The Russian Tea Room
“Of course there is stroganoff and borscht and varenikis but I felt I wanted more Russian fare through and through.”
“I ordered the caviar tasting dish but I did not know that they did not include the black pearl ones.”
“Meal from my second visit:
Mushroom crepe, chicken kiev, cheesecake, prince vladimir tea
To me, this is the ideal combination here.”
The Russian Tea Room
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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You have to come here, so much history elegance and of course vodka. Seating is tight and the wait time can be long, small filling entrees with the most incredible bread. Very flamboyant atmosphere.
I don't understand why this place has such terrible reviews, I had an absolutely lovely time here. We came in for a late nightcap after a concert at Carnegie Hall next door. It was a bitterly cold Tuesday night, so the restaurant was mostly empty. Our group was seated at a large round table and service was friendly. Even though they did not offer a hot toddy on the menu, they agreed to make us one with tea and cognac and ginger. It was much better than I expected.
I didn't get a chance to try any of the food, besides the delicious cookies they served with our tea, but my friend (who is Russian) liked her borscht. A quick look at the menu and the prices did seem expensive, but I will have to come back to sample the food and enjoy a few more cocktails. After all, this establishment has been here in NY for 89 years!
One thing the Russian Tea Room definitely gets right is the ambiance. The decor is breathtaking. Just look at the pictures. A red glow emanates from the room when you enter. Gold accents and embellishments adorn the dining room, red vinyl booths beckon you, carefully curated art hangs on the walls. The rich darkness reaches out to envelope you. And the music they play in the background (a mix of world, latin, lounge, jazz and pop) will definitely set the mood for you.
I was expecting this place to be super fancy, since it is known for the fancy decor. I was very disappointed because it was very dated and cheap. They had these red sofas that did not match the gold tripped paintings and moldings on the walls. I came here for the fancy experience and I had low expectations for the food. I even ate a late lunch thinking the portions were going to be super small. I tend to get cranky if I leave a place still hungry after paying for overpriced food. Anyway, the food ended up being very good and the portions were a decent size. The food did take awhile to come out and the service went downhill as the place filled up with more people. The drinks were also expectantly ridiculously expensive with $12
Bordst- very impressed with this. I love beets. Great flavor and it came with this puff pastry.
Salmon cavier- not into cavier. Just salty taste.
Short rib stroganoff- ribs were very tender, it needed a bit more seasoning. The noodles were a little too soft for my liking.
Salmon pastry with sautéed Brussel sprouts- very interesting dish. Loved the pastry and brussel sprouts. The salmon itself was a tad bit dry and needed more flavoring.
I was curious about what I would think after reading the mixed reviews. I liked it a lot.
First impression in one word: opulent.
If there was a 4.5 star option, I would use it but rounded up. It was a great experience for the $65 pre-theater pre-fixe through Telecharge, but it looks like it would have been only $60 if I had reserved directly through the restaurant.
Service was perfect. I asked if I could get done in an hour because my show started at 7. The courses were timed perfectly. I was never rushed but also did not have to wait for more than a couple minutes between courses.
Now, this was pre-theater on a Thursday but I was the only patron wearing a coat and tie. There was even at least one guy and one woman wearing shorts
The salad was excellent. The stroganoff fantastic. The noodles were in a truffle sauce that was amazing. The tiramisu for dessert was unremarkable. The vodka list was blasé.
Thus, the indecision between 4 versus 5 stars. But the service and stroganoff tip the scales to a five.
The only other dissatisfaction was my own fault: I kept wishing I was with Julie Christie in a private dinning room.
A+ for decoration. The interior is gorgeous, but in a slightly scary "phantom of the opera" way which makes it pretty unique and one of a kind. You feel as if you've literally gone back in time and are now drinking tea with the royal of Russia pre-revolution.
We stopped by this place before going to Carnegie hall which is right next to this tea room. Apparently this place is well known and heard about. We were greeted by the host rather indifferently and at the time the place was empty. After being seated I looked up the place's reviews on Yelp and noticed that people either loved or hated the place (noting usually that the food is bland or service is lacking but that the decoration is extraordinary). for me, I found our waiter to be very prompt and nice and overall everything was fine. However, for the price, you would expect slightly nicer service except it is my belief that this place is supposed to be a bit pompous and grandiose. It goes with the theme. I can't really see cheery super excited staff at this place, so it's fine to me. I wouldn't be surprised if it's part of training to assume the smug attitude. If you don't take it personally and just view it as part of the experience, you'll enjoy your visit more.
We came for afternoon tea so our menu consisted mostly of sweets, tea, and wine. The wine list is endless. Whatever wine you want, you will find here. For 4X the price. But you pay for the experience. Desserts as well. This place is expensive (a small average tasting tiramisu costs $18) but for the atmosphere, I enjoyed our experience and would come back again when in the area.
Going to the bathroom is a little bit scary though, you go down the stairs and through this doll shop with lots of Russian dolls and then into the bathroom which is blasting opera music. Feels a bit haunting. Bring a friend. I should also mention the entire restaurant is enclaved in red and gold.
Overall A+ for setting, C for food, A for service.
Tip: it may make you feel better about yourself to dress more formally when coming here as well.
The decor here is AMAZING! It felt like you were in an opera house or a Broadway show. The ambience was perfect!
The food however wasn't that great. Nothing really stood out, but coming here for the ambience is well worth it. It's absolutely gorgeous!
Started with the tradition borscht and enjoyed it. As someone who has never really had true Russian food this was a good introduction. Served with it was what the waiter described as a "Russian Pierogi" where I'd just call it a small empanada.
For my main course, I had the Kobe beef burger which I asked to be cooked medium rare. It came back medium well but I didn't want to go through the trouble if sending it back. It was a good burger.
I ended with the Czars Gold and Caviar Parfait. It was great and the Caviar was a welcome salty addition.
Mediocre food and non-existent service. Not surprised because I was a guest of the NYRW. But I was surprised that the server didn't bother to check on my party at all and we even had to flag someone down for a simple water refill.
For a $$$$ establishment, I think they could do way better. It was difficult to communicate with the servers when they don't understand English well. The server couldn't really understand me from time to time even though their menu was simple and straightforward.
Their bathroom is clean (located downstairs near the main entrance) with paper towels.