My husband took me for a valentine's day dinner and it was wonderful. They had live music, which we heard is normal on Friday and Saturday nights, and they had a flamenco dancer. The food is amazing, but we knew it would be since the owners of Tasting Room are the owners of Opus 39 (another great place at St Augustine but pricey). We have nothing negative to say, excellent food, fair prices, great ambiance and great service makes this one of our favorite stops. read more

I drove almost 6 hours to get to St Agustine to spend 2 days there becouse it was my wife's birthday, while she was driving I started looking online so we clould have a special night of celebration. So based purely on the good reviews of this restaurant we made a reservation for 9 pm, tuesday july 26. On the comments section of the reservation I wrote that it was a special ocation for us, my wife's 46 birthday. Nobody ever acknowledge this comments, for witch my dinner did not have anything special on the part of the restaurant. We showed up earlier than reservation time, and they still accomodate us , witch it was nice. We sat in a small table between to other tables, with two other cuples, for me..too close...too claustrophobic, like it was no privacy. We waited almost 15 minutes for anybody to ask us if we even wonted a glass of water. They were 3 weitresses in the dining room, we got the obviously more youg and inexperience one. She had to read the specials of a piece of paper, we were constantly left with no attencion, she could not recommend anything, all she answer was..this is "very popular"..is that even an answer in a restaurant that charges this prices? for you to have a good experience? Service was terrible desappointing...Like...by far the worst one, I had a better expirience in mc donal's the next day for breakfast. The deccor of the restaurant is nice, the live music, a nice touch. The food: nothing special for the prices they charge. If you've ever been to a nice restaurant, if you like food like we do, this dishes were deffenetly disappointing, big time. The only nice thing I remember they putted in front of me was the Tres leches dessert. I spent $140 for a regular meal and bad service, and kind of ruining our night if it wasn't that we went to a pub nearby afterwards and had fun. I had seen on the reviews that whenever they get a bad comment, they aggresively answer, I guess the managment, I don't know where the manager was that night becouse I would had gladly had a word with them. Becouse service was embarrasing. read more

I went to the Tasting Room a while ago with some friends over Spring Break and then again with a bunch of family. Both times I thought that the food was very good. I'm not really a wine guy, and it's way out of my normal price range, but I really enjoyed myself. Really, the high point was the entertainment. Both times I've been they had some really great entertainers. The first night they had some band playing some sort of Latin music. I may have questioned the wisdom of having a live band (which are always loud for some reason) play in a relatively small dining room, but the music was really fun. I saw a few couples get up and dance for a few minutes. It wasn't intrusive and it was very good. But the best part was a magician I've seen there both times I visited. His name was something French, something-something Dantez I think. His name may have been a bit hard to pronounce but the show was amazing. He does 'mental magic' which is very different from just card tricks and stuff like I was expecting. It works well with the food - he mostly comes by while you're waiting for your food or whatever, so it doesn't interrupt anything, and the stuff he did was amazing. I'm not really one for magic, and my family certainly isn't - in fact, when they heard that a magician worked at a nice restaurant they were more than a little skeptical. But after that I know all of them have mentioned wanting to go back later to see him again, and I'd certainly like to do the same. I guess it's odd to rate a restaurant so highly when I was most impressed with the entertainment, but seriously, I would go again just because of that. I don't even remember what I ate, except that it was good, but if I'm ever in the area again you can bet I'll be looking this place up just to see if that magician is there again! read more

We went there on a Sunday afternoon The place was in a disarray The server looked like a chicken without its head They had no bread read more

Had swordfish which was recommended by our server!! Excellent meal. Loved the ambiance!!! Only thing missing was music read more

The food was great. Had the special and a couple of appetizers with my wife and it was all good. Plan on spending some money though.

The establishment is nice and it has both indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to dine outside, and it was pleasant to be seated near a fan that blows by you and not on your table. We were also greeted promptly by our server. All in all everything was going nicely! We placed our orders for sangrias, goat cheese stuffed sweet peppers, swordfish entree, and a scallop entree. Our sangrias came quickly, and not long after our appetizer, the stuffed sweet peppers. However, this is where it slowly declined. We can't do spicy, and these were spicy! Something that should be mentioned on the menu. Scrapped off the spicy topping to better enjoy them. They were delicious without the spiciness. Our entrees, the swordfish and scallops were cooked very well and were delicious! However, once going through the veggies on the scallop dish, there was something that looked like a dried tomato or mushroom. Unfortunately upon closer inspection it was pork sausage. Neither of us eat pork, and would have appreciated if this was mentioned on the menu as well. We spoke to the hostess and said the entree would be comped. We then received our bill and we were comped only for one drink. It was very unsettling and the experience ended on a unpleasant note. I would say to anyone going there to ask what is in the meal or state dislikes prior to ordering. I'd hate to see others go through the same experience. read more

The Tasting Room has been on my "to try" list for quite a long time. After touring the Nights of Lights in St. Augustine, my husband and 2 of our friends headed here for dinner. I had heard that the restaurant was not very big. I found The Tasting Room on Open Table so I made a reservations a week or so in advance. I'm sure glad I did as it was extremely busy when we arrived. We were greeted quickly and taken to our table. In anticipation/excitement over this meal, I had perused the menu online in advance. We decided on a nice bottle of Spanish Red wine and decided to pick some dishes to share. Our selections included the Chicken and Chorizo Paella, Goat Cheese Stuffed Fried Artichokes, Duck Flautas, and Calamari. All the food was very tasty. The bread with their olive oil was delicious. I loved the energy and atmosphere. That combined with the food made for a wonderful experience! Can't wait to return--or try their sister restaurant--Opus 39! read more

We had Sunday Brunch here and it was the highlight of our entire vacation. I had the waffles and chicken while my husband delighted in the shrimp and grits. We were both blown away! Would highly recommend Michael's Tasting Room for the meal to make your night or morning special. Will never visit Florida without a trip here. LOVED IT! read more

Good for. Small plate style. Service is courteous and reserved. Nice atmosphere.

Blah. If you like ordinary, this is your place. The shrimp was really temperature hot, and soaked in canola oil. The "chargrilled oysters " just tasted like lighter fluid. The bread was from some industrial mega bakery. Not worth a repeat visit. Blah blah. I'm annoyed I ate there. read more

Service was good (hostess & server) I read great reviews about the food so I decided I had to visit this place but I wasn't impressed at all with the food. The ceviche with tostones was very good but the entrées were just ok. The guava Sangria was good! It wasn't bad but we won't try again or recommend it to our friends. read more

A price fixed Valentines Day dinner menu was offered after confirming when making reservation that the regular full menu would be offered. The food was creative and tasty. The hummus, pita, pickled cauliflower was very good and the sea bass was well prepared. Jason C's service was rushed and uninspiring. He left the wine menu on the table during the entire meal, never asked if additional drinks were desired after finishing champagne and wine. Decaf coffee was terrible and there was no herbal teas to choose. Michael would never know about the problems as he spent his entire time focusing on a party of six without regard for any other dining groups. Why wouldn't the owner walk the floor and interact with all his guests on Valentines Day? Goat cheese cheese cake was still 90% cream cheese making it tough for a person who is lactose intolerant on a fixed price menu. Overall, the food was very good but the service was lacking and detracted from a good meal. read more

Great place! We eat here everytime we go to St. Aug! I love the food and atmosphere! Sometimes they have live music which is really cool!

Great restaurant, great service and a great night. The wine list is awesome and very reasonable and the food was great. The short ribs on mofungo was amazing! read more

Food taste to price ratio is off. The food was good but not worth the money. The meals did nothing to stimulate the taste buds and the portions were small. A little disappointed as I was expecting more, booked the restaurant for my boyfriends birthday and he wasn't impressed either. Wouldn't go again. read more

A PEAK EXPERIENCE! For the last 10 years our life style has been full-time RV, traveling coast to coast and border to border with forays into Mexico and Canada. We love tapas restaurants, go to every one we can find. Pleasant, relaxed atmosphere w non-amplified stringed Koro, an African instrument. Our waitress, Brittany, was enthusiastic, efficient, and pleasant; the best waitress ever. Extensive 20 page wine list and full page beer list. Our Wednesday evening choices included scallops, artisan cheese plate, clams, and chocolate bread pudding. All outstanding. Our only disappointment about this special evening is that Yelp.com only allows 5 stars; we'd like to give The Tasting Room 10 stars. read more

The food maybe good but the service has gone down hill. We were there on a Wednesday and maybe six tables were being used. Took forever for the second course and almost just as long for the check. Sooner or later the reputation does change. It will be a while before we would consider coming back. read more

Food was excellent, prompt service and very nice atmosphere with live music. Outside dining is available as well. Its just perfect for a Saturday evening. read more

Had excellent experience for our sons rehearsal dinner. Food was awesome, service outstanding.

The scallops and braised short ribs were amazing! Everything service, food and atmosphere were amazing. We highly recommend it.

I have been to 'The Tasting Room' in St. Augustine's many times... Really enjoy the atmosphere and entertainment! Nice place to sit back and relax to have a nice glass of wine & tapas. Love the music but the special touch to entertainment is a young man named 'Meraux Dantes'... who stopped by our table to visit and amaze us with magic wonders... everyone was in awe when he held my friends arm while she held a fork... then the fork folded over! Energy that bent the fork? Many mental amazements keep you wanting to return to 'The Tasting Room' for more time with 'Meraux Dantes'. Love the place..... read more

Was visiting St Augustine and this restaurant was recommended by a local who raved about it. We had reservations for Collage and canceled and came here...a big mistake. Cheese plate was skimpy, the tapas for the price and portion and taste we're not worth it and the short rib special was a chunk of tasteless boiled pot roast. Service was OK but there was not one memorable part of the dinner that would make me come back or recommend it. read more

Always a wonderful dinning experience and a go to when ever we have a special dinner client. Have done the Chef's table several times and always wish I could lick the plate. read more

Had an amazing dinner last night!! Food and service were impeccable !!!! Great wine list gambas were cooked to perfection!!! Archie our server was spot on and didn't miss a beat chef/owner Michael was working the floor with his team insuring every table was taken care of!! Can't wait to go back one of our most favorite restaurants in North Florida!!!!! read more

The food was outstanding, extremely fresh and great flavors. The service and atmosphere was great, cozy and relaxing. Great place for a date night in St. Augustine. read more

My family and I were looking forward to a great meal on Christmas Eve and based on the menu and reviews we picked Michael's Tasting Room. We ordered from the tapas menu the charged octopus, crispy chicken thighs, clams in salsa verde, the steak tartare and the foie gras. The presentation was very good, stimulating our taste buds. Unfortunately bite after bite we found each of the selections falling short in its execution. Dry and tough octopus and chicken, a minty salsa verde broth on the chewy clams that was not enhancing the item and a very mild foie gras masked by the beet marmalade. The best was the beef tenderloin tartare which could have been a bit finer diced. One of us chose to order the shrimp bisque which they found was lacking in shrimp taste and creaminess. The scallops with Brussels sprouts and butternut squash purée was very good and left us thinking we should have avoided the tapas and focused on the entrees. If you are an expreso connoisseur avoid it, it was weak. The restaurant decor and ambiance was good , plenty of room between tables and attentive service. Overall it was costly and a not worthy experience. read more

Thanks to Yelp, fate and exasperation, we ended up stumbling into one of our better meals in ages here. My husband and I aren't really big on tapas (insert groan for bad pun). The versions we've come across have often seemed a bit cutesie and overwrought. When seeking a nice dinner in St. Augustine, Tasting Room wasn't really on our radar, but we grew frustrated roaming around town and started peeking at the menu out front. Literally two departing couples in a row leaving beseeched us to go in. Given our hunger and some promising Yelp reviews, that was enough for us. We entered to really lovely live music, excellent service and a charming courtyard. We went for the tasting menu with wine pairings. It was absolutely fantastic and a genuine bargain at under $75 apiece. The four-course meal was creative, perfectly prepared, and matched with seven different wines so wonderful that we got a list of them to go. Between the food, atmosphere and wine, it's hard to imagine a better place in this town. read more

Really good tapas and lovely atmosphere. Live music every night. Great place for a date night or dinner out with friends when visiting St. Augustine. The best tapas we had was the mussels with chorizo, it was served in a broth so delicious I basically wanted to drink it from the bowl like a heathen. But I settled for dipping some hot toasty bread in it instead. Extensive wine list, reasonably priced. read more

We had a lovely dinner on the patio. I highly recommend the manchego cheese with figs and almonds small plate!

I think what is most funny is how we found this place - we literally followed our noses. There was this delightful grilled flavor oozing from the restaurant, so with many choices we went with the Tasting Room. Our server was so sweet and cute, I think her name was Christina. She was very attentive and knowledgeable. To start we had the manchego cheese platter, which is a Spanish fav of mine. Very yummy, the caramelized onions were a nice touch. We also ordered the flatbread that had shrimp on it - AMAZING. To drink I tried the white and red sangria and by far the red sangria was the best. It was delicious! For dinner we indulged into the Ultimate Experience and that was such an appropriate name. It was sooooo good and the portion size was perfect. I think that the courses change, but we had a dish that had shrimp skewers over corn grits - OMG, that was my favorite. The other course was filet mignon, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. It was good, but typical. The only thing that I could have done without was the bread pudding that was served for dessert. It was a bit bland, not much personality. Overall, this place is awesome and the owner is very welcoming and pleasant. You have to try it! read more

Dined here last Saturday evening with some family members. Four of us. Initially disappointed to discover they do not have a full bar. Proceeded to order wine. They do have an extensive wine menu with some good options. While the meal was good I can't say I have a desire to rush back. Three of us ordered the filet mignon. Two were cooked as ordered but mine, which I'd ordered medium was terrible. It was clearly and end section and mostly inedible fatty grizzle but shaped into a round portion. The chef clearly would have known what he cooked and sent out from the kitchen. I sent it back and they did cook another steak for me, however, everyone else had almost finished their meal by that time. One of our party does not like garlic and there was very little on the menu without it. When asked if she could have something without they could not accommodate. My husband had swordfish which he did enjoy and seemed to be the best out of what our table ordered. Desserts were ordinary and no specialty coffees available that you would expect with fine dining. All in all it was not terrible but I wouldn't recommend for the price. Nothing to draw us back. Average food, average service, loud dining area, reasonable service but too pricey for the quality read more

When we arrived at the tasting room (via horse drawn carriage...it was our babymoon). They asked do you want to sit outside or inside. Next time I will say I want to sit where ever Amanda is serving! Amazing food, ambiance, great wine list, but the best part was her excellent recommendations and amazing service. Felt like we were back in Barcelona. Everything we ordered was excellent. Don't pass on the mussels, highlight. One of Amanda's good tips was to pass on the patatas bravas since we were getting the mussels as they have truffle fries on them (basically the same thing). Loved the mushrooms if u get it ask it to be paired with a meat dish it's excellent alone but even better with the chicken skewers or some sort of meat. Also for desert the chocolate creme brûlée was awesome a must if u like chocolate and macadamian nuts. This place is a must if you dine in St. Augustine!!!! read more

We had the tasting menu -- awesome. Great food. A little too much food, but everything was delicious. My favorite was the quail, but the lamb rack was a close second. I also really enjoyed the lobster bisque. Overall a great dining experience. read more

Michael's Tasting Room is incredibly romantic. The menu offers quite a bit of diversity and the wine list is fantastic! My wife ordered a dish with Tofu and absolutely loved it even though she would normally order chicken or fish. I would suggest that you request a table outside if the temperature is right. The lighting is perfect and they have heaters when it is cool. Have a great time!! read more

We spent out anniversary dinner here. Excellent service! David, our server, was top notch. We each received a complimentary glass of chilled prosecco for our anniversary. We both had the buffalo short ribs, which were excellent. The Spanish Tres Leches dessert was very good. The ambiance was perfect for a romantic dinner...quiet and beautiful. We'll definitely eat another dinner here. read more

Really liked this place. Great Sangria. Food was well prepared and service was excellent. The only thing I didn't like was the Caesar salad. Way too much anchovy taste, but my boyfriend loved it and said it was authentic, so to each his own. read more

Good food with a variety of choices. Great service. Nice to have the small plate and large plate options. Decent options for wines by the glass, and one of my personal favorites - 1/2 pours when you don't want a full second glass. Nice live music in the background. The only complaint - it is loud. The music stays in the background and doesn't seem to add to the noise level - it's the dining room itself that is loud. read more

great food, great service well done. the calimari was perfect and the lamb chops were over the top. our server Sarah was kind and she really knows her riojas. will go back. read more

Unfortunately, the Tasting Room has jumped the shark! My husband and I have been coming here for years. It has just become inconsistent. Last night we took out of town friends and we were embarrassed. The food was terrible. We ordered the black sausage -- it was painfully dry, the chorizo sausage -- tasted like beenie weenies -- even our waiter described it as an "upscale hotdog", really? The filet with portabella mushrooms tasted like a beef stew you would get in an Irish bar (no offence to my people) not what you would expect at a nice restaurant. I appreciate the changing menu, but not at the cost of realiable favorites and items making it worth the $160 we spent on dinner. After years of being a fan, this is our third disappointing visit --- I think it has to go off the list. read more