The Russian Tea Room NYC: Is the historic tea worth it?

The Russian Tea Room was a place I was always told was overhyped though iconic. I didn’t really have a big pull to go until my vegetarian friend who does not like tea asked me if I would go with her! She discovered they have a full vegetarian afternoon tea menu, instead of just accommodating vegetarians by doubling up on certain foods like vegetarian sandwiches. In further inspection I also noticed they had a full gluten free afternoon tea menu! This really piqued my interest because you would be surprised (maybe not) at how many venues will not accomodate gluten free afternoon teas! So now, I was intrigued!

A Little Bit of History: The Russian Tea Room was founded in 1927 by former members of the Russian Imperial Ballet as a café and chocolate shop. It quickly became a gathering place for Russian immigrants and artists. In 1929, it moved to its current location at 150 West 57th Street. Over time, it evolved from a simple tearoom into a full-service restaurant, attracting politicians, and cultural figures.

The restaurant became known for its Art Deco interiors and appearances in films like Tootsie and Manhattan. In the late 1990s, it underwent a major $20 million renovation and reopened in 1999 with extravagant new features, including a Fabergé egg tree and a revolving aquarium. Today, the Russian Tea Room is a well-known New York City landmark, offering high tea, Russian-American cuisine, and one of the city’s most extensive vodka selections.

The Experience: I appreciated that they offered full menus for regular, gluten-free afternoon tea, and vegetarian afternoon tea, something you don’t always see and a great touch for accommodating different diets. We noted in the reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, and the hostess greeted us with enthusiasm, asking, “Who’s birthday are we celebrating?” which was a nice, personal greeting. The staff overall was friendly and attentive, even rotating our tiered trays so that uneaten items were facing us and cleaning the table between courses. The experience was well-paced, not rushed, but for the price point, not much felt especially memorable.

The decor is dramatic, with red everywhere. It felt like the set of a mob movie, almost like a shady deal could go down at any moment, though that speaks more to Russian stereotypes than the actual atmosphere. The tea was served in two distinct tiers: one for savories and one for scones and desserts. Once we finished the savories, they swapped in the second tier, which helped keep things clean and organized.

• The regular afternoon tea included a generous selection of sandwiches and blini: caviar (both hackleback and paddlefish) on blini, curried chicken salad with raisins, tuna with watercress, turkey croque monsieur (my favorite), NY smoked sturgeon, Roquefort with apples and pumpkin seeds, mini flat iron steak, and a liverwurst and onion spread.

• The vegetarian afternoon tea option for savories had thoughtful alternatives like plant-based caviar, beet and bleu cheese, grilled eggplant with parmesan, and several cheese-forward combinations. The scones and the dessert were the same for both menus. There were three varieties of scones: raisin, chocolate chip, and plain.

  Dessert for both tiers included a pudding, macaroons, a red velvet cupcake, a chocolate torte, and a small unset meringue which was a little hard to eat. While none of the desserts stood out, they did add a birthday candle, which was a sweet gesture. Overall, it was a solid afternoon tea with good service, but at its luxury price point, I expected a bit more wow factor.

As of Today: This tea is currently $145 pp. I feel like its more of a tourist attraction than an immersive tea experience. You can check out the full afternoon tea menus here: Full menu. The Russian Tea room surprisingly does not only serve tea. You can also check out the full lunch, brunch, and dinner menu here.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Tea Cups. I am happy I went and the service was great. I am also happy they serve a full vegetarian and gluten free menu, but this wasn’t my favorite afternoon tea experience. For the price point, there are other teas which offer better experiences.

Want to hear about more great tea spots? Sign up for my afternoon tea newsletter to stay up to date with the latest!