The food was tasty but too greasy and high carb. Not the best beer selection and the service was inefficient.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Heather Hockman
First time here. Had read prior reviews. I'm a purist on French anything. I had their cheese board. The cheese selections were fine. But wow did they miss the mark on pairings. Nothing French involved. Coarse whole grain mustard (American/German style), two sliced strawberries, a little bit of pear, some red grapes, few blueberries, and plain walnuts (like right out of the bag). And in my opinion, the worst part, baguette (that wasn't a French baguette) with oil and herb seasoning on top. It was like this plate did not have an identity. You don't pair cheeses like brie or blue with a baguette like that! And they needed to consider the cheese flavors and what should go with them. For example gruyere would pair with fig jam and pecan. Brie with tart apple and butter or tart cherry, blue with plain baguette and tart apple or honey or unsalted butter (yes, most of Europe will layer butter with other dairy). And mustard(s) if offered should also pair correctly with at least one of the cheeses. I would have liked to see actual French mustard Maille etc. And cornichons not a dill pickle.I understand this is not the fault of the servers or kitchen. It just could have been SO much better and more authentic. I would mostly just say this was a very confused cheese board lacking in authenticity.Would not go back.
Crystal W.
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.
travelin taters
WE CAME HERE CAUSE WE THOUGHT THIS IS WHERE THEY FILMED E.T THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL. WE WERE WRONG. BUT WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE FOOD. IT WAS FINGER SMACKIN GOOOOOOODDDD! ILL TELL U WHUT! ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria L.
It is my favorite spot in town. Great food, service, with a legitimate European vibe. Love it!
Dyson Alpha
Chocolate mousse is amazing here. Server was very attentive to our needs as we ate at this delightful restaurant. Definitely will go back and recommend other should try if they have
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheese Plate, Le Croque-Saumon, Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mousse
Kimberly Townsend P.
A dream come true. Felt almost like I was back in France. Sweet decor. Excellent food. Terrific waitstaff.
Lauryne Love
On a friend’s recommendation I decided to visit this restaurant with my boyfriend. The Croque Forestier was so delicious. The abundance of cheese, umami mushrooms, and caramelized onions was well-enough to warrant a return. The happy hour sampler left much to be desired and kind of soured the rest of the experience. The platter was one strawberry cut in half, two thin orange slices, some walnuts, a few pickled onion slivers, mustard, a bit of bread and their delicious house butter. There was no cheese on the platter and just one protein so it was a bit disappointing to say the least? I would rather have at least a couple slices of cheese than the fruit, I feel like it would make a stronger impression. The wine was ok, we didn’t like it but I’m sure that’s a matter of taste not quality. The service was meh, our server seemed new since they thought the butter was the cheese and they didn’t seem very genuinely attentive or amicable. I tried to wave down an employee to ask for a bit of help but he just waved back and kept working lol :P. I am of French descent so I was really excited to discover this little bistro and was left feeling like something was missing. I hope it’s better next time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
anneliese L.
I love this little place. It feels like you step into a café in Paris when you arrive. The food is amazing and the owners are so welcoming! Definitely check it out he next time you are d
David Martin
I have a soft spot for Alpin. I love some of their menu -- the French onion soup, the escargot, the blood sausage are all delicious. The ambiance is really cozy and fun. The place makes a decent effort at giving off a sort of French vibe which is somewhat endearing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Escargot, Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mousse
I had the vegetarian mushroom, garlic and goat cheese quiche and it was the best quiche that I had ever eaten. And I've eaten a lot of quiche over the years. Servers were friendly, the atmosphere is great. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott A.
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.
Shehzad M.
Our friends rave about Alpin and we finally had the chance to stop in while visiting Gainesville. We had an absolutely delightful experience. There was a bit of a wait, but faster than the estimated wait time. We sat on the patio for brunch and our server was so nice. She greeted us immediately and we had drinks before we knew it. The patio was quiet enough for conversation and felt tucked away. The ham/cheese buckwheat crepe is amazing! We tried a couple different ciders that we also fantastic. Highly recommend this place and we will definitely back our next visit in Gainesville (hopefully for dinner to try the rest of the menu)!
Sarah B.
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.
mike 9979
It’s a sweet little spot that sells exceptional French dishes. The atmosphere is very romantic and subtle at the same time. The customer service is very adequate.
The food was tasty but too greasy and high carb. Not the best beer selection and the service was inefficient.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
First time here. Had read prior reviews. I'm a purist on French anything. I had their cheese board. The cheese selections were fine. But wow did they miss the mark on pairings. Nothing French involved. Coarse whole grain mustard (American/German style), two sliced strawberries, a little bit of pear, some red grapes, few blueberries, and plain walnuts (like right out of the bag). And in my opinion, the worst part, baguette (that wasn't a French baguette) with oil and herb seasoning on top. It was like this plate did not have an identity. You don't pair cheeses like brie or blue with a baguette like that! And they needed to consider the cheese flavors and what should go with them. For example gruyere would pair with fig jam and pecan. Brie with tart apple and butter or tart cherry, blue with plain baguette and tart apple or honey or unsalted butter (yes, most of Europe will layer butter with other dairy). And mustard(s) if offered should also pair correctly with at least one of the cheeses. I would have liked to see actual French mustard Maille etc. And cornichons not a dill pickle.I understand this is not the fault of the servers or kitchen. It just could have been SO much better and more authentic. I would mostly just say this was a very confused cheese board lacking in authenticity.Would not go back.
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.
WE CAME HERE CAUSE WE THOUGHT THIS IS WHERE THEY FILMED E.T THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL. WE WERE WRONG. BUT WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE FOOD. IT WAS FINGER SMACKIN GOOOOOOODDDD! ILL TELL U WHUT! ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It is my favorite spot in town. Great food, service, with a legitimate European vibe. Love it!
Chocolate mousse is amazing here. Server was very attentive to our needs as we ate at this delightful restaurant. Definitely will go back and recommend other should try if they have
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheese Plate, Le Croque-Saumon, Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mousse
A dream come true. Felt almost like I was back in France. Sweet decor. Excellent food. Terrific waitstaff.
On a friend’s recommendation I decided to visit this restaurant with my boyfriend. The Croque Forestier was so delicious. The abundance of cheese, umami mushrooms, and caramelized onions was well-enough to warrant a return. The happy hour sampler left much to be desired and kind of soured the rest of the experience. The platter was one strawberry cut in half, two thin orange slices, some walnuts, a few pickled onion slivers, mustard, a bit of bread and their delicious house butter. There was no cheese on the platter and just one protein so it was a bit disappointing to say the least? I would rather have at least a couple slices of cheese than the fruit, I feel like it would make a stronger impression. The wine was ok, we didn’t like it but I’m sure that’s a matter of taste not quality. The service was meh, our server seemed new since they thought the butter was the cheese and they didn’t seem very genuinely attentive or amicable. I tried to wave down an employee to ask for a bit of help but he just waved back and kept working lol :P. I am of French descent so I was really excited to discover this little bistro and was left feeling like something was missing. I hope it’s better next time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
I love this little place. It feels like you step into a café in Paris when you arrive. The food is amazing and the owners are so welcoming! Definitely check it out he next time you are d
I have a soft spot for Alpin. I love some of their menu -- the French onion soup, the escargot, the blood sausage are all delicious. The ambiance is really cozy and fun. The place makes a decent effort at giving off a sort of French vibe which is somewhat endearing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup, Escargot, Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mousse
Restaurantji Recommends
I had the vegetarian mushroom, garlic and goat cheese quiche and it was the best quiche that I had ever eaten. And I've eaten a lot of quiche over the years. Servers were friendly, the atmosphere is great. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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.
Our friends rave about Alpin and we finally had the chance to stop in while visiting Gainesville. We had an absolutely delightful experience. There was a bit of a wait, but faster than the estimated wait time. We sat on the patio for brunch and our server was so nice. She greeted us immediately and we had drinks before we knew it. The patio was quiet enough for conversation and felt tucked away. The ham/cheese buckwheat crepe is amazing! We tried a couple different ciders that we also fantastic. Highly recommend this place and we will definitely back our next visit in Gainesville (hopefully for dinner to try the rest of the menu)!
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.
It’s a sweet little spot that sells exceptional French dishes. The atmosphere is very romantic and subtle at the same time. The customer service is very adequate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup