If you're like me and walked past for (maybe more than) a year, but was too shy to try their tea service, make a reservation immediately! The servers are incredibly helpful, kind, and offered excellent suggestions for myself and my friend. We had the full tea service with the house tea, plus a flight of vodka to start (we got there a little early for tea service- how else were we going to patiently kill time?). I loved everything about this restaurant and will definitely be back. I regret having been too intimidated in the past to try it sooner! read more

Conveniently in the heart of downtown Chicago, across the street from Grant Park is a little tea house. My fiancee likes tea, so we gave this place a shot. We ordered some white tea which was excellent. We also ordered the high tea (pictures uploaded). A little expensive for what I can remember but a great little place to hang out only if you're interested in tea. read more

Russian Tea Time - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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DELICIOUS RUSSIAN TEA & BEEF STROGANOFF! It was my first time in Chicago and that too at a Russian eat-out. I must say that this place is awesome- great interior, great food and great service at a reasonable price! DECOR: Very romantic with rich vintage interior makes the ambience very warm and elegant. The restaurant is very clean (including the restrooms). LOCATION: It's on the road opposite to the Art Museum. FOOD: We ordered the Russian tea (some kind of flavored tea) , Hot Ukrainian Borscht, Lamb Samsa and Classic Beef Stroganoff (this one was the steward's recommendation). All the items were very very tasty and the tea is an unlimited supply! Whenever I visit Chicago again, I would definitely eat at Russian Tea Time. read more

Lovers of Russian novels, lovers of tea, lovers of cozy surroundings, lovers of vodka - this place is for you! I felt like I was stepping into War and Peace or Anna Karenina when I stepped into this restaurant/tea house. There are ornate samovars everywhere you look and the place has a warm inviting velvety feel to it. I had tea - of course. The oolong. A and I did a traditional shot of vodka, pickle and all. We warmed up with some barley soup (very good), mini potato pieroskis, and pumpkin vareniki. I'd love to have tea with my lady friends here and I want to go back and get the leg of lamb. The table behind us had it and it looked insane. read more

Great ambiance, amazing food and excellent service! Nick did a wonderful job ! Definitely coming back ! :) read more

Cold, pre-bagged tea sold as a premium product? I love good Russian food, and hope this well-known restaurant improves during the reconstruction. The decor and service are great, and I hope the borscht and pelmeni improve too! I'll be back. read more

This place is unlike almost any other restaurant in Chicago. Its cuisine is obvious, and it's very good and served in decent sized portions. Plenty of choices on the menu. Staff is well trained, respectful and usually formal, and mostly foreign. You really must order tea. There are several kinds but their standard kind is bright and flavorful, served with lumps of sugar and lemon in glass and metal cups. Really great experience. It's almost unfair to include this as an aspect of the restaurant, but I can't ignore the great location. It's right by the Art Institute (museum) and Symphony Center. Highly recommend going here at least once. I suggest the mushroom barley soup. Lots of great appetizers so you may not even get an entree as you can make a full meal with some of those. read more

Surprised I haven't written a review of one of my favorite spots in the downtown area for fun & Family bonding moments. Been coming to Russian Tea Time for Business, Family and Male bonding post Golfing events. The Traditional Vodka's with a Pumpernickel Bread and Pickle (Gherkin) Always a Joy (Tradition). Mushroom Barley, The Borscht, and their version of 'Pieroshkies' Yummy. Enjoy their Sturgeon Cavier. I miss their Goulash. If you want to experience a taste of the Slavic world you will enjoy Russian Tea Time. Waiters speak Russian or Polish. Nazdrowie & Cheers ! read more

I was so glad to finally have an opportunity to eat here! For years, I've been drawn to the unassuming awning out front of the establishment. I loved the interior, quaint and cozy, and nicely decorated for the holidays. The staff were very nice, and quite attentive. This was the first time my date and I had ever had Russian cuisine, and our server was patient while answering whatever questions we had about the menu. We started off with some asparagus dumplings, which will probably remain in my mind until the day I die. They were so flavorful, and I don't think I'll forget them. Our main courses were Georgian Chicken Tapaka, and their famous beef stroganoff. I loved my chicken, and my date loved their stroganoff. Being it a birthday celebration, we split a slice of Black Russky cake, it was excellent, and enormous. Dark chocolate and raspberry still linger on my palate. I can only hope I have the opportunity to come back. read more

If I could give more than five stars rating, I would give it to Russian Tea Time. The greetings were comfortable on arrival, atmosphere and decor were good, vegetarian friendly, food and wine were well presented and tasted excellent. read more

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Russian Tea Time is a true gem next to the art institute. A friend and I met here for tea, and it was a perfect afternoon retreat from the cold. We each got the regular tea service with Russian tea as our drink option -everything was delicious! Our server was a sweet Russian (?) older gentleman who definitely added to the whole experience. He essentially helped us choose everything (the type of service and tea), and I'm glad we took his advice! They're very quick with tea refills, and our food came quickly. The serving portion is also very generous (we ate about half of everything). The decor is also perfectly charming -a mix of Russian posters and porcelain dolls. The full tea service might be a little pricey, but it's definitely a treat! read more

11 years ago I took a girl here on our first date. The date was really amazing 11 years ago. One year later I married that girl and we have been married for 10 years. We moved away to LA and we're visiting Chicago and just happened to walk by today. We were greeted by a very pleasant and professional waitress (I regret not getting her name). I mentioned to her that this was our first date 11 years ago and if we could sit in the back at the same table. The section was closed but she didn't mind at all. She sat us even though it was another waiters section. Sergay greeted us and took such excellent care of us. When the bread came to the table with the Russian tea, we spent ten minutes just inhaling the bread. It was a nostalgia sense overload. We spent an hour talking and remembering our ten year marriage and sitting at the exact spot where it all started. Sergay, thank you so much. To you we were passing by guest but to us you made our day one of the most special days in the last ten years. We were brought to tears. Thank you so much. This place has a special place in our hearts and I feel like you and the restaurant made it all happen. read more

Have never been to tea before, and wanted to try it this Christmas season. What a great choice for an afternoon with the girls! We arrived a little early and were seated immediately by a very welcoming maitre d'. The cost includes an array of different appetizer type foods and desserts, as well as some delicious scones. You choose your pot of tea which is an extra cost. The peach tea was fabulous, as was their very own blend. We were able to sit as long as we wanted, and the waitress kept coming back to check on us - she was so informative and pleasant! This place was very elegant but not stuffy, and we had a most relaxing pleasant afternoon with some very good foods! We would definitely return! read more

Perfect service, delicious food, great service!!! I would recommend this place to all my friends! Low prices and height quality of food!!!! Shots are amazing!!! I tried vareniki and napoleon cake and I love it!!!!! read more

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WOW, what can I say. Well I'll start from the beginning. Was in Chicago for a day and had an exam to take, afterwards didn't wanna just up and leave so I went to a few places while in town, look at the scenery and whatnot and decided I was gonna get a bite to eat before hitting the road back home 2 hours away so I walked the city downtown and came across RUSSIAN TEA TIME on Adams Street. Hmm, now I never had Russian cuisine before so it was the choice of eatery. I entered and the ambiance was dim, somewhat relaxing, and everyone was in casual/dressy attire. The greeter led me to my seat and my waiter was Russian and brought me an appetizer of BORSCHT and PUMPERNICKEL BREAD. Now I wanna take a moment to talk about this soup called BORSCHT. If I am correct it is a tomato and beet soup with onions and other seasonings and I will say THIS WAS THE BEST SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE THUS FAR, better than broccoli and cheese, better than chicken noodle, better than any soup I have had thus far and I also had a side of fresh creme to add to the borscht. The pumpernickel bread with butter was also very delicious. I was gonna have a drink but there was only alcohol and didn't think that would have been wise considering I had a 2 hr drive heading back north during punchout hours on the interstate, traffic is insane. Now my main course for that day was LAMB SHANK W/ MASHED POTATOES AND FRESH SPINACH. This shank was SO TENDER and DELICIOUS, SO TENDER I COULD HAVE PULLED APART THE BONE AND THE BONE WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF THE BONE. Spinach was so green and fresh and the mashed potatoes might have been box potatoes but they were good nonetheless. Waiter wasn't overly friendly (to the point it seems fake) or under hospitable, he had a good balance of customer service and I enjoyed my stay. Whenever I am back in town I hope it's longer than one day and if so I will return to RUSSIAN TEA TIME, maybe to actually have tea time, and certainly to have that lamb shank again. Great restaurant, 5 stars. read more

Russian Tea Time - Russian Lamb Shank - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Shots of Vodka the "Right" way (for Russian consumption) featuring a trio of house flavored vodka served with rich bread and pickles as a chaser! A unique approach for me! Chicken Paprikash was good, though the pieces are rather large. The appetizer was a pumpkin filled type of ravioli with a savory butter...more food than I should have ordered but worth undoing the top button of your pants to accommodate! read more

Russian Tea Time - Never knew there was a RIGHT way to do a vodka shot...or that there were so many flavors! And chicken Paprikash...YUM! - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had an awesome meal at Russian Tea Time! The vodka flight was really tasty and I also really enjoyed the chicken breast florentine and honey cake. The chicken breast florentine is actually an item on their menu that supports a really cool non-profit, meaningfull meals. I thought this place had a great ambiance and I am now a big fan. It's a great place to bring friends and family from out of town, and help support a local Chicago non-profit. Highly recommend trying the samsa, chicken florentine, and vodka flights. I never thought I was a vodka person until this vodka flight. read more

Good food. Terrible service for a large party. We had 12 in our party and made a reservation months in advance. The place was understaffed and the waitress could not explain the menu or get our order right (with 10 of 12 ordering regular tea service!). She needed management back up and there was none to be found. Food came out unevenly. Had to beg for more drinks several times before brought to the table. One person's food was delivered so late the entire party was done and ready to leave. And there was no apology. Every time we'd ask where something was, the waitress would say "it's coming." 10 minutes later, "it's coming." Frustrating. Most people never even got the drinks they ordered. It's a shame because the food was delicious, but I will never go back. read more

Nice place, food is okay but so quite. It's make some uncomfortable atmosphere little bit when everybody listen you and you listen all ppl around. Beautiful design! read more

Decided to try a new place for High Tea and the Russian Tea Time did not disappoint. We could barely finish all of the delicious items. The savories were above and beyond what you normally get for sandwiches!! They take it to a gourmet level! We will be back again (price is very reasonable too!). read more

Russian Tea Time - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Was recommended this place from my Russian boyfriends mother, who visited a few months earlier. Her prestigious rendition didn't even come close to the wonderful experience we had. Immediately upon entering the atmosphere was gorgeous. Red velvet drapes, mirrors, true Russian royalty. We ordered classic tea service. Not disappointed at all. Sandwiches, amazing, scones, soft with cream and yummy strawberry jam, paired with an assortment of delicious sweets and pastries. We chose the house black current tea. Bottomless of course. Phenomenal. I ordered , the potatoes with onions and sour cream. Heavenly. My boyfriend had the chicken kabab with carrot salad, rice, and tomato sauce. Equally as amazing. Recommend this to all. read more

This place has a nice atmosphere. We had a quiet table in the back before the symphony. Although the latkes were limp and flavorless, my beef stew featured a generous amount of beef in a tangy sauce and some good sides - carrot salad and pickles. read more

Really dated. Could use a facelift. I came for tea and early dinner. The menu items are pretty heavy and poorly plated. The complimentary bread was horrible. I don't know what it was but it was dry. The butter was cold and flaked off so it was hard to spread. I ordered the beef stroganoff as recommended by my waitress. It came out super fast. For dinner I was surprised by this. How is it made that it can come out so quickly? The stroganoff came with a side of pickled beets and carrots. Neither sides blew me away. The stroganoff was good but too savory and rich. And it was ugly - just a pile of brown, grey mush on some noodles. I took a few bites and took the rest home. Overall the service was good but I think the atmosphere is too dark and old. The food was average. It just reminded me of country club food that is kind of boring and expensive. For the cost I will most likely not return. read more

Enjoyed a delicious dinner at Russian Tea Time tonight. We loved every item we ordered from their famous black tea, the starters, entrees, and dessert. Fast service and just the right amount of dim lighting and noise level. We've been here a few times now and never been disappointed. Apart from the black tea, the stuffed cabbage and the Russian dumplings are our favorites. Discovered their beet salad #1 and Napoleon's tart tonight and they were equally amazing. Thanks to Nick our server for great service. We'll definitely keep coming back! read more

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We had afternoon tea. The peach and passion fruit were delicious. The tower of goodies was very good. Service was top notch. Treated us with a birthday dish. read more

First impression, no air conditioning and the awning was held up by stilts. The service was good, although we arrived at 11:30 and walked out at 2:30. We had some horseradish infused vodka with traditional pickle chaser. We ordered the "tea time for two" which was a mix of various appetizers and main courses. Food was traditional and good. The highlight of our meal was the homemade, soft, grandmas Napoleon cake and the infused tea. read more

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

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Started off with vodka flights and ended with great gelato. The food was phenomenal and the service was perfect! Can't wait to go back read more

Amazing taste, authentic experience and lovely staff. The service lives up to the price they charge. We tried this restaurant for lunch the first time, ordered Borscht, Dolma with Pirozhki and Golubtsi. We were so satisfied that we came back again two days later to try the tea service. They have such tasty, fresh pastries with a perfect selection of teas. read more

had a great time and the horseradish vodka icy cold is amazing! great bartenders (especially liked Joe) and great service staff! highly recommend the sampling platter! everything and everyone was great!! read more

I had a reservation for three at the tea house because every other tea place was booked. It looked nice at first, but we were taken past the front dining area and into a little corner table with no lighting. I ordered the caramel apple tea, and it was okay but didn't meet expectations. We were served the food tray, and it was very visually pleasing. The food was average at best. The sandwiches were a let down, and the scones were drier than rocks. By the time I was done with the scones and sandwiches, I couldn't even bring myself to eat a cake. The russian tea house is mid at best. read more

I was there once and I can say the service is very poor. The waiter was rude and after bringing our food told us that we have only 15 minutes to eat because the restaurant was closing soon! If the restaurant closes at 7pm, why do you give a reservation for 6 pm knowing that it takes at least half an hour to prepare the food and bring it to the table? I will never go there again. read more

This was both one of my best and worst experiences while visiting Chicago. Formerly lived and worked in Russia and my wife decided to surprise me by taking me to the Russian tea room. The food was amazing, came shortly after teatime and sewed we decided to order a late lunch similar to a sampler patter sharing multiple courses throughout the meal. The food in no way disappointed. The lamb Sansa was savory, The borch was spot on, and the shashlik was incredible, and the Apple TV was the best I've had from Istanbul to Moscow. And what made this so disappointing were two things: 1. The place had flies. I don't mean one or two flies buzzing around for a while I mean constantly having to squat away insects from my food. Which I was used to in Russia when we were doing barbecue outside but not what I expected from a nice restaurant in Chicago, indoors! 2. The service was terrible. Don't misunderstand our waitress was very friendly but when she brought our food to the table she said it on the opposite side of my wife and to the far right-hand corner of me, all of our food. Which meant I basically set the table and serve the food. This is not the experience I want to have when I go to a restaurant, if I wanted to serve the food I would've stayed home and cooked it myself. read more

Good food, good service and lots of choices on the menu. The borscht is Ukrainian. Close to the Art Museum.

Love this place, food is fantastic, Russian beer tasted great. Inside decor is very nice feels like I'm in Moscow old school but nice. Waitress and waiter are very professional. Hope if they can serve some tradition Russian food like beef tomato... will go back read more

Always wanted to try Russian delicacies but being vegetarian, most places didn't have much to offer me! Luckily, a coworker suggested this place for team dinner and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Russian tea time has not just couple but tons of options for vegetarians. As you take your table, they will bring you complimentary bread and butter which is sooo good. We started off with some multiple orders of apps- potato dumplings, peroshkies and latkes which were amazing! Infact, I was so full with it that I couldn't try anything else! My colleagues, who ordered entrees loved the food! They have so many different kinds of aromatic tea and desserts! If you're going in big groups, making a prior reservation would be a good idea because it's a busy restaurant. Overall...I loved the restaurant, the food and the service! I will definitely be going back to try out more items from their menu! read more

Today was my first time here, and I immediately was impressed with the atmosphere and the food. This place has a very cozy Russian ambiance, and the food was outstanding. We had sausage, beef stroganoff, and pirogies. We also had the russian tea which was incredible. We only had one issue during our time here and thats the reason I'm giving only 3 stars. There was a group of us having lunch and when we were finished we asked our waitress if we could please split our checks. She made the concept of splitting our checks into such a ridiculous huge deal. She kept saying over and over again that we should have told her ahead of time, and now if we want it split we will have to wait 10-15 minutes. We looked at her and said that was fine, but we could not understand why it had to be such a big deal. If its that hard to split a check, then they should ask ahead of time for big tables. It put a bad taste in our mouths for the overall service of the staff just because her attitude was so bad. Overall though, great food and comfy place. read more

Russian Tea Time - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best eastern European food in chicago period! I've eaten here several times and both arrive and food were of highest quality. If you are interested in trying Eastern European food, this is the place to be. And the owners are from Ukraine. Time to support this wonderful restaurant read more

You see all these articles on perfect date ideas, and they are mostly all pretty lame. It's as if the writer doesn't want you to succeed in life. This is where I come in. Follow these simple steps: 1. Get tickets to an awesome play, musical, show, or opera. 2. Throw on our baddest outfit. 3. Make reservations here for after your show. 4. Order the beef stroganoff with a bottle of Kvanchkara. 5. Look into his or her eyes, and you will see someone who is an enamored to finally be on a date with someone who is sophisticated and mature. You're welcome. read more

Okay, I probably shouldn't be sharing this, since it's not so legal and stuff... Once a relation of mine took Aderol, which is a drug for people with ADHD. He does not have ADHD. "How did you feel?" I asked. "I felt like all I wanted to do was study. I worked for 70 hours straight," was the answer. I think their Russian tea must contain some aderol, since both times I have been there, I have rushed home and done all my work. The tea must be really strong, and they come around and constantly refill your glass, so you have no idea how much "tea" you have been consuming. It's really tasty though, and they give you a plate with brown sugar cubes and lemons to put in your tea. Otherwise, the food is really good. I have had the stuffed eggplant, the mushroom barley soup and some of the salads. The first time I visited this place I was with 5 real Russians, and they scoffed at some of the ingredients, like pumpkin and avocado, which they said had no place in Russian cooking! The atmosphere is quite nice with some large, comfy booths as well as tables. The bread pudding dessert was tasty, though I am quite a sucker for bread pudding. read more

Comrades! Thus begins the menu and I knew it was going to be a great afternoon. I came here with my Tea Society and we all loved our tea. Some of us, myself included, ordered the tea service. Not only did I love the cookies and savories but quite frankly, I wanted to swipe the 3 tiered serving dish. They were very gracious, accommodated all our dietary requests and even hung up our coats. Great food and fabulous service in a comfortable classy setting. How have I lived in this area all my life and not been here before? I will be back - for lunch, dinner or heaven help us possibly the Vodka flights! Comrade, no, I am a fan! read more