I met up with an old friend here back in 2008, and not only was the food wonderful, but the pottery cups used to serve tea here are wonderfully off-the-wall handmade pieces by a local artisan (you can also buy specimens to take home; I left with two). I’m easily impressed by proper, traditionally prepared chai due to its relative scarcity; you’ll find that here, and more. Next time I’m in SF, I’m making a beeline back.

Love the tea and food pairings. I had the Moorish Service and my husband had the Russian Service. These dishes are great samplers, having lots of different tastes and paired with a tea that goes with the food. There is a Japanese and Ayurvedic service too. We were visiting wine country in April, but I’d read about this place in tea magazines and online, and I’m so glad we made a point to search for it while passing through San Francisco. Samovar’s does not disappoint! It’s too bad it’s so far away! Just sitting down makes you breathe deeply and relax.

Visited this Samovar location with a friend this summer and thoroughly enjoyed it! The food was great; I had the duck jook. The tea artwork is fun, and the seating design at the front and back booths looks so luxurious, I feel like I’m in an oriental tent sipping exotic tea

As Will said, really friendly, knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended.

I met up with an old friend here back in 2008, and not only was the food wonderful, but the pottery cups used to serve tea here are wonderfully off-the-wall handmade pieces by a local artisan (you can also buy specimens to take home; I left with two). I’m easily impressed by proper, traditionally prepared chai due to its relative scarcity; you’ll find that here, and more. Next time I’m in SF, I’m making a beeline back.

I walked into this place on impulse and was completely blown away. The food was FANTASTIC and the tea was amazing. I tried their special blend of Lapsang Souchong and Rooibos called Scarlet Sable. It was so good that I asked them if they could specially package some for me to buy (it isn’t something they normally sell in retail). They easily accommodated my request. The servers were all very knowledgeable and I easily fell into conversation with them. The atmosphere was great.
The only sad thing is that I don’t live in San Francisco and haven’t been able to go here since! I highly recommend this place to anyone who finds themselves in SF!

This place has very high quality tea served by friendly, knowledgeable staff. I would recommend this place to anyone in SF.