Simon Pearce Restaurant

The Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee occupies one of the most extraordinary settings of any dining room in Vermont: a historic stone grist mill perched above the Ottauquechee River gorge, where waterfalls visible through the dining room windows provide an atmospheric backdrop to every meal. The restaurant is embedded within the broader Simon Pearce glass and ceramics enterprise, and every table is set with handblown glassware and wheel-thrown pottery produced in the workshop below the dining room — making the meal itself an experience of Vermont craft.

The kitchen takes a contemporary American approach built on Vermont farm sourcing and New England seasonal ingredients. Vermont lamb, prepared with seasonal accompaniments that change with the growing calendar — spring herbs in early summer, root vegetable preparations in autumn — is the signature protein and a dish for which the restaurant has earned lasting regional recognition. Pan-seared salmon from sustainable waters arrives with locally grown vegetables and herbaceous preparations. The Simon Pearce chocolate lava cake, a dessert that has anchored the menu for many years, remains one of the most-requested finishes to the meal.

The dining room is warm and romantic, with stone walls, wide-plank floors, and candlelight that reflects in the handblown glass on each table. River views through the large windows are beautiful in every season — particularly in autumn when the foliage transforms the surrounding hills. The atmosphere suits special occasions without feeling unnecessarily formal. Dress is smart-casual. Service is attentive and well-informed about both the food and the craft enterprise visible from the dining room.

The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made through the Simon Pearce website or by phone. Quechee is located in central Vermont, near the village of Woodstock.