Love the concept, location, ambiance, and the tiny space. No TV screens, which is good and not trivial in this town ;-) Â Reasonable beer selection, though not as impressive as Stubbies & Steins (only a block away from the Alcove). POOR wine selection (e.g., one Malbec, one Cabernet, etc. Simply Ridiculous). Amateur bartenders, as noted by other reviewers.
Also, wine glasses are too small - the result is that they fill them up 3/4 to the top, not allowing you to swirl the wine etc.
In sum: great potential, somewhat disappointing execution.
I hit this spot over the weekend; it had been on my list of places to try in Gainesville for a while. In short, I have no idea what all the fuss is about.
It is a small and intimate atmosphere, which is nice for certain occasions -- indeed, it's precisely what I was looking for on Friday night in order to have a drink on my own before meeting up with friends later on. I enjoyed the decor as I entered and I took a seat at the bar.
There are about 10 beers on draft at any given time. I'm a pale ale drinker, and I noticed the ubiquitous Dale's was on draft. I asked if there were any other pale ales on draft, and the bartender simply said "no," and looked at me blankly. When I come to a bar like this where I know I'm going to be paying exorbitant prices for beer, I don't at all mind the cost so long as the bartenders are gregarious and willing to share their knowledge with me, perhaps steering me to something I would not have discovered on my own. That's where the real value is added -- otherwise, there are plenty of places around town to pick up an interesting six-pack to enjoy at home.
It would have been nice if the bartender took the opportunity to suggest something else I might enjoy, or maybe refer me to the bottle menu for other selections. (Incidentally, I didn't even know bottles were available until I saw another patron get one. I was never given a menu.) Instead, I was left to select a porter of my own. It was delicious, to be fair. But the bartender never said another word to me until I finished my beer.
I understand that sometimes bartenders have to rush if the bar is slammed. However, it was only 8:30 and the bar was half empty.
My porter was $7.50, and the overall experience was not worth anything remotely close to that.
Expect about $5-7 beers here.....however they have a great selection apart from the normal coors, budlight, coronas you can get at any bar in gville. Â For gainesville, a decent selection of microbrews are on tap so come with an open appetite for beers. Â I came on a wednesday night from 10pm-12am while school was in session and there was consistently anywhere between 6-10 people in there. Â This place is SMALL! pretty much a hallway and i can't imagine how many people can fit in there fri-sat. Â On the weekday, this place is a nice chill bar to bring a friend and chat....no need to yell at each other's faces. Â With that said, the service was great and the bartender was friendly in helping you narrow down choices based on your preferences. Â
They have some 4-seater tables at the front and the standard barstool seating at the bar. Â oh ya, and for the girls, there are hooks right in front of your knees at the bar so you can hang your purses without them being on the back of your chair.
One of my favorite bars in town. They have a strong beer selection, usually a few local options on draft, and overall a large spectrum on what they offer on draft. Pricing is completely reasonable for their draft selection, and a little high (but not compared to Stubbie's) for bottles and wine. Service is pretty on point and the bartenders are generally really knowledgeable about the beer drafts.
Only negative; don't go there unless you're ready to get sandwiched between a UF grad student and a hippie rock climber. That place is tiny and it gets crowded. For what it's worth, a fun crowd though.
Uhh... how do I not already have a review here?? I could swear I wrote one long ago!
Simply put: if I am going out in Gainesville (being an old man with two kids at home now, that's a rarity), I am definitely going to the Alcove, no question. Selection is amazing, always. Prices are "high", I guess, but not for what you get. These are craft/micros, so teh prices are on-point. Glassware is paired appropriately. Music is always top-notch. The size of the place, the decor, the general ambience - I am jealous I didn't get to open a bar like this myself.
Alcove, don't ever change.
As Gainesville bars go, this is one of the more expensive, but also one that I love to return to.
Right away, this is not a place to go if you prefer "Bud" or "Coors Light"
No, really, don't come and don't review, this isn't your place.
If, however, you like a nice, relaxed atmosphere and modest selection of interesting beers, then you should definitely come check this place out.
As the name suggests, Alcove is a bit... cozier... than your average place in Gainesville. In fact, I think it's one of the smallest I've been to here.
The bartenders make this place great. They remember you and your selections. You can sample a beer before you grab it and they will make recommendations based on your spoken preferences and what you've already had. No pretentiousness at all here. Best still, the customers are as relaxed as everyone else, for the most part. Even the undergrads who might slip in from across the street keep it sedate.
Win. What a nice little place to have a glass of wine or a draft beer and chill. Met the owner sitting next to us, and had a little chat about his place. Oddly, its been there 2 years and somehow I never tried it until my last weekend in Gainesville.
The bartender was perky, lovely and in tune with her offerings. Like The Bull around the corner, the place feels like Brooklyn to me - but the crowd is a tad different due to the location next to that execrable piano bar next door (gawds I detest that place)
So, skip the line of douchebags and slide into this fab little joint with your date - a far better place to spend your money and chat up a companion.
The bartenders are great, the vibe is cool, and they have tables for seating if you get there early enough. Â The beers are awesome and they will let you taste a little before you buy! Â I'm not a big fan of this place once it gets busy - it's a tiny little bar that's easy to miss. Â Last time I went it started to get packed around 9:30 or 10. Â But they open pretty early most days ( 5pm) so it's a good place to grab a beer before heading to a club.
Review Source:Woah, I just stepped into the New York dive bar scene.
Great selection of wine and beer, some which I have never even heard of. Bar staff does not intrude on conversation and gets the job done quickly. The decor is industrial chic and vaguely Chipotle-like, but it works for the vibe, which is decidedly classy. This place attracts every crowd. I saw plenty of hipsters and prepsters abound, but I doubt you'll run into Mr. Fratastic or crusties here.
Thing is, I'm not entirely sure why I should have to suffer the cramped space when Gainesville rent isn't exactly topping charts. I like the obscure hole-in-the-wall vibe, but I'm not too keen on only being able to converse with the person directly left or right of me. Not to mention, having to suck my stomach in every time someone wants to use the bathroom reminds me a little too much of apartment keggers where too many guests were invited.
Great place to impress a date without feeling like you're the only ones in the room, but don't try to bring all your friends and their friends, too.
That said, try their hard apple cider!
LOVE this bar!! It's very small but it reminds me of a bar straight out of Brooklyn. Â They play my favorite music like Air, Boards of Canada, etc. and have a big beer selection. Â The bartenders are really helpful and recommended some beers I would like based on my favorites. Â Not very cheap but an awesome bar.
Review Source:one of the best places in town for the beer snobish. can be a little pricey, but that's to be expected with the offerings. small cozy atmosphere and friendly/helpful staff that know their beers. plus they'll give you a small sample so you dont blow 6+ $ on a pint of something not to your liking.
Review Source:This place ROCKS! It's really cozy, got a great beer selection, and everyone that works there is friendly. The first time I went there, I had no idea what I wanted and the bartender was patient and helped me choose a beer I was into. It's tiny, which is what gives it such a warm feel. Love this place
Review Source:I really like The Alcove. It wins points for being the tiniest bar ever. I thought I would feel uncomfortable here but the atmosphere was warm and inviting. The bartenders and other patrons were chatty and friendly. The prices are too high for me to come here as often as I'd like. I did have the best draft beer here, Cigar City Cuban Maduro. It was a glassful of rich, creamy dark beer infused with cuban coffee. Amazing! Â I understand they rotate the drafts so there's always something new to try. It seems like their staff is really well educated about the products available. The Alcove is a must try for beer lovers!
Review Source:
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