Matthew Gudenius

Review of The Russian Tea Room

Came here for their set 3-course pre-theater dinne...

Came here for their set 3-course pre-theater dinner, and weren't disappointed. I had some doubts / second-guesses after reading some of the reviews, but we had always seen this place and been curious about it. It was pretty strangely empty inside (especially considering it was a weekend evening! There were only two other tables eating when we were there...)

The food was actually pretty good, although it varied by dish. The borscht was excellent and a plentiful portion; the blinchik, on the other hand, was very good but very skimpy. The "beef stroganoff" was a delicious and hearty dish, whereas the salmon kulebiaka was good, but not great.

The cheesecake for dessert was extremely good... some of the best cheesecake I've had. Service was also sufficient (not overly friendly or helpful, but very professional and did their jobs well.)

The reason I am docking 1 or 2 stars is because:

1) It would have been nice to have a chance to see the famous dining room with the bear sculpture etc. That one is upstairs, and you can't even get a GLIMPSE of it when it is not open. The main downstairs dining area is somehow both opulent and a little tacky / drab at the same time.

2) The prices are simply insane, even for Manhattan standards. The pre-theater menu was ALMOST reasonably priced, but if we had wanted any drinks, the prices are through the roof: $30 for a vodka, about the same price per glass of wine. No way was that gonna happen! (Same goes for caviar tastings in the hundreds of $$$)

In summation: Is it worth coming here? Perhaps, as long as you don't order any drinks and you opt for one of the less-expensive options such as pre-theater meal or maybe restaurant week.