Baby J’s Bar — Restaurant in Gainesville

Having followed this place on IG for a year, when I finally made it to GV, Baby Js was a total disappointment. The atmosphere is impeccable and the music divine, but the drinks are meh and the food is straight up disgusting.

I ordered the snack plate, which took an hour to arrive and consisted of pickled grapes, pickled oranges, pickled carrots and pickled broccoli. There were sweet and spicy peanuts on the side. To who ever created this concoction, NO, just NO. A pickled grape is the most offensive flavor ever to have been in my mouth. Gross!

This place has the potential to be a killer jazz club but it’s in a college town with a clientele that is clueless about jazz. The place was full of 20-something’s all dolled up for a picture with a fancy drink to post on social media. Ugh. Meanwhile only the musicians and a handful of guests actually understand and feel jazz.

Baby Js would be perfect were it in the rust belt or anywhere that appreciates the gnarled soul of jazz. Unfortunately it exists in a vapid social media vortex where nothing is...

From the moment you step in to Baby J's, it's clear the experience awaiting you will be unlike most other establishments in downtown Gainesville. Striking a balance between intimate and vibrant is nearly impossible, but the interior design team at Chinotto House hit the mark. The custom bar, guest seating and stage areas each project their own identity, thanks to the use of contemporary lighting, lush textures and a spot-on color palette*(that Cobalt Blue!). But make no mistake, it's not all just for show. Both the kitchen and bar teams exude confidence and maturity in their respective offerings. The staff actually understands what hospitality means and how to pull the evening together for their customers. From Amaro to Arancini, the curated menu offerings are ideal for couples looking for a quick bite and a cocktail or small groups gathering to share plates and stories. Vinyl and live jazz round out the ambiance. A welcome addition, Baby J's has upped the ante for downtown...

From the ambience, to the music, the drinks, and the food, you can tell that a lot of thought and hard work has gone into this bar. Even going to the restroom is an experience!

The cocktails were well crafted, and our bartender Salvatore even made us some delicious off-the-menu drinks. He was very attentive and offered us great suggestions based on what we liked, from refreshing botanical drinks (including non-alcoholic ones) to well-made classics.

The food is a variety of small plates, which go well with the vibe of the bar. They are definitely selling their "simple" bread and butter. Their special matcha butter went wonderfully with the Afternoon sourdough bread. The devilled eggs and Arancini were delicious as well. I regret that we weren't able to try any of the desserts, but that just gives us another reason (not that we needed one) to go back!

Kudos to the new baby...