VIN — Restaurant in San Rafael

The food at Vin was very good; there just wasn’t much of it for the price that you pay. When the $35 gnocchi plate was served to the table, the plate was the size of a salad plate and we thought that there was a mistake in what was delivered. When it was confirmed that this was indeed the entree, we requested that it be substituted for the cod (with no objection from the server) which was more substantial (and very good). The lamb wonton was delicious but $24 for only 4 pieces. For these prices I would expect excellent service. Instead, when our appetizer plates were cleared the server placed our dirty silverware back on the table; we had to ask someone to replace it. Two entrees were brought out to our table of four at the same time followed by a 5-10 minute lag until the next entree was delivered. A similar lag in delivery occurred with our cocktail order. So overall, Vin has quite good food but is very pricey and falls...

Food was outstanding. Service was a big fat meh. There appeared to be only one server for the entire restaurant (granted, there are only about 8-10 tables… but still…). And while she was super friendly, she was more interested in flirting with the guys sitting at the bar than she was in handling ALL the duties she was responsible for… taking orders, filling water, clearing plates. They definitely need a better system for the front of the house. The food will bring me back but not before I hesitate to determine whether I’m up for the “have to flag her down if I want anything” level of service.

Updated: After I posted this review, a member of the team reached out to share that the night had been unusually understaffed. I appreciated the added context. I still believe there was room for improvement in communication that evening, but I’m more likely to revisit the...

The ambience at VIN is warm and inviting, with a modern feel that makes it perfect for an evening out. The cuisine is modern Californian with global influences, combining local ingredients and bold, unexpected flavor pairings. The menu items seem to change often which means there’s always something new to try.

My current favorite is the celery and date salad which is divine - balanced, and full of flavor. The donut holes with vinegar mascarpone are a miss for me. They’re hard, oily, and overly vinegary in a way that just doesn’t feel right. The cocktails are excellent.

Overall, VIN is an imaginative restaurant that’s clearly aiming high and...