L'Amante, Burlington

Service was excellent. The linguine, salmon and roe selection was lacking in flavor and the creamy mouth feel I'd hoped for, and was the only miss for the evening. Entrees of (quail and duck) were perfectly prepared and delicious. Wine selection was impressive - the staff offered a tasting of two wines that helped us make our final selection for dining, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We will return.

The food is impressive. The service is excellent and professional. The wine selection is upscale yet not unreasonable. The party of eight I went with ordered almost all the appetizers on the menu, and only one fell below expectations, it was an odd artichoke rendition of bruschetta which I found not not to work as it might have been intended to. Other than that everything was far above par and cooked perfectly.

It's hard to believe the other reviewers were eating at the same restaurant! L'Amante can't be beat for lighter Italian fare (for heavier go to Trattoria Delia). The potato crusted sea bass is incredibly buttery but delicate and cooked to perfection--the best fish I've had in a restaurant. I would have the winter dish of gnocchi with pork and cherry delivered to my door every day in February if I could. If you don't want to overdo it on the pasta dishes, they are also offered as small plates or half portions--just the right size to leave room to enjoy more options such as the creative desserts! Amazing wine--had a Brunello (special)that was other-worldly.If you're not sure what to pair with your meal, I've never been disappointed with staff recommendations. Other drink options are wonderful and beautifully presented--my favorite is the pomegrantini--a delicate crust of sugar around the rim of the glass (careful, you will want to devour the foam with your finger). Liver pate and a very light hummus with the bread?! What a nice change from garlic in olive oil. Great attentive and friendly service. Only drawback is slightly noisy venue and some close tables (get the corner table with bench seating if you can) and the ability to run up quite a bill but it is all worth it. My first restaurant of choice in Burlington.

Very good upscale Italian food with excellent small plate options. The best dish on the menu is taleggio stuffed squash blossom fritters with honey and truffle oil. Fabulous gnocchi and a good bolognese but the salumi plate was a disappointment (on more than one occasion). Interior is sleek and has a fun "see and be seen vibe". The service is efficient and the servers have a good knowledge of their extensive wine selection.

Zagat editors are eager to hear your opinion on this restaurant, which we've identified as one of the area's most notable. Add your review and tell us - and your fellow ZAGAT.com members - what you think.

I have been living in Vermont for the past 6 years (4 yrs. in college then 2 yrs. as a ski bum) and from travelling as far down as an hour down Rt. 89 to rural Vermont towns to Burlington restaurants, L'amante is my reinging favorite... From the absolutely fantastic squash blossom fritters, zucchini flowers dipped in a tempura batter and drizzled with honey and truffle oil (melt in your mouth), to the house favorite Penne Bolognese, a decadent creamy twist on a traditional Italian meatsauce, L'amante has got it down. Entrees are hearty and cooked to perfection everytime I have dined there. Best seafood dish in town, the Potato crusted Sea Bass over greens and a citrus beur blanc sauce will be a dish you will rave about.. Everything is made in house, not sitting in a fridge for weeks, and the desserts are all hommade with hefty portions. The wine list is the best in town. If you like Italian reds, go in for a smooth Brunllo or a more rustic Barolo. The list won't let you down. Service is greeted with a smile and they know when to leave you alone and when to be attentive. A class act for sure. If you want the best food and service in town, along with an up-and-coming Martini Bar, check out L'amante, you won't be let down. Italian: L'amante French: Lunigs Asian: Single Pebble Sanwiches: Red Onion Glass of Wine: Tratoria de Lia

We have to say, had great expectations to start with. L'Amante came VERY highly recommended from one coworker, and given a mediocre review by another. A very contemporary / modern take on Italian. My wife and I are food freaks, and I worked in the resturaunt business waiting tables and working my way up the to cook, so we're a pretty tough sell. Dinners out are an event for us, and usually run for 2 hours or more. We had a bottle of Pinot Bianco, Squash blossom fritters, roast duck over starch with minted fruits, scallops with risotto and rabe, in-house chocolate ice cream. Food presentation was visually very nice. Total bill $102 plus tax/tip, a little over an hour total time. We left 20% for the waitress, as we usually do. Here goes: The wine list was extensive, and the Pinot Bianco we settled on was supberb. By far the high point of the meal. The bread came with a pate and some hummus. The hummus was watery and weak. The pate was nothing better than what I've had from the supermarket. Earthy, and almost gamey. I don't know, maybe it's an organic pate or something. The Squash blossoms were interesting, but dominated mainly by the batter and the honey-based drizzle. Tasty, but not anything great. Good texture. The duck was a breast section and a leg section over starch with minted fruit. The breast was juicy, but very stringy. The leg dry and tough. Minted fruit means melon and grape slices with mint. Good flavor, poor consistency. The scallops were VERY tender, but very mild, lacking any seafood flavor as well. The risotto cake was GREAT, but the rabe's lacked flavor. A good base, but nothing great. Better than the duck though. The homemade chocolate ice cream was good, but no better than a Ben & Jerry's bought at a local scoop shop. I mean, it's good, but not great. The service was attentive, and took care of us, but was again, nothing to write home about. The waitress was polite, and never pushy, but not invisible. The dining room is one large open space, with clean lines. A nice glassware station at one side, a nice bar by the entrance. Tables spaced nicely about the center of the space, with a bench-type seating against the wall with one side of the table being a bench, and the other side chairs. Well lit and open, but lacking any quiet corners. Atmosphere in general was good, but lacked character and the "relax and stay awhile" feel. In closing, I'd say it's a nice spot to stop in for a glass of wine and an appetizer, but I'd save my appetite (and my checkbook) for somewhere else. We recommend Leunigs for French, A Single Pebble for Asian, and Trattoria Delia for Itaian. All within 3 blocks of L'Amante. Don't get us wrong, L'Amante's good, but there's better. Far better. Our apolgies to anyone who disagrees, maybe we got a new cook, or some bad portions or something. I hate to give unfavorable reviews, and I tried to mention the good as much as the not-so-good. I'm sorry to say we won't be going back for anything past the wine list.

Without a doubt, the best Italan restaurant in Burlington. The chef/owner uses authentic, fresh Italian ingredients. Service is always timed perfectly and with a smile. I have been to L'Amante's several times and have never been let down by the food. Atmosphere is very inviting. Try the squash blossom fritters appetizer!

I went here on my birthday , and I was very disappointed my fish was so undercooked that it was not even cuttable with my knife. It also took them over thirty minutes to return my fish. Otherwise I found the appetizers overpriced and small. I will not return and I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

The food isn't bad--just not exceptional. When I pay $150 for a couple for dinner and drinks and I get slightly better than average food, it doesn't make me want to go back in a hurry. The Bolognese sauce is quite good, but it isn't haut cusine.