The Dunbar is a restaurant and bar in Gainesville, Florida, offering a welcoming setting for everything from a relaxed lunch to a memorable dinner. With a 4.90 out of 5 rating based on 233 customer reviews, The Dunbar has earned strong recognition from its guests.
Its menu includes comfort food, healthy options, and small plates, complemented by beer, wine, cocktails, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages. Whether you are joining friends for drinks, enjoying dessert, dining on your own, or sharing a meal, the combination of quality service and a varied offering makes The Dunbar a versatile choice.
Guests can choose from outdoor seating, dine-in service, delivery, and on-site services. The atmosphere blends casual and cozy qualities with romantic, trendy, and upmarket touches, creating a setting suited to a range of occasions.
Highlights include fast service, great cocktails, live music, and local specialties, while the on-site bar and restroom add convenience to the experience. Reservations are accepted, making it easier to plan ahead for lunch, dinner, or an evening out.
Accessibility is an important part of the customer experience at The Dunbar, with a wheelchair-accessible car park, entrance, seating, and toilet. Payment is convenient through credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments.
Located at 732 NW 4th St, Gainesville, FL 32601, The Dunbar welcomes customers looking for food, drinks, music, and comfortable seating in one inviting destination. To learn more about its offerings, call +1 352-554-4339.
Our Specialties
Every dish tells a story. Explore our carefully curated menu featuring seasonal favorites and signature creations.
Our chef's signature creations featuring locally-sourced ingredients and innovative culinary techniques.
We partner with local farmers and suppliers to bring you the freshest seasonal ingredients every day.
Every plate is prepared with attention to detail, combining traditional recipes with modern presentation.
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Hear from our valued guests
The food is absolutely AMAZING!! The shrimp and grits is something I will dream about. It was so delicious, the jerk chicken was juicy, spicy and again absolutely delicious! GO you won’t regret it!!! There’s also live music! It’s not too loud it’s perfect!
FIVE STAR in every single way. Hands down one our favorite restaurants in the states. Food, was perfection. Service, on point. Portions, generous and shareable. Absolutely my new favorite Gainesville place. LOVE the historic building. Inside was warm with classic, cozy, lines and colors, just the right amount of dim lighting. Our Sever Liz was a delight, she had excellent spirit and gave great recommendations. For apps we had the Ricotta Toast (large), and Panko Lamb chops (3), with the BEST aioli EVER. Jerk chicken & coconut rice was the bomb, with the perfect balance of sweet and spice. And the cocktails all sounded amazing..so hard to choose. Ended up with La Professional (if i remember correctly) and it is imo a refreshing version of an Old Fashioned. It was DELICIOUS. I'd love to sit at their inviting bar or outside area next time I'm around. If you're looking for a romantic but not 'over the top' place, THIS IS IT. Enjoy!
Grab a seat... literally. This may have been the best restaurant experience of my adult life. We went to The Dunbar for dinner, got early reservations for a party of 6. First, the historic building is gorgeous on approach. Then we are met at the door by Jessica who confirmed our reservation and took us to our table by the bar. This was the best seat as we saw all of the plates leaving the kitchen. Each and every one more amazing than the last. Our table was supported by Jessica's sister, the manager of the floor whose name escapes me and it breaks my heart. This woman was the experience. She helped us with menu items and suggestions, really made us feel welcomed and just like family. Though the menu appears brief, each dish is done to beyond perfection. At our table we had: Oxtail Ragu, Pork Chop with butterbean, Miso Cabbage, both salads, mac and cheese, and the ricotta toast. Not one item could have been improved, and everything was amazing. How do I know? We all HAD to share. The feast your eyes get made you beg your friends for just a bite of what they ordered. We finished the night with both dessert options the Doobie and the Cornbread Pudding. Y'ALL... MAKE A RESERVATION NOW BEFORE EVERYONE KNOWS. I'm telling you, once people find out, this place will be booked for always. TLDR. Book now. Bring Friends. Share food. Everything is the best you've ever had.
This restaurant is literally my favorite place in all of Florida. I have been numerous times and can I just say… the jerk chicken is absolutely to die for. I am literally itching to come back to Gainesville to have it again and I hope they never take it off the menu. We had the gnocchi as well and it was delicious. Cornbread pudding is a must order as well as the lamb chops. Will be back soon!
I was so excited to try this place because I liked their other locations and this place did not disappoint. Reservations are required. And even though I did show up with one extra party they were super accommodating and still let me in. The house is super cool and such a nice ambiance. We were served by Shay, the owner, and we absolutely adored her. Very funny and provided great service. The citadel and paradise cocktails were great as well. -ricotta roast (10/10): I loved the flavor profile on this. The bread was sweet with the salty prosciutto. Fire combo. -Half chicken (10/10): super flavorful and moist, the beans underneath were so so good. Loved this dish. -Branzino (9.5/10): wow, this dish was packed with different flavors, all blended so nice. My brother loved this dish, recommended by the owner, and he scraped his plate clean. -Porkchop (7/10): this dish had a great flavor, the only thing that was off was the meat was a bit undercooked (see pictures). The butter beans had a great flavor though. -Kremas cornbread pudding (10/10): I was most excited for this based on other reviewers, and woooooow. So so good. The cornbread was perfectly moist, soft, and warm with the melting ice cream. I’d come back just for this for sure. Overall, highly recommend this place and will be back. Loved the food, vibe, and spot. We parked at Havens, as there was no street parking available.
My husband and I went to celebrate his birthday and we had an amazing experience. The cocktails were delicious; the food was very flavorful and great portion sizes. We even got our dessert (corn bread pudding with ice cream) comped! 20/10, we will definitely be back.
Whenever we are in town, we have to make sure to stop by at Dunbar. I’m talking about on the road, on our way to Gainesville, we put in a reservation because this place is probably the best place I’ve been in town. I’m not glazing. The Mac is a need and I absolutely love the original and the new monthly menu. Our waitress gave the best service. We ordered Shay’s banana pudding and we had the funniest interaction with our waitress because we didn’t realized it was named after her. She was so humble being the creator of one of the best banana pudding recipes I ever had. The jerk chicken and Bronzino were amazing. The jerk chicken had that yummy spice to it. My stomach gets upset from coconut rice but it was so good I had to eat it. My partner always gets the Bronzino and with the new menu, they made a few changes to it and he thought that it was still the best food in Gainesville. This spot is a must visit.
The Dunbar in Gainesville offered more than just a memorable meal, it delivered an evening rich with history, culture, and atmosphere. Once a haven for Black travelers during segregation, the Dunbar stands as a powerful reminder of resilience and community, a place where people of color found welcome when they were excluded elsewhere. That legacy still lingers in its walls, adding depth and meaning to the experience. Our evening there was was lovely. My husband ordered the New York strip, perfectly prepared and full of flavor, and with a unique crisp, while still warm and pink inside. Being an island girl, I enjoyed the oxtail polenta which was, rich, comforting, and delicious. The evening was elevated by live music that seemed almost too perfect to be real. It wasn’t until I turned around that I realized the beautiful voice filling the room was coming from a live performer singing in Creole French, adding a soulful and unexpected layer to the evening. The Dunbar is easily a 10 out of 10 in Gainesville, Florida. Ideal for a romantic date night or a meaningful evening with friends. It is not just a restaurant; it is an experience rooted in history, culture, and genuine hospitality.
My 4th visit and it's still my number 1 restaurant in Gainesville. Celebrated my birthday with the best drink, appetizer( conch ceviche) Ceasars salad and dinner( a delicious and spicy Jerk chicken).The menu has changed a bit but it's still has an amazing selection. I consider the Dunbar a Michelin star restaurant. Restaurants of this caliber periodically change some menu items. To top it off our waitress (Shay), who was training our waiter provided us with dessert (banana pudding)to celebrate my birthday 🎂. Thank you Dunbar!
Our dinner at The Dunbar last night was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. Above all, the food was absolutely outstanding! We enjoyed the miso cabbage, jerk chicken, Haitian mac and cheese, and the cornbread pudding. I can’t even express how over the top amazing the food was!! I’ve never had cabbage or jerk chicken SO GOOD. The restaurant is moody, elegant, and interesting. Lighting is great, the seating is comfortable, and THE MUSIC. The musician played swanky, mellow, blues guitar, and the singer who joined him was lovely as well. It felt like we were dining in another place and time. Our server Shay was wonderful, and the food runners/server assistants were kind and helpful as well. I highly recommend dining here and supporting this local gem. We will be coming back again and again!
Common questions about The Dunbar
The Dunbar is located at 732 NW 4th St, Gainesville, FL 32601, United States, Gainesville, FL, United States.
You can reach The Dunbar by calling +1 352-554-4339.
The Dunbar has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on 233 customer reviews.
The Dunbar features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
The Dunbar features the following service options: Outdoor seating, On-site services, Dine-in, Delivery.
The Dunbar features the following highlights: Fast service, Great cocktails, Live music, Serves local specialty.
The Dunbar features the following popular for: Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
The Dunbar features the following offerings: Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails, Comfort food, Healthy options, Small plates, Spirits, Wine.
The Dunbar features the following dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
The Dunbar features the following amenities: Bar on site, Restroom.
The Dunbar features the following atmosphere: Casual, Cozy, Romantic, Trendy, Upmarket.
The Dunbar features the following crowd: Groups, Tourists.
The Dunbar features the following planning: Accepts reservations.
The Dunbar features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
The Dunbar features the following parking: Free parking lot, Free street parking, Somewhat difficult to find a space.
Business Features
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