Very good Russian hand-cooked takeout food! Great choice of the ingredients of all kinds. Friendly staff always ready to give a good advice.

Had an amazing time celebrating my birthday here with 35 of my close friends! So much amazing food was served. Started with cold appetizers, which were so incredible, followed by fantastic hot appetizers. The lamb was one of the best I have ever had, perfectly cooked. The main dishes were a hit! They were so incredibly flavorful! Followed by beautiful dessert and celebration. The wait staff was phenomenal. Someone was always there to help us with anything we needed. No one had to wait for anything that we asked for. The music was amazing! Mix of Russian and American music kept us entertained all night long! Everyone spent the night dancing. We will absolutely be back to celebrate more birthdays, anniversary and anything else. I would highly recommend this place! What a lovely and fun evening it was! - Luba read more

This market was recommended to me by a friend after moving to Mountain View. The owner, Alex, is helpful, friendly & has a great sense of humor. My favorites here are Georgian dumplings, sour cream, beef/potato & mushroom piroshki, chicken soup, pickles, milka, and hazelnut chocolate. I fully support this business and will continue to shop here regularly for the wonderful experience and quality products. read more

Samovar is a hidden gem I must say! I made a trip out here with my co workers for lunch to try out Eastern European food since I wanted to expand my food horizons. My experience was amazing, the owner of the store was extremely nice and explained each dish they serve. We ordered a variety of items such as Cabbage rolls, Red Borscht, Olivie, Pelmeni, and Beet Salad. All items were wonderful and I could taste that home-cooked feeling! I am definitely coming back here for lunch and picking up some Eastern European groceries, thank you for an amazing experience! read more

Samovar Store - International Grocery Near Me - Mountain View, California

See all

It is a grocery store that offers a limited menu of hot Russian food. There are a few tables for those who wants to eat in house. We ordered everything from the menu - 2 soups, a chicken with rice, two types of dumplings. We also got some baked goods and heated them up in the oven provided. Overall, the food was hearty and pretty good. This is my first time eating Russian food so I don't know how legit the food is but we liked it. Service was VERY FRIENDLY. The owner brought out an extra table and chairs from the back to accomodate our group of 5. He also came by and checked on us many times and explained the diffrent dishes to us as well as the drinks we grabbed from the fridge. Apparently the menu changes so we plan to come back to try more stuff. read more

See all

Oh man! What a find! I've been wanting to come here for months buy most of the time after work I just want to go home. Finally, got here today and it was great. Alex, was such a help (he knew right away I've never been in there), and he cracked me up. I felt like I had a personal concierge to help navigate through the countless items. He made some suggestions. Some I took, some I didn't, but I'm happy from my first visit. Couldn't wait to try the Samsa Uzbeki lamb pie so I ate it in the car on the way home. Uh, where has this been all this time?! It made me regret not coming in sooner for sure! Already found some stuff I didn't like, but that the joy of trying new foods. Alex, you'll be seeing me soon! read more

Check Best Before date carefully when shopping for groceries here and even then you have no guarantees. We opened the kimchi style "Korean" carrot couples days after we had bought it keeping it fridge before it. It still was a day before "Best Before" but already had unusual smell and sourish taste. Then few days later we opened canned herring that is normally good for long time but by a coincidence that was it's best before date. It had strange smell and taste as well so we disposes all of it. We used to prefer this store over the Oakland one but apparently there is no much difference. At least for now we learned how to make factory-grade quality tvorog out of whole milk and butter milk (??) so our lives don't depend on this stores anymore :) read more

It's a small deli and they do carry European items you can't find in most supermarkets. They do have ready made Russian and Jewish side dishes. Last time I came here, the bakery had just dropped off fresh warm Russian bread which was as good as the best bakeries in Russia. They carry books, magazines, souvenirs and DVDs in Russian. The lady that runs the store is very helpful and friendly. If you end up paying in cash, they give you a 10% discount. I never remember this before I go so I never take advantage of this offer. read more

It's been a while since ive been here but from what i remember it being pretty awesome. The plethora of Russian groceries and a cafe for lunch to boot. Borscht, pelmeni were both excellent. The couple that runs the place were super nice to us and i think because we understood the food, we were accepted. Got a lot of cured meats to go also. I need to remember and go back and get more of the cuisine. read more

Do you have any chances to try delicious Eastern European dishes? Do you know what is "pirozhki" or "pelmeni"? If not, welcome to Samovar! Here you can find a wide range of unique delicious food directly from Russia Ukraine Russia Poland and other countries. This shop provides friendly service and fines individual service for any customers . I am a customer of some of our from 2017 and every time I am satisfied of service and range of selling products. For people who wants to try real Russian caviars welcome to samovar. Do you want to know what's" kvas" - your way leading directly to Samovar. for people who was born and raised in Russia or other countries from former Soviet Union this shop is good method to remember of childhood taste. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Awesome European store I highly recommend it to anyone. Very nice selection of everything.

Love this place. Russian and Eastern European deli, prepared foods, frozen perogies and pelmini. Pre COVID you could dine in. Take out only now, but if you ask they'll warm the food up for you on the go! read more

This is the best Russian food & goods store in Bay Area. My family and I are loyal customers for over 2 decades and really enjoy the quality of deli, the book / music selection and the atmosphere. Many times we were guests at the events (exhibitions, concerts, lectures and even TEDx Talks) in the performance area and it was always a holiday and true enjoyment. Big thanks to Alexander (owner) for creating such a great value in our neighborhood! read more

I live in Mountain View and was looking for Polish/Eastern European ingredients to make home made beet soup with my mom's recipe. I needed some spices and smoked meats and was very successful at finding them at Samovar. The owner was incredibly friendly and helpful-- he took the time to walk me through their aisles and point out every Polish item they had. A really nice guy that does an exceptional job serving his customers. I will definitely be back to buy more of my Polish soups, meats and sweet treats! I'm so happy I came into Samovar today! Also, note: there is a discount if you pay in cash, so make sure to bring some! I bought so much I didn't have enough but will make sure to bring cash to support this small business next time. read more

Off the beaten path but a great place for European food. This Russian grocery and deli is a hidden jewel in Mountain View. Take time to stop and have the soup and Cabbage rolls. Also the owner is more than eager to share with you everything about his native foods. read more

Samovar Store - View from the three little tables. - International Grocery Near Me - Mountain View, California

See all

Super delicious food! I went with my daughter to pick up some hot meals for lunch. We got the stuffed cabbage, the borscht, and the chicken pilaf. I love stuffed cabbage, and have never tried it Russian style. This tasted homemade, and was delightful! My daughter said she really liked her chicken and rice. And my husband loved everything. The borscht was something I have never tasted before. It came with really good quality sour cream on the side, plus some lovely homemade bread that was so soft and fresh. An authentic Russian chocolate bar was shared as our dessert.....and it was amazing! I liked walking round and looking at all the unique imported deli items for sale, and we will definitely go back to try more of their food and experience some new food items we've never tried before. Very nice and friendly people work here! read more

So I finally "popped my Russian food cherry". It felt goooooood. From the outside you can't tell that it's a grocery and deli/catering store. Looked like a regular business building. Very "spy". The minute I walked in the people almost all stopped talking. Maybe I looked like an agent. Then I was walking around exploring the food (and 2 gals working there) and then the owner asked if I had any questions. I told him that I have a "Russian food cherry" that needed to be attended to. He was friendly and pulled the menu out and explained the food and made some recommendations. Each table had a large hand sanitizer, which I relished. As I looked around I was thinking to myself that I could play a joke on some friends, get them drunk and passed out. Then bring them to a place like here for them to wake up to and then when asked "Where am I?" I'll proceed with, "Well, we took a trip to Russia and you were passed out. Now we are at some place in Siberia (window blinds are all closed)....." I'm going to keep coming here to work my way down the menu. read more

Samovar Store - $5 for this borst. Yum. My first time. - International Grocery Near Me - Mountain View, California

I have yet to try the catering here, but I stopped by to pick up speciality goods that aren't normally available in typical supermarkets. If you're looking for a place to do standard grocery shopping -- this isn't the store. However, they do offer a limited stock of speciality goods (farmer's cheese, Russian/Ukrainian salami and sausages, breads, pastries, chocolates, dairy products), which is exactly what I had been looking for. Because these were speciality goods the prices were bumped up compared to the prices in my hometown (small container of tvarog, or quark, was ~$5.50), but the store served my needs and I'll definitely be going again because the location is convenient and the employees were helpful and kind. read more

I come here to buy Polish and European food items. 1.) Great fresh baked goods (sweet and savory) to grab a quick snack. 2.) Black Currant items! 3.) Kabanosy! Cash discount for $25+ purchases. read more

What a hidden treasure trove! Tucked away in a more sleepy part of Mountain View, Samovar's offers all the things that can't be easily found. I was on the hunt for some Bulgarian lyutenitsa and have finally found the place that stocks it. It tastes very authentic! This place also offers a bevy of interesting Georgian and Armenian snacks and sauces. Perhaps I will try them out when I'm feeling a bit more adventurous! read more

Great Slavic foods. Will use as my go to place for future. Also has a small table for in-house dining.

Wonderful food and friendly staff. My favorite is Georgian Style Been Salad and Spicy Beef Tongue.

from the outside it looks a little abandoned as it is seemingly a lone storefront in a pretty big lot. However this is nice in reality as it won't be difficult to find parking and you don't need to deal with crowds. The people at the store were very welcoming and helpful, we bought a bunch of fried breads filled with different things like potato, mushroom, lamb etc. which were very filling and good. they have russian ice cream in individual serving packages which taste good and was the reason we dropped by in the first place. the caviar bought here was also quite good as it is fairly difficult to find. they carry a variety. Pricing is fair to good, and there is a large variety of goods here. such as salami-type meats. read more

If someone will ask me about Russian good food I'll definitely recommend this place in the whole Bay Area! The service is great, everything is clean and the food is so delicious, fresh and tasty! Good luck to the owners, keep going read more

Samovar Store - International Grocery Near Me - Mountain View, California

Good food. Great people. Real service to community.

If you're hankering for something different for lunch, or dinner, or breakfast, or snacks...or drinks, you need to consider Samovar. A hidden away Eastern European market among the swathes of poke, vegan burrito, and burger joints of Silicon Valley. You'll find some no-nonsense Eastern European products and food here. They stock a ton of stuff and a surprisingly good selection of brands from varying Eastern Europe countries. You want your kvas? You can choose from brands of Lithuania, some Russian brands, bottled, or canned etc. This type of variety rings true for almost all other product times too! Jams, instant soup mixes, cookies, candies...whatever! To top it off, they serve freshly baked/cooked foods around 11:30 for take-out. You can get some tasty/flaky piroshkis, potato/mushroom cakes, some goat cheese pastrie thing, I don't even remember. I've tried a few items and they all are tasty and reminds me of my time as a young lad going to my Russian babushka's house for some home made piroshkis. Cept, I'm not Russian, and none of that actually happened. Also worth mentioning is that the owner is a very chatty fellow that's very helpful. I'm definitely coming back. read more

I come here to buy medicines and russian buckwheat. Customer care is also nice but sometimes they look rude. But i think it is russian traditional way of dealing with people. But i know in heart they are very kind. read more

This year, my granddaughter got married in the state of Oregon, and we invited her to arrange a wedding evening in Samovar. I ordered a special hall in this store for the celebrating events. The Chef of the Deli Department Irina treated my request very sincerely and cordially. Due to her professional help, we have compiled an excellent menu, decoration, and music for this evening. Would you imagine a wedding Party when the order for the room, decoration, menu, and music are all in one place and at a very affordable price! It is gorgeous! Delicious dishes and a wonderful combination of various cold snacks, beverages, and hot dishes were presented at the tables. The festive tables were decorated with magnificent bouquets of flowers in vases. Two musicians accompanied the guests throughout the evening with melodies and songs in English, Russian and other languages. Friends of the newlyweds arrived at the party from cities of 9 states of the USA. All of them were delighted with the organization of this holiday, delicious dishes, service, and many told me that this was the best event in their life. And all these thanks to Irina, who puts a piece of her soul and heart into every dish and whole celebration party. A Great thank you, Irochka, from all my Guests and from me personally for this wonderful evening! If there were more than 5 stars, I would also rate them. I highly recommend this place to people for celebrating events. read more

Russian food supermarket on the San Francisco Peninsula. You cravings for ready to eat foods - satisfied Pickled vegetables - freshest there Don't have time to prepare foods for a party - order your Russian stile ethnic menu here and be the hero of the party. read more

OK So here's why some reviews are good and some reviews are bad. Samovar is not a restaurant and is not a deli in the normal sense of the word. It is more of the pantry for a catering business. Do not expect table service, it is not a restaurant. Think of Samovar as a Russian 7-11, and when I say Russian, I mean Soviet without the lines. They have food like a 7-11, but it is set up on shelves that may be sparsely populated depending on the time of the month/year, and you never know what is going to be there. They have frozen food, refrigerated fresh food, and imported spices and candy from all over Eastern Europe. But not a lot of it. Like a 7-11 there is a self serve microwave to heat the food you buy from the refrigerator. The expectation is that you will take your food and leave. They are not really set up for eat in. Though there are two small tables and if you do choose to stay, the owners are very happy to answer any questions you have and make recommendations. I had a couple of different peiroshki and a cheese pie, a soda, very good, satisfying, very cheap. I also brought back a poppy seed roll for my office to try. All that for less than $10. I will be going back, but probably not tomorrow. read more

Samovar is a little off the beaten path, but worth the search! Primarily a market, they double as a deli, and have couple of small tables (seats 4-5 people). However, it's not like a restaurant where you order and eat, instead you grab what you want and it can be warmed up and you can chow down, so it's best suited to take-away. The lamb kutabi and borscht were the best I have ever had, and the peroshki came in a close second for epic goodness. Wonderful selection of cured meats, pickled and smoked fish, house made salads, pickles, bread, etc. If you have a sweet tooth, you won't leave disappointed either: German chocolates, cookies, candies and preserves from across Eastern Europe. A corner of the store that has imported DVD titles as well. A shout-out to Yelper D.G. for mentioning the All-Star Baker Kvass! It was just as good as promised. Thanks to the owner Alex and his staff for the friendly and helpful service! I'll be coming back, just remember to save me some lamb kutabi and borscht! read more

As a Russian myself, I have difficult time finding good Russian food in bay area. This place is mainly grocery store and here is what you should try if you want to take a glimpse intro Russian food: - Call 10-15 minutes upon arrival and ask them for the grey bread to get ready. Oh boy, this bread is soo good and warm. - Try great variety of salads they offer to go like Olivie and Herring Salad. - Sour Cabbage - Russian candies - Dadu vanilla ice-cream and if you want to have lunch/dinner there, try traditional russian soup - borsh, it is pretty decent here. read more

Seriously, what's better than Russian food ? It's so savoury and delicious, and I can't tell if it's good for me or not; Butter, potatoes, pork fat ? It's definitely not low-fat or low-carb, and that's just the way I like it. The last time I was in Mountain View, I started craving pelmeni (little tortellini-like pasta stuffed with meat) and piroshki (a light, flaky pastry with savoury fillings like mushrooms, meat, cabbage, or potatoes). I remembered seeing Samovar on Yelp and took my Polish friend along with me to check it out. Upon entering we were greeted by a sweet Russian woman, who naturally, spoke to us in Russian. My verbal skills are not what they used to be (most of my Russian is relative to such necessities as "Where is the bathroom?", "I would like a beer, please"), so I had a hard time responding. Luckily my reading skills are much better; I found my favourite Russian chocolates (Belochka-of course, it looks a little different in the Cyrillic on the packaging); a variety of sausages, pates, and meats; frozen pelmini, chebureki (sort of like little meat pies), and verenki (pasta-wrapped desserts containing cherries or cheeses); an AWESOME variety of farmer's cheeses; kasha, oatmeals, biscuits, cookies, and more chocolates and candies. The prices were reasonable for imported and traditional Russian-style groceries, but definitely not Trader Joe's value. The absolute treat about this place are the a la carte fresh food, like piroshki. Well, honestly, they weren't called piroshki but since my Polish friend kept calling them that, I can't think of the Russian word for them. We had mushroom, potato, and cabbage ones. DELICIOUS! Also surprisingly filling. Samovar also has a section for Russian (ie, not in English) music, magazines, books and DVDs, ranging from the classics of Russian literature (my beloved "Master and Margarita", the works of Chekov and Dostoevsky, poets Blok and Tsvetaeva, Pushkin) to translations (um, I found the Atkin's Diet book) and children's books. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything related to my favourite Soviet-era cartoon character, Cheburashka, but that's not surprising). I even received 10% off for paying cash ! It's a special offer valid through 31 December. There were signs around the store proclaiming this special, and I liked it very much. I will definitely be coming back, because my pelmini cravings are frequent, and I'm too lazy to make my own. Besides, these are much better than the ones I make. Oh, and I found a strawberry rhubarb tea called Pure Lust. I bought it just because of the packaging. When we got home, my friend and I noticed it was made by the German tea company Pompadour. The English label on the side of it reads "Pompadour Pure Lust". That is quite possibly the most appropriate item I have ever purchased. PS. The location is now at 1077 Independence, still in Mountain View but now closer to Costco and all that good stuff. read more

I am part "Russian." Why the quotes? Well, I have never been there. My dad, also never been there. So, to maintain my soviet street cred, I have to visit spots like Samovar. This place is in a weird corporate park so it's hard to find. Once you do, you'll find a large selection of damned delicious Russian treats. Do not miss the sour cream. Deliciously filthy. Perestroika. read more

It's still simply delicious. I always order ahead, because it takes about 15-20 minutes for food to be ready. read more

Samovar Store - Standard menu More options are available daily - International Grocery Near Me - Mountain View, California

This place is probably one of the strangest food establishments that I've been to. For one, when I drove up to the parking lot, I only had a sign and door that propped slightly open to direct me inside. I recalled the first time that I went there, I thought I arrived at the wrong place. Inside, it's a grocery market that sells warm food. The "restaurant" part comes when you order food from a menu near the cash register, and one of the employees will go to the kitchen to tell the chefs to serve up food. The employees will also heat up the food that you purchased so you can eat on the spot. There are 3 tables to sit. It's definitely not a place to go with a large family, or group of folks. Rather, it's an enjoyable location when you want to fulfill your secret desire for good Russian food, and possibly don't want to share with anyone. read more

Did some New Year's shopping at this market last week. I was pleasantly surprised by the selection and options available to me, especially since it just looks like an office building from the outside. The workers are a bit dry so you shouldn't go for service and a few of the products' expiration dates had passed... sadly, didn't figure that out until I got home. In general, I recommend this shop for Eastern European goodies (packaged or frozen only... no fresh fruits/veggies). read more

Not really a restaurant, more like a store that you can get hot food. There's a couple of tables and the lunch menu is by the register. I had the meat ball soup and cabbage roll, both fantastic. You get 2 cabbage rolls per order, I ended up taking one home. While waiting for my meal, I browsed around the store. The owner is super friendly and offered to help with any questions. There's a nice selection of cold meats and dumplings. I ended up getting some candies, blintzes (frozen), and some pastries from the fridge..all yummy. On the way out I notice there's a cart with a plate of meat pies, fresh from the kitchen, so I picked up a couple. They are very tasty and for $3.5 a piece, a bargain. Definitely a place I would stop by again. read more

Amazing food!!! Potato dumplings with the recommended sour cream on the side is to die for!! Love love love. read more

I was introduced to Samovar by my good ol Russian friend, Dan. He took me here once to eat a Russian lunch one summer day. I remember the soups being pretty interesting, and would go back for those - the yogurt soup in particular was refreshing and memorable. The main entree I ordered was not impressive (it was a rice dish, and I remember everything on the plate being pretty dry). I recently visited Samovar again with my good ol friend Dan. I needed help because I was invited to a Russian pot luck, and had no clue what to bring (couldn't afford to provide enough caviar and vodka for the group). I was welcomed by the lady with the words "This is a Rrrrussian Store" (me obviously not looking at all Russian). Dan quickly stepped in and blurted out a whole bunch of Russian with the words "pot luck" somewhere in his sentence. Lady directed me towards the cold storage at the back and pointed at the Olivier salads (basically potato salads with peas, pickles and egg) and ready-made pelmeni. At this point, I realized I didn't need my good ol Russian friend and could have approached the store all by myself - despite the curt welcome, the lady was helpful. Tidbit - I came across the definition, and thought I would share: Samovar - (sm'-vär') n. A metal urn with a spigot, used to boil water for tea and traditionally having a chimney and heated by coals. read more