Teaism Dupont Circle — Restaurant in Washington

Wow, I am deeply saddened and disappointed to be writing this review. I have been coming to this location for many years now and was super excited to bring a friend for lunch who recently moved to the city. I normally love the food and tea and have never had an issue with the cooks or cashier but we had the worst experience with the manager today. My friend ordered the palak paneer and it was not at all what she thought it to be and she had paid $20 for a dish she was not happy with and was unable to eat and went downstairs to ask if she could get something else. The manager automatically went into defense mode and started listing off how everyone likes this dish and how they never claimed it was authentic which she never had acused him of and went back and forth with her even when the conversation was over. She came back upstairs quite shocked and disappointed as both of us work in the restaurant industry as managers and know this is not the customer service you respond with or speak to customers with. I went downstairs to speak with him as I love this place and wanted to see if maybe she took how he commnicated in the wrong way. I simply stated to him that as a frequent customer I was shocked at what my friend just told me and right away without letting me finish he's on the defense going back and forth with me in a very condesending manner and asking me questions like "you don't just go in somewhere and go through the menu of what you don't like" and that their food is fusion and everyone likes this dish. I tried explaining that's not what happened and we did not come in with the pretense of this and simply could not eat the meal she was provided. I even clarified that this was not me trying to attack him or the restaurant or even the chefs/dishes as I am sure others many other customers enjoy the paneer. I was mainly upset about the way he reacted as a manager since this could have easily been resolved and acknowledged rather than taking it personally and arguing back and forth in front of other customers and getting visibly more and more upset when I was speaking very gently and calmly and trying to reiterate this was just simply information and not me trying to gain something out of him. I think some serious training is needed here because when we went back upstairs and spoke about it, an older gentleman next to us chimed in and said he also had a similar experience with the manager where he was quite rude and how he would not be returning either. What a shame to lose two loyal customers as we both loved this place but now don't feel comfortable here at all. A serious convo needs to be had with him, confused how he was hired but you if you get emotional and can't take repsectful feedback without taking it personally at a restaurant....maybe this is not the position for you! Also a bit embarassing that a 22 year old girl had to have more composure and professionalism to diffuse this conversation as the customer rather than a 40 something year...

Definitely I don't recommend this place. It's so dark inside this place. Everything felt moldy and dirty. The walls paint is like a century ago. Food! I didn't like at all. Sandwich was horrible tasted so weird and was salty. Meat on it was dry dry ... i don't know how to describe it. I just really didn't like it. Definitely never going to try other things on menu specially with the attitude i recieved from manager. I ordered a drink beside my sandwich. I didn't realize it was full of ice and i was having my not delicious sandwich on the upper floor. I didn't want to leave my food to get cold to go back and change my cup of drink full of ice. So i finish my sandwich, i took the cup full of ice and i talked to employee which she called her manager. You imagine 2 /3 of cup was ice. By time i ate my sandwich and got to cashier 1/2 was ice because some of it was already melted. So i ask manager for refill, they refused. Ok. That is fine. And i said i want on half of cup to be refilled because i paid 3.50$ for this drink so more than half was ice. I don't say give me a full cup just give me half refill so it is what i paid for. Manager: "sorry, this drinks are homemade and expensive and I can't refill even half of the cup and you have to pay in full for another drink"! . I really didn't appreciate how they put their profits over customers satisfaction. Apparently they don't care. Well my advice to you dear reader, check that you don't pay for cup full of ice and you actually pay for the drink. I realized a bit late. It was my first time here. I very much regret it. . Also, the side of sandwiches you order, got no options except cucumbers that come in a small bowl with spicy sauce. I have never been to a place in my life that give only cucumbers as side of sandwich. I very much regret my visit here. Bad day, bad choice. You...

Teaism is one of my favorite places in DC. The food and the tea are outstanding. But it’s time to urge the owners to consider improving the atmosphere at the Dupont location. The main seating area, upstairs, is collocated with the dishwashing area. I find myself, barely able to concentrate but for the noise, looking at the “tea house” sign out the window. It’s as un-tea-house as one can get up there. Banging, clanging, all the time. And it’s breeding bad behavior. Today, one of my neighbors in that seating area was a woman who ordered nothing and held a Zoom meeting without earphones (so we all got to hear a lengthy. 2-way conversation about seemingly personal information). Amid the general chaos of the place, this bad behavior isn’t noticed or called out. Out of respect for those of us who do frequent this location, who do order and pay for food, and who do act appropriately, it would be great if you all could encourage the same of other patrons. And it would be great if you could put something more soundproof than the “bead door” between patrons and the dishwashing. In the meantime, I’ll walk down to the Penn Quarter location whenever I have time. The downstairs area there is closer to a “tea house” atmosphere, even when it’s busy. (Truly, I love the food, but Dupont is...