Onyx Tonics Specialty Coffee

A quiet place for a hotel guest to get a good coffee. Easy short walk from Marriott Lakeside etc . Even in the rain. It’s got a great vibe but yes extremely academic about coffee. That can be fun. The counter guy is friendly. However the taste of my Americano is a bit…well .. bitter I guess is the word. Academically speaking. The music is quiet and that’s a plus though .. what Is this? A cross between David Gates and uh lotta reverb. Gosh I think I am enjoying myself. The room is very clean like study hall. This is a place worthy of support.

Really cute little coffee shop. Does give coffee snob vibes but not in a bad way. The barista was very helpful because the menu was confusing. But, the coffee tasted very good and I was highly impressed. And it was not a bad price either compared to other places in the city. I would definitely come back again.

interesting cafe in terms of they rotate the beans from different roasters that they use on a weekly basis so if you’re the type of person that likes to try different beans/coffee this is place for you. definitely one of the better specialty coffee places in the area. nice place to study or journal for a bit and just a couple of steps away from all the other shops in downtown on church street.

I never tried this place before so I was curious. It’s a laid back & relaxing spot to enjoy a great cappuccino. I love the plants in the window, it’s calming. Once I placed my order they brought my coffee to my table, great Service. The man was very knowledgeable about the coffee choices they had. They also had a couple of baked goods but I didn’t try any. I’ll definitely be back. Merci! 😃

If you are looking for a specialty coffee shop, this is it. I ordered the cappuccino and it was made so perfectly. I love when a coffee shop makes a perfect cappuccino. Vibes are chill and excellent customer service!

Great coffee spot! It's a chill spot that serves light bakery items as well. We were visiting the area and read great reviews about Onyx Tonics, and decided to try it out. "The coffee was quite literally the best coffee I've had in my entire life, and I'm from Portland, Oregon," what my girlfriend said. I'm a coffee enthusiast, and this was by far the best coffee I've had. The service was great, and we sat and enjoyed our coffee.

Amazing little coffee in Burlington! We stopped by for a coffee. I had take the Fennel Destination which is absolutely divine. I love the notes of the fennel seeds. Me girlfriend took a Maple Latte with oat milk! She was really happy!! We shared a kouign-amann and a like square feuilleté with spicy honey on it! You should come here for a great experience! Ambiance is really good!

If you are looking for specialty coffee, this is absolutely the place to go to. They carry beans from world-class roasters, have multiple options of single origin coffees on espresso and pour over, and baristas are paying great attention to the process. Great place to pick up a bag or enjoy a unique well-made Spro.

The coffee selections and information provided is awesome. Very informative and gives the same vibe as a wine bar with tasting notes and pairings. I am bummed I did not get to spend a solid couple hours doing a little tasting flight or talk with the two workers more. The selections of drinks were great and as said above the information given was awesome and any coffee lover would love to stop bye.

What an incredible coffee shop! The staff is so helpful and helps you decifer their menu of various coffee drinks and roasts. I opted for the specialty latte - Sesame Seedzn, which had orange blossom, cardamom and orange sesame. It was amazing and so unique! It was lightly flavored with orange flavor. My boyfriend got an Americano and they let him choose the type of espresso in the drinks based on the varieties on the menu. He chose one that had grapefruit and cocoa notes - it was really good and not bitter at all. We enjoyed our drinks in the coffee shop, which was comfortable. There were plenty of tables and chairs. If you enjoy a good cup of coffee or a unique latte, give Onyx Tonics a try!

Great spot with good coffee Pros: -Excellent cold brew -Reasonably priced ($4 for my cold brew) -A/C -Good amount of seating -Fast WiFi Cons: -Your standard coffee shop on the inside, nothing too special. But I will say the menu was very creative, so big points for that!

Loved this coffee shop. Amazing, smooth espresso. Cute, modern, and plant forward decor. Super helpful service. 10/10 recommend!

Coffee was great, real cozy loved the plants and the service was great as well will definitely be going back soon.

A Focused Espresso Haven for Coffee Purists While strolling around downtown Burlington, we stopped by Onyx Tonics. From the moment you walk in, it's clear that this place is all about focus--specifically, high-quality espresso drinks. As an espresso lover, it was a 5-star experience for me. I got to choose from the available bean options, each with highlighted taste notes, and my espresso was perfectly brewed and absolutely delicious. The attention to detail and quality is evident in every sip. However, the reason I'm giving it 4 stars is that my friends, who aren't as into espresso, found the place less approachable. They didn't enjoy their drinks as much, which made it clear that Onyx Tonics might not be for everyone, especially if you prefer sweeter or more familiar coffee options. If you're an espresso enthusiast looking for a carefully selected and meticulously brewed cup, Onyx Tonics is an excellent choice. Just keep in mind it's more geared toward coffee purists than casual drinkers. My Criteria: 5 stars: The best food I have ever had, or an excellent option given the price. 4 stars: Good food, a restaurant I look forward to trying again. 3 stars: Good food, a restaurant that I am indifferent to. 2 stars: Below average experience, will not go again. 1 star: This restaurant should be closed.

Nice guys who made very good recommendations. Enjoyed our coffee and conversation. Highly recommend!

Very good coffee. Spare and clean cafe with a different vibe. Nice range of drink options including choice of beans. Not many Germans will appreciate the one off-putting moment I had when I asked for cream they told me they don't recommend such things for their drinks. No other offer to provide steamed milk (which was available). So I indulged them in tasting their product. I wish there was cream for my espresso. But, cortado works too.

The best espresso and tea for tens of miles around. It's been hard to find a decent loose leaf tea in a cafe for some reason. I've never seen over 20 types of espresso to try.

Has to be among the best places in Burlington for coffee. It has a pretty small selection, but these are from ethical sources and better quality. Onyx Tonics has okay prices for these. For once it's not a ripoff for some brew. There's also a few pastries and sweets. Came here in the morning because I needed perked up after the crazy night before. It's a pretty cozy looking place. There's the counter to order, and then there's a few tables. Check out the descriptions of the coffees. The sources and tasting notes are listed on the walls. It's about $3 for the Galactic Standard Blend. This has notes of apples, cocoa, dried cranberries, and warm spice. A little of a fruity flavor to it. The flavors change a bit whether it's served cold or hot, so read about what it ends up to be like. Get some ethnically grown coffee. It's not bad prices for as good as it is. There's also doughnuts but these aren't vegan, but even so, these looked pretty good though.

Maple latte. Great and friendly! Highly recommend. Dog friendly!!!!!!!! You will love it

Yum! I got a pour over with Kenyan Beans, and it was delicious and wonderfully floral made using a hario switch. For weird coffee people this place does a good job. There is a bunch of beans that are on rotation, and brewers around too like aeropress, chemex, v60. Jazz music and good lighting for people that like to work at coffee shops or just want to read.

Such a cute coffee spot. Walked from the Hilton, not far at all, to this place, and I was excited to try the Maple Latte. I added an extra shot of espresso, and it was so tasty. I was given the option of oatmilk or local whole milk, and I went with local whole milk.

Espresso lovers go here! Multiple choices of espresso daily and their signage notes how the flavors change when adding milks! Table delivery for in-house enjoyment. They sell unique packaged coffees, and open at 8 most days.

Got a really excellent Americano here. I ordered it with milk, which they served on the side. Out of curiosity, I tasted the coffee without the milk. Wow! Wonderful coffee. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a second one. Too bad I'm not a local--I'd love to have a coffee shop this good at home. I was here shortly after they opened on a Saturday morning, and it was quiet for awhile. I got a lot of work done on my laptop. After a couple hours it was totally packed though. Just be prepared.

Great coffee spot! It's a chill spot that serves light bakery items as well. We were visiting the area and read great reviews about Onyx Tonics, and decided to try it out. "The coffee was quite literally the best coffee I've had in my entire life, and I'm from Portland, Oregon," what my girlfriend said. I'm a coffee enthusiast, and this was by far the best coffee I've had. The service was great, and we sat and enjoyed our coffee.

One of the best espresso-based coffees I've had in the US. It's up there with the top coffee spots in San Francisco and nearly as good as Australian coffee. A quick glance at the descriptive menu reveals that Onyx views coffee-making as an art form, and drinking coffee as an experience to be savored. How it should be.

This was the best coffee we had while in Vermont. The iced Big Easy was phenomenal. I don't know what was in it, but you have to try it, it's an experience. I got 2 of them while we were in Burlington. The shop itself is really nicely decorated as well as clean and quiet. The drip coffee was excellent as well!

Incredibly good espresso, very knowledgeable staff. Not the lost approachable place - it looks and feels incredibly pretentious, but the staff are very approachable and personable and make you feel comfortable. My espresso was under extracted and therefore a bit bitter, which is the only reason it dropped a star. Very cool place.

Good place! Cute simplistic bright modern place. The oat latte was really yummy. I feel like this is a great place for people really into coffee (e.g people who like trying different espresso based on aromas). I love coffee, but don't have that type of knowledge, so it was a little intimidating lol.

Loved this unique coffee shop. Peaceful shop with great lattes and simply divine treats. Highly recommend. Unusual and highly specialized.

- wonderful service - barista explained all the coffee options for me - maple latte was delicious - cappuccino was alright - bathrooms were clean - environment was food for lingering

I had the Flat White here using the Brazilian espresso bean and it was great! Really nice service and the interior was excellent. Nice vibe.

good pour over options. they have legit lattes as well. the inner seating space is quite nice as well.

Taking plenty of precautions during Covid, they have closed their indoor dining for now (summer 2020). They were super kind, quick and the maple latte was delicious. **flexibility being key during a pandemic**

Stopped here for a quick afternoon coffee as we were killing time before dinner. We both had the maple latte. Very tasty, and the maple came through. Good atmosphere in downtown Burlington. Top ranked coffee place on Yelp, and we had no reason to question that.

A recent find for me, and if you're going to spend $5 on coffee - spend it here. Sure, you could get a SomeAChino mass produced that tastes like aliens dropped it from space. Or you could come here, where the guys have somehow captured the magic of time everlasting and focused it into handcrafted magic bean juice... my personal favorite is the Big Easy. It's a blend of chicory and coffee, like my mother used to drink and like you get at Cafe summer Monde in NOLA. Earthy touch in a balanced brew with a maple pop. Excellent. I'm not sure how they do it, to be quite honest, but the array of carefully selected coffees, specifically roasted to highlight the aromas and flavors is out of control here. They've got a small shop, just outside the heart of downtown with maybe a dozen tables yet somehow it's never "too busy" for them to walk you through the perfect cup. They have partnerships with local bakeries that lets you snag perfect little cakes to go with your coffee as well - you really can't go wrong. As a guy who drinks more than a few cups of coffee every day and has for the last two decades, this is a spot worth hitting.

Just beautiful what Jason and his crew have been up to reassembling they sidewalk patio. I love the very happy flowers.

Came here for breakfast with our kids but this place seems more of a hipster coffee shop so there weren't much food options for our kids. We got some baked goods that were already wrapped up on the counter and they warmed it up for us. I got my kids hot chocolate and my husband got the coffee while I got the maple latte, which was really good. There weren't many seating options and while we were standing there waiting for a seat, our barista kept telling us to go sit down and he'll bring it to us. However, there were no seats. Finally, someone got up and left the table open and someone who just walked in with their family sat right down and walked right passed us. Again, we stood for a good 5 minutes before someone else left and we finally got a table. The coffee and lattes are really good, love the art on the wall and the vibe here, but the lack of food options and seating made it lost a star.

Favorite coffee shop in Burlington & one of my favorites in the country. Really knowledgeable staff & incredible coffee.

The best espresso experience in Burlington. If you decide to go with espresso, you can taste each of the flavor points of the different coffees offered. It's quite amazing and very delicious. This is how espresso should be prepared.

Nothing like being told how you should drink the coffee you're paying for. They wanted to put a bunch of milk in the coffee I was ordering. Told them I don't like that much milk in my coffee and wanted less. The response from the guy behind the counter was, "That's not the way we do it here". Keep the coffee, guy. Later.

This is my very most favorite coffee shop in all the land; I'm here most every day. Things that make this place tops for me, in no particular order: - The variety. Three different bean options for espresso (and three for hand brew) makes for a CYOA experience. - The rotating menu. As a human, I delight in novelty. As a human with anxiety, I tend to forgo that delight for the comfort of the familiar. When the familiar is removed, delight is foisted upon me. - The staff. Are knowledgeable of their craft and full of the secrets of fine brewing, much like alchemists. Unlike alchemists, they are glad to share what they know with the uninitiated (I am the uninitiated). - The space. I mostly like to sit up front, where the light is prettiest and I can look at the plants. - The treats. There are a few local bake shops that provide the treats in the pastry case, depending on the day. They are all worthy.

We stopped by here as a quick place to warm ourselves up from the breezy outdoors in more than one way. The cafe itself is quite cozy, with a small area in the front to order and await your coffee (or anything else you may have ordered), with a number of wooden tables in the back of the store. Although there aren't windows, there are a lot of paintings of celebrities mixed in with a number of pooches wearing hoodies - an interesting combination to ponder while sipping on my beverage. Once did not have to wait up front; the folks were able to bring our drinks and snacks back to us. I will say that this is a very nice place to work (a lot of folks had their laptops up), although our little group probably detracted from it as we were a tad above everyone else's volume. As for the food and drink here - it was relatively good, with the drinks probably being a bit higher up on the list relative to the food. I really enjoyed my maple steamer, which was light and had an overtone of maple that was neither too sweet or overbearing. My wife's tea was quite good, and even if it was not served in more traditional Asian-style teaware, I did like the modernist teapot and glass they were served in. On the food front, we decided to sample a handful of the donuts on display. The donuts were potato-based, making them a bit denser and less sweet, and while this worked well for the cider donut (as apples can fall on the less sweet side of the spectrum), the donuts with berry frostings were a bit more distinct and didn't work quite as well, with the kiwi berry in particular being very tart and a bit dissonant against its base. While the donuts weren't my favorite, I did enjoy the beverages sampled, and with a chill vibe and a good selection of beverages, Onyx Tonics is a good place in downtown Burlington to take a load off or get some work done in peace. I'll plan on making a stop by next time I am in town!

Maple latte was excellent, highly recommend! The attitude from the person who took our order was unnecessary

A tip from a friend led me here. There's really good coffee, then there's 'elite' coffee. the Maple Latte here is 'elite.' I've never had anything else here. Yup, it's that good.

Have to order ahead and wait outside currently. Maple latte was delicious, first decent latte I've had in Burlington so far (better than Cosmic Grind and August First). Steep price for a small but good flavor.

Barista was very attentive and the cafe had a nice atmosphere with high quality coffee.

Hands down best latte I've had in years! The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was simple and clean. Coffee was brewed to perfection.

The espresso. Is average and the service was not the best. Baristas are a little surly.

Favorite coffee place in Burlington. If you are looking for a super smooth latte in a posh environment this is it. Don't let the fancy coffee hipster atmosphere fool you though, the people and crew here are super friendly and they really know their stuff. They list the different notes of the coffee and espresso's they have (it changes every so often) to better assist you in your cafe choice- sorta like how wineries lost the flavor notes. I got the cappuccino and the iced coffee - super smooth. The cappuccino wasn't too heavy on milk and had a great amount of energy in it. It was really great. The iced coffee was also perfection, it was chocolatey/ nutty and had a bold flavor but in a smooth rich way. If you've ever had la colombe or Blue bottle coffee it was similar in that way- you could taste it was brewed with some craftsmanship. A+ all around. Also the ambiance is super cool and they have art work around the place. It would be a good place to hang, catch up, or get some work done.

Great coffee stop in the heart of Burlington. We stopped here for coffee before hitting the road back to NY. I had a maple latte of course. They serve pastries from Monarch and the Milkweed which is also terrific!

I am taking off one star because they advertise themselves as coffee tasting bar but they did not have any tastings and we were very disappointed, considering we are coffee snobs and were looking forward to it! But full points for being an actual coffee brewing place! The baristas know the technique and science of brewing coffee. They weigh the beans and the ground coffee before making every single cup. We bought few bags of their fresh coffee beans. We ordered maple latte and a normal latte and it was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. I hate sweet coffee and I don't use any sugar in my coffee but the maple latte was so flavorful and maple flavor did not overpower the taste of coffee. We chatted with the barista and he gave us tips on brewing better coffee. Also, they don't roast their own beans but get it from a local place. Must try place for all coffee lovers! If you are a Starbucks lover who likes those sugary fancy so-called-coffees, this is not the place for you. Only for people who know what real coffee is!

I was visiting Burlington and wanted to try a Maple Latte. I saw the reviews so I thought I'd give it a try. The reviews weren't wrong! It was one of the best lattes I've ever had! Smooth, yet bold coffee flavor (not that burnt espresso taste like a lot of places) with just the right amount of milk and sweetness. Neat shop and friendly, helpful baristas. If your in Burlington, go here, you won't be disappointed!

Sometimes, you don't need anymore caffeine because you already drank way too much caffeine it was bad caffeine you know like the kind hotels serve with bad breakfasts but you were trying to wake up and my goodness you did a damn good job of that so good infact that on the drive over to downtown you couldn't shut up you just kept talking and talking to your wife who patiently put up with you. So. She wants to go to a cafe and you're like okay but I can't have more of the jitter juice or I swear my eyeballs are going to pop out of their eyelid-peeled sockets so you go into this place you found on Yelp and you're looking over the menu and sure there are teas but you're not really into that either too hot you've burned your tongue on tea too often you need something else oh look, something simple, just frothed milk and Vermont maple syrup that sounds lovely. And it is. And you try your wife's oat milk latte and remark about how funny it is that oak milk ended up owning the market on alternative milks and how soy and almond just don't cut it and then all of a sudden there you are talking too much again, but that's okay, your drink isn't caffeinated and you'll come down soon, you're sure.

This might look like a simple cup of coffee, but it's not: it's the greatest latte in all the universe, from a place called Onyx Tonics in downtown Burlington, VT. I first discovered it years ago on my first visit to Burlington and it's never changed since. It makes all other coffee seem infantile and pale. It's worth a quest, if you live far away. And if you're ever in Burlington it's a sin to miss it.

The real deal - top-notch coffee in a friendly, airy setting. I had an iced pourover that was so smooth it didn't need a drop of milk or sugar. You can pick your beans, but they aren't at all snobby if you ask for a recommendation.

"A specialty coffee tasting bar in downtown, with an ever-changing menu of single-origin coffees". This small coffee bar is located in the less busy, quieter section of downtown Burlington. Large ceiling to floor windows with tons of sunlight, greet you as you walk in to a setting with very modernized decor, simplistic coffee menu wall displays, and some counter plants that add some lovely greenery. Excellent coffee and friendly service.

I let this review lapse a bit too long. But our time here was really fantastic. They had multiple espressos on bar and the service was GREAT. I normally don't review this long past but the experience was so wonderful and unexpected. The coffee is definitely "nerd level" craft coffee. If you are a coffee snob, then this is definitely worth hitting up while you are in town.