SUPER DELICIOUS. suuuuper delicious. I would definitely go back. It reminded me of the food I grew up with!!! the mushroom and beet crepe was incredible, the portions on everything were huge. The tea was also delicious. Service was great and prompt, and the ambience was pristine and delicate the way someone would expect a tea room to be. This exceeded my highest expectations. read more

What a fabulous experience at Russian Tea Time! The service - phenomenal. The food - rich, decadent and flavorful. The tea? Don't know, as I switched mine out for sparkling wine and a French 75 martini. But I am sure the tea is equally as good as everything else we tasted. The vodka flights were delightful too (enjoyed by others at my table) and there are several to choose from. And the fresh pickle chasers? So delicious! My son-in-law enjoyed the borscht too. A highlight for me was the sweets on the tiered tray, especially the edible dark chocolate cup. Inside decor is fancy and rich in color. Even the ladies room was so lovely with the artwork and classical music playing. Halloween was fun too, as some servers were in costume. I look forward to returning. read more

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How did I not know this place existed?! Russian Tea Time was absolutely incredible. The quaint atmosphere, lively and welcoming staff, and outstanding food made for such a memorable experience. The lamb shank was honestly one of the best I've ever had. The beef stew was incredible, and the peach and horseradish vodka flight was a fantastic addition to the meal. Everything was full of flavor and clearly prepared with care. What a hidden gem right in the heart of Chicago! I can't believe I've been missing out on this place for so long. We will absolutely be back! read more

I went here because it was a short walk away from the Art Institute. Because the dining room was full, I sat at the bar. I got the afternoon tea service ($69), and it was an absolutely lovely experience. The afternoon tea service was served on a three-tier tower. On top were 2 scones - a plain one and a peach one. They came with cream and jam. Both scones were great with the cream and jam. The middle tier came with a couple of savory things, and this tier was definitely my favorite. There was an egg salad sandwich, a cucumber & tomato sandwich, a grilled chicken sandwich on a beet roll, a smoked salmon sandwich on a multigrain roll, and a chicken salad croissant sandwich. I thought all of the sandwiches were delicious, especially the cucumber sandwich and grilled chicken on a beet roll. And on the bottom were a bunch of little desserts - a cup of strawberry mousse, a slice of lime & mango cake, a tiramisu cupcake, an edible chocolate cup filled with cake & whipped cream, and an apple Danish pastry. Everything was scrumptious, and I ate it all up. The afternoon tea service comes with your choice of tea, and I opted for the house tea, which was served in a pretty glass cup and came with endless refills. The house tea was a nice fruit tea with a slight sweetness, and I sure took advantage of the endless refills, lol. The tea came with a cup filled with both brown & white sugar cubes. What really stood out to me was the fantastic service. All of the staff were incredibly kind and friendly. They checked up on me often, and both my glass of water and glass of tea were rarely empty. The afternoon tea service is certainly not cheap, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny. It was enough food for two and WAY more than enough for a solo diner. I left the restaurant absolutely stuffed. Note - the restaurant adds a 3% service charge to all checks. You can have it removed upon request. read more

Russian Tea Time - House tea - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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As someone born in the former Soviet Union I wanted to check out Russian Tea Time for the nostalgia factor. We came for lunch, the decor is cute Soviet and it has a very formal feel throughout. They had several menus including the lunch/dinner menu and a tea time menu. The first thing that jumped out at us is how expensive everything is. We ended up ordering the meat sampler platter for 2, which was a lot of food! First they bring out the appetizers which includes 5 different spreads/salads, 2 dumplings with meat (pelmeni), and 2 dumplings with potatoes (vareniki). I really enjoyed the beet salad and the Korean carrots. The vareniki were flavorful and the dough was a perfect texture. Additionally, they brought out 3 entrees: a stuffed cabbage roll (galubets), a beef/mushroom stroganoff dish, and a chicken kebab plate with rice and buckwheat. The stroganoff was my favorite; rich, creamy, and well seasoned. The kebab and accompaniments were also well seasoned and tasty. For me, the galubets was not good; the sauce was too thin and the meat inside was grainy and too sweet. Very fun Soviet experience with great service, but not sure I would go back considering the prices. They also add a service fee (which is not considered the tip). read more

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OooooMmmmGggg, I cannot believe this gem!!!! A friend getaway ended in magnificance at thei restaurant. WOW!! The foood was sooo incredible but the service... the service was the BEST!!!! Yahor K was amazing!!! Literally made us feel at home!! Who said you can't do High Tea on a Monday!!!! This place is awesome!! read more

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My friend and I have been wanting to try caviar so we decided to check out Russian Tea Time after taking a look at the menu. We started off with the caviar which came with blintzes on the side, egg salad, chopped onions, and sour cream. We ordered a bottle of champagne that was the perfect combination. We wanted to try a bunch of different items so we decided to split the Russian Tea Time platter for two as we were able to try some appetizers and then the entree plate included beef stroganoff, stuffed cabbage and chicken kebab. Everything was so tasty! My favorite food was the caviar, stuffed cabbage and for dessert we split the honey cake. The inside of the restaurant looked nicer in person than the photos I had seen online. The ambiance was sophisticated and serene. Our server was very attentive and they were quick to clear any dirty plates. read more

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Decided to try out the famous tea time tower, however, I wasn't impressed. The biscuits were probably my favorite thing on the tower, everything else was just underwhelming (taste wise). I found that most of the mini cakes were dry and crumbly. The bread for the savory sandwiches were also very dry. I would definitely not return for the tower as there are many more options in Chicago with better quality selections. However, I would consider returning for their actual food menu. We did try the Blinchiki Combination which was very tasty. We also ordered the beef dumplings which were just what you'd expect. read more

Russian Tea Time - T - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Russian Tea Time is a popular restaurant right around the corner from the CSO that serves food from old Russia as well as tea service. We did the former last week and enjoyed a great sampler of apps and mains for lunch, starting with beef pelmeni, potato vareniki, Latkes, Carrot salad, Beet caviar, Chickpea paste, Tabouli, and Vinaigrette salads. Followed by mains - Beef Stroganoff, Stuffed cabbage, Chicken Kebab, Rice and Buckwheat Kasha. Food was hearty but not greasy. The salads were very fresh and bright. Went well with my Ukranian vodka sampler. Service was solid and it was a great spot to grab a bite before the CSO concert. read more

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This is a great place to eat before the CSO, which is right next door. It was a cool night so there is nothing better than a cup of Borscht. The potato verenikeis were a good appetizer. The menu has classic Eastern European food. I love a stuffed cabbage roll but theirs is a little sweeter than my mom's Hungarian version, but one is a meal. The classic beef stroganoff met expectations and so did the Chicken Kiev. For dessert we had the Vareniki with cherry sauce. It's a delightful place and there is parking across the street. The wine list is limited as I didn't see any reds. read more

We came here for a friends get-together on a Sunday morning. I've been here before and thought it's a decent place. It was my idea to come here, and I regretted it--the host was very unprofessional and rude. When I arrived first, I heard the girl talking to the waiters by the bar saying that "all the iPads were not charged" and appeared to be frustrated already. Then, after I told her about our reservation, I was told the reservation was for 6, but I knew we had 8. So I asked her to accommodate our party (both 6 or 8 people take 2 connected tables, so really not much to change). She said, "I'll make an adjustment this time. Next time, you'll have to call in advance." That's reasonable. I wasn't the one who made the reservation--I guess my friend miscounted. I thanked her. But then she started repeatedly saying, "There's a service fee because you have a big party." When she said it for the first time, it's fine, that's common practice. But she started repeating it in a condescending manner and added, "Just to make sure." It made me feel unwelcomed. I said, "I understand. It's a simple statement." She kept going: "Not trying to be rude, but I just need to make sure you understand." Very passive-aggressive! Do I appear to have a hearing impairment, low English proficiency, or can't afford it? Yes, you are *being* rude. Whatever is going on with you, you can't vent your frustration on the guests. Our table was ready, so I held back my anger and sat down, trying to adjust my mood waiting for my friends. I texted the friend who made the reservation to verify how many people she claimed in our party. She sent me a receipt of the deposit. Not only does it show a party of 8, it also shows the restaurant charged us a 50% deposit already! I went to show the host the screenshot, but she won't look at it. Instead, she pointed to her iPad and insisted, "Here it shows 6, it's not my fault!" Obviously, the mistake was from your end. I got really mad at this point. How about "my apologies for the miscommunication" or "sorry about the inconvenience"? If these words are not in your vocabulary, the least you can do is to stop talking and being defensive! I asked for the manager, and she told me the manager's not here. Finally, some other waiter stepped in to wait on our table. If not because my friends were on the way, I'd have left the restaurant already. You have no mentality of customer service; you entered the wrong industry! People come here not just for hot water and tea leaves. People come here for service and atmosphere. Russian Tea Time, you need to have some basic standards! It's not that hard to find a host to smile and greet guests appropriately. I wanted to give a 1-star review, but it's unfair to the other waiters who actually know how to do their job. Won't be back again--there are so many other options in Chicago. read more

We came her as a big group and were really excited! The afternoon tea price $69 is more reasonable than other tea places. The tea came out great, I got the earl grey. The pastries took a while to come out and some were not great. We sampled a few but couldn't finish them. Ask for butter with the biscuits! read more

Came with my coworkers for an office outing and there were 19 of us. We had a room in the back and there were people in the front of the restaurant. We ordered ahead of time so that the restaurant would be ready with our food. Appetizers were a bit slow coming out to one table but the other table got them first. Out entrees came out as they were ready and we all enjoyed the food. read more

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What a cool experience! We had a lot of tea, the afternoon sweet and savory experience, and the teatime platter for two (or something like that haha). We got to try so many things and everything was fresh and flavorful. We also tried the borscht soup. So authentic! It was a very quaint place with a soothing atmosphere. I would recommend getting reservations. We didn't but were able to get in for a limited space. This place is also very close to all the downtown activities. The beef stroganoff was amazing! Will definitely go back! read more

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The afternoon tea service is lovely and I highly recommend it. It's $69 for the tower of scones, sandwiches and pastries, and $8 per pot of tea. The tower of treats can feed 3-4 so it makes this a very reasonable afternoon tea. The rest of the menu is meh. The service is good and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing. read more

In my opinion the most traditional tea time in Chicago. You actually get what you paid for in a world where high tea includes a slice of toast and a macaroon. Ambiance is fancy do I encourage you to dress up! Server was attentive and helped us pick a platter so we could try a little bit of everything. read more

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Service was nice. The food took a while, but I knew the items we ordered were not fast to cook. It tasted great. The scones are fine. It's not clotted cream, but it's probably not what they normally serve. It's a nice place for afternoon tea. The children were well behaved as well. read more

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Great service, atmosphere, clean... But, the food is not good. If you are familiar with real Russian or Ukrainian food, then you will be extremely disappointed like me. However, if you have never had R/U food before, then give it a try. Perashki had almost no potatoes in them, very small size, not tasty at all. Borsh was okay, not the taste I was hoping to get. Tabule had almost no greens (the traditional tabule is mostly the greens). This was nothing even close to the traditional tabule. 3 out of 10 I would not be back to this place for food. read more

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A friend and I went here for the teatime, and added extra teapot to the package. Every single item of food exceeded expectations. Absolutely delicious and flavorful. Extremely fresh. We added an extra pot of tea. Trying the strawberry-hibiscus tea, and the Earl Grey- lavender tea. Both were amazing. Nice relaxing atmosphere, with excellent service. Don't pass this place up! read more

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This was a good place for afternoon tea, just not my favorite. The menu for this was a tad confusing initially, but once our server explained it, I appreciated that you can choose just exactly how much food you want for the tea service. The tea I selected was good; others I tasted at my table were fine, but I didn't see how they complimented the food. As for the food, the scones and sandwiches were quite filling and my favorite parts of the dish; the desserts were a tad lackluster for me. It took a moment for us to be serviced initially due to what looked like under staffing, but the server was attentive once we were visited. read more

Russian Tea Time - Queen Afternoon Tea Service - comes with crepes, which were not worth the extra price. Everything else was good though. - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loved our experience here. Staff super friendly and helpful. Food was tasty and plentiful. Ate so much we shared dessert 4 ways. Smart clean setup/layout/decor - not fussy. The teapot was frequently topped up. Important to this tea drinker! read more

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Good service and knowledgeable server. Vast menu.. We went with the classic tea service and shakshuka. The food was terrible the pastries tasted a few days old, mediocre sandwiches( how do you mess up a sandwich as a restaurant??) And the Shakshuka was a disappointment. Shakshuka is an easy dish to make and easy to make it tasty. However, it was tasteless and bland.. yuck The teas where good and they had lots options. I left the restaurant hungry but had plenty of tea I'll give this place another shot and try their other dishes because they have a lot of other items on the menu. But the things we got were terrible read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants - we always make a point to visit when in town. Super authentic cuisine and everything is delicious and well prepared. read more

Russian Tea Time - Cabbage roll & chicken Kiev - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

5 stars for great service, value, delectable selections of sweets, savories, teas, location, and ambiance. Now, THIS is a tea experience. Ample food and tasty selections that are carefully curated. Their brunch, lunch, and dinner options were simply superb. Making the reservations was super easy and our group of 8 was easily accommodated and made us feel like VIPs with genuine care and attention. The restaurant had a warm and cultured feel and quaintly decorated. Located in the heart of downtown Chicago amidst exceptional shopping places and other restaurants. Well done, Russian Tea Time, well done This is the place to be and I can't wait to make some time for tea read more

I had gone in amidst a layover while traveling on recommendation from a friend. She was not kidding, it was quite the wonderful experience. The meal was incredible, the dessert was even more amazing. The presentation was impeccable and presentation really is everything. read more

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Very nice place with a cool Russian theme. The afternoon tea was very good and the house tea was very tasty. The tea was served hot and in a very nice metal and glass cup. The staff were nice and the place was busy. The waitress could have been a little more helpful and while the sandwiches were good, they weren't quite a "5". Their regular menu is pretty expansive and looks tasty. read more

I had the chicken meatballs with creamy mushroom sauce, served over mashed potatoes. There were 5 meatballs, and nothing else on the plate. so the dish lacked variety, no contrasting textures, everything was soft.The meatballs tasted good. but the dish was boring. Better stick with the service. read more

We had an absolutely lovely pretheater dinner here. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful with red decor and nice music playing. Our server Lazlo warmly greeted us and allowed us to choose a comfortable table. It was a bonus since we were seated during happy hour. We ordered a Ukrainian beer and a coriander vodka martini. Both were unique and delicious. For dinner, we had the Russian Tea Time platter for two. It came with two different courses of platters and was a wonderful way to sample many different dishes. Everything was excellent. If I had to choose favorites, I would say the stuffed cabbage and the beet salad were standouts. The portion was large and we had enough for lunch the next day. This place is a gem and we will definitely be back next t time we are in town. read more

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Perfect location near Lake Michigan in case you had a long walk and want to crash this place for some tea. We came for a quick morning bite and were seated quickly. The place is nicely decorated with Russian & Eastern European artifacts accompanied by Russian music. We got queen tea service for 4 people and a separate pot of tea - didn't have to wait long for the food to come out. All the appetizers tasted great, but most of them are not traditional (speaking as a Russian myself) - ie cupcakes, sandwich-shaped food, biscuits that you see here for Thanksgiving, croissant rolls with peppers. They use some traditional Russian ingredients like salmon or egg salad, but that's about it. There wasn't a lot of food either, so I wonder if they brought classic tea service instead of queen. All in all, it was good, and the atmosphere was nice, but the food from tea service was not quite traditional and didn't pack much for 4 people. read more

What a fun spot in Chicago. We ordered the tea service and it was perfect. Light, refreshing with plenty of options for all. It was the perfect lunch spot that was nice and light. Beautiful throughout and right in the heart of downtown. Next time I visit Chicago, I'll still come back here. Ochen Xorosho! read more

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When the guys went to the Bears game in 30 degree snowy weather, the girls decided to get cozy with some hot tea and treats. We enjoyed both the sweet and savory morsels (we especially liked the chicken salad with cranberry sandwich and the pumpkin cupcake) and the tea (and champagne) was divine. I highly recommend Russian Tea Time for a fun girls afternoon. read more

Russian Tea Time - Ginseng Green Tea - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I took my daughter here & had the best time. We both shared one classic tea service and it was more than enough. We tried the White Strawberry Tea. Hands down it was the best tea I have ever tried. Excellent quality and exceptional service. Will definitely be back on our next Chicago adventure! read more

Russian Tea Time - Classic Afternoon Tea Service - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Affordable afternoon tea in downtown Chicago. They offered several options such as gluten free. The savory sandwiches were classic but good. The sweets and cakes were too sweet for me, it was not delicate in my opinion However, the tea was great! I tried the house tea, it was warm and strong, I liked it. We had a good time there but not my favorite afternoon tea read more

Russian Tea Time - Classic Afternoon Tea Service - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing experience, fantastic food, the service was so friendly and always fast in filling drinks. It's also very cute and the decor is beautiful. Our server did an amazing job explaining the food and was very friendly the whole time. read more

Russian Tea Time - Two delicate Crepes with Cream - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This restaurant is absolutely worth it. The decor is classy but not old. The service is great. Quality of the items are great. They're gluten-free offerings are good, but the regular probably taste a bit better. The house tea is most popular and was good with some brown sugar cubes. The savory items were good and the sweets were even better. Loved the blueberry muffins with the cream and jam, the strawberry shortcake, and even the pickle with the smooth vodka flight! Yum! Go. read more

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This was such a fun experience. Service: Staff was were very friendly and attentive. They also gave us some good insight in what might be the best tea for us to get based on our preferences. Our server also helped us decide what type of veggies sandwiches we wanted with our tea service. Price: The prices were very reasonable especially considering the amount of food we get. Food: The food looked delicious. The scones were the the right about of soft and the cream that went with it was so yummy. Their sandwiches were also really good and much bigger than typical tea time sandwiches. The bottom tray of desserts also had a nice variety. Atmosphere: They have a very red Russian themed room and it's really fun to dine in a themed spot. The restaurant is very close to the Art Institute museum so it's a great place to come to after all the walking around. read more

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I saw how cute this place was and knew that I wanted to have afternoon tea here with some gal pals. I had the Classic Tea Service and really liked the scones and savory tea sandwiches. The sweet cream that came with the scones was so good that I wanted to lather that all over the scones. There were four savory tea sandwiches and each was delicious. I don't even remember what they were! I didn't like the desserts though. I wasn't quite sure what they were either, but they tasted like grocery store desserts and not fresh (1 star off). I thoroughly enjoyed my pot of Earl Grey with Lavender -- full of calming aroma and taste. It went so well with the scones and savory tea sandwiches. By the way, I was originally only going to bring gal pals to this place to have tea, but there are many men there enjoying afternoon tea. One man even came by himself. So...this is a gender-neutral tea house. read more

Russian Tea Time - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such an amazing experience! The food was amazing, well worth the price! Everything was so flavorful and authentic. Service was great, he was attentive and the pacing of the dishes and drinks came out at the perfect time. The restaurant was decorated beautifully especially during the holiday season. read more

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I've been to Russian Tea Time twice for the Classic Tea Service. It was $44 a person and while I was worried I wouldn't be full both times I've been here, I left full and there were plenty of leftovers. Here are my thoughts. The restaurant is beautiful. I've been here in the summer and the winter now and both times it was decorated beautifully. Even more so now that it's closer to Christmas. There are 2 dining rooms and both were packed full, so if you come on a weekend, book a reservation for sure. The majority of people, if not every table, orders the afternoon tea service. The more popular one is the Classic service, but there is a more expensive service called the Queen Tea Service which has more food at $69 a person. The savories are the highlight of the tower. I could eat so many of those little sandwiches and that delicious cabbage crepe roll. I had no issues at all with the savories. The scones were alright. A bit bland and dry and more biscuit like than scone like, and the spreads it comes with consists of a strawberry jam and a slightly sweet slightly tangy cream of some kind. There are 2 scones per person. The sweets left much to be desired. Most of them seemed store bought and dry. Everything kind of blended together in a sickly sweet-and-dry way. I could barely eat any of this tier. I didn't even bother taking any home. Even with my Earl Grey tea that had been brewing for a long time at this point, the sweetness was still overwhelming. If I could just get a tower of solely the savories, it'd be a winner. The whole thing sure looked pretty! Finally, in terms of service, I understand it was quite busy but our server seemed to forget we exist for a long time. The busboy ended up taking our order because he felt so bad, and then that proceeded to be wrong when our actual server came to check on what he put in. I don't blame him of course he was just trying his best to help us. It seems that they couldn't fully handle the restaurant at capacity. Overall, it was a fun, cute time and the aesthetics almost make up for it, but I go to restaurants for the food and not Instagramable moments, and so I was left a tad disappointed. read more

Russian Tea Time - Classic Afternoon Tea Service - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent and attentive service from the team who explained each dish in our multi course. We loved it all, especially the Russian carrot salad. Tea here is always wonderful and nothing beats the scenery. We will come back again and again. read more