The owners of this restaurant have staffed it very well. We had such a positive experience the…read morefirst time we went, we've asked for the same waiter, Chase every time we go. The food is excellent, and the service even more top notch. Both owners are there every time we go, and support their staff in a very positive manner and chip in wherever is needed. Sanctuary has been so awsome, and the seasonal changes of the menu provide such a quality variety, we find it hard to want to try other places now. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!

Alright, this is one of those times that I must say some honest words that aren't all glowing and…read morepositive but I shall be fair as well. This is a good restaurant on the verge of greatness, short version. The longer version reads like this: First, the service here at Sanctuary on the Square is warm, fast, a pleasant feel. And the space itself is cool, on an awesome little small downtown square, so lots of positives to mention. Now, I LOVE tapas. IMO it is a cuisine tailored to the show off chef, but that also means it must be done with flair, beauty and flavor. LOTS of flavor... and that's what was missing here tonight. The goat cheese croquettes were nice and the shrimp scampi was too, but is "nice" what the kitchen is hoping to hear? I'm thinking not. Even the blue cheese on the gorgeous wedge salad was a tad underwhelming. Three dishes and I did not finish even one of them. Now, to be fair, I have very high standards and a breadth of food experience, so if the kitchen insists I expect too much, they could be on to something. And honestly I'd bet this was a mid-week off night, so ultimately I suggest you give it a try and decide for yourself. For me, though, it came in just under the standard I'm looking for. Cheers until the next one!

Met up with some friends for dinner at decoy last night. They took reservations which was not…read morenecessary. Specialty drinks were amazing. I had a Jesse Jewell. Phenomenal. They have a large bar. A nice set up for live music which they had someone playing Saturday evening. Ordered the decoy burger. One of the better smash burgers I've had in a while. Server was great. We went back to play duck bowling. He moved our deserts over to the lanes. The Crème brûlée was delicious as well. The duck bowling is a little expensive, $60 an hr but we had a good time. They also have golf simulators and putt putt.

Decoy is the perfect mix of delicious food and fun! We had technically and made a reservation for a…read moreFriday night but to be honest I don't think we needed it because this place was massive. We got a great table for our party and we ordered some drinks. My only complaint is I could tell our server as new at this because I felt quite forgotten at times as he would just disappear but otherwise it was a great experience! The cocktail menu had a bunch of great choices and I loved my drink! For an appetizer, we got a flat bread and some spinach and artichoke dip both of which were amazing! Super tasty and flavorful. For my main, I got the chicken caesar wrap with fries and this was a massive wrap! Super yummy and I loved that the salad was finely chopped. Overall, the food was super delicious and I wish we had gotten a chance to play some of the games in this place because the vibes were great! Great spot and addition to downtown Gainesville.

One of the best restaurants in Gainesville, if not the best. The owner is extremely nice and is…read morealways happy to see me every time I eat here. Butter chicken is absolutely amazing, the sizzling special salad with the chicken skewers is another favorite of mine. The ambiance is another great part, the place is very dimly lit with relaxing music and is present in a very old house. It makes you feel very at home. Highly recommended! Note - The lunch and dinner services are a bit different, at lunch you order butter chicken, receive rice, naan and a small salad. But at dinner, you order a protein and it only comes with rice, but you receive a much larger portion, everything else comes separately. But they're more than willing to provide a lunch portion during dinner, and vice versa, just worth keeping in mind.

Decent food but quantity is too small and the prices are outrageous. In the soft opening they asked…read morethese exact question and I gave the exact answers, too small and too expensive. They ignored both.

A Gainesville favorite for my wife & I. The food is excellent and top tier service. Katie was a…read moregreat waitress. If you place a reservation like we did, they will seat you right away at a reserved table. Great drinks, great food, easy parking by the deck. We'll be back weekly!

Excellent service, beautiful restaurant and a really delicious meal. We enjoyed the guacamole,…read moreenchiladas and rice. They even have vegan cheese and sour cream! We can't wait to come back and try more items. Thanks to Walter for all of the delicious recommendations.

Luna's catered a birthday party at my home in December. The food was amazing and Jason (one of the…read moreowners) & his staff were unbelievable. They took care of every detail, from setting up the tables/chairs & linens, to serving the food, to mixing drinks to clean up. The entire experience was seamless. We will definitely use them again because they offer such high quality and great value. We have also eaten at the restaurant in downtown Gainesville. The food is excellent there as well.

This is a review for the Easter brunch only…read more I'm sure my grandparents would've loved this place if they were still around. You got your white tablecloths, rooms full of retirees, and a vibe that hasn't changed much since the Reagan administration. Unfortunately, there was none of that live music that this place is known for. My family and I came for the Easter brunch buffet @ $55/person. The menu looked great: herb crusted prime rib at the carving station, shrimp and grits, Belgian waffles, deviled eggs, bourbon glazed carrots, cheesecake dessert squares. But the reality was that it's more like an upscale hotel breakfast. Safe, mostly bland, and probably exactly what the "usual" crowd there was looking for. The bacon was overcooked and shriveled. The deviled eggs didn't even have any paprika. And who puts a giant vat of syrup BEFORE the waffles? And their signature strawberry punch would've tasted way better chilled or iced instead of being kept at room temperature. The prime rib was what made it all worth it. It was tender, juicy, cooked just right, and the horseradish took care of their seasoning problem. That carving station is what saves the day along with the fantastic staff. Even the manager was great to talk to. I just wish the rest of the food was better than "meh." A couple of tips: call for reservations, there's no online booking. Parking is annoying because of the app. If you don't have a walker, just use the giant free public lot one block over on Main Street. Also, the "Order" button on their website goes nowhere. Maybe just replace it with "Menu," Luna. Looks like Mother's Day is getting the breakfast buffet brunch encore, so if you want to experience what I did, go for it. I probably won't be back even though the regular menu looks interesting.

If I could, I would give Cotto 6 stars. Located in the historic square in Gainesville, GA, Cotto…read moreModern Italian restaurant was one of the best dinners we've had in a long time. Compared to south Florida's cost of living, the pricing is surprisingly inexpensive for the quality and service. We brought our standard poodle with us, since we were on vacation. We enjoyed their outdoor seating, which was spacious and relaxing. We were welcomed and really made to feel at home. For my south Florida friends, if you are passing through north Georgia, Cotto's should definitely be on your itinerary.

We enjoyed dining at the bar, since they didn't want to sit us in the main dining area. Although,…read moreit was empty for the entirety of our meal... We ordered the mussels, caesar, cacio e Pepe and bistecca fiorentina. The steak was a thin cut T-Bone, far from any bistecca fiorentina I have ever had. It was also cooked to medium, borderline medium well. So it was tough to the chew. Salad mussels and pasta were tasty though! Hostess can try harder next time with seating guest in the dining area. Even with a few reservations, you have plenty of seating.

I was meeting a buddy of mine in Gainesville to celebrate his birthday. This is where we want to…read morecome. We were very happy with our experience here. Get to eat deviled eggs for an appetizer they were very tasty! I got a brisket, Philly it was super tasty. Service was phenomenal,. Overall, this is a great restaurant in Gainesville. I will be back!

This was me & my husbands 7th year anniversary, we wanted to get out and go somewhere nice…read more Im really satisfied and happy that we chose this place. There was an aura in the air when we got here, i swear im not being dramatic. The smell of the food hit us walking up, but it wasnt over-powering...it was just the right "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" amount. Our waiter was attentive and consisent with checking on us and asking about quality - while answering other tables which im sure is difficult. I wasnt able to quite catch his name - but that is on our part since we didnt let him know we hadn't heard when he did say his name. The other waiter that brought out the food was also kind. The food was of course delicious, unsuprising since the other reveiws had already raved so much to the point it was honestly kind of expected. The steaks on both plates had been cooked to perfection - my husband and I are grateful to the chef that unknowingly gave us such a wonderful anniversary dinner. The Mozzerella Mac & Cheese had such depth of favor. The cheese though... we are absolutely suspecting the chef of using gouda! Smokey and rich in flavor - thoroughly creamy & cheesy with such consistent flavoring... we loved it. The fries were homemade and delicous, not much to say besides the fact they didnt taste of chemical preservatives whatsoever. In fact, I think at one point both our stomach thanked us for eating this wonderful food. My drinks were delicious, we got the Georgia Mule and then the margarita that is also on the drink menu. Both were delicious but the Georgia Mule was refreshing! Hands down the best we have ever tried. The weather, sun, and love of my life definetely played a part of this reveiw - I must be honest of my bias. The band that was playing on 03/24/2026 was great. If I could compare the vocalist I would say they sound exactly that of the singer "Hozier". Thank you to everyone that played a role in the experience.

We've been a few times now and it doesn't disappoint! The staff has always been super friendly,…read moregood with service, and helpful. The inside has a very cool old school building feel while being trendy at the same time. It's quite a large place with two sides and outdoor seating plus restrooms on each side. The appetizers and main dishes that we have had so far are all fantastic. The fish and chips are some of the best I've had. The fish isn't overly breaded and greasy like some other places. Our son loves the fried green bean appetizer but eats most of it himself so we hardly ever get to enjoy it. Once again the breading is light resembling a panko type crust so you aren't just eating deep fried objects. We've tried numerous other appetizers and so far nothing has been a let down. If you're looking for a good menu with quality food and drink options (they have a full bar) then this is it. Cool setting. Easy to get to. Great food. Friendly staff.

I stopped by twice in one day -- that's how intriguing this spot was. The first visit, I was drawn…read morein by an appetizer I just had to try: peanut butter and jelly pork belly. Unusual? Absolutely. But it was fabulous -- bold, unexpected, and delicious. After walking through the rest of town, I found myself right back for a second round. This time, it was their creative take on shrimp and grits. Another hit -- inventive and full of flavor. My only complaint? Neither dish was served quite hot enough for my taste. Next time, I'll be sure to ask for everything piping hot. Because yes -- I'd definitely go back.