Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar

One of our new favorites since we moved a year ago. Always treated like family here! Very good food and excellent wine selection. A very nice feature is their changing featured selections - both food and drinks. This is a nice small local spot you definitely need to try. Steaks, seafood, pasta and pizza are delicious! We enjoy their salads and cheese board as appetizers. Wonderful dessert selection too!

Our office ordered lunch from Tannins yesterday and every one of us was raving about the food. It was very well prepared and big quantities to boot. We will definitely order again soon!

Delicious! Tons of flavor in every dish. The whole staff is super nice! If you can meet the owner he is awesome! You can tell he loves what he does. Great story teller too, I highly recommend.

Went for my birthday recently and thoroughly enjoyed my meal...and tried a few others. Calamari appetizers were amazing, chicken marsala with mushrooms 🍄 was incredibly and the chicken picata with capers was also amazing! Others raved about the Scampi as well. Worth the trip!

Their garlic bread is the best. It doesn't look that appealing but take a bite and you'll end up ordering multiple baskets. The rest of the food is great too. My favorite is the lasagna.

My husband and I had a wonderful evening at Tannins Restaurant. We kicked things off with the Shrimp Scampi and Cadillac Margarita—both were simply amazing! For our main course, we indulged in the surf and turf, which was delicious and perfectly cooked. We couldn’t resist finishing off the night with a delectable Tiramisu. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a great dining experience.

This was our first time here and we arrived at what seemed to be a shift change as there was only one server for the first 30 minutes of our visit. She did a good job but had way too many people to handle by herself. The food was very good and they have a great happy hour menus.

This restaurant is beautiful inside and out! They have a full bar and lots of wine, great indoor and outdoor (heaters available for outdoor) seating. They also have private dining area for a dinner party with your closets family and friends. The food Is delicious and service is great. Can't wait to go back and try other items on their menu

Good call hitting up my neighborhood restaurant/hangout on the “other side” of town (SJC, over the bridge, away from the Mission). The “wedge salad” and “farfalle aurora.” 😀👍😎. Seriously! Try this place out anytime, but especially on weekend days when the Mission area is super crowded. The Locals know!!!

Excellent restaurant and bar, with a wine room and a good selection of various wines. They have a surf and turf special on Tuesdays consisting of steak and lobster tail that is very reasonably priced and quite tasty. The service provided by Ancho yesterday 1/19/2026 was excellent. She was very attentive and helpful. As an added bonus, they had Happy Hour all day with quite a selection of delectable items, including the petite lamb chops in the picture.

On June 15, 2019, I married the love of my life in a beautiful wedding ceremony with our family and friends. As beautiful as this day was for us, it was the amazing food that was created by Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar out of San Juan Capistrano that made this day extraordinary! The quality of the food was second to none while the customer service of the owner Gabriel Sanchez and his team was outstanding! We trusted Gabriel to create a masterpiece of food for 170 wedding attendees where all our loved ones could truly enjoy. Trust me, Gabriel did not disappoint. His team of world renowned chef’s made a delightfully fresh salad, two different types of delicious pasta, delicate salmon, tenderized steak and mashed potatoes that our guests continually rave about. Not only was the food amazing but delivery of the food was on time, fully prepared and perfect for serving! In addition, we used the services of Diana Esqueda Pantoja as our Décor Director who provided impeccable table presentation for our attendees to enjoy the amazing food. Diana decorates Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar for holidays, seasonal and special events and I highly recommend her services. I recommend Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar for any catering needs and I highly recommend the restaurant as my family and I have visited many times where the service is outstanding, the ambiance is elegant and the food is delightful.

Stopped by for lunch on my home through Hwy 74. Tried their blackened chicken sandwich and paired it with their own Tannins blond ale 5 out of 5 in my book. Great service, great staff. Will return

Had the Fetticini Toscana which was excellent and my wife had the Vongela, which hassle said was mild flavored, good and lots of clams.

Fun restaurant! Indoor and outdoor seating, nice bar, local beer, good wine, great service, and gluten-free pasta! What more could you ask for?

Reelislander

My husband and I had a wonderful evening at Tannins Restaurant. We kicked things off with the Shrimp Scampi and Cadillac Margarita—both were simply amazing! For our main course, we indulged in the surf and turf, which was delicious and perfectly cooked. We couldn’t resist finishing off the night with a delectable Tiramisu. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a great dining experience.

Troy W

This was our first time here and we arrived at what seemed to be a shift change as there was only one server for the first 30 minutes of our visit. She did a good job but had way too many people to handle by herself. The food was very good and they have a great happy hour menus.

javier rivera

This restaurant is beautiful inside and out! They have a full bar and lots of wine, great indoor and outdoor (heaters available for outdoor) seating. They also have private dining area for a dinner party with your closets family and friends. The food Is delicious and service is great. Can't wait to go back and try other items on their menu

Tamara “Tami” Czerwin

Good call hitting up my neighborhood restaurant/hangout on the “other side” of town (SJC, over the bridge, away from the Mission). The “wedge salad” and “farfalle aurora.” 😀👍😎. Seriously! Try this place out anytime, but especially on weekend days when the Mission area is super crowded. The Locals know!!!

C Abad

Excellent restaurant and bar, with a wine room and a good selection of various wines. They have a surf and turf special on Tuesdays consisting of steak and lobster tail that is very reasonably priced and quite tasty. The service provided by Ancho yesterday 1/19/2026 was excellent. She was very attentive and helpful. As an added bonus, they had Happy Hour all day with quite a selection of delectable items, including the petite lamb chops in the picture.

Ralph Alba

On June 15, 2019, I married the love of my life in a beautiful wedding ceremony with our family and friends. As beautiful as this day was for us, it was the amazing food that was created by Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar out of San Juan Capistrano that made this day extraordinary! The quality of the food was second to none while the customer service of the owner Gabriel Sanchez and his team was outstanding! We trusted Gabriel to create a masterpiece of food for 170 wedding attendees where all our loved ones could truly enjoy. Trust me, Gabriel did not disappoint. His team of world renowned chef’s made a delightfully fresh salad, two different types of delicious pasta, delicate salmon, tenderized steak and mashed potatoes that our guests continually rave about. Not only was the food amazing but delivery of the food was on time, fully prepared and perfect for serving! In addition, we used the services of Diana Esqueda Pantoja as our Décor Director who provided impeccable table presentation for our attendees to enjoy the amazing food. Diana decorates Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar for holidays, seasonal and special events and I highly recommend her services. I recommend Tannins Restaurant & Wine Bar for any catering needs and I highly recommend the restaurant as my family and I have visited many times where the service is outstanding, the ambiance is elegant and the food is delightful.

Sergi Quin

Stopped by for lunch on my home through Hwy 74. Tried their blackened chicken sandwich and paired it with their own Tannins blond ale 5 out of 5 in my book. Great service, great staff. Will return

Nayt Grochowski

Had the Fetticini Toscana which was excellent and my wife had the Vongela, which hassle said was mild flavored, good and lots of clams.

Jessica Slade

Fun restaurant! Indoor and outdoor seating, nice bar, local beer, good wine, great service, and gluten-free pasta! What more could you ask for?

Best Salmon Salad around. We come here for the salad and wine. The restaurant is cozy and nice. Service is always excellent there and the little patio allows dogs

Excellent food. We will be back!

Good drinks. Great lobster, steak was decent. They are small, so order steak more to the rare side of your normal liking. Great eggplant parmesan. We have been coming here for about a year. The 4 star rating just went to 5 star on all counts. Last night, celebrating our daughter's birthday we ran across a snag. This being that even with 7pm reservations, our favorite dish (surf & turf) was basically sold out. We were upset & dissappointed to say the least! The manager Jessie and our server Taylor bent over backwards to accomodate us. How were were treated could have made us never come again or become diehard fans. We were so pleased with the level of care and concern. It wasn't just lip service, we got white glove service. Definitely recommend Tannins!

Really enjoyed our night here. We wanted to take our time to have a long dinner, and Katie was a great server to help us do that. I wish they would expand their appetizer menu. However, their Tannins pizza made a perfect appetizer! The arrabiata was delicious, I substituted shrimp for chicken and highly recommend it! Meat ravioli was perfectly balanced, and their marinara is so tasty. Wine was good, we went with a bottle of pinot noir, but might change it up next time. Good environment, great night overall!

We went for lunch as an office for a birthday lunch and the sweetest server brought out a dessert for us! This was such a nice gesture and so appreciated. The food is also so good everything on the menu looks amazing 🤍

Wait staff terrific. Everyone is very helpful and make you feel like your #1. We sat in the back of the restaurant. There were 5 tables. We could enjoy conversation. Definitely coming back.

Glad to share that I had a super positive experience dining at Tannins despite my many food allergies (gluten, garlic, dairy, etc)! Before attending a group luncheon, I stopped by to talk with the manager to see whether they would be able to accommodate my allergies at all. To my surprise, they were taking time to discuss possibilities and alternatives for me. I ended up selecting their lunch special which was a chicken breast with a large variety of vegetables; the meal was both amazing and healthy! Big kudos to Leo, Manager, who was very kind to work with me and even notified our server about my food needs! The entire experience at Tannins was very good with attentive wait staff, fast service and friendly staff! Unfortunately, I am unable to comment on their typical Italian menu items as I am allergic to gluten! Our group was having lunch on the patio which was a nice atmosphere.

Lorraine Probert

Wait staff terrific. Everyone is very helpful and make you feel like your #1. We sat in the back of the restaurant. There were 5 tables. We could enjoy conversation. Definitely coming back.

ruth monjaras

We went for lunch as an office for a birthday lunch and the sweetest server brought out a dessert for us! This was such a nice gesture and so appreciated. The food is also so good everything on the menu looks amazing 🤍

Suzanna Corral Burkevics

Good drinks. Great lobster, steak was decent. They are small, so order steak more to the rare side of your normal liking. Great eggplant parmesan. We have been coming here for about a year. The 4 star rating just went to 5 star on all counts. Last night, celebrating our daughter's birthday we ran across a snag. This being that even with 7pm reservations, our favorite dish (surf & turf) was basically sold out. We were upset & dissappointed to say the least! The manager Jessie and our server Taylor bent over backwards to accomodate us. How were were treated could have made us never come again or become diehard fans. We were so pleased with the level of care and concern. It wasn't just lip service, we got white glove service. Definitely recommend Tannins!

Adrienne H

Really enjoyed our night here. We wanted to take our time to have a long dinner, and Katie was a great server to help us do that. I wish they would expand their appetizer menu. However, their Tannins pizza made a perfect appetizer! The arrabiata was delicious, I substituted shrimp for chicken and highly recommend it! Meat ravioli was perfectly balanced, and their marinara is so tasty. Wine was good, we went with a bottle of pinot noir, but might change it up next time. Good environment, great night overall!

Denise Lenker

Glad to share that I had a super positive experience dining at Tannins despite my many food allergies (gluten, garlic, dairy, etc)! Before attending a group luncheon, I stopped by to talk with the manager to see whether they would be able to accommodate my allergies at all. To my surprise, they were taking time to discuss possibilities and alternatives for me. I ended up selecting their lunch special which was a chicken breast with a large variety of vegetables; the meal was both amazing and healthy! Big kudos to Leo, Manager, who was very kind to work with me and even notified our server about my food needs! The entire experience at Tannins was very good with attentive wait staff, fast service and friendly staff! Unfortunately, I am unable to comment on their typical Italian menu items as I am allergic to gluten! Our group was having lunch on the patio which was a nice atmosphere.

Joey Kim

Best Salmon Salad around. We come here for the salad and wine. The restaurant is cozy and nice. Service is always excellent there and the little patio allows dogs

I think I got too much of a build up for this place. The Tannins salad was really nothing special. I found the poppyseed dressing too sweet for my taste, although the salmon was perfectly cooked. 4 stars for the salmon and our shrimp scampi appetizer. We did have to ask for bread and it was brought to the table in a styrofoam box which seemed odd.

What a lovely lunch! Patio seating dog friendly with a perfect reminder of being a responsible pet owner. Ordered penne with spicy sausage ad pepper. So so good. Portions large enough to share. Incredible value.

Service and restaurant are amazing, huge patio and dog friendly♥️🐶. We ordered a few different appetizers to share, the food was just okay. Was not crazy about them. I saw a few main dishes that looked amazing on other tables and want to go back to have a meal. The service is 10+. Get the brownie

I got there around 11:30am when they were opening. Super friendy, seated us, got us water. Ordered and got our food quickly. My hamburger was delicious. Pizza looked good too. Reasonable pricing, nice decor and menu.

We typically order food to go from this restaurant. The food is tasty but inconsistent. The pizzas are really good, but other dishes have a tendency to be a bit salty and/or oily. This restaurant is a good local place with really nice staff.

Michael Nilsson

We typically order food to go from this restaurant. The food is tasty but inconsistent. The pizzas are really good, but other dishes have a tendency to be a bit salty and/or oily. This restaurant is a good local place with really nice staff.

We were originals at Tannins. loved it for years. Just not what it used to be. We sat outside which makes it always very nice.

Nice place, but we got a bit hastled by the chef! He's some TV celebrity. He recommended his 'specials' that didn't really interest our party of 5 but stayed at our table telling us all about himself. Bit awkward!! The food was good.

Food was not as expected. Calamari was old and chewy. Service was good. We had not been there in 3 plus years and decided to try it again. Disappointing and we will not return.

Tannin's salad is divine. That's why we went back. Pasta entree was excellent. Service not so much. Four different servers none of whom had any idea what they were doing and were not coordinating with each other. Place was almost empty, yet had to go inside to retrieve our wine after 10 minutes, had to ask for water multiple times, had to figure out bread was optional, then after 10 minutes had to chase it down only to find out it was tiny and lousy, had to ask for utensils and napkins after food was delivered. We would love to love you guys but would you please straighten out the front of the house. Atmosphere is nice on the inside but how about dressing up the patio just a bit. A table cloth and a candle would be nice vs. salt and pepper and ketchup as the centerpiece.

Any body can assure me this is an Italian restaurant? The frozen pizza from Trader Joe’s even better than this.

Came to Tannins for the first time last night. It was an interesting experience. Their new outdoor seating was kinda cute with pallets for walls. Our server Stephanie was nice. When I mentioned I was going to order pasta, she recommended the most expensive glass if Cabernet at $19 a glass. What?!?! We order our drinks, appetizers and entrees. We waited 20 plus minutes and our appetizer finally came out. 3 minutes later our entrees came out. Disappointing. Our waitress stopped by just after the food was delivered and didn't come back until after we finished eating. I wanted a second glass if wine but had no way of ordering it. Food was pretty good. We had one linguine with clams, one spaghetti with meat sauce, one lasagna and one Caesar salad. Lasagna was tasty but holy cow it was a lot of cheese. I want to say over half was just straight cheese. At one point my daughter and I went to use the restroom and we're given a strange bathroom key on a long stick in order to use the bathroom just down the hall. What was that for? I felt gross touching some stick that a hundred other people have touched before me just to use the restroom a few steps away. I wasn't sure what the purpose of that was. Overall, we might try it again. My family loves Italian food. We'll see.

I found this place to be a disappointment. The service was indifferent and the food, while adequate in and of itself, was overpriced for what you got. In our case, the waitress clearly "checked out" the moment we ordered individual glasses of two of their more moderately-priced wines (we had a good bottle at home and just wanted an inexpensive glass with dinner) - it was clear from watching her with other tables that she was basing her attention and demeanor on the tip potential of the table. Not cool. Overall, I got the impression of a restaurant and staff that took themselves far too seriously, and yet the food and service don't quite live up to their opinion of themselves. I won't be going back.

We went to Tannins with our neighbors who hadn't been in about 15 years. We are new to SJC and hunting for good restaurants. We ate in the cave, (highly recommended) and the server was pleasant. The wine menu was reasonable. We ordered the Post and Beam Cabernet, which didn't disappoint. Between the four of us we had two Seafood Linguini dishes, one Tannins' pizza and one Penne Sausage and Pepper dish. We all rated our food from a B to a B -. I am a bit sad, because I wanted to love the place. I found my Linguini somewhat flavorless. I added Parmesan and chile peppers to see if I could improve it, but honestly, it just wasn't great. :(

Dawn de Leoon

We went to Tannins with our neighbors who hadn't been in about 15 years. We are new to SJC and hunting for good restaurants. We ate in the cave, (highly recommended) and the server was pleasant. The wine menu was reasonable. We ordered the Post and Beam Cabernet, which didn't disappoint. Between the four of us we had two Seafood Linguini dishes, one Tannins' pizza and one Penne Sausage and Pepper dish. We all rated our food from a B to a B -. I am a bit sad, because I wanted to love the place. I found my Linguini somewhat flavorless. I added Parmesan and chile peppers to see if I could improve it, but honestly, it just wasn't great. :(

Leo Liu (尔湾资深房产经纪人Leo)

Any body can assure me this is an Italian restaurant? The frozen pizza from Trader Joe’s even better than this.

It’s been over a year since we last visited this restaurant, always had a great experience and meal. Tonight my wife’s meal was cold, service was lacking and talking to the guy next to us he indicated hid meal was the worst he ever had here. The atmosphere was not what we remember. We paid good money and will take our business elsewhere in the future.

Food is decent, steak was good and lamb chops were very well done though the tiramisu was absolutely awful. Service left a lot to desire and getting them on the phone is next to impossible. Between the ok food and awful service it's really not worth the price or the trip in.

Went there for my first time was told they were sold out of the hamburgers ended up ordering chicken piccata to oily just not over all that great I'm an average cook and I make better chicken piccata I think this is a place to go drink and have appetizers that's about it had to ask server for a refill for my wife's drink the server never checked on us on our drinks or how everything was that's pretty much a no brainer in this business might go there again but I doubt it that's the problem with the lot of restaurants today they know the money is not in the food it's in the drinks alcohol drinks and that's what they're aiming for while putting out subpar dishes probably won't be back now that I think about it

After driving 4hr from northern California to Southern I was unimpressed with quality and standard with this restaurant. The lasagna me and two other people ordered came out cold twice After the second time of the food coming out cold our server and manager had finally decided to reimburse us for drinks. Then asked if we would like something else. To be disappointed with Luke Warm chicken Alfredo. Endless to say never going back.

Ordered some take out tonight... fettuccini pasta...butter only (no oil) and a side of meatballs. Also pesto pasta and blackened chicken. Well the pasta ($20.00 for crying our loud) was a complete rip off. Drenched in ounces and ounces of olive oil, no butter, a child's portion...it went right into the garbage disposal. The wife's chicken was not blackened and there was precious little pasta and again, huge amounts of oil! The meatballs were tastless...not suitable for a dog. This once terrific restaurant has gone way down hill. This was their last chance. Never again. Try elsewhere!

Donald Lyons

Ordered some take out tonight... fettuccini pasta...butter only (no oil) and a side of meatballs. Also pesto pasta and blackened chicken. Well the pasta ($20.00 for crying our loud) was a complete rip off. Drenched in ounces and ounces of olive oil, no butter, a child's portion...it went right into the garbage disposal. The wife's chicken was not blackened and there was precious little pasta and again, huge amounts of oil! The meatballs were tastless...not suitable for a dog. This once terrific restaurant has gone way down hill. This was their last chance. Never again. Try elsewhere!

We were there one whole hour before someone delivered our food. There were no beverage refills neither. I had to go to the main area to ask about food and coffee refill, it was totally empty, but the waitress said she had five other tables to take care of. I guess they were ghosts because l saw no humans. I ordered a Greek salad and l was served a plate of only lettuce with a bit of dressing, costing $12. This was the worst service and food l have experienced, and l have a LOT of restaurant experience.

Janeen Miller

We were there one whole hour before someone delivered our food. There were no beverage refills neither. I had to go to the main area to ask about food and coffee refill, it was totally empty, but the waitress said she had five other tables to take care of. I guess they were ghosts because l saw no humans. I ordered a Greek salad and l was served a plate of only lettuce with a bit of dressing, costing $12. This was the worst service and food l have experienced, and l have a LOT of restaurant experience.