Interesting menu and always incredibly good. (Make a reservation on weekends or you'll wait) Smaller setting, cozy, elegant but not pretentious. This is one of my top three favorite restaurants in MA. read more

This is the best restaurant in Swampscott. When we go there we sit at the bar. We often do appetizers and drinks although we've had dinner here and their entrees are fabulous as well. I recommend the tuna tower and spring rolls - delicious! For an entree I loved the Pappardelle and my husband had the linguini G mare. Both were excellent! This is small venue so get there early to get a bar seat. read more

Bill our waiter was terrific. Location perfect and my deconstructed Greek Salad and Spanakopita interesting And tasty - Fettucine Alfredo too thick sauce - needed to be lighter on what was otherwise a great pasta read more

The food here was amazing. There were a few items on the menu that didnt jump out at me at first, but when I saw them being served around me, I coveted. They use lemon and lime flavors often for flavoring sauces and go light on the creams and butters that other places handle too heavily most of the time and send you home with an upset stomach. I love the decor and the waitstaff was very knowledgeable. They had fresh flowers on the table and candles. The get veggies from local farms as often as possible and they make their own pasta fresh. Try the G Happy Meal, the warm yellow Beet Salad starter, and the Crispy Haddock or the Gnocchi. I'm going to keep going back until I try everything they offer. read more

We were actually heading to Red Rock when I remembered I saw this place on TV Diner. It was not the original plan, but after our long drive in inclement weather last evening, the planets were aligned just so that we instead wound up at the G Bar & Kitchen for the first time. Which was VERY lucky indeed! First off, I loved the space. It had a sophisticated comfort about it, and was a little swanky, too, without trying too hard. The light fixtures were super-cool. Not a fan of the reggae that was playing, but the CD player was on shuffle so we didn't need to hear only this genre (and that's hardly an issue with the place, just an observation). We were greeted pleasantly and had our choice of table as it was a nasty night and not crowded. The small bar seemed to have all its seats occupied, though. From our table, we could see into the semi-open kitchen which looked spotless. For a small place, they have a decent wine selection, and the cocktail menu had some yummy sounding choices (however, my diet means one glass of wine only, and red). My DC had three (!) blueberry limontinis, which I tasted. Very delicious, and they made my companion delightfully tipsy, which is pretty adorable (most of the time). The waiter, Bill, was very attentive and friendly, but not overly or effusively so. After promptly bringing us water and our drinks, we ordered and then he brought some homemade focaccia (one piece each) with an olive/garlic tapenade. Very nice, and I (being on the aforementioned diet) appreciated that there was not some huuuuuge breadbasket that I'd have had to stare down. We ordered bacon wrapped dates and okay, I DID have one. I always love them anywhere I go and here they were delicious - like salty candy. My DC thought the bacon could have been a little more done, but it was fine for me. He ordered the gnocchi with mushrooms and truffle oil and they were delightfully pillowy soft. I ordered a petite filet which came with mushroom strudel (yum) and I substituted spinach for the asparagus, a request they happily accommodated. If it weren't for the fact I had to send my undercooked steak back (I asked for medium and it arrived on the rarer side of medium rare) and the spinach being a bit oily and lacking in flavor, I would have given the place 5 stars. They fixed my steak quickly and when it arrived at the table again, it was the proper temperature. My cute, sweet, slightly inebriated companion couldn't stop talking about going back there, and soon. I agreed. We look forward to going back; I'm excited to try another dish, and maybe dessert too. read more

I went back and forth on the number of stars to give. I guess if I was just rating on atmosphere, service, and light snacks, I would have given this place an extra star... FYI- we were glad we made a reservation earlier that day because the restaurant and bar were busy. The appetizers were better than the entrees. I could see coming here for drinks and snacks, but not a meal. We ordered the Gbar sampler. The crispy shrimp were very good. Nice seasoning and flavor. The other 2 sampler items- tuna tartare and spring roll fell way short. Both were bland. I wasn't even sure what was in the spring roll because it tasted like eating noting. Entrees were mediocre at best. Presentation was lacking on both dishes (which I wouldn't have cared about if it tasted good). Like another review said, the 'giant' diver scallops were small and way over cooked. The texture was chewy. The risotto was okay, not bad and not great. The veal chops that we ordered were hidden under a pile of oily baby arugula and tomatoes. The veal was just breaded and fried. It lacked flavor and was dry as well. Maybe that was why they were hidden under that pile of arugula? The pile of arugula could have used some shavings of parmesean cheese or something to spruce it up. Overall, disappointing entrees. One last note, the PDF menu on their website is out of date- some of the items are no longer available, so don't get your heart set on anything. I am glad I tried this place, but I don't think I would go back nor would I recommend it to friends. read more

Something weird happened here. The last 3 meals have been kinda bad. Very salty steak, soggy chips, grizzly tuna steak. I want to come back, but it's been months. I can't do it again until they get back their mojo. read more

Another fine dining experience at G. Menu changed for the season as I was looking for the in bone Veal Masala. They did not disappoint but the chop was prepared differently. My wife had the sirliun strip. Service impeccable. Again another five stars. read more

I have never had a less than stellar experience in G Bar! The people are warm and friendly, customer service focused and the food is Excellent, beyond most any other restaurants!! A ++ in my book! read more

One of my favorite local places. Interior makes you feel like your out of town which is a nice change. We almost always sit at the bar and have never had a negative experience with either of the male bartenders like someone mentioned. The drink menu changes frequently enough and has a wide range of things to choose from, along with a great wine list. Being a bartender myself, it's nice to have some fancy drinks and good wine made or poured for myself sometimes. My favorite food items on the menu are the beet salad, the cucumber goat cheese salad with a honey truffle dressing (amazing....) the fish tacos are awesome (I moved here from san diego) the filet medium rare is perfect, and the mushroom strudel is comes with is even better. I have had a few things here I wasn't a huge fan of but the fact that they are few and far between, good service, and awesome drinks makes up for it. Great place for a special night out, as it can be pricey depending on what you get. I like to bring visitors here when they are in town. read more

In a word: yum! Nice clean space and friendly service, decent wine and beer list, interesting cocktails. We loved our entrees but could have passed on the apps and dessert, not that they were bad but just not super special. Overall very good and will definitely return. read more

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I love this little place! The bartender was friendly and mixed up some awesome cocktails for us. We sat at the bar which had comfortable seats. Everyone was having fun and conversing with each other. We started with the tuna app and beet salad which were great. I had the bass special and my BF got the haddock with red pepper sauce. Both were great. They allowed us to exchange the veggie that the dishes were standardly served with. The other thing that made our time at the G bar so fun was talking with the chef/owner and also the drive along the ocean. I can't wait to go back! read more

We tried G Bar & Kitchen ages ago - when they first openened - and were completely disappointed....the prices were too high, the food was mediocre and the service was terrible. We stopped in Friday night because of the recent Groupon....and I'm glad we gave it another chance! We only had drinks and apps....but everything was very good. Our server (Bill) was fantastic, the cocktails were spectacular, and the appetizers we ordered were tasty and satisfying. The prices have definitely come down, which makes this a more reasonable option for locals. It wasn't the greatest meal I've ever had, but it was very good - and worth it at these new prices. I would definately go back for drinks/apps again! read more

Just left and would never go back. If your a vegan this place is not for you. Also if you do decide to stay expect to be rushed out. Even on a slow rainy Monday night. read more

G-whiz I enjoyed this restaurant. I only got the potatoe chips made there... Pretty good. But the bartender was great at helping me find a great wine. Nice atmosphere and big, clean bathrooms. Check this place out! read more

You know what, this place is really, really good. Freshest and tasty ingredients. High quality and interesting dishes. The fresh bread and the homemade olive spread was incredible. The ceaser salad was everything a ceaser salad should be. My husband and both had the truffle gnochi- and let me tell you, that was the best dish I have ever had. I cannot wait to come here again! read more

My Mom and I went to G's last night and were very impressed. She lives in town, but had never been there and they don't seem to get much buzz among the locals, for whatever reason. The food was great--bacon cocoa brussels for an app, classic gnocchi and pappardelle were homemade with Nonna-worthy sauces, and a tasty chocolate soufflé for dessert. Service was friendly and prompt too, and it's upscale yet a cozy, comfortable place. So much better than our nightmare dinner at Mission on the Bay down the street during my last visit. We'll definitely be back to G's. read more

We just had dinner at G Bar and Kitchen...it was great. Personal service, with Chef Gregg Brackmann and great food. We enjoyed the oysters(should have been 6 not 4), Maytag salad, halibut and tuna...all excellent. Some service continuity issues but did not upset the meal. Creme Brulee terrific flourless chocolate cake a bit messy...but bittersweet nice. We will definately eat there again...good food, good atmosphere and good prices. read more

I got used a Now Groupon ($10 for $20) for the Gbar and it was a pleasant experience! Note that the portions are pretty small - but tasty - and most entrees are around $25. Ambience/Setting: the Gbar is definitely small but very romantic and intimate. Its decor is very lovely and posh, with good use of mirrors along the sides to make the room bigger. The bar is a quarter circle that ends along the open kitchen. The chairs are very comfy and tables are candlelit, which is extremely personal and romantic amidst the dim lights. On the negative side, we were the youngest people there (early 20's) and I don't think there was a single minority amongst the diners - think suburbia riche. Drinks: I read reviews about alcohol skimping and pricey drinks but my $10 gCosmo was very stiff and very good. It was simple but tasty. The price is comparable to any other good restaurant! The oatmeal stout my dining partner had was also very delicious, but $8 for it was a little steep given the size. PS - they do not include drink prices on the menu, so I'm uncertain about the costs of the other drinks. Food: We opted to choose three apps instead of any entrees since the prices for the latter were very high. Out of the three apps (mushroom strudel -$8-, scallops unwrapped -$11-, and gBar happy meal -$15-), I enjoyed the mushroom strudel the best! The strudel was flaky, the medley of different mushrooms tasty, and the parmesan sprinkles were such a nice complement. A rich and tasty bite (comes with four strudels, each in the shape of a half of a Post-it Note). The scallops were also very tasty, and actually not too bad for the price. They were very large, cooked perfectly, and sat on sweet capicollo bacon. The balsmic/fig reduction was a very nice combination with it. The only downside was there there were only two, and I thought the $11 was a little steep for the amount of food. Lastly was the gBar happy meal, which came with 1 spring roll, 3 crispy shrimp, 2 pats of bluefish pate with 2 foccaccia triangles, and a mound of tuna tartare on a fried wonton wrapper. The spring roll was the most disappointing: I could taste the bokchoy but nothing else. It wasn't greasy but it was tiny; plus there was only one! The tuna tartare was an ample portion (surprisingly) but it didn't taste like much. The fish was very fresh but the flavors weren't there. The flavorless wonton wrapper also did not add much as a vehicle for tartare transport. My spoon could have done the same without the calories. The best was the pate (no overwhelming fishy taste), which came with a dollop of their wonderful hot sauce. It went well with the foccaccia and there was a lot of it. Creamy and delicious! Lastly, the shrimp was fine but just tasted like fried shrimp with buffalo sauce. The size was also very small. Overall, the happy meal seemed entirely too small for the $15 price tag. However, seeing as the scallops were $11, I guess that is to be expected. Service: Service was definitely not sycophantic but could have been a little bit more accommodating towards the end. I think somewhere between not asking for dessert and extra drinks, the friendliness faded. Perhaps if we didn't use a Groupon and ordered more than apps + drinks.... Overall, very pleasant experience. Felt full but not stuffed afterward, and some dishes were very good! The price is a little steep for the quality of food (Blue Ox is 10 minutes away with better portions and better food! mm now there's a tuna tartare to dream about) TL;DR: good stiff drinks (beers a little overpriced), mushroom strudel and bluefish pate were winners! read more

Great menu that changes seasonally and always delicious specials. Nice wine list and cozy dining room and bar.

The main reason for 3-stars -- SERVICE. The food is more along the line of four stars, as well as the trendy, comfortable atmosphere. We sat at the bar and had really poor service from the start. The overall feeling from our bartender was that he was there to make a few bucks, not there to service people or create a hospitable environment (I know the hospitality industry is not easy, so I have a lot of respect for people in it). To start, I ordered a drink that should have came with a warning label because it was legit "off-the-charts" spicy, and I like spicy. I told the bartender this and he didn't offer to make another drink or even to try to fix the cocktail to make it less spicy. Also, he knew nothing about the menu (and had been there for a long time because we have seen in many months ago). When we asked him a simple question about the preparation of a menu item he had to get a server to come over and explain it to us. In my opinion, basic menu knowledge is essential. He never refilled our water and also never offered us bread, yet we saw others with bread. At a nice restaurant $30+ per person, you should be offered bread. Anyway....all-in-all the food is good and given a different service experience we would have rated this place higher. Maybe next time. read more

I enjoy G bar & restaurant, and have had consistently good meals there. The tuna tower and meatball appetizers are scrumptious, and the lamb, tuna, and gnocchi entrees are great, as well. I would rate the overall quality of the food and inventiveness of the dishes as well above-average--it's certainly one of the best restaurants in Swampscott. I do wish there was a bit more space between tables in the booth section. There is a sense of lack of privacy while dining there, given the small, and somewhat crowded nature of the space. Nevertheless, I would be happy to return. read more

Awesome dinner! I've eaten here twice and everything has been top quality and good service. Beautiful, tasty dishes. The menu changes seasonally so it changes things up. read more

We had a fabulous experience here. My wonderful guy took me here for a birthday dinner. It is a small but beautiful place located on a popular seaside location in Swampscott. We split the crispy shrimp and wild mushrooms in phyllo. For entrées, he had the Shrimp Fra Diavolo and I had the chicken with sautéed veggies, zucchini pancake and grilled cauliflower. Everything was delicious! Our server was a wonderful gentleman named Bill who was just perfect in every way. We will definitely come back here -- such a great place! read more

Staff very nice, small room which can get loud. Had the scallops and bacon which were tasty but a little gritty. Had lamb chops that were disappointing. Was told they would be medium rare but the were medium to well and bland. The sauce was a salt lick. My husband had duck which was better. May try again and hope for better results read more

Just a delicious wonderful meal. We had the eggplant, filet and fish taco mains. Everything was wonderful, meals came out quickly, filet was cooked a perfect medium rare, I got a side of mashed potatoes that we're fresh and superb. The eggplant was scrumptious. Desert was crazy good. Really great service and top notch food. Very few restaurants in this area are making food as well as them and I can't say enough good things. A breath of fresh air in a stale restaurant market. Go here for a great meal, you will not be disappointed. read more

Andrew Carver...bartender, smooth operator and over all master of ceremonies for this evening. Greg Brackman has a master mixer and gentleman behind the bar. On a Friday night during a cold snap me, wifey, brother and his lady devoured a splendid sample of items recommended by bartender Carver. Starting with the Crispy Shrimp and Buffalo cauliflower we nibled with joy while cranking cocktails ranging from vodka tonic to a house special. G Bar hummed with business behind us as we chatted up Mr Carver and enjoyed the unrushed atmosphere. Andrew Carver as a bartender exudes a mix of Tom Cruise looks and Bryan Browns veteran leadership from the great 1987 film "Cocktail". For the main course we sampled Swordfish, lamb chops and gnocchi. The swordfish was sweet and mixed well with a Carver approved Hitching Post Pinot noir. The gnocchi, ever soft and moist lay in a bed of red sauce that demanded bread for dipping. The lamb chops left were succulent and devoured to the bone. After the meal we took part in a Gbar tradition of "shooting corks". Above the bar behind the great Mr. Carver is a troph of corks from each evenings spirits. Customers are encouraged to land the cork in the bin containing all the corks of Gbar past. The night ended with Creme Brule and it was fresh. My hats off to the team at Gbar. Great night. Better memories. read more

G Bar & Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Swampscott, Massachusetts

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Loved the dinner, staff, ambiance and presentation.. Delicious, relaxing, mature crowd, clean and I shall return!

Amazing food!!!! Shrimp appetizer a must try..Pappardelle Pasta is amazing. Great cozy atmosphere and bar area!!! Love this place!!

Great Place... I don't venture north of Boston much, but I heard about this place from an old friend, so I figured I'd check it out. Here it goes: My friend and I started off with the "Happy Meal" appetizer. The name threw me off at first, but it was delicious. This sampler consisted of tuna tar tare, a spring roll, and shrimp. For entrees we had the local haddock and tuna steak. they were both mouthwatering and cooked to perfection. Portions were perfect, didn't leave there hungry, and didn't leave stuffed either. Each entree came with a well paired side. Atmosphere was intimate, great place for a date. When we arrived, there were no tables available so we sat at the bar. I was pleasantly surprised at the service I received at the bar. The bartender, if I remember right his name was Andy, was full of information. On top of creating delicious cocktails( I recommend the Blueberry Lemontini) he was very helpful with choosing a dish, he had his own opinions as well as feed back from customers about every dish I asked about. One piece of advice, If you're traveling a distance to get there, I might call ahead and ask how busy they are. That would be the only knock I have on the place is that seating is limited so if they're busy you could have a wait, and there is not too much room for standing around. Two thumbs up from this first timer read more

My son and his friend were recently refused service at the bar. They were told it was because the restaurant did not accept out of state licenses as identification. They were treated extremely rudely and believe it was because my son was only drinking water and not alcohol. I was raised in Swampscott but now live in Chicago. I find it hard to believe that an establishment in Swampscott would not accept out of state I.D.s. The manner in which they were treated is also unacceptable. My entire family still remains in Swampscott as well as my lifelong friends. I will obviously share this disheartening story with them. read more

Went here for my bday dinner! OMG SOOOOOOO GOOD! This meal was absolute perfection. Each bite of food perfectly balanced . If you are a foodie there are plenty of interesting things on the menu! We both had the lamb for diiner which is unusual for us to pick the same thing but oh boy was it good! The pamb was soft perfection with the sweet and savory fig sauce and the indulgent potato gratin! Will def return read more

G Bar is a cute little spot. I was surprised so many people found the service lacking. Nobody cooed and fawned over us, but they were courteous and efficient. We sat at the bar because at 7:30, the place was already hopping. The food was pretty good. Not fantastic, but good. The flavor was there, but some of the execution fell a little short. We started with the mushroom strudel which had a flaky layer of phylo dough, three different mushrooms, romano cheese and white truffle oil. It wasn't bad, but my husband and I both felt it was just missing the mark. I thought a bit more romano would have been good, but he thought it would have been better with a creamier cheese. For dinner, my husband had the "giant" seared scallops with a capicolla and spinach risotto in a sherry reduction. He liked the risotto, not the best ever, but the scallops were over cooked and the "giant" description was a stretch. I was boring and had the roasted chicken breast with mashed russets and asparagus. The chicken was very well done. Perfectly seasoned, juicy and tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The taters were missing something. Salt and pepper maybe and maybe a little more butter. But the asparagus was just how I like it, still a little crunchy. For dessert we had a chocolate mousse with white chocolate shavings on top. Delicious and light. We agreed that they have an odd selection of beer. Not bad, but heavily weighted towards light lagers. All in all-decent. I don't think it's worth leaving the city for, but it's a nice change of pace for those of us who live here on the Northshore. read more

PLEASE bring back the chocolate mousse. I came here specifically for that and you took it off the menu. It's so good. Way better than your chocolate soufflé. You can get soufflé anywhere nowadays. And it was only "meh". read more

Absolutely fantastic! For some reason, never came here since they opened despite living in Swampscottt before and certainly regret waiting this long. Caesar salad was really good and they also give you some bread with a tasty olive oil spread. For an entree, I got the Haddock and it was so f'ing good that I cannot wait till my next visit to get it again! There was so much flavor and the mashed potatoes that came with it were excellent well. (mashed was my request but you can get fried potato coins with it as well) In conclusion, if you haven't gone there yet then go. If you went and weren't impressed, give it another shot because they are definitely doing something right! read more

This is the most sophisticated meal we've had since we arrived on the North Shore 8 months ago. Its not my favorite, I'd say the Antique Table in Lynn is, but the meals my wife and I had were excellent, the service attentive and the atmosphere was very pleasant. The restaurant is smallish, and just one waitress backed up by the bar tender covered it adequately for a Tuesday night. We shared a bottle of pinot grigio, she had a shrimp appetizer and I had the tomato avocado salad. She had a halibut special that was really breathtakingly delicious, I had lamb chops that were thick and well-prepared, with a side of something like scalloped potatoes that was terrific. We split a vanilla creme brullee which was good but not great. Because of the small size of the place, the noise level was very acceptable, despite being almost full. Nice view of the water across the street and comfortable seating rounded out a very positive experience. This is an expensive place by our standards, we ended up spending $140 including the bottle of wine and tip, but, hey, it was our anniversary. Maybe we'll eat there once a year in the future -- an anniversary tradition. read more

I like to sit at the bar in this intimate restaurant; the service at the bar is attentive without being smothering. The menu has a bistro feel; my only complaint is that the entrees are rather heavily salted. (I don't have a fear of salt, but it's a pattern I've noticed after multiple dining experiences.) The restaurant closes at 10pm, and the staff seems pretty adamant about getting out on time, so head down the street to Red Rock Bistro for your after-dinner drink. read more

Small, but yummy! Food was really good and good service everywhere. We say at the bar and it was just as good as a table. Totally recommend this place. read more

Excellent! Had not been in a while and it did not disappoint. Fish tacos, pappardelle and salmon- all superb. Will make sure to go more often. read more

My husband and I came here for date night on a Saturday night. It was busy but not insane. The food was delicious and perfectly executed, and their cocktail list was fun and creative. We split the meatballs for an appetizer, which were pretty good but nothing mind-blowing. For entrees I had the chicken with a winter vegetable risotto that made me want to lick my plate, and my husband's filet mignon was cooked perfectly. I was a bit disappointed that service was slow, though it being date night we didn't mind chatting while we waited. It's a small place, so there were only 2 servers working which didn't quite seem like enough to keep up with the crowd. There seemed to be an unusually high number of dishes and drinks that involved vanilla beans, though - not sure if the chef is on a kick or if they accidentally ordered a case of them, or what... My husband wasn't feeling well so we skipped dessert, but we definitely plan to go back - the chocolate souffle sounded fantastic! read more