

Interior of a Burlington VT cafe with pop art on the wall. Light wood tables are found inside surrounded by green metal chairs.
Pop art is always a good addition to a coffee shop.

Essential Info:

  • 126 College St.
  • Hours: Monday-Saturday 8am-5pm, Sunday 9am-4pm

Speeder & Earl’s

Another contender for one of the best coffee shops in Burlington VT is the iconic Speeder & Earl’s. This family-owned small batch roastery has been bringing tasty beans to the region for more than 20 years.

Speeder & Earl’s brews up drinks at their location in the South End Arts District, an area of Burlington that has exploded in the past several years. Once populated by industrial type buildings, the South End is now filled with art galleries, breweries, and quirky shops.

Coffee counter in a Burlington VT cafe with coffee lining the counter. Behind the counter is a black menu with white writing and a black and red checkerboard design lining the menu.
Just a really cool coffee shop in a really cool area of town.

Speeder & Earl’s takes its roasting and brewing seriously, and has established as a coffee house Burlington knows and loves. Their cafe has a very relaxed vibe, making it a top place to sit and work for a couple hours. On a recent visit I chose a blended sort of chocolaty iced espresso drink called a Mud Season. Amazing!

Essential Info:

  • 412 Pine St.
  • M-F 6:30am-6:00pm, Sat & Sun 8:00am-5:00pm

Kru Coffee Collective

A freshly brewed latte with artful foam design sits in a vibrant blue cup on a wooden table, embodying the cozy ambiance of a Burlington, VT coffee shop.

I was able to visit Kru Coffee Collective on my last visit to Burlington, and one visit was enough to convince me to add Kru to the list of best coffee shops in town.

For one thing, the location is excellent; right at the tippity-top of Church Street, you can literally sit at the window and enjoy views of the iconic Church steeple alongside your drink.

Outdoor seating at a café in Burlington, Vermont, featuring turquoise chairs on brick pavement, with the iconic steeple of the First Unitarian Universalist Church rising in the background under a clear blue sky
Interior of a Burlington, Vermont café showcasing a geometric-patterned counter, ornate white columns, and cozy lounge seating, with ambient lighting creating a welcoming atmosphere for coffee aficionados

Kru is also a family-owned business and they take coffee seriously. One of the owners, Ryan Miller has even developed a unique cold brew extraction process (Brubender Extraction Technology).

I had a terrific (you guessed it) maple latte here.

Essential Info:

  • 2 Church St, Burlington, VT 05401
  • Hours: 8am-5pm daily

Vivid Coffee (Formerly New Moon)

Spacious café in Burlington, Vermont, with an eclectic mix of wooden tables, plush seating, and modern wall planters, highlighted by a striking chandelier and a warm, inviting fireplace

Vivid Coffee is the newest and perhaps largest space of all the coffee shops on this list, and in some ways, it is the most work-friendly of the spots.

There is plenty of seating and electrical outlets and if you’re looking for a cozy spot, the fireplace near the front of the cafe is extremely welcoming on a cold day.

But let’s talk about the coffee! Vivid Coffee Roasters is a brand of coffee that is served up at many of the other Burlington coffee shops on this list, and this particular coffee shop is their first brick and mortar cafe. The coffee here is so, so, SO good.

You might remember when this place used to be New Moon, but now New Moon is a catering company and plot twist, they are located just upstairs.

Essential Info:

  • 150 Cherry St.
  • Open M-F 7am-pm
  • S/S 8am-4pm

Scout & Co

To find the best coffee in Burlington VT, you just might have to head into its Old North End. Here you’ll find the original location of Scout & Company and all of the charm it offers. The O.N.E. location is just about a mile north of downtown Burlington, making for an easy drive or bike ride. There’s an adjacent parking garage, making your life a lot easier.

Inside of a Burlington, Vermont cafe with white walls and large windows. In the forefront, two black mugs sit on a wooden table filled with coffee. In the distance, two people stand.
This Burlington VT coffee shop always feels so fresh and bright inside.

Scout & Co. is light, bright, and airy, with huge windows and plenty of sunlight. Seating is abundant, and electrical outlets aren’t hard to find (good news for the working gal or guy). And the main question on your mind: how’s the coffee? Tremendous and gorgeous. See Exhibit A below.

But this location also boasts house-made ice cream in unique flavors, pastries, and waffles. We won’t lie to you. The waffles we had at Scout & Co. were literally the best we’ve ever had. Golden buttery and perfectly crisped. You won’t find a better waffle in town. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you need to order the Wafflegato, a waffle topped with ice cream & espresso.

A plate of food on a table, featuring coffee in a blue mug and a waffle with butter on it at a Burlington VT coffee shop.
As delicious as this looks, it tasted even better.

There are two other locations of Scout & Co. on Pine Street and in nearby Winooski (with an on-site coffee roastery).

Essential Info:

  • Scout ONE – 237 North Ave  // Hours: M-Th 7am-5pm, F 7am-6pm, S/S 8am-6pm
  • Scout Victory Circle –  East Allen St, Winooski // M-Th 7am-5pm, F 7am-6pm, S/S 8am-6pm
  • Scout South End – 696 Pine St, Burlington  // M-Th 7am-5pm, F 7am-6pm, S/S 8am-6pm

The Cosmic Grind

The Cosmic Grind is pretty much everything you want when you ask where to get coffee in Burlington, Vermont. It’s dog friendly, it’s got cool art on the walls, it’s super cozy, and of course, the coffee menu is killer! You can even get CBD-infused beverages at this Church Street coffee shop.

The interior is pretty small, but this cozy little coffee place serves up delicious baked goods and exceptional beverages in a very interesting atmosphere. The intergalactic decor and the plants make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world… a world with wicked good coffee.

Essential Info:

  • 104 Church St
  • M-F 8:30-4, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-5pm

Brio Coffeeworks

Brio Coffeeworks is a woman-owned specialty roaster, retail boutique, and coffee bar located on Pine Street in the South End. I know I’ve said this before, so you probably won’t believe me anymore, but I swear I had one of the best maple lattes ever at Brio Coffeeworks. And it was made for me by an award-winning barista!

Two cappuccinos with delicate foam art, one in a red cup and the other in a pink cup, served on a terrazzo countertop, symbolizing the vibrant coffee culture in a Burlington, Vermont café.

This small little coffee bar located amongst the other shops in the Soda Plant, a small business collective in the South End. It’s 100% worth a visit to grab a coffee, and then peruse the shops in the area.

Essential Info:

  • 266 Pine Street, Suite 116 Burlington, VT
  • Mon-Thurs 8am-2pm
  • Fri-Sun 8am-4pm

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Promotional image for 'Burlington VT Coffee Shops' featuring a close-up of a barista pouring milk into a glass of iced coffee, with the swirling mix of coffee and cream creating a visual feast, captioned 'New England With Love'.
Cover image for an article titled '8 Best Burlington Vermont Coffee Shops', featuring a steaming latte with intricate foam art in a mustard yellow cup, set against a soft-focus background, by 'New England With Love'."