Cafe Provence

Completely forgot to leave this reviews in the flurry of return-​from-​vacation stress.
We stopped here for dinner (we were staying at the nearby Brandon Inn) and the burgers were fabulous! A little pricey, but well worth it for a nice dinner.
The place looked fairly crowded and seems to be very family friendly despite the fancy appearance.

Amazing. Took a last minute trip through Vermont. Ended up in Brandon. French/​American cuisine. Amazing Pâté, amazing apps, entre delicious and dessert was perfect. Bartender Lisa was great, definitely recommend.

Genuine provencale surprise. Thanks fellow Unilocalers for drawing our attention to this hidden gem on our route between Connecticut and Burlington.
Great homely French cuisine, a good choice of reasonably priced wine and a personal welcome from the chef at the end of the evening. What more could one ask for?

My hubby and I stopped here on our way from Burlington to Manchester for a quick pick-​me-​up. They were very busy, but still smiles on all the faces. Our drinks were yummy and we also had a croissant and a sticky bun. OMG the sticky bun was out of this world! We will be back!

Delicious pizza, appetizers, and some of the friendliest and most helpful service we’ve had in ages! Can’t wait to go back again.

Fantastique!
We found Café Provence as a middle ground for a birthday celebration and all of us felt the 1 hour drive was well worth the effort. We arrived for a Saturday lunch and were greeted by friendly staff and seated at a lovely table in the front window. We were then welcomed with style by Rowan our waiter. At first we were impressed by the impressive wine list and a well chosen, if more limited selection of beer. With libations out of the way we settled in to decide on food and Rowan learning that we were celebrating a birthday presented the specials with a very amusing and engaging Birthday flair. We all felt that Rowan was a superbly skilled waiter knowing just the moment to insert a witty quip and always attentive and never obtrusive!
We shared an order of the calamari which was a nice portion for four and very nicely fried with a tasty and unique marinara sauce and a deliciously prepared batch of greens on the side as a nice balance.
I had the curried mushroom soup and the spinach cheese and bacon omelett both which were excellent. It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a good french omelett and I was not disappointed. Two of us had the house made Ricotta cavatelli with truffled beurre blanc which was divine with a lemony richness that was not heavy or ponderous and enticed another bite.
For desert two of us had the superbly balanced Chocolate bomb with salted caramel sauce and Ben and Jerry’s vanilla ice cream. This delicacy melts in your mouth and the salted caramel adds a lovely juxtaposition to the creamy sweetness of the ice cream and the deep rich chocolate of the velvety cake.
Through the entire meal Rowan was able to add his humorous quips and kept us laughing for our entire stay. We left infinitely more relaxed and satisfied then when we arrived and we all had one of the most enjoyable afternoons we have had for a long time.
Viva la Provence

Pass on this, I don’t type well so will spare you the gruesome details.

Visiting from San Francisco and we heard such great reviews about this place that we had to try it! Wow, everything was absolutely delicious! And the service was super friendly.
We had the beet salad (best I’ve ever had) and the soup special (split pea) to start. This was followed by a truly stellar mussels dish and their homemade Ricotta Cavatelli with Truffled Beurre Blanc. My partner had the roasted veggie crêpe that he loved. All paired perfectly with a nice French Chardonnay.
Overall we were very satisfied with this gem of a restaurant. It has been the culinary highlight of our trip so far.

I traveled to Brandon, VT for a wedding this past weekend and was lucky enough to dine at Café Provence for dinner (AND brunch since dinner was so good I just had to go back.) I am from New York and work in the city and have all the best restaurants and cuisine at my fingertips, but I have to say this was one of the BEST meals I have had in as long as I can remember. Café Provence is a hidden gem and the crown jewel of Brandon, VT. If you are ever in the area you MUST go or you will seriously be missing out! Chef Robert is an absolute genius and his food is simply divine. Made with so much heart and passion, every bite is a vacation to France and a delectable prize for your palate. I had the beef medallions for dinner and they literally melted in my mouth and the mashed potatoes rival my Mom’s (shhh). My friend ordered the duck and it was absolutely magnificent. Even the warm bread that is served is a true testament to Vermont filled with plump berries and nuts. Despite being full we went on to dessert. We had the Chef’s tasting plate and the crème brule was of course one of the the best I’ve had — so creamy and rich, the chocolate bomb was criminal and the pumpkin cheesecake was the perfect Vermont creamy dessert with a perfect crust and delicious flavors. I have to say I get excited by food, but I have not been this blown away in a really long time. Every single item was so special and fantastic.
I loved seeing Chef Robert working in the open kitchen. He is a quiet, unassuming master at his art, yet his food speaks volumes and his confidence shines through as he owns his kitchen. What a treat to watch.
Dinner was so good that we went back for brunch and once again the eggs Benedict with smoked ham was the best I’ve ever had. I have never been so excited over a perfectly poached egg in all my life. Every bite was literally a dream! I couldn’t stop there and got the brioche french toast and it was insane; topped with Vermont syrup just put it over the top. The flavors were so rich and unique it was like eating Panetone french toast. Let me also tell you that the bloody Mary I had with brunch was also awesome in a large glass garnished with two perfectly plump olives. Every single item on the menu is delicious and I just had to share my love of this restaurant. I would literally travel back to Brandon, just to go to Café Provence. Besides the wedding, it was the highlight of my weekend, my month, my year! It is an understated restaurant, but the food is out of this world and the service was great. I just can’t reiterate enough what a pleasure it was to taste Chef Roberts food and to indulge in such a delicious culinary experience. He is so talented and well-​versed and the fact that he has set up. this restaurant in sleepy Brandon, VT is a true gift to the people there. I feel fortunate to have found this place which is now in my top 10 favorite restaurants of all time.
If I haven’t made it clear enough, please go to Café Provence. If you are seriously about good food it’s a must and all diners alike with feel lucky to have tasted the delicious French plates Chef Robert creates.
What an incredible place with out of this world food!!!

Let me preface my 5-​star review by saying that this place is definitely 5 star for Brandon. It is the restaurant that sets the standard in Brandon and until it came along I’m pretty sure there was nothing above a 3-​star eatery in town.
Meals here are consistently very good. Surprisingly good. The chef trained in France (is he French? I don’t think so, but I’m pretty sure he trained there). I’ve had some lovely dishes like the seafood stew, steaks, chicken dishes. Everything is better than you might expect. The dessert case always has very delicious looking desserts that also taste fabulous.
They also offer cooking classes and wine classes. I hear they have opened a bar/​dining area downstairs, too, that’s quite popular.
However, be prepared to WAIT for you food. I’ve never had a meal served quickly here. It always takes quite a while. The last time my family and I went it took even longer than quite a while, it took an hour for our food to come out. Anywhere else and I would be pretty unhappy, but because I know it takes a long time here, I wasn’t too bothered. The rest of my party was bothered. They did not remember having to wait for food the last times we were here. I don’t think it’s the staff. I’m pretty sure it’s the kitchen that causes the wait. And they do such a great job, most the time I’m ok with waiting.
If it weren’t for the fact I love this place and I love what it’s done for Brandon I might give it 4 stars. I’m a big fan of any place that can give its surroundings a face lift and make its town more charming just by being there and I believe Café Provence and its sister store have done just that. Since opening, other quaint shops have opened down the street. Brandon is now the sort of place I wish it had been when I was growing up nearby.

We were passing through town and stopped in for sandwiches to go. The people were nice and the restaurant was someplace I would eat at. The sandwiches, however, were very skimpy on meat and my wife said hers was not very flavorful. If you want sandwiches, you might try someplace else.

Had company from San Francisco whom we wanted to impress with a French restaurant in rural Vermont. What a disaster! We made reservation for 3 people for Thrusday, 8÷27÷15 at 6:30PM. Table was ready as almost all tables were available.
We were led to a table with 2 plate settings. The third setting was only brought to the table after we asked when the appetizers were served. Ordered a fine bottle of Brunello red wine for $ 88 only to witness a young and unexperienced server to spill some of the mussel sauce into my glass and cloth. Accidents can happen but that the main server did not have the courtesy to offer a complimentary glass of red wine (did not have to be of the same quality) was beyond belief! Instead when asking what is happening now with my empty glass, she simple answered that they will deduct $ 20 from the $ 80 wine price!
My wife and I each had veal Osso Bucco which was delicious. Our visiting son, a vegetarian, ordered a Greek pizza since there was no vegetarian dish available that evening. The bottom crust of his pizza was so much undercooked that he could not lift up the slices from the table.
When it came to pay up, the main server took the bill with my credit card only to spend about 15 minutes to chat with a person at the bar on the way to the register!!! I had to get up and tell her to do her job.
We had so much pride of having a French Restaurant in our vicinity that we could brag about among our out of state friends, but boy, never again! Very poor service, no idea about customer service and non-​commital, rude personnel! If it had not been for the Osso Bucco and the mussels, a single star rating would have been too generous!

A great experience!
Unique menu items and very friendly staff. We felt welcome despite being out-​of-​towners.
The chef really respects the art of food preparation and it showed with every dish that arrived at our table. Our server took the time to understand our dietary needs and followed up with the kitchen.
My only complaint is that the restaurant smelled strongly of cheese upon entering.
Excellent atmosphere and food! I highly recommend!

For quality, flavor and price this restaurant is unbeatable. The only drawback was that we had to wait almost an hour to be served. As an apology we were given a dessert of our choice, on the house. The Chicken Nicoise with garlic mashed potatoes was amazing.

This place is GOOD. We’ve been coming here for years for everything from a casual light lunch to a big dinner with family and they hit the ball out of the park every time.
That’s all.

Lovely spot… excellent french bistro with a VT feel. Pleasant service and nice wine list. They also own a bakery/​deli/​wine shop down the street with an excellent breakfast/​lunch offering but also a wide selection of wines & beers.
Stop by & then browse some of the other local shops in town

Food was amazing. I had the Crab Cake bennies and my fiancé had the French toast. Our appetizer was taking a while and they brought out a free bowl of soup as a tasting as an apology. Great service. Great price. Will certainly come back here any time I am in the area.

As you walk in it is very welcoming. The open kitchen immediately draws your eye and it is very clean and organized. There are 4 places to sit and watch the goings on in the kitchen. The chef/​owner is at the helm impeccably dressed in his whites. Roomy dining area with lots of natural light. I arrived after 2pm on a Monday and the dining room was busy. Service was fine but the food was wonderful and good value for the money. The menu has a nice lunch selection and the desserts in the case are just waiting to be enjoyed. I would recommend this establishment to friends passing through.

Vermont is full of surprises. Following a recent Argentine wine tasting at Café Provence, we decided to stay for dinner. Having been to this restaurant a number of times in the past few years, mostly for lunch, this was the perfect excuse for dinner.
Situated in the small and charming town of Brandon, Café Provence offers French fare in a comfortable and easy-​going atmosphere. The restaurant, as with so many places in Vermont incorporates much local produce; be it beef, beer, cheeses or veggies. My wife ordered crab cakes while I decided on escargots in puff pastry. Given that the Chef excels in pastry, the dish blended really light and beautifully made pastry with the snails.
For entrees, my wife again returned to the Moules Marinieres, steamed mussels. As we often have «moules» in France, this is a good comparison; Café Provence passed the taste test flawlessly. Properly cooked mussels in a savory white wine, tomato and shallot sauce.
I ordered a beef burger, not my usual choice, but the grass– fed beef and veggies came from local farms and tasted ever so fresh.
We finished with Café Gourmand, the coffee was good but the pastries on the plate again showed the Chef at his best .
Service is Ok, but could be better. …
Overall Café Provence is well worth the visit. And yes, they have a small pastry and wine shop down the street.

My husband had a duck an I seafoos, it was amazing… The desert (sorbet and chocolat bomb) was delicious too!
Nice surprise this dinner!