Russian Tea Time Restaurant — Restaurant in Chicago

A Birthday Celebration Ruined: Disastrous Experience at Russian Tea Time What was meant to be a celebratory birthday dinner for a close friend at Russian Tea Time quickly turned into a disappointing and frustrating experience. Not only did the six of us endure an agonizing wait of over 45 minutes for our food, but we were also subjected to inattentive service and a dismissive manager.

Our arrival well before other patrons filled us with anticipation, only to be shattered by the sight of those who came after us receiving their meals first. Repeated attempts to address this with the manager proved futile, as her response lacked any genuine concern or effort to rectify the situation.

Adding insult to injury, our waiter was virtually invisible throughout our entire time there. No check-ins, no inquiries about our delayed food, nothing. This blatant disregard for our well-being further exacerbated our disappointment.

While the charming atmosphere and enticing menu initially held promise, the appalling customer service and extensive wait times ultimately ruined the evening. Sadly, it wasn't just the birthday celebration that was marred, but our overall impression of the restaurant.

Considering the numerous other exceptional dining options in Chicago, I wouldn't recommend Russian Tea Time to anyone seeking a pleasant and memorable experience. Unless you're comfortable with the possibility of being ignored and waiting endlessly for your food, I suggest taking your business elsewhere.

Reply to Russian Tea Time's reply on 12.10.2023 Enesh,

I am deeply disappointed by the unprofessional and slanderous response from Russian Tea Time. Their accusations about our group are entirely false and intended to shift blame for their own shortcomings. We adhered to all agreed-upon terms, including the reservation and spending limit. We communicated the change in the number of attendees clearly and adjusted the spending limit accordingly with the manager's full consent. We had only one dietary restriction, no meat, which was shared in advance. Despite spending over $300 during our two-hour visit, we received terrible service. Our water glasses remained empty, and the server was unresponsive, requiring us to repeatedly get up and seek his attention. This experience is far from the one advertised by Russian Tea Time, and their attempt to publicly shame us is both unwarranted and unprofessional. I urge readers to discern the truth from this business's dishonest attempt to deflect responsibility.

Also, let me assist you with sharing how a true business should have responded to a unhappy customer so you can learn to be better.

Dear Sumira,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent experience at Russian Tea Time. We are deeply sorry to hear that your birthday dinner did not meet your expectations, and we sincerely apologize for the disappointment caused by the extended wait, inattentive service, and dismissive response from our manager.

We value your feedback and take it seriously. We are committed to using your experience to improve our service and ensure that future guests have a positive and memorable experience. We are currently reviewing our internal procedures to address the issues you raised, including staff training and communication protocols.

We value your patronage and sincerely hope that you will give us another chance. Please feel free to contact me directly at [email] to discuss your experience further and arrange your complimentary meal.

Thank you once again for your feedback. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back to Russian Tea Time soon.

Do better and...

This place has a very special atmosphere, classical music playing softly, an interior that feels just a little royal, with rich colors and vintage details that make the experience feel elevated and cozy at the same time.

The menu is extensive, and our server Egor was incredibly kind and helpful. He patiently explained the dishes and gave great recommendations, everything we ordered turned out delicious.

A few highlights: The beef stew was served in a huge portion, I honestly couldn’t finish it, even though I really tried! The beef pelmeni were excellent, perfectly seasoned, tender, and served with sour cream. The borscht was good, though a bit sweet for our taste - something to keep in mind if you prefer a tangier version.

Here’s a quick overview of the menu: Starters & Appetizers Bread & Butter, Salads, Soups: $6-$16 Options include: Ukrainian Borscht, Green Pea Soup, Mushroom Salad, Beef Liver Pâté, Potato Dumplings, Blinchiki, Latkes

Main Courses from $24 to $32 Chicken Kiev Classic Beef Stroganoff Beef Stew - Russkaya Podzharka Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golubtsi) Moulard Duck Leg Lamb Shank Wild Quail Beyond Eggplant Beet Crepe

Desserts, around $14 Napoleon Bonaparte Medovik (Honey Cake) Cherry Vareniki Morozko (lavender, pistachio, mango ice cream trio) Two Crepes with Cream

Afternoon Tea Services Classic Tea Service (Includes: Pot of Tea, Beginnings, Savories and Sweets): $46 Queen Tea Service: $69 Samovar Service (for groups): $30 Pot of Tea separately: $8 (wide selection from black to decaf herbal blends)

Drinks Cocktails & Martinis: $15-$17 Vodka Flights: $15-$24 Vodka, Cognac, Whiskey, Beer: $8-$55 Berry & Apple Kompot: $5

If you're looking for a refined Eastern European experience with comforting, hearty food and attentive service, this place is absolutely...

The atmosphere was the best thing going for this place, along with their cucumber and cream cheese on pumpernickel sandwich. The scones were also great, and the rest of the savories were good. The sweets missed the mark, but not terrible. The worst part of this experience was the service. As a first time tea-goer, I was very excited, but that excitement did not last. To order, I had to flag down a waiter, and when asked if we should order two or a single tea set for two people, we were told two is common, but other tables were set up with only one. The tea arrived, and it was great, the food arrived, and it was good, but our server never checked in to explain any of the items. When he first set it down, he quickly gestured to everything and said “desserts, sandwiches, and scones with crème and jam” or something of the like; it was literally too quick to really comprehend. We found that two of the items had fish (one of us has an allergy) and the carrot cake (we think) had nuts, which is common (but we have allergy to those as well). When I flagged him down again to ask what was in the roll, to ensure there was no fish, he said “cabbage” and looked at me blankly. I said “oh, okay, so vegetarian?” And he nodded and walked away. While the place was great, I’d rather another waiter or waitress next time. I glanced over and could see the waitress explaining each of the items and taking her time. While the time we went was busy, other servers were taking time with other tables while ours literally did not come to our table unless solid eye contact was made. Maybe because we were younger? Unsure. Either way, great place, but would not return anytime soon. Note: our server was male,...