Amy lin

Review of The Russian Tea Room

I decided to give a five-star review, based on a v...

I decided to give a five-star review, based on a very limited visit today (coffee and tea only).

I brought my out-of-town friend inside RTR simply to show him this lovely dining room. We were prepared to look, then stop inside Starbucks for coffee.

I realized we could sit at the bar and have coffee, so we approached the bar, and the bartender warmly encouraged us to take a table of our own and enjoy coffee there.

She graciously called a waiter to seat us, and in the grand style of RTR, he pulled the table away from the banquette seats, let us sit, pushed the table back, and offered to get us water while we looked at the menus.

We selected coffee (me) and tea (him) with a selection of cookies, which turned out to be plates of four fresh madeleines each. Presentation was very elegant, the price was reasonable for what we were getting ($8 each), service was attentive, and we were treated with the same regard as if we were having dinner. I should add that this was the middle of a quiet Sunday afternoon when the dining room was not busy. The waiter answered our questions about the RTR and its art, we took our time, and it was definitely worth the visit to spend the last few minutes I had with my friend in a spectacular space near his hotel. Very glad we popped in. Thank you, RTR, for being welcoming and offering your beauty to everyone.