My favorite russian store in the U.S. so far. They have the greatest variety of cold-smoked fish ans caviar from Russia.

Discount if you pay cash! A huge selection of cheeses (sulguni, chechil), pelmeny, drinks imported from russia, bologna (doktorskaya kolbasa), tvorog, and deep fried pirozhki (not the baked ones). Russian black bread, no lavash though... No fruits and veggies though. Russian mayo! read more

The store is pretty big, unfortunately, the options are pretty limited. A good selection of pel'meni and kolbasi somewhat makes up for it. The owners are very friendly to the point of annoyance. I was asked four times if I needed any help. Both food and books are on the expensive side, and to top it off, the cashier doesn't properly ring up. When there are two prices on the sticker (one total and one per pound, she rings up the larger one), and when ringing up three packages of the same stuff, she multiplies the total by four. Also, she is very very very slow. I can count three Mississippi's between each stroke of the key on her register, and when buying over 30 items, I spent about 15 minutes at the checkout line. I let a woman with 2 items go in front of me since I figured I would be a while with a full cart, she was at it for over 4 minutes... I don't know if I will come back, and if I do, it will only be for pel'meni and I will definitely watch what she rings up closely. read more

Loved it! What a find! Grabbed a fast dinner before hitting the movies- they get an A+: 1) Great tasting food & authentic family recipes (no watered down versions here); 2)Great selection (you can order a hot meal AND eat your store pastries and goodies); 3) Cheap with large portions! Icing on the cake, the staff is super too! Fun, extremely casual, "something new" experience-for foodies and the adventurous! read more

The food here at Samovar is phenomenal, and so is the service. When I and my (Russian-speaking) companion walked in on a hot, lazy Sunday afternoon, the owner walked right up to us and offered to give us a tour of the food offerings. There was no awkwardness at all in his approach-- he was jovial and charming. He patiently took us through the refrigerated aisles to talk about the frozen pelmeni, vareniky, cakes, and freshly made borsch, sausages, and filled pastries. I was introduced to kvass and drank a can of it as we walked and talked. Before long, we dined in on absolutely delicious beef-filled cabbage rolls and borsch, along with an apple turnover for me, a tea for him, and a Turkish coffee for me. They have a limited number of cafe tables there, but they serve you on real plates with real silverware. I repeat - you simply *must* try the cabbage rolls if you're a fan of beef, even if you think you're not into cabbage. There's a staggering collection of Russian-language books and DVDs, too, on the whole right side of the store. I was completely unfamiliar with Russian cuisine prior to my tour and tastings. An hour and a half after we first walked in, we walked out, my mind full of new knowledge and interest. They also offer catering, rent out their banquet hall, and sell jewelry and silks and paintings on consignment. Samovar is a community store where everyone who comes in becomes a friend, even if you are not Russian yourself. I will be back again and again. Spasiba, Samovar! read more

We have only been here a couple of times but the we absolutely loved the place. We bought some Russian candies and they were fresh (that is why the 5-star rating). Farmers cheese was also fresh and good, without any preservatives. Yes, a bigger selection would be nice but this is not a deal breaker. Overall we will definitely come back. read more

This place has the best goddamn piroshki you will ever eat. I miss this place. I've been over the Russian grocery stores in the inner Richmond with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing comes close. read more

Cabbage piroshki, stuffed cabbage, sesame rolls? Oh man this is the stuff of my eastern european dreams. I've only had the cabbage piroshki (OMG tasty) and the potato piroshki (meh) and the apple pie (yum...). I was going to get the stuffed cabbage, but I don't know if it will begin to compare to my grandma's. Oh and they have a really good selection of jams, pickles, cookies, and coffee. I will definitely be back here to try the stuffed cabbage again soon! read more

Can you say the best darn Russian restaurant in the Bay Area? Yes, it is. I've been to several different Russian restaurants in recent times and this one beats all the others by far. Not even close. I'm sure you're wondering if the food here is any good. Let's just say that I've never been that fond of Russian cuisine (I'm Ukrainian for what its worth), but man, this gave me a whole new perspective. I've been here a total of two times. The first was with a small group of coworkers (about 6 of us). We didn't know what to expect so we never made a reservation. Samovar is divided into two sections: one a grocery store dealing with various kinds of Eastern European delicacies, and the other is a fairly large banquet hall that can fit roughly 75-100 people. It was to our luck, amazement and surprise that the owner, a very nice and friendly Russian speaking gentleman, was able to accommodate us in the large banquet hall. They served all kinds of Eastern European food during our hour and a half lunch break. They started us of with appetizers. The usual Salat Olivier, bread, regular salad with an interesting and delightful dressing, an eggplant dish that was a favorite among the vegetarians. Yes, at least half of the dishes were vegetarian friendly. A win win in my book if everyone in the group is satisfied. Once we were finished with the appetizers (and yes, there was still plenty left because we all gorged on the delicious bread), we were all taken aback when they started bringing out the soup. Wait, what? Soup? We're already full from the appetizers. I could barely eat another bite, but man, I couldn't say no to the beef and rice stew. Seriously? There is more food? Yup, no meal is complete without various types of pilmeny. Some filled with meat, others filled with potatoes (vegetarians loved these). By the time the dessert came out (Yup, no Russian meal is complete without dessert), I called it quits on the gorging... and so did everyone else. "Check Please!" So when the check came out. I was more than happy to pay the $40-50 that I expected the meal to cost. I almost fell out of my seat when it came out to less than $20 a person. For all that food, I still can't believe it! Did I mention that with every dish that was served, the owner explained the history of it? No? then I must have also forgotten to mention that the background music that was playing definitely made the outing an event to remember. So in short. Definitely check this place out. Definitely bring your closest friends here. Definitely make a reservation. And definitely bring your appetite as you'll definitely need it. read more

Since marrying into a Russian family I've been coming here for a few years now both to shop and to eat lunch and it's simply fantastic. They have a great selection of Russian food and products (even books and magazines) and the staff is always super friendly and welcoming. I can personally recommend the cabbage rolls and chicken pelmini for lunch; always hot and delicious. As other reviewers have pointed out, they only have 3 two tops so you may need to plan accordingly. read more

What a funny place. It is NOT a restaurant. More like a store with 2 tables and uncomfortable chairs. The cashier speaks little English, but the food was yummy and very affordable. Just ask for a lunch menu. I spent 10 dollars for a massive plate of pirogies (sp?) plus a drink from the case and really tasty farm cheese dessert. The gentleman that served me appeared to be the owner or manager. In any event he was very friendly, charming and tolerated my efforts to try a little Russian translation from my Droid Translator. Highly recommend. read more

The shop owner doesn't know English, but she tried to wish us happy new year anyway :) They have a good brand of Potato and Onion vareniky, and an assortment of other foods, some meat and dairy, and then cookies, candies, and sauces.... Also, lots of russian books and stuff. I don't believe they sell alcohol here. They do have a restaurant (I think it is mainly catering) but they have some of that food in the store, and it's really good. The shop owner's husband is very very friendly as well and does speak English, so if you have a question and you can't speak Russian definitely say hi if you see him and he will help you out. I've only run into him twice but my fiance has seen him a few times now. read more

Dumpling meal for $5.99, how can you beat that?! The store is small and very quaint. You are greeted by two very sweet Russians happy to assist. There are a few tables to the side for eating there, otherwise it's take out. They suggest calling ahead as it takes about 15min for the dumplings. If you have a party of 5 or more you can sit in the catering hall next to the shop. The atmosphere is odd, but totally worth the experience. read more

Is it just me, or have I landed on Brighton Beach? Err, I mean, Richmond District? Samovar can totally make the American-Russian experience feel like heaven. That is if you like your heaven reheated, and not as cheap as it feels when you grab a small lamb pocket wrapped in tin foil from the fridge, pop it into the microwave, walk it over to the cashier, wait as the woman helps the Russian family having a picnic on the lunch tables, tell her four times that you don't speak Russian and then watch as you pay 3 dollars for something (delicious!) that takes up thirty seconds to eat on the way to the car. Authenticity at its most treasured. Plus a Russian/Commie book store! Love love love! read more

I have been to this store several times. Living in Monterey I have to drive for a distance to find a place that sells genuine Russian food products. I love going to this place whenever I am in the Palo Alto area. I always stock up on the products that I miss the most. I absolutely love their country made eggplant salad with the garlic flavor. read more

I am by no means a Russian food expert, so perhaps my review isn't quite accurate. A rather large group of us came here to enjoy some catered food from Samovar. Since we had about 26 people, we were able to reserve the back room and try quite a few different dishes. Potato salad, bread, salad, and potato or meat piroshkis as a beginner, borscht in between our entrees of potato dumplings, beef dumplings, and chicken and rice. And finally a lightly sweet dessert piroshki, similar to baklava. Besides the potato salad, the other potato foods were a bit bland, but I was a big fan of the meat dumplings and the borscht. I can't say that the food wowed me and there was quite a bit of starch, but it was reminiscent of a home-style cooked meal. read more

Friendly staff, good selection. I always buy raisin bread and some pastry for afternoon snack. Feta cheese pastry is my favorite. Try their home made baklava, it's amazing! read more

If your looking for an eastern European cultural experience, this is the place to go. Essentially part restaurant, part grocery store and part book store, Samovar was a fun place to visit. Their menu is very small, maybe only 10 items at most. I ordered the cabbage rolls, potato dumplings and a potato cake. All of which were very good. I loved the cabbage rolls, and would definitely order them again. The restaurant is very small... and definitely not fine dining. For lunch on a business trip, I actually prefer it that way. See other reviews for a better description of the ambiance. I can tell you, what ever image you have in your head about how this place looks... your wrong. Must be seen to be believed :-) read more

I finally made it to this store after walking by for a year. The cabbage rolls were awesome! I will be back if not for the cabbage rolls then it will be for the ice cream. read more

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

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I always enjoy exploring independent markets and Samovar fits the bill. We discovered quite by accident, schlepping boxes from the parent's house to the storage facility across the street. Seeing what it was, I had to check it out! Great selection of various food stuff from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. We couldn't resist purchasing something so we focused on satisfied our sweet tooth....cookies. With my parent settling into a senior facility close by, I look forward to purchasing more than cookies! read more

From Eteri and Co. Love the PLACE, love the PEOPLE, love the FOOD!!! EXCELLENT SERVICE!!! THANK YOU, HOSTESSES!!! read more

**review is for catering** The top layer of the salmon was really hard. I cut off the top layer, and the flesh underneath was moist and very good. The basil chicken on rice was surprisingly tasty, it didn't look appetizing whatsoever (brown mush) though. My favorite dish of the day. We also had fried pastries, one was filled with potato and the other with minced meat. The one with potato needed something extra, like a spice, the one with meat needed something moist. read more

I haven't been to Samovar since it moved to a larger location in November. The baked goods are the best Russian baked goods in the entire Bay Area. Great blueberry turnovers and tiny croissant shaped apricot pastries. Russian potato tasted like uncooked chocolate cookie dough filled with chopped nuts The borscht, is wonderful, a deep ruby colored broth full of shredded beets, tender beef cubes, pieces of potato, onion and sprinkled generously on top was fresh dill. read more

This place is great for what it is - a store. Great variety of Russian products, books and DVDs. I recommend kvas, piroshki, cheeses and always for me the sour cream. I never had lunch here and I agree with other reviewers the place is not well equipped for that- there is like 2 chairs and they don't seem that comfortable. The owner Alex is very personable and always ready to answer all your questions. They give you a discount if you bring cash. I keep forgetting about that. The fresh bread is excellent and they always remind you when they have it. Overall good experience.Customer service- ah well- Russian. read more

I love this place and the owners are so warm and helpful!!! Been coming here since they opened and everything I tried was AWESOME. The treats from all over Eastern Europe remind me of my grandmother's cooking. read more

Surprisingly good food and service at this unexpected location. I would deffinetly go back and recommend it.

First time trying Russian food was in 2014 at this place. I really like their hot foods (piroshki,borscht, etc). For dessert, their honey cake/Napoleon/birds milk is also very good. They also have different Russian ice cream brands with Dadu being their most popular ice cream brand. Also, lots of Russian candies available and all of them are delicious. Highly recommended! read more

Recently, we visited Samovar Deli & Catering. We ordered beet soup (borshch in russian). It was delicious! The waitress Tatiana was very helpful and considerate. We'd like to thank the owners (Irina and Alex Alshang) for the excellent care of this place. Jenny and David read more

I love Samovar! Every once in a while, I will get a random itch or inspiration to seek out cultural foods that I have not previously experienced. I got interested in Russian and Eastern European food some time ago, and I love to visit the shops and bakeries located within the SF Richmond district. However, sometimes I don't always want to deal with the hustle and bustle of threading my way into the city. So, I was thankful to discover Samovar down in Mountain View. There are more foods and drinks available than I could accurately describe. It's a small market / convenience store-esque kind of storefront in an unassuming area about a block away from Costco and Best Buy. There are various foods, fresh, refrigerated, canned, bottled, and dried. Candy, crackers, cookies, preserves, meats (such as smoked fish, sausages, duck, and various other meats in the fridges), dairy, baked goods, savory snacks, coffee, tea, beverages, magazines, books, etc etc. Of the large variety of home-made foods available, I've gotten the cabbage rolls, meatballs with noodles, piroshki, lamb pies, poppy seed cookies, apricot cookies, and farmer's cheese. I haven't gotten any of the savory baked goods made-to-order, but if it conveys how much I like the food, I have enjoyed everything that I've bought nonetheless. The main reason that I come here, however, is to buy Kvass. I originally happened upon the drink when I randomly bought a "malt" beverage at a Russian market in the Richmond in SF. I liked it, and researched it, and found that it was a form of Kvass, which is a carbonated drink that's fermented from things like rye bread and raisins. It's almost like gingerbread beer. It has a marginal alcohol content (similar to the alcoholic version of Kombucha, i.e. you'd achieve water toxicity on it before you ever got drunk) and is insanely refreshing. I would strongly advise trying the "All Stars Bakery" brand that is not always in stock, but is stored in the cooler in 2-liter bottles when available. The room-temperature bottled brands tend to have weird, ultra-sugary soda-like tastes, whereas the All Stars brand has more of a grown-up taste. As far as actual soda is concerned, I occasionally like to get Baikal cola (there are other flavors than cola, but they are kind of strange to me), which is Russia's equivalent of Coca Cola. What I like about it is that it incorporates hints of things like wintergreen and lemon juice, which I find way more tasty and less-syrupy than Coke. While I have largely quit drinking soda regularly, I occasionally like Baikal. There's still a lot left for me to discover. Unfortunately, I have to control my impulses when I'm here. It's not cheap to get foods shipped in from half way across the world, and that can occasionally show in the prices, depending upon what you buy. For the most part, it's fairly priced. I like it, and will keep coming back! read more

I like unique places. interesting stuff here. can get borscht and cabbage rolls. already have premade meat pies (check refrigerator, all beef) and some rice stew. good. read more

little european shop run by the cutest "old" couple! i just want to pick up the grandma, spin her around! i went there looking for a specific nose spray my boyfriend loves but can't find, and even though they don't normally sell it, she said she'll order it and call me when it gets here. extra points for that. i never tried their food except for piroshki's. it's not the best, but i'd go back for more. the grandpa always recommends me food to take home to my ukrainian boyfriend. pretty cool. read more

Usually too complacent to write a review, but every now and then a place surprises you. That was the case, when looking for a quick bite near Costco. Pros: 1. Extremely friendly husband / wife owners. They spent well over 20 mins explaining various aspects of Eastern European foods and we browsed through the grocery store cum cafe 2. The food. We tried the Red Borscht and Cabbage rolls and its says something when your 11 yr old who generally avoids straying from pasta proclaims this is the best food they've every had. Cons: I really have a hard time critiquing such a neighborhood establishment, but here goes. 1. Location/Signage: Despite its proximity to both Costco and REI, you would never know they place was open for business by driving past. Between the tinted windows and surrounding light industrial neighbors it does not jump out to the casual passerby. I suggested they put a banner of some sort, beside the neon sign which is unreadable in daylight. 2. Seating: There is limited space (total capacity about 6 people). mostly geared to take out or catering. So don't plan on a group outing. read more

We bought expensive organic premium melted butter "Giaginskiy Molzavod" in this store - in the refrigerator vegetable oil started to leak from this "butter". We live too far from this store, in San Jose, and roundtrip to return this product to the store is not justified. This is a fraud! This store sells counterfeit food products! read more

This little market is great! They always have the best juice and "black bread". If they don't have any black bread out, they will make it for you right then and there if you are willing to wait 20 minutes. The man is always sooooo friendly and helpful. I'm only giving 4 stars because I have seen a few things which were past their expiration date, but I've never had a problem when I double check to make sure everything I buy is fresh. If you live in Silicon Valley, this is a great option for your Russian food needs :) read more

Dear friends, I've lived in Silicon Valley since 2010 but have only recently learned about the existence of this wonderful store and cultural center! The Samovar Club with its extremely friendly owners, who support the art and music, who help educational organizations to get advertised there, is a really amazing spot. Remember, in the whole huge area of the South Bay there aren't many stores, where you, Russian people, can enjoy the spirit of your native culture and to be fed with delicious meals from your motherland. I only know about the existence of "Kalinka" and "Slavic Shop" in San Jose, but those places, although they sell the same foods and have nice owners, still lack the atmosphere of the celebration and the touch of fine arts. Alex and his wife Irina, who has been into serious music before the immigration, do their job in the best way possible, and they definitely make an extra mile every time they serve us, their clients. Thank you, friends, and good luck in your honorable business! read more

A nice place to eat some homemade food, especially if you are home sick. They have only two or three tables, so plan accordingly. Try their borsch and cabbage rolls, although eating both can be a bit pricy. You can also buy different traditional Eastern European dishes for take-out: they have olivie, vinaigrette, borsch, soup with meatballs, deserts, etc. A woman that works there is very nice and if you miss your grandma talk to her, she has that nice intelligent-soviet-lady way of speaking our grandmas use. read more

Samovar catered our lunch via ZeroCater and it was fantastic. The pel'meni were exceptional, I now want to get food from them outside of just lunch. Thank you. read more

My company has ordered catering from Samovar twice now. The food was amazing both times, and I look forward to more Russian deliciousness when they come again! read more

VERRRRRYYY hard to find, but worth it. Go for their special meals, especially anything with cabbage. Stay away from porky stuff that is made with pig fat; bad for the arteries. MUCH better than the Russian place near Burlingame. Better food selection than the place on El Camino. read more

The "Samovar" club next door to the store is amazing. I love their food. Have not had anything better anywhere so far. They serve amazing Georgian (as in former USSR) and russian cuisine. I will go back any time to eat there!! It is a great place for parties and celebrations. And I love the owners - Irene and Alex are simply the best!! read more