Tannin has unique and delicious Italian creations. We had crab cakes, seafood scampi and goat-cheese ravioli. All were remarkable! Pasta is handmade. Vegetables are fresh and flavorful ( locally sourced). They do not skimp on quality and it shows. Sure, you could go to Olive Garden for less and have mediocre food. But I choose to get restaurant food that I can't make myself! It's sad that the community cannot support such a place and that they are closing. I hope that they pop up somewhere else!!! Cheesecake is a winner, too!
Sylvia Lin
One of our Italian colleagues' recommendation. It has been one of our favorite local restaurants since.
Trevor Benoit
Tannin offers an unforgettable culinary journey. Each dish is artfully crafted with unique flavors that dance on your palate, perfectly complemented by an exquisite wine list. The ambiance is elegant yet welcoming, and the staff is always attentive and friendly. Whether it's a casual dinner or a special occasion, Tannin consistently delivers a memorable dining experience. Can't recommend it highly enough!
Sage Mingus
Spent the evening here for our anniversary. Had a great time! Overall, Tannin is a great addition to the city. Unique, plain, no frills atmosphere, that focuses its passion on food.The Steak w/onions and truffle frites was everything I was hoping for.Pastas are made in house, fresh everyday. Their fettuccine is thinner than I prefer, but the penne was perfect.Drink menu did not disappoint! Looking forward to going back and trying more flavors. Also, service was phenomenal!
Austin Milligan
Given the photos of the other reviews on here, the high star ratings, the higher price tag on the meals, I was expecting a higher end fancier dining experience. I arrived and was met with the building, the landscaping, the parking lot, and I realized that this was an old fast food building with a drive through that was shut down and falling apart. I got inside and was met by nice staff and a clean dining area, for a fast food building. My date and I sat down and we were brought water and menus: the menus were printed out on printer paper and crinkly like they've been soaking wet and dried out. The food options were great, and every item that was ordered was absolutely delicious and amazingly made, beautifully presented, and by far some of the best pasta I've had to my recollection. We requested more of the appetizer bread, which never came; we ordered some dessert after dinner, which never came. Instead, we were brought the check (which did not include the dessert). Overall, I was very impressed by the food, but the overall experience was greatly upsetting to me, but perhaps I expected too much. The service was irritating as the waiter focused more on saying "but of course!" after every question than actually hearing what was requested. Otherwise the atmosphere was quiet and reserved, everyone was well dressed and respectful, not anything to complain about. I would recommend this place for good meals but not with anyone who you want to impress. I cannot say I will be going on another date here.
Julianne Phillips
Very tasty scallops. Loved my glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. ?
gregg schwartz
The restaurant was not clean. The ceiling tiles were filthy. It seemed that the entire restaurant was under staffed. The Owner/Manager was running around between the bar, setting upTables and apologizing for the unacceptable service. The salads were warm and the tomato soup was soSalty it could barely be eaten. 5 ofOur party of 9 had the shrimp scampi. 2 were light and creamy, the other 3 were ridiculously bad. The pasta was dark and hard, like it had been sitting around. It was barely edible. My son ordered steak and pasta. They forgot the steak and when it was brought to the table it was literally raw. Our experience was overall very disappointing. We would definitely not return and as this was a special occasion the disappointment was magnified. We would never recommend this restaurant to anyone
Johnny Zawacki
I really can't complain about the atmosphere, it's just a bit different. In fact, I really like the sophisticated casual vibe. The food was incredible (wished I had taken pictures!). The goat cheese appetizer really got us off on the right foot. Incredible! Two of us had goat cheese ravioli and two the salmon picatta. Even the entry level wine was perfect, at. $25 power bottle (we had two!). This was for a birthday (she's on the right).Vegetarian options: Lots of options and all are flavorful (that we tried)
Tammy K
This restaurant used to be the best Italian in Lansing; it was special, Before Covid, the ingredients were local, fresh, and cooked just right. We were disappointed when it didn't open up for quite some time after restrictions were removed. We would text and be told, "we hope to open in a few weeks" or "next month". We were looking for a place to eat this weekend and noticed Tanin was open. When we came in, we were excited. They have added tables but it's still open kitchen and reminiscent of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (old building). The wine is still marvelous; bottles are reasonably priced. The bread was bland (white with oregano/spice on top). The appetizer special was crab, it was good, but not remarkable, our salads, too much dressing (drenched) but tasty. My spaghetti, I think they were going for Al dente, but it was almost crunchy. My husband's meal was probably good, and he enjoyed it. I was disappointed because the food used to be so good, we would rave to our friends. I think the quality has decreased and attention to detail needs to be looked at.
David Nelson
Food was delicious and the workers were friendly and helpful! We had some long waits (Friday at dinnertime), but they will probably fix those once they hire more help and get back into the swing of things after the reopening. Highly recommend!
Incredible food and service. Thank you so much for an amazing dinner. We will be back! The goat cheese dip especially was a massive highlight!Vegetarian options: The seasonal vegetarian pasta was incredible. Very light, flavorful, and fresh!
Charles Schertzing
Really good pasta, their smoked tomato oil was to die for. Service was good, food was incredible. Cook went out of his way to accommodate a member of our party with some difficult dietary restrictions- whipped up a delicious meal off the cuff.
Jessica Reed
I am blown away by how amazing the food was. I initially tried the fettuccine Alfredo and the Blanc de Noir white wine. The pasta was house made and silky! I then ordered another entree, which I never do. The pasta with marinara was perfect. I ordered it to-go but ate it all before I left the restaurant. I highly recommend this establishment. The food was impeccable, the service was warm, and the atmosphere was inviting. I’m so happy with my choice to check out this restaurant!
John Doer
2.5 hours from when we arrived to when we finished. Packed lobby, elbow to elbow. Dirty bathrooms and windows. Wow. Came for the NYE special menu. Soup and salad took 60 mins to arrive. Bread was good, basic.Server (guy working the bar with short hat) was subpar, didn't seem to really care. Pea soup had good taste but was very cold.Main dish flavor was good. Beef cooked well, nothing to write home about. Potatoes were still raw, like hard to cut into raw.We let the Server know this and he said he could make more but that seemed pointless as we had waited 2 hours for our main dish for uncooked food.Dessert took about another 30 mins to arrive and was just cold cheesecake with unripe strawberries. It sounded like there was a new chef working, you may want to reconsider this position or check into creating more organization and a sense of urgency or don't over pack the reservations.We were not offered anything for our wait, just a "Sorry for the wait" over and over from the Server. The Owner was not out in the lobby checking in with tables, was often standing in the kitchen, not good. Definitely not worth $55 / person. Disappointed to say the least.
Caroline Sonnichsen
DELICIOUS! Great host♥️We arrived here coming home from Detroit airport going to Holland. The restaurant was on a reservation only night due to a few large reservations vs. staffing ratio.We didn’t have reservations and initially was told they couldn’t take us BUT HE DID!He squeezed us in and attended to us promptly. The aroma of the food smells delicious and the taste matches.We had Goat cheese ravioli and Fettuccini Alfredo. Noodles were definitely home made.What a gem!Quaint cocktail/bar area, traditional Italian music playing.Just an all around pleasant experience?(We ordered half orders)
Tannin has unique and delicious Italian creations. We had crab cakes, seafood scampi and goat-cheese ravioli. All were remarkable! Pasta is handmade. Vegetables are fresh and flavorful ( locally sourced). They do not skimp on quality and it shows. Sure, you could go to Olive Garden for less and have mediocre food. But I choose to get restaurant food that I can't make myself! It's sad that the community cannot support such a place and that they are closing. I hope that they pop up somewhere else!!! Cheesecake is a winner, too!
One of our Italian colleagues' recommendation. It has been one of our favorite local restaurants since.
Tannin offers an unforgettable culinary journey. Each dish is artfully crafted with unique flavors that dance on your palate, perfectly complemented by an exquisite wine list. The ambiance is elegant yet welcoming, and the staff is always attentive and friendly. Whether it's a casual dinner or a special occasion, Tannin consistently delivers a memorable dining experience. Can't recommend it highly enough!
Spent the evening here for our anniversary. Had a great time! Overall, Tannin is a great addition to the city. Unique, plain, no frills atmosphere, that focuses its passion on food.The Steak w/onions and truffle frites was everything I was hoping for.Pastas are made in house, fresh everyday. Their fettuccine is thinner than I prefer, but the penne was perfect.Drink menu did not disappoint! Looking forward to going back and trying more flavors. Also, service was phenomenal!
Given the photos of the other reviews on here, the high star ratings, the higher price tag on the meals, I was expecting a higher end fancier dining experience. I arrived and was met with the building, the landscaping, the parking lot, and I realized that this was an old fast food building with a drive through that was shut down and falling apart. I got inside and was met by nice staff and a clean dining area, for a fast food building. My date and I sat down and we were brought water and menus: the menus were printed out on printer paper and crinkly like they've been soaking wet and dried out. The food options were great, and every item that was ordered was absolutely delicious and amazingly made, beautifully presented, and by far some of the best pasta I've had to my recollection. We requested more of the appetizer bread, which never came; we ordered some dessert after dinner, which never came. Instead, we were brought the check (which did not include the dessert). Overall, I was very impressed by the food, but the overall experience was greatly upsetting to me, but perhaps I expected too much. The service was irritating as the waiter focused more on saying "but of course!" after every question than actually hearing what was requested. Otherwise the atmosphere was quiet and reserved, everyone was well dressed and respectful, not anything to complain about. I would recommend this place for good meals but not with anyone who you want to impress. I cannot say I will be going on another date here.
Very tasty scallops. Loved my glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. ?
The restaurant was not clean. The ceiling tiles were filthy. It seemed that the entire restaurant was under staffed. The Owner/Manager was running around between the bar, setting upTables and apologizing for the unacceptable service. The salads were warm and the tomato soup was soSalty it could barely be eaten. 5 ofOur party of 9 had the shrimp scampi. 2 were light and creamy, the other 3 were ridiculously bad. The pasta was dark and hard, like it had been sitting around. It was barely edible. My son ordered steak and pasta. They forgot the steak and when it was brought to the table it was literally raw. Our experience was overall very disappointing. We would definitely not return and as this was a special occasion the disappointment was magnified. We would never recommend this restaurant to anyone
I really can't complain about the atmosphere, it's just a bit different. In fact, I really like the sophisticated casual vibe. The food was incredible (wished I had taken pictures!). The goat cheese appetizer really got us off on the right foot. Incredible! Two of us had goat cheese ravioli and two the salmon picatta. Even the entry level wine was perfect, at. $25 power bottle (we had two!). This was for a birthday (she's on the right).Vegetarian options: Lots of options and all are flavorful (that we tried)
This restaurant used to be the best Italian in Lansing; it was special, Before Covid, the ingredients were local, fresh, and cooked just right. We were disappointed when it didn't open up for quite some time after restrictions were removed. We would text and be told, "we hope to open in a few weeks" or "next month". We were looking for a place to eat this weekend and noticed Tanin was open. When we came in, we were excited. They have added tables but it's still open kitchen and reminiscent of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (old building). The wine is still marvelous; bottles are reasonably priced. The bread was bland (white with oregano/spice on top). The appetizer special was crab, it was good, but not remarkable, our salads, too much dressing (drenched) but tasty. My spaghetti, I think they were going for Al dente, but it was almost crunchy. My husband's meal was probably good, and he enjoyed it. I was disappointed because the food used to be so good, we would rave to our friends. I think the quality has decreased and attention to detail needs to be looked at.
Food was delicious and the workers were friendly and helpful! We had some long waits (Friday at dinnertime), but they will probably fix those once they hire more help and get back into the swing of things after the reopening. Highly recommend!
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible food and service. Thank you so much for an amazing dinner. We will be back! The goat cheese dip especially was a massive highlight!Vegetarian options: The seasonal vegetarian pasta was incredible. Very light, flavorful, and fresh!
Really good pasta, their smoked tomato oil was to die for. Service was good, food was incredible. Cook went out of his way to accommodate a member of our party with some difficult dietary restrictions- whipped up a delicious meal off the cuff.
I am blown away by how amazing the food was. I initially tried the fettuccine Alfredo and the Blanc de Noir white wine. The pasta was house made and silky! I then ordered another entree, which I never do. The pasta with marinara was perfect. I ordered it to-go but ate it all before I left the restaurant. I highly recommend this establishment. The food was impeccable, the service was warm, and the atmosphere was inviting. I’m so happy with my choice to check out this restaurant!
2.5 hours from when we arrived to when we finished. Packed lobby, elbow to elbow. Dirty bathrooms and windows. Wow. Came for the NYE special menu. Soup and salad took 60 mins to arrive. Bread was good, basic.Server (guy working the bar with short hat) was subpar, didn't seem to really care. Pea soup had good taste but was very cold.Main dish flavor was good. Beef cooked well, nothing to write home about. Potatoes were still raw, like hard to cut into raw.We let the Server know this and he said he could make more but that seemed pointless as we had waited 2 hours for our main dish for uncooked food.Dessert took about another 30 mins to arrive and was just cold cheesecake with unripe strawberries. It sounded like there was a new chef working, you may want to reconsider this position or check into creating more organization and a sense of urgency or don't over pack the reservations.We were not offered anything for our wait, just a "Sorry for the wait" over and over from the Server. The Owner was not out in the lobby checking in with tables, was often standing in the kitchen, not good. Definitely not worth $55 / person. Disappointed to say the least.
DELICIOUS! Great host♥️We arrived here coming home from Detroit airport going to Holland. The restaurant was on a reservation only night due to a few large reservations vs. staffing ratio.We didn’t have reservations and initially was told they couldn’t take us BUT HE DID!He squeezed us in and attended to us promptly. The aroma of the food smells delicious and the taste matches.We had Goat cheese ravioli and Fettuccini Alfredo. Noodles were definitely home made.What a gem!Quaint cocktail/bar area, traditional Italian music playing.Just an all around pleasant experience?(We ordered half orders)