To celebrate America's 250th birthday, my wife and I chose a restaurant with history to match the occasion--Ye Olde Tavern in Manchester, Vermont, a landmark dating back to circa 1790. It was the perfect setting for a memorable holiday dinner. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with friendly, attentive service from our server, Jamie. The ambiance was warm, inviting, and rich with history, making us feel like we had stepped back in time. We started with an Old Fashioned made with Smugglers' Notch bourbon for me and a refreshing Blueberry Refresher for my wife. The homemade cranberry fritters served with Vermont maple butter were an outstanding way to begin the meal. Next came bowls of the delicious Cheddar & Ale Onion Soup, followed by the Maple Butter & Walnut Encrusted Brie served with Vermont apples and toasted baguette--an excellent combination of sweet, savory, and crunchy flavors. Our entrees were preceded by fresh field greens salads with balsamic vinaigrette and blue cheese crumbles, along with warm, freshly baked bread. I thoroughly enjoyed the Traditional Pot Roast--tender brisket slow-cooked in the tavern's Circa 1790 Amber Ale with rich pan gravy. My wife chose the Scrod with pumpkin seeds, butter, Chardonnay, and lemon, which was perfectly prepared and beautifully balanced. To finish, we shared the Cranberry & Apple Crisp topped with local vanilla ice cream and whipped cream--a fittingly New England ending to an exceptional meal. The combination of outstanding food, welcoming hospitality, and the unique historic atmosphere made for a wonderful dining experience. If you're visiting Manchester, Ye Olde Tavern is well worth a visit, especially if you're looking to enjoy classic Vermont cuisine in one of the state's most historic settings. read more

Ye Olde Tavern - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

Amazing, went for a walk in on February Saturday night for 2 and got seated at the bar. This is such a cozy place to eat and the food is delicious and decently priced. I would highly recommend visiting. Lobster bisque, pot roast, crab cakes and elk sausages were amazing!!! read more

See all

Very nice Old traditional Vermont venue. The folks try and make you feel very comfortable.

We loved the atmosphere in this charming tavern, from its small bar and excellent cocktails to the perfect, friendly service and large menu. We'll be back! read more

Whenever we go to Manchester my husband insists we have to have dinner here. Historic building Ambience is Colonial charm and all of the comfort food you can imagine. The staff are very nice and go out of their way to make sure you have an enjoyable read more

Ye Olde Tavern - For starters French onion soup - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

Completely unimpressed, just pure laziness from the kitchen. Chicken Picatta over Ziti?? Come on. Food was cold, little flavor and didn't even bother to filet the chicken. Just a big rip off, much better places to eat in Manchester than this place. All 3 people agreed, food was sub par for the pricing, my nephews rib eye was all fatty, my nieces duck was dry as shoe leather. Never again. read more

Food was incredible! We had the shrimp bisque as an appetizer which was so creamy and rich. We also then each got the chicken pot pie which was to die for (and had more than enough to bring home for lunch the next day)! Our server Jamie was so diligent amongst a dinner rush crowd even when he got 3 tables at once. Had great recommendations and we didn't have any wait! The cranberry bread and salad that came with dinner was also great! The ambiance was so homey and inviting especially with the fall decor! The reason for the lost star was the hostess was rude and impatient and seemed very overwhelmed with the 6pm rush, but otherwise everything was great!! read more

See all

The most tasteful thing at Ye Olde Tavern was the building itself, and it's been around since the 1700s, so that tells you something. After dressing to fit the vibe, we loved the cozy, historic ambiance. Unfortunately, the food never made it out of the 18th century. Apple fritters: about the size and density of pinballs. We managed to split one. 3.5/10. Salad: large-cut leaves, pre-dressed on a tiny plate with blue cheese crumbles. You can't fit a bite without wearing it. Tasted fine, but ergonomically disastrous. 6.5/10 Lobster bisque: served at room temperature. Is this safe to eat? Taste was not offensive, but not exciting. 6.0/10 They do grind fresh black pepper on your salad. Enjoy. It's the only seasoning you'll see all night. Turkey dinner: half a slice of plain turkey, over two spoonfuls of celery-flavored stuffing, and green beans apparently boiled in water, and existential despair. $30+ for food that went mostly untouched. 4.0/10 Service was quick, and friendly, but our waitress never asked why we didn't eat. Maybe she already knew? The real Twilight Zone moment was looking around and seeing others enjoying it. I pinched myself after seeing all the five-star reviews! How? Maybe my taste buds missed the memo. Ambiance: 9.0 Service: 8.5 Food: 4.5 read more

We really enjoyed this place. The food, service and environment was wonderful. The Tavern is a real throwback, serving since 1790, that's a lot of history. For starters we had the elk sausage which was absolutely delicious! I have never eaten elk before and it was so flavorful. In addition we also had the Brie which was good. I ordered the pumpkin bisque which was so good. My girlfriend ordered the duck and I ordered the pot roast. The pot roast was ok but my girlfriend really enjoyed her duck. Our server Jessie was really good, quick and attentive. She helped with suggestions from the menu. read more

See all

Vermont is the most charming place, and this restaurant exemplifies that to the extreme. It *is* called Ye Olde Tavern after all! Absolutely adorable when you walk in, and we were happy to be seated in a cozy little table in the corner in the dining room on the right side. We started with a local beer and a negroni--both were only just OK, but the little cranberry bread ball things with the maple butter?? Green mountain heaven!! So incredibly delicious. We shared the cheddar ale soup as an appetizer, and we're not really sure why it was called that because the whole thing was a french onion soup, and it, too, was divine. Such a deep onion flavor with a super cheesy top, and between that and the bread, we were practically full from the meal, but nevertheless we persisted. For mains, we shared the lobster mac-n-cheese and the sweet potato-black bean cakes. The pasta was very good: lots of cheese and chunks of lobster, but nothing that different than you would find in other parts of New England at the same quality level. The veggie dish was kind of not what we expected, and it was a bit bland; still, you felt healthy eating it. The cakes were mostly potato served atop plain spinach with some veggies on the side. Let's put it this way: it made for a great lunch the next day. We shared an ice cream sundae for dessert, which was described as having s'mores flavor, but ended up just being vanilla. It was fine, nothing special. Service was also fine, nothing special. He got his job done. Overall, while some aspects of our experience were more tepid, we would strongly recommend Ye Olde Tavern because we had a lovely experience overall and the food is better than we expected. We'd definitely come again and are happy that we went. Four stars. read more

We had such a great dinner at Ye Olde Tavern. It is absolutely beautiful and looks so authentically historic. We came at Christmas time and it was nicely decorated. We started with the 1790 Ale and Maple Martini. Both were good, the martini was very strong. The cranberry bread was really delicious. We had the crab stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer, which was such a good start. The salad was great with the blue cheese crumbles. We then got the Filet Medium Rare & the Lobster & Bacon Mac and Cheese. Everything was cooked perfectly. The service was also very friendly. I'd recommend here for a nice night out to a different type of restaurant than the usual! read more

See all

Ye Olde, Ye Olde! A local favorite for my Grandma so you know it's going to have a special place in my heart too. The building is beautifully historic, which really added to the welcoming vibe. We were a larger group so did have a pre-set menu. A lot of us ordered the steak and loved it. I was a sucker for the cranberry fritter appetizers. Our server was a gem and so attentive. Ye does recommend! read more

I rarely review but this place, while picturesque and historic, is a complete culinary disappointment. The food is gummy, stiff, stale and pastey. The staff are friendly and oddly compensatory, as if they know the food is entirely sub par. Don't waste your money or time. There are so many better culinary options in Manchester Village and Dorset. Ye old tourist trap. read more

Terrible. If you care to listen - Waitress was fine but sort of odd. Food was terrible from start to finish. Felt like a chump the whole time being charged 35+ per entrees that were mostly cold and wasted. Would not return. I think they are just preying on tourists and charging prices that compare to the actual good restaurants in town. Spend your money elsewhere. Ye old waste of cash! (written Jan 2026). Andrew - Dont ask us to come back in the future, just fix the major issues many people have had and stop ripping tourists off. read more

We are in town for a wedding, out from California. We had traveled all day, from Newton, NJ through Albany, NY to pick up the cake(s), arriving at the Equinox Resort at 4pm and quite hungry. I always look for restaurants on Yelp, and saw the high rating and number of reviews. When I see one star reviews, I always check the stats - # of friends, # of reviews and # of photos. I tend to disregard all those with low or no stats. It is almost as if those accounts are created solely for some personal issue. We arrived with no reservation and felt fortunate to be seated at all. We were given a choice of inside or outside. Though the weather was perfect, we selected inside and were walked back to a back room with a view of the outside seating. Melanie took wonderful care of us. Katie ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and I tried for the first time an old fashion. The meal began with delightful cranberry fritters and maple butter, the fresh salad was small, yet complex, lightly dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and served with warm rolls and butter. Katie basically ordered a Thanksgiving meal - Roast Tom Turkey with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. I ordered "Not your mom's chicken pot pie", it was a cottage pie with chicken. Came out so hot, I had to wait to let it cool a bit. But, oh so good! Katie asked if I was going to lick the dish. I replied, "Don't tempt me." I don't know that we will ever be back here, but if you have a chance, MAKE A RESERVATION and enjoy! The building is very historic and the history is documented in a page of the wine list. Amazing. Such places may be common out here but in California, they are quite rare, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. Apologies for the lack of photos. I've been forgetting at each place this week. read more

Good ambiance, service and food. We were lucky to sit outside under a blooming tree and the age of the place is enough to stop in for a drink, app or meal. We'll be back. read more

11oct 2025: There is no more Prime Rib on the menu. 1) prime rib medium with mashed potatoes 2) prime rib medium with wild rice 3) cheddar and ale onion soup. Everything is excellent! The only issue is that we were seated upstairs, and the upstairs floors are slanted, and the table is wobbly. read more

See all

If you love 19th-century romanticism and enjoy relaxing by a crackling fireplace with lantern lighting, then this is the perfect spot for you. Not only is the atmosphere calming and cozy, but the food also offers some of the finest culinary delights. read more

Just what we were looking for. Nice dinner menu, reasonable prices and VT ambiance. We had the specials and both were great. A flaming chocolate cake was to die for! Great service too! read more

The food was extremely mediocre. I was so disappointed. Nothing about the food was even halfway good. It started out bad with the chewy, unpalatable cranberry fritters. Even the salad was bad. It was over dressed which caused it to be wilted. Their chicken pot pie has no crust but instead topped with no-so-good mashed potatoes. At least the waitress alerted my friend that the pot pie had no crust. She though it would be the chicken version of a shepherd's pie. Unfortunately, it was not good; very dry chicken and bad overall. Who does chicken pot pie without a crust? Ye Old Tavern does and it not a good idea because it's not good. I had the pumpkin seed, butter chardonnay and lemon Scrod with mushy, starchy long grain/wild rice. That entree was also horrid. The scrod fish tasted like it was a frozen and it was nowhere near fresh tasting. The food on the whole for both entrees was such low quality. The Ye Old Tavern is supposed to be one of Manchester's best but it certainly is not. Manchester needs to reevaluate this establishment. Or, maybe the manager and owner needs to reconsider the chef's and his/her staff's ability to put out good, quality food and perhaps make a change in personnel. read more

We had dinner on the patio, which was a lovely and fun experience for an autumn evening. I had the salmon special of the day which was good. We all shared a bit with each other and the vote was clear: the chicken pot pie was the favorite. With the three courses, we were too full by the time dessert was offered, so can't comment there other than a nice selection was available. read more

Really nice spot and good ole comfort food. Prime rib here is great, make sure to specify doneness as mine was on the more raw side than I like but still fine. Love the breads and the salad. Enjoy read more

I had a lovely dinner at Ye Old Tavern, the atmosphere and décor exceeded my expectations, and the service was great as well. The fritters were a great start to the meal, and I love that your meal also comes with a salad and bread, reminds me of olden times, ha! I had horseradish crusted salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables for my main and was very happy with my choice. If I am in Manchester again I would definitely come back to Ye Old Tavern. read more

See all

Don't serve a half glass of wine! Don't serve a tiny salad! Don't ask if I'm interested in dessert while I'm still eating entree! Felt really ripped off. Won't be back. read more

Great New England style comfort dinners, fantastic service . Old world decorations . We will return when on the area

First time there! Great place for a cozy intimate dinner. The vibe, service and food were all amazing. Will be coming back! read more

See all

I love old houses and Ye Olde Tavern gives all the cozy feels of an old historic home. And the menu is exactly what you would expect to find at a quaint vintage restaurant. We sat in a cute little private room which might have been a study or mudroom back in the day. Our server was quick and friendly! We started with crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, which reminded me of the ones my mom used to make in the 70s. Very good! We had the lobster bisque which was wonderful. I had the chicken pot pie because I had a chill and just wanted some good old comfort food! I appreciated that our server told me that their pot pie did not have a pastry crust but rather had a topping of mashed potatoes. I still opted for it and was glad that I did. My husband had the NY strip and he was happy with it. The veggie sides were a little skimpy but still good. For dessert we had a very good blueberry tart with whipped cream, which was soo good! Loved our time at Ye Olde Tavern! It reminded me very much of the 1640 Hart House in Ipswich, Massachusetts. read more

See all

Located just north of the main area in Machester, this old Victorian house has been a restaurant for a long time now. Dinners come with bread, salad and cranberry fritters, so you get a very full meal here. They have some interesting dishes too, including venison and a very Vermont-style chicken with apples and cranberries. You come here for the atmosphere, but the food is very good too. Make sure to reserve a table in advance. read more

Ye Olde Tavern is lovely! My husband and I called on Thursday to make a Saturday evening dinner reservation. I had the trout and he had the prime rib. Both dishes were delicious. We will definitely go back if we are ever in the area again. The hostesses and waitresses were very nice and friendly. The service was fast. The dining area was spacious, we didn't feel cramped up next to other tables. It was a nice quiet atmosphere. read more

Ye Olde Tavern - Entrance to the 200+ year old tavern - American Near Me - Manchester, Vermont

An excellent restaurant. Food, atmosphere, service were all terrific. Prices were very reasonable. One of the things that really stood out for me and is so rare these days was when the daily specials were explained the waitress included the price! I was so pleasantly surprised. I unfortunately do not live in the area but the people that do are fortunate to have such a wonderful restaurant. read more

We ordered the cider chicken breast and the Alfredo pasta. Both were amazing. The mocha chocolate bombe was also so good and very boozy which I loved. We were there around 6 and managed to get a table without a reservation but it filled up quickly as we waited for drinks so if you're a larger group I'd make a reservation as this place seems popular. And I see why! We have other places on our list to check out this week but I'm hoping we can squeeze in one more visit because it was so enjoyable. Highly recommend read more

We had an enjoyable dinner our first night in Manchester thanks to Ye Olde Tavern. The atmosphere was everything you would hope for and the service was fantastic! Our server was knowledgeable and attentive and our dinner was delicious. My husband ordered the pot roast and I ordered the chicken marsala. Definitely one of our favorites!! read more

Across the board this was a home run! Cozy, great food, and an attentive staff. bravo.

We have always been so happy with this establishment until a couple weeks ago. Food was terrible for what they charged. I had scord fish and my husband had prime rib. Fish was so dry like cardboard and the prime was all fat. Will be awhile before we return. I want to add the staff were busy but very good. Poor rating is only attributed to the food. read more

Food was delicious. Ambience was amazing. Service was perfect and friendly. I had duck with blackberry sauce it was flaming when served.

Food, service and ambience were fine. But I got a problem when there is a fairly large dog at the table next to me with its paws on the table. When I go to a nice restaurant I don't want to be sitting next to a dog. If u want to let dogs in, keep them on the bar floor not where people are trying to enjoy a good meal. I will not return to this establishment. And I love dogs. read more

Perfect 10 for food, service and ambience. Super quaint and historic place to dine. The food was amazing. I had the turkey dinner and others the pot roast. The Parker house rolls are superb. Don't miss this one and make a reservation in advance. read more

Service was excellent and the food was very good. We had the stuffed mushrooms, rosemary duck and venison with mushroom sauce. Amazing!

Another wonderful experience at one of our local treasures. Our waiter, Jamie (wonderful young man) was awesome! As always, the food was fantastic! And, to top it off our bill for 6 (with apps & drinks) was less than our bill from a restaurant in Dorset, VT for 4 (which will remain nameless, but those that know can easily figure it out). Needless to say, always a consistent place to dine! read more

My favorite dinner place in Manchester. Everything is great and the atmosphere is very "ye olde". The lobster bisque is the best I've ever had. Sweet and Smokey rubbed duck was outstanding. Really good prime rib as well. read more