Tasting House - Los Gatos, California

Van

Wow! What an amazing gem this place is. Friendly welcoming professional tidy service with a flare of art and style. And I just used their bathroom..... After I used the bathroom and washed my hands, i noticed they have a lovely basket with rolled up white cloths to dry your hands with, and I could have sworn they were heated. What!!!!!!!?!? amazing next level. I will definitely be making a reservation to come back and really experience this wonderful spot. Jazz music playing in the corner. Low dim lights, friendly servers. Wow, just wow.

AO ?. D.

Excellent dining option! The small menu has a wine pairing suggestion for each dish, the plates are really well executed and presented. The service is really good and so the ambience. They do have a piano and a singer some days, which really is a pleasant experience. The wine list has variety from grapes and countries, totally an enjoyable Dining experience.

Johnny

I had the Chef's Tasting Menu Experience, and the food was excellent—each dish thoughtfully prepared with locally sourced California ingredients. I loved hearing the brief stories behind each dish, which added a personal touch. While most of the dishes were outstanding, the sorbet was my least favorite due to its numbing, bitter/sour flavor.

The service was top-notch, and the live romantic music created an intimate and rare ambiance you don’t often find in the South Bay. While the music was a bit loud for the smaller space, it didn’t take away from the experience.

Next time, I’ll explore the menu and try some wines. Tasting House is truly a gem—highly recommended!

Justin L.

I've dined at Tasting House 4 times & experienced Chef Julien's tasting menu (2024 Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter). I have yet to come for their a la carte dinner menu.

This review is for Chef Julien's tasting menu for Winter 2024. Pictures are interspersed with items from the other tasting menus mentioned above.

Tasting House is gunning for Michelin stars; that is evident. Chef Julien's tasting menu is clear in its vision & has a deeply personal & warm execution to it. All of his dishes are grounded in family & heart (just have him explain the backstory of his dishes to you table-side) & are reflections of his playful, laid back, & chill demeanor while also having fantastic balance, depth of flavor, & eccentricity in combinations.

His menu reaches far & wide with Swedish, Japanese kaiseki, "I'm drunk in Lower East Side New York at 4am & want something fried," classic & nouveau French, Indian, & Californian.

While this may sound like a smattering of cuisines, it is deeply reflective of Chef Julien's training, background, & travels. Rarely have I come across a tasting menu that is based in a chef's eclectic travels & experiences but captures the "moment" so perfectly with a clear, linear story without reading like a "greatest hits compiliation" album of disjointedness. This is cooking at a higher level. Every course feels like an intimate 1:1 conversation, learning more, & peeling back another layer. Truly special.

You may be treated with:
- Smorrebrod from the Baltics with a lovely smoked fish
- Venison pani puri
- "Caviar on a pillow"
- Pumpkin curry
- Possibly the best "gunpowder" pigeon I've ever had
- Coconut curry Mount Lassen trout
- Geoduck, fennel, & husk cherries
- Chicken pithivier

Many of the front & back of house hail from Michelin starred pedigrees (since Manresa closed, many have come here) so you're experiencing the knowledge & execution of a 3-star Michelin restaurant but with the "I'm hanging out at the neighborhood bistro" environs.

The entire front of house - Bryan, Juan Pablo, Mary, Dani, & more treat you like old friends & family.

Bryan, Juan Pablo, & Mary whip up absolutely wild wine pairings that are eccentric but also grounded in classics. Fancy a out of left field orange wine from Portugal? Yup. Or a lovely Mount Eden pinot noir? Or a wildly fun Jura chardonnay to pair with the aforementioned coconut curry Mount Lassen trout? How about a high acidity & freshly cut bouquet & florals viognier to accompany the geoduck? Or an anfora bianco with its gorgeous texture to accompany a sweet tomato & hamachi?

The wine program at Tasting House is truly fun, eclectic, wild, & playful. The pairings not only complement each course but elevate them without overshadowing.

I'm very excited to see what the future holds for Tasting House. In my opinion, it's shining & full of star(s).

Liz P.

Updated review:

We had dinner at The Tasting House and walked into a lively, full restaurant with a live jazz band. Right away, we realized that sitting too close to the music would be overwhelming, so we requested a table in the back half of the restaurant.

Throughout the night, the atmosphere was enjoyable, but unfortunately, the piano overpowered the singer, making it hard to hear the vocals. That said, we really enjoyed our experience. The service was excellent and quite attentive, very unexpected for this bistro environment.

The only downside was the slow pacing. While we typically appreciate a relaxed dining experience, our meal—without a tasting menu—still took three hours. It truly reflected the leisurely French dining style.

Most of the dishes were good, though a couple weren’t quite to our taste. Next time, we’d love to return and try other options. The menu is quite small, so hopefully, they rotate some dishes. We also noticed many couples enjoying the tasting menu, which we’d consider for another visit.

One thing to note—parking in Los Gatos at night can be tricky. There’s free parking in the back, but it fills up quickly on weekends, so plan accordingly.

Overall, the vibe was fantastic—thoughtfully artistic, charming, and well-executed.

Older review:

Tasting House offered an atmosphere featuring live music that set the right tone, drawing in a diverse crowd from chic patrons to laid-back weekenders. The service was very attentive even during a bustling evening, a true team effort that didn't go unnoticed.

While the food hit the comfort mark, it was the wines that truly shone. Without a doubt, Tasting House is the go-to spot for a lively and enjoyable night, whether you're hanging out with friends or sharing a romantic evening.

Kaitlyn W.

An excellent experience! We love elevated cuisine and the Tasting house puts in a lot of effort into the food. We started out at the champagne bar with Curtis who was super friendly and fun to talk to, he recommended a sparkling rose to pair with our Korean Fried Chicken and we both loved it. The decor in the Champagne bar was swanky and feels almost speakeasy like (exposed brick is a huge design plus). They also had multiple wine related resources around the bar including books and posters. The dinning room we sat at the bar where Riley took care of us. Riley was very knowledgeable and professional, we appreciated him taking time to chat with us when it was clearly very busy. A piano play began playing about 30 minutes into our service which elevated everything. Our highlight was definitely talking to the Chef, who came out and talked with us briefly about the food. He was (and likely always is) very busy so his stop was brief but meaningful. At the end we received a complementary tea blend with some satchels for brewing. We will definitely be back and hopefully with more friends 🙂 These guys are on my Michelin Star watch list for sure!

Theresa S.

An absolute treasure in the heart of downtown Los Gatos. We love everything Chef Julian is sending out of the kitchen.

Incredible wine selection and excellent food, in a fantastic atmosphere! Wonderful ownership/management and staff.

Most recently, we are enjoying the raw bar selections. Everything is super fresh - uni, abalone and scallops are favorites.

Flora H.

Great place with live piano music on weekday. friendly service, great wine selection and good food options