Your local guide
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THE PEOPLE’S LOCAL FAVORITES
Who makes the best tacos? Where do you take a friend for coffee? Give your favorite local places a little recognition.
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Explore a shortlist from our researched local directory. Each group explains how its places were selected. These suggestions are separate from the community votes above and do not represent a citywide award.
Each profile links to its sources. Ratings, where available, can change. Use the heart on a photo to save a place for later.
See your saved places →Independent kitchens, neighborhood cafes and places for your next meal.
An alphabetical selection of researched local places. This is not a rating or popularity ranking.
Adam's Rib Co. serves barbecue on Northwest 13th Street in Gainesville. Its menu features ribs, chicken, brisket and smoked turkey with side dishes, and the restaurant offers direct ordering and catering information.
Afternoon is a small neighborhood brunch restaurant on Northwest 10th Avenue. It offers seated dining and a to-go window, with a menu of breakfast dishes, toasts, sandwiches and café drinks.
Alpin Bistro serves French and Swiss-inspired dishes in downtown Gainesville, with dinner, weekend brunch and a wine selection. The family-run bistro offers buckwheat crêpes and a rotating house-made pasta night.
Arashi Yama Sushi & Hibachi serves Japanese food on Northwest 39th Avenue in Gainesville. Its restaurant menu features sushi, hibachi dishes and cocktails, with dining, takeout and current contact information available…
Beque Holic offers Korean barbecue on Newberry Road in Gainesville. The restaurant features tabletop grilling, beef, pork and seafood selections, with both all-you-can-eat and à la carte menus and traditional side…
Bingo Deli & Pub is a restaurant and bar inside historic South Main Station, across from Depot Park. Chef Will Thomas's business highlights house-made food, local produce and drinks, with menus and changing specials…
Browse locally rooted shops and find something beyond the usual chains.
An alphabetical selection of researched local places. This is not a rating or popularity ranking.
108 Vine combines a gift shop with a craft espresso bar on West University Avenue. Its selection includes vintage finds, stationery, work by local makers and handcrafted drinks, with creative workshops listed by the…
Book Gallery West is an independent bookstore on Northwest 16th Boulevard, established in 1983. It carries new and used books alongside gifts, greeting cards and calendars, with shopping and contact information on its…
Call A Mattress is a family-owned mattress and furniture shop on Southwest 20th Avenue. It serves individual shoppers with mattresses, adjustable beds and other home furnishings, and provides direct contact information…
Coterie Market combines a cafe and independent retail shop on West University Avenue in Gainesville. Founded by Kate Yeung and Braden Ramirez, it offers espresso and other drinks, work by small makers, and hands-on…
FATHOM Dive Systems is a Gainesville dive-equipment business on Northwest Sixth Street. It develops rebreather equipment and offers consumer gear, accessories and training information; its diving photographs illustrate…
Flashbacks Recycled Fashions buys and sells modern and vintage clothing on Northwest Eighth Avenue in Gainesville. Clothes are sold in store, while jewelry is also available online; check its website for selling…
Museums, galleries and cultural stops from our city directory.
An alphabetical selection of researched local places. This is not a rating or popularity ranking.
Artisans’ Guild Gallery is an artist cooperative in a restored house on Northwest Second Avenue. Its rooms display locally made paintings, pottery, jewelry, glass and other craft work, with rotating member-artist…
Gainesville Circus Center offers circus classes and performances on Northwest Second Street in Gainesville. Its website provides information about taking classes, seeing a show and contacting the center.
Heartwood Soundstage is a performing-arts venue and production studio on South Main Street. Its indoor stage, outdoor concert grounds and recording spaces grew from Gainesville’s long-running Mirror Image and Medusa…
Hector Framing and Gallery combines a gallery with custom picture framing on West University Avenue. Its services include framing artwork, photographs, diplomas and memorabilia, alongside archival printing and an art…
LyriCo Conservatory is a performing-arts school on Southwest Second Avenue in Gainesville. Its programs include voice, theater, dance and instrumental study, with enrollment and program information available on the…
Matheson History Museum explores Gainesville and Alachua County history through exhibitions, programs and a local-history library. Its downtown complex includes the Historic Matheson House as well as the museum and…
Want a different neighborhood or cuisine? Search all 88 places in our directory →. These selections are not paid placements.
