If I could give this hidden gem a 10, I would have. My husband and I celebrated our 20th anniversary here. Every dish was worth the calories!!! Great service, wonderful tapas! The wow factor at work!!! read more

Very happy to have found this quaint French bistro in Gainesville. Both indoor and outdoor dining as well as bar seating. The staff is very friendly, takes time with you to help with ordering and is attentive throughout the meal. The setting is quiet, so a great place to have conversation. They make excellent cocktails, both traditional and house. Try their carrot-ginger martini - very nice. They make a great Paper Plane - one of my favorite cocktails. They also have a great French wine list to try. They have nice cheese and meat plates which is what we had. The deserts were tasty - basil crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, afo gato! Try this place out, I think you'll like it! read more

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Once again, this place is as special as ever! Warm and friendly staff, food so delicious, it makes you get every morsel from the plate! The beer is European, and they have wines and cocktails from Europe as well. I got the hot brie plate with walnuts, apples and onions, and some clear, magic sauce that tied it all together! What a delicious way to eat! There is no place like this in Gainesville. Ambience, old world charm and I'll be back...maybe tomorrow :)) (I talked to the owner, and there is no sauce on the hot brie plate. It's just liquid from the cheese and fruit...wow!!) read more

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Group of eight girls, sat us right away for our reservation. One of the best espresso martinis I've ever had! Mimosas were awesome too! The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. If I lived here I would easily come here all the time. Drinks took a little long but were worth the wait! All the girls that took care of us were very nice! read more

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OMG I have not been to Alpine in probably almost 10 years! I was told about their matcha martini and I just had to go! OMG the staff, so nice and wonderful-just very hospitable! Ray-one of the bartenders there was so cool! I wanted the matcha martini but nonalcoholic and she perfected it! She had never made a nonalcoholic one before but she did AMAZING!!!! It was delicious! Even my friend who hates matcha-actually got one (but with alcohol) loved it! We definitely will be coming back for more and especially for food. We didn't get to eat anything food but their menu looks amazing! It's a small restaurant inside but spacious and it appears they have an outdoor space which looked nice, we sat at the bar which was great because we were able to chat to the staff! It wasn't too busy either! read more

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Decided to check out this French restaurant located in Downtown. Parking can be a bit challenging but there is a paid parking lot option right across the restaurant (50 cents for 30 min). The restaurant has a cozy vibe and good for casual hangout/date. On Wednesdays, the wines are buy one get one free (can be mixed) and they have a good selection of affordable French wines, so would recommend utilizing the deal. Overall, the sandwich was solid and salad was very fresh. French onion soup had a bit too much cheese and less broth, but still tasty and served hot. Recommend checking this out when you are craving solid sandwich option or want to hang out casually for the night. read more

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Taking a much needed break, we ran off to Gainesville, FL (about 40 minutes from home) and wanted to explore some we chose Alpin Bistro in downtown Gainesville. It was a Tuesday night, so we did not worry about crowds. We were seated right away and took our time looking thru the French cuisine based menu. Our table was tucked away from most of the dining room, so it was fairly intimate through no request from us. Perfect! We each ordered a Tapas one a balsamic Brie and the other a chorizo flambé made from pigs at least two years old, who had feasted on acorns (I don't make this up - that's what the menu said). Both were absolutely delicious! Four our entrees, we had the Croque Forestier and the Croque Saumon! Divine! Neither one of us could finish our meals but a pistachio creme brûlée had to be ordered. I wasn't too thrilled with that, but my wife enjoyed it. An excellent outing! Truly delicious! read more

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I cannot believe I haven't left a review for Alpin yet! We love this place so so much! The food tastes intentional made with real and delicious ingredients. The staff is incredible, always welcoming and the bartender makes amazing drinks. Moving from LA to Ocala this place feels we are in Silver Lake or Los Feliz. The atmosphere is a vibe, happy and relaxed. They have an outdoor patio but we always sit at the bar. read more

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The food here was absolutely delicious! While it is quite pricey, I had plenty of leftovers for a second meal so it was definitely worth it. I ordered Le Croque Forestier, and it was so tasty. The ingredients tasted high quality, and it was loaded with them! The side salad was a nice addition as well since it is a heavier dish. The ambiance is very nice and cozy as well. The service was great and fairly quick. I will definitely be back to try more items! read more

Alpin Bistro - Le Croque Forestier - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

While the service was a bit slow, the server's knowledge of the specials really helped. I got the Norwegienne crepe, which featured salmon, goat cheese, onion, capers, and egg--albeit a little too dill-heavy, though it did complement the goat cheese. The Croque Madam was good but was a bit heavy in sauce and cheese. The egg would have been better if it was soft boiled. The Parisienne crepe was just okay. The interior is cute, featuring a large communal table in the middle along with more private outdoor seating. Prices were reasonable, and I loved the mix of savory and sweet options--definitely planning to try one of the sweet dishes next time. read more

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The Sunday brunch menu was limited, but the food was delicious. Our server was not very attentive and he messed up our order and also badmouthed the kitchen for dropping something. He also admitted he was inattentive and just seemed spacey or hung over? He also said most customers were illiterate and didn't notice that the menu said brunch was Saturday even though they changed it to Saturday and Sunday. We thought that comment was unfortunate. We would've given it more stars if the service was better. It just felt weird. read more

Dropped in for a light brunch when in downtown Gainesville. Yelp said it closed but this Sunday it was open. I chose a small plate Ricotta Cup with French bread and a glass of red blend wine. It was wonderful and hit the spot. Wait staff is excellent. Ambience casual for brunch. Indoor, outdoor and bar seating available. Looking forward to returning for dinner. Prices very reasonable. read more

Alpin Bistro - Ricotta Cup with French Bread and Wine - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Overall: I do like Alpin after my lesson learned from a while back about never using a credit card. Ambiance: it's small but it efficiently uses space in my opinion. Service: It has been better the last few times that I went but still expect some slowness even on not busy nights. Food: It's good! I went with a friend who had a lot of allergies and I will say they tried to be as considerate as possible but it was a little difficult so make sure to let them know! The salmon croque is my go-to because I don't eat pork. It is always delicious! read more

I was there for dinner recently and had superb onion soup and croûte-lardons. In addition, my waitress provided excellent service and advice and was very pleasant. I'll be back! read more

Fantastic service. Fantastic food. The outside seating makes you forget you are in Gainesville, FL. Full of charm, and great vibes. This town is extremely lucky to have Alpin Bistro. read more

Alpin is probably one of my top five favorites restaurants in Gainesville. Alpin has a small, but delightful menu with a large assortment of fancier sandwiches (Croque monsieur variations), soups, and salads. They also have a great wine and cocktail selection, and a happy hour cheese and wine special. The desserts are phenomenal, with my favorites being the seasonal crème brûlées. Service is also good, but be aware it's a smaller space and you might have a wait. read more

Alpin Bistro - Crème brûlée, espresso martini - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Boutique Café that can easily go unnoticed. It truly was a phenomenal experience to find this place amongst the college scene. Classy place to go. read more

My boyfriend and I love this place. Everything we ordered was fantastic and the service was excellent. Their cocktails were delicious, appetizers were phenomenal, both the entrees and dessert were just show stopping. We went a while ago (Valentines day) but I've wanted to go back ever since! Their French onion soup (vegetarian!) was delicious and the crème brûlée had an amazing texture!! I forgot our servers name but she was very nice & offered to take photos of us :) I've been going around Gainesville trying all the local quiches, and this one is definitely up there. I think it was potato and chive quiche, or something of the sort, and it was huge! So much food, so I got leftovers as well! Love Alpin for a super cute date night with amazing ambience, service, AND food. read more

My favorite place to take job candidates or friends for an intimate dinner. Love the outdoor space (love it more when it's not blistering hot, but whatever). Great French food, attentive staff, welcoming atmosphere. So glad Alpin Bistro is in Gainesville! read more

A cute French restaurant, perfect for date night. The staff is friendly. Open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant. The croque de madame and monsieur sandwiches were amazing. The charcuterie board is amazing with choice of gruyere cheese and Brie with fresh fruit (pear, strawberry and grapes). Happy hour from 4-7 PM with discounted wine and small plates. Highly recommend. read more

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This place is perfectly located in downtown. It's a nice fusion between your typical French cuisine and also a bar to hangout with friends or a date. The atmosphere was quite casual, but the food they served made you feel a little more bougie. I got the salmon quiche, which included a side of salad. The quiche was tasty and savory as it should be. I'm not a huge fan of beets and the chef was overly enthusiastic and poured beets all over my side salad, which I was not a fan of. We also got a cheese board, but they ran out of jam for the night. The cheeses were good, but would have been even better if they had the jam. Overall, I was satisfied with my food, but could see a little bit of room for improvement. This place is relatively small and can be easily missed if you are not looking carefully. There is a parking garage next to this restaurant. If I remembered correctly, it was only $5. read more

Alpin Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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This place is amazing. Food, drinks, & atmosphere. Love their charcuterie and desserts. read more

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The food here was soooo incredibly delicious and absolutely worth the wait!! Very cute vibes and the perfect spot to hang out and talk with music not too loud read more

We had a lovely stop here for drinks. Our server Robin was wonderful and they have a great wine list. I had a white bubble champagne-like wine from France and my son had an old fashioned. We sat at a table on the sidewalk though they also have outdoor seating around the side. read more

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After a 30-minute wait for a table, during which the hostess seated several parties who arrived after us, our server was AWOL for 30 more minutes after we were seated. She informed us the kitchen was out of ham, a key ingredient in many of its dishes - this was one hour after it had opened for the day. In short, you'll get an authentic French experience: rude, inconsiderate lack of service with a side of incompetence in inventory management. We walked out. read more

The environment was relaxed but nice, and the staff was attentive. The espresso martinis were excellent, and the croque madame was a large portion, as was the quiche. The appetizer balsamic Brie was relatively small but flavorful. read more

Alpin Bistro - Espresso martini - so good I finished it before remembering to take a picture - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

A fun little French cafe in the heart of Gainesville! My classmates and I came here for some wine and food. It was very delightful with summer in session (lot less busy). I ended up with the fish and wine for two (small plate) and a croque madame. The croque Madame was delightful and very delicious! Service was a little lacking especially since it wasn't too busy. Definitely will try to come back. read more

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Overall a 3 star, service is a 4 star. Start with the escargot-2 .5 star, onion soup- 2.5!star. Had the salmon and meat quiche both were very good 4 stars. Finished with the mousse 2.5 stars read more

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Came here for a birthday celebration. Was told no reservations. Walked in for a wait of 1 hour. We returned to our car, waited over a hour and a half before we left. They never called us. We finally ate, and made it home they still never called our reservations. Completely forgot about their guests. read more

The food was delicious but the service was atrocious. After claims of "no reservations" and waiting in line for an hour and a half, they forced us to sit outside when there was a large amount of open seats inside, claiming there were "reservations", when the couple ahead of us got to sit inside. It was a chilly night, and they wouldn't even turn on the heater without being asked. The hostess (dark hair and tattoos) was absolutely unprofessional and rolled her eyes at us repeatedly. Ambience is nice as well but not worth the wait. read more

Food was absolutely amazing!! Everything was delicious, drinks were good too. Service was a bit slow, but definitely worth it. Would highly recommend. read more

I came here with three friends for brunch on a Saturday. Without calling ahead, we had to wait at least 45 minutes for a table. So if you decide to visit, make sure to reserve your table ahead of time on their website. This bistro offers authentic French staples. I ordered the croque salmon, which had lots of salmon, capers, parsley, and lemon. It came with a side salad that had a tasty lemon vinaigrette dressing. It is advisable to get to Alpin early, especially on the brunch days, as some members of my party had to keep being informed by our waitress that the kitchen had run out of some ingredient of the dish they ordered. Overall, Alpin is a unique dining experience in Gainesville. Stop by take a step outside the swamp and into this French bistro. read more

Alpin Bistro - Croque salmon - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

What an absolute gem Alpin Bistro is! All of the staff was so warm and inviting from the minute we walked in, until we departed. We opted to enjoy the cozy outdoor seating for our first dining experience here. For drinks, we had the strawberry and black currant diabolos that are made from house made syrups. They were light and refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness to compliment our meals. We selected the Croque vegetarian and the French onion soup, which were both phenomenal. Every bite was so balanced and cooked to perfection. We ended our night with the matcha crème brûlée and an apple tart. I believe they used quality matcha and prepared it correctly, because it tasted lovely and free of bitterness. The apple tart was delightful and beautifully arranged. I don't think you could go wrong with any dish on their menu. We have already decided that we will be back soon fo brunch! read more

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Alpin currently did not offer any seating due to social distancing concerns, but thankfully you are still able to get takeout and if you order ahead and bring a car, they bring it right out to your car! They also give you packed cutlery if needed and were very friendly. For takeout I got a charcuterie plate with cheese, apples, grapes, chorizo, and baguette bread. They packed everything up in a box and there was plenty of food for two! It goes perfectly with red wine. I also got the quiche Lorraine which was cooked perfectly and was so flavorful. It also comes with a side salad and dressing. My friend also got a veggie quiche but it was a bit burned on top. The filling still tasted good and it also came with salad. I'm super glad that Alpin is still open and hope that they continue to stay strong through the pandemic! read more

Alpin Bistro - Social distancing much better with alpin food - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I wanted to like this little bistro but can't really recommend it when all is said and done if you are coming for dinner. The menu is basically glorified toasted cheese, aka croque monsieurs. I liked the traditional ham and cheese croque monsieur that I ordered which came with a simple and small side salad. My dining partner had the opened face variation which she didn't really like. The side salad is ridiculously small. She ordered the option of walnuts on the salad and she got one walnut for a $1.50. The waitress was very good and attentive and apologized for the ridiculous salad size. It literally comes in a shot glass size stainless steel bowl! The ambience on the patio and the front of the restaurant is mice but the back of the restaurant is kind of ugly and needs some attention. If I go here again I would probably jest treat it as a wine bar and skip the food. read more

Alpin Bistro - The ridiculously small side salad featuring the $1.50 add-on of a single walnut. - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We were seated on the small patio quickly. The patio was quaint but noisy with the nearby air conditioner cycling on and off. Our server brought water and we ordered wine while we perused the menu. The wine arrived, my wife had a Chardonnay and I had a Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately neither of enjoyed our wine, perhaps we should have ordered a bottle of better quality. Our server was patient and answered all our questions as we had not dined there before. I ordered a Croque Forestier and my wife had a Croute-Lardons. The salad that came with both entrees was refreshing and visually appealing. Unfortunately our Croute/Croque were very dry with very thick mornay sauce. IMHO the bread to filling ratio was wrong, the sourdough style and it being cut to thick contributed to its exceptional dryness. The mornay sauce was also extremely thick which made the sandwich more like a brick of warm cheese. The sauteed mushrooms on mine were good. My wife asked for crisp lardons for hers but they did not come that way. Maybe if we were to eat here again I would stay clear of the "sandwiches" and try some of the other offerings which looked good. read more

Alpin is such a sweet little spot close to downtown. It's a very cozy atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor courtyard seating. I initially fell in love with Alpin because of their French onion soup which is on special. Most recently I tried their croque with salmon. The ingredients are so fresh and you can taste the difference! Their serving sizes are quite large so it's best to split the mains and sample the variety of goodies they offer. Highly recommend a visit! read more

Alpin Bistro - salmon quiche and the french onion soup :3 - Wine Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The ambiance is probably the best part of this place. It feels like you're not even in Florida. The patio outside is super cute. The dishes are unique and delicious. The Brie plate with the nuts and fruit are such a great combination. The beverages are different than your typical Moscow mule and jack and coke which I appreciate. There an element of surprise with the menu- not your typical menu which I also appreciate. I only gave it a 4 because al thought the menu has an element of surprise without pictures it's a bit difficult to know what something would look/taste like. The service was friendly attentive and fast. read more

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This first time I walked in Alpin, I was greeted with the most beautiful ambiance and pleasant staff. My close friend and I sat at the bar area, and were served the best drinks and dessert I could imagine. We tried the desserts de jour offered that day, including an orange blossom crème brûlée, and an amazing chocolate mouse. The crème brûlée was to die for, and the tartness of the orange perfectly balanced the sweetness of the caramelized sugar. The presentation was beautiful, and really added to the whole vibe of the restaurant. They have a romantic and cozy outside seating area that is perfect for special occasions too. read more

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This place had amazing food, but sadly the service was lacking, but only near the very end of the night. The night started out well - our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, and gave us several recommendations. We ended up going with a goat cheese dish to start as an app, and then split a quiche of the day which has veggies, potatoes, and several cheeses. Finally, to top the evening off we split a bottle of Chianti and had a basil creme brûlée which was off the chain. I can't complain at all about the dinner, I only wish we had come to dinner earlier as there were several specials that they had run out of as the evening progressed. However, the ending of the night was just rough. Around 10pm, before we had ordered dessert, we witnessed our server just leave the restaurant, apparently his shift was over. We waited a while to see if anyone would come by and take over service, but when no one did I got up and went to the bar to ask for a dessert menu. We checked it out, and waited for someone to come take our order (as I assumed by coming to the bar I had made it clear that we needed service... obviously this was not the case). Mind you, the bartender was downing several glasses of Rosé while working. I could care less about you drinking on the job, as long as you provide good service. Anyway I walked back to the bar, placed my order. Dessert was solid as stated above. Then I had to come to the bar to obtain my check. When I got my receipt, the bartender (I imagine slightly drunk by this point) charged me for the wrong tables worth of food, and didn't include the itemized bill when she gave our check back. I had to go ask her to refund our money, and then re-swipe the proper amount. It was entertaining to watch her perform these tasks while inebriated, I'll give her that. Anyway, this really ruined the whole vibe of the place for me. I'll be back to give them another chance, but Alpin should probably consider looking into their customer service, especially on a Saturday night. Pros: Food Cheese Wine selection Cons: Service read more

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