Ardelia's at Basin Harbor

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Name Rooted in History

Ardelia's takes its name from Ardelia Beach, who in 1886 established the property on the shores of Lake Champlain alongside her nephew Allen Penfield Beach. What began as a working farm and summer retreat has grown, across five generations of the same family, into a 700-acre resort where the dining room carries that founding spirit forward. The restaurant's name is not decorative — it is a direct line back to the woman whose vision started it all.

The Setting

The resort sits along Lake Champlain in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, and the landscape shapes everything about a meal at Ardelia's. Guests move between quiet mornings on the water and lively evenings with family and friends, and the dining experience is woven into that rhythm rather than set apart from it. Outdoor seating, waterfront proximity, and a campus that includes historic structures dating to the late 19th century give the room a sense of place that is genuinely hard to manufacture.

The Kitchen

Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage Joseph Hofmann leads the culinary team. The American cuisine served at Ardelia's reflects the resort's long-standing membership in Vermont Fresh Network, signaling a commitment to sourcing from regional producers — a natural extension of the property's agricultural origins. The kitchen also employs a dedicated sushi chef, with sashimi, maki rolls, and nigiri prepared to order, adding a precise, technique-driven dimension to the broader American menu.

Recognition That Matters

Wine Spectator awarded Ardelia's its Best of Award of Excellence, a distinction that speaks directly to the depth and curation of the wine program. For a resort restaurant to earn that level of recognition from one of the world's most authoritative wine publications is a meaningful signal — it means the list goes well beyond the expected, with selections chosen to complement serious cooking rather than simply fill a page.

Beyond Dinner

Ardelia's serves breakfast through dinner, with private dining rooms available for events and large groups. The broader Basin Harbor campus — golf, water sports, history talks led by fourth-generation host Bob Beach Jr. — means guests rarely feel the need to leave. But the restaurant stands on its own terms: an American dining room with a decorated wine list, a kitchen guided by a clear culinary identity, and a story that stretches back over a century to a woman named Ardelia.