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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

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CUISINES
Italian
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations
Reviews (116)
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Reviewed 28 July 2023

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!More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?
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Reviewed 22 January 2023

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.More

Date of visit: January 2023
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Reviewed 7 December 2022 via mobile

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)More

Date of visit: December 2022
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Reviewed 5 May 2022 via mobile

ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! We made reservations 3 months ago for this Friday to celebrate MSU graduation and the just called and canceled leaving us with absolutely no time to get reservations ANYWHERE.!!

Date of visit: May 2022
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 11 November 2021

Our first time visit was great. Our service was excellent and the meal was awesome. My boyfriend got the lamb dish (I can't remember the name of it) and I got the steak tips with mushroom ravioli and we both loved our meal. The bread...was also great. I will be dining here again.More

Date of visit: October 2021
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Reviewed 2 May 2021 via mobile

This place has AMAZING Italian food cooked from scratch— perfect for my daughter’s graduation dinner. Crab stuffed pasta, chicken marsala and lamb dish were all incredible—better than I had in Italy! Good beer wine list and generous portions at good prices. Wonderful!!!!

Date of visit: May 2021
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 27 September 2020 via mobile

What a treat to return to Tannin and delighted to see they were very busy! You actually needed reservations for dinner on a Saturday night. Although the service was a bit slow because of the crowd, the food was superior. I had the antipasto salad...and crab stuffed shells. My husband had the tomato soup and steak tips with mushroom ravioli.More

Date of visit: September 2020
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 21 September 2020 via mobile

We had a double celebration-one daughter’s birthday, the other passed her doctoral exam, so we decided on tannin. We opted to dine outside even though it’s getting cooler and enjoyed a wonderful meal. The menu is more compact but there are still plenty of tasty...options. Among our favs-the lamb ragu, goat cheese ravioli and penne w meatballs. The focaccia was phenomenal as always and we took home a pint of homemade strawberry sorbet, which was incredibly delicious. Our server was very attentive and we had a great evening! Thanks Tannin!More

Date of visit: September 2020
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 18 September 2020

Wow, what a nice addition to Michigan Avenue. Tannin is in the building that used to be KFC. It is small and cozy and the food is superb! I had a glass of Merlot and the salami pizza. It was the best pizza I've ever...had. The crust was soft, tender and flavorful and the sauce and meats were delicious. We tried the goat cheese cheesecake drizzled with blueberry sauce and it was wonderful. So was the strawberry sorbet. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other menu items.More

Date of visit: September 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 25 July 2020 via mobile

The past few weeks several friends and I have been eating at the outdoor patio. While it can be noisy at times we have enjoyed their new antipasto pizza and antipasto salad. Highly recommend!

Date of visit: July 2020
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Reviewed 22 February 2020

Tannin, formerly located in Okemos, is now in Lansing and it was a big step up. I'm not sure if there's a new chef or owner but the food was exponentially better and the atmosphere terrific. This was our first visit and we'll definitely return....The new Tannin took an old KFC site and turned it into a delightful urban bistro. It's not pretentious; no white tablecloths, which I find refreshing. But it's definitely white-tablecloth food. You'd be at ease dressed to the nines or in jeans. Another plus is that one can order small plates or large for the entrees. A very delicious homemade foccacia was brought immediately, with more upon request. We started with wine and the mussels and frites appetizer. The waiter was attentive to my companion's reaction to the wine and when noted that after it had been opened for a bit it would be fine, our very smart waiter offered to decant it for us (which made a tremendous difference. Never hesitate to ask a waiter to decant a red wine.) The scallops and frites were delicious and adequately proportioned for easy sharing. We both ordered the small plates for our entree. I had the lobster stuffed shells which were beautifully blended in a cream sauce with large pieces of lobster. He had the chicken marsala, which I sampled and was delicious. I'm sure the desserts were tasty but we were too pleasantly satisfied to try. Instead, we finished our wine at leisure, never feeling rushed. Prices? Small plates were between $9 and $13 (the shells had three large shells at $13) and large plates maybe $5 more. Wine was available by glass or bottle and bottle prices were varied but very reasonable for glass wines (and you could spend more if you chose). Trust me. We'll be back.More

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 28 January 2020 via mobile

First visit and I will definitely be back. Service was excellent. I had the shrimp and mussels diablo. Perfect amount of heat. Seasoned and prepared well. The shrimp were small and I expected them to be overcooked as a result but in fact they were...nicely done. My friend has the Alfredo with chicken. Excellent.More

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?
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Reviewed 5 January 2020 via mobile

I visited Tannin in Lansing on New Year's Eve. As expected we could order from a restricted menu. On a recommendation I went with the 3 course dinner and started with the squash soup. It was very thick and had good flavor. My entree was...the lobster ravioli. It was dreadful! Lobster is very light and should be delicate. The ravioli came with a sauce I couldn't identify. The look of it right off the bat was unappealing, a sort of light brown. With the first bite, the salt hit me. Waaaaay too salty. There was roe on top, so maybe that added to the overly salty flavor. The lobster was overcooked and so instead of being light and delicate, it was dry and chunky. The pasta was bland. I ate a few pieces and asked our server to remove it. I said it was overly salty and I just didnt care for it. I was offered to order another entree , however the rest of the table was well into their meals so I declined. The dessert was quite good, a lemon tart with blueberries. Service was quick and excellent. Our server was very pleasant. I may give Tannin another try. Undecided.More

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 26 November 2019

A great addition to the Lansing area. Food great, staff attentive and above average wine list. I thought the crab-stuffed pasta was exceptional

Date of visit: November 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 24 August 2019 via mobile

The space used to be a fast food joint, which is a little weird now that it is a more upscale restaurant. However, the food is excellent and you can get half portions at a very reasonable price point. This means you can try more...on the menu! I had a salad special and the gnocchi. Both were outstanding. Wine is also reasonably priced. I appreciated that the meal was at a slower pace but that could be an issue if you have someplace to be. We had drinks, an app, and dinner and it was a 2+ hour experience. We were chatting and relaxed though so they may have just let us be. Will be back!More

Date of visit: August 2019
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TANNIN, Lansing - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Tannin

Tannin is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4