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Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens Reviews List
Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Here at Samovar Tea Lounge, it’s never simply business as usual. For us, serving highest quality teas and sumptuous complementary cuisine is an art and a vehicle for the greater good. Making people feel good, feel healthy and attain happiness is our bottom line. And, challenging as it is, seeing our guests beam with joy and express their heartfelt gratitude is worth all the effort. What we do is an expression of our values, the high ideals and essence of the tea experience, and we thank you for joining us.
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91 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
Rating Breakdown 91 reviews
5 stars
(30)
4 stars
(49)
3 stars
(9)
2 stars
(3)
1 star
(0)
Food
(Outstanding)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
3.8
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- great for outdoor dining(57)
- great for lunch(48)
- scenic view(43)
- fit for foodies(42)
- neighborhood gem(33)
- great for brunch(25)
Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens Reviews List
Review 1 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
International flair tastes great!
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"I love bringing foodie friends here since the menu and tea offerings are unusual and delicious. This place works for a special occasion, or as a comforting lunch with friends scene. You can't go wrong trying it out, and once you do there will be a place in your mind for the perfect Samovar Tea Lounge day."
Dined on 5/02/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch
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Review 2 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Samovar has been consistently good at all their sites. Seems they are in cutting-cost mode. Substitutions to their themed plates (Russian, Moorish, English Tea) were mediocre, at best, and inedible, at worst. The plate used to include a great chocolate cake. It was served w/ no dessert this time and when asked, we were told they now serve a cookie. They brought a soggy small cookie of a plate. Replaced their curried deviled egg w/ a bright purple pickled egg that was not pleasant. Quite disappointing."
Dined on 5/03/2013
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Review 3 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Lovely location, tranquil
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Lovely location, tranquil tea house, but a little pricey for the food."
Dined on 04/01/2013
2003
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 4 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
The meals are clever but mostly
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The meals are clever but mostly prefab and overpriced. It's a good place for tea."
Dined on 04/10/2013
2006
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Review 5 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Tea with a side of chaos.
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Samovar is a perfect place to stop and unwind with a wide selection of teas. Food is average but well presented; the real crime is the lackadaisical management of the coveted outdoor seating."
Dined on 04/13/2013
2007
Special Features: good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, scenic view, hot spot
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Review 6 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Everything was solid. The
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Everything was solid. The only "warning" I can give is make sure that this is your kind of place, basically make sure you and your group are really into tea or open to exploring it further. Otherwise it'll be kind of weird. Aside from that it's just about perfect."
Dined on 04/13/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, romantic, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 7 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Great place to meet for off-site
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Great place to meet for off-site meetings when attending Conferences in the area. Staff is polite, helpful and accommodating to different needs."
Dined on 04/09/2013
2013
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Review 8 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ah, Tea!
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We didn't eat but had some delicious tea while waiting to attend a party at SF MOMA. Others seemed to be enjoying their food. I also bought some bulk tea for home brewing. Definitely a great place and my friend and I will plan to enjoy some food next time."
Dined on 04/05/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view
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Review 9 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Obviously, the tea at the
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Obviously, the tea at the Samovar Tea Lounge is excellent. My wife and I both had the Downy Tip white tea, and it is for treats like this that one should go to the tea lounge. We had lunch with an out-of-town visitor, and for food we all chose the Paleolithic service, consisting of kale, carrots, pumpkin, beets and a choice of smoked salmon or duck. The ingredients were fine and delicious, but seriously lacking in fat. A generous addition of lard to the kale would have made the meal a thousand times better!"
Dined on 04/01/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
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Review 10 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
For Business or with Friends
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Great for both a business lunch and with friends. Beautiful setting with great service. Food is very good here too."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion
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Review 11 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
a pleasant discovery in downtown SF
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Friendly service, interesting menu if a bit pricey, especially the tea. Fresh, complex flavors, often unexpected but pleasing. Near convention center, so occasionally very busy (and they were out of one thing we ordered due to a big convention next door) but the setting overlooking the gardens is pretty and isolated from street noise and bustle. A nice experience overall."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies
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Review 12 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
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Review 13 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Samovar is a great place to
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Samovar is a great place to share tea with a friend. Their teas are extremely high quality and brewed and served in a beautiful way by the knowledgeable staff. You can carry on a conversation in a normal tone of voice: how awesome is that?! Decent food selection with options for vegans and vegetarians as well. The Yerba Buena location has great city views."
Dined on 03/15/2013
2004
Special Features: scenic view
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Review 14 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
I have been to all of the
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"I have been to all of the Samovar locations, and like this one the best. Comfortable, good service, wide variety of high-quality and interesting teas, and good food (I especially like the wasabi caesar salad with smoked salmon)."
Dined on 03/13/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, romantic, great for lunch
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Review 15 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
I had been wanting to visit
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"I had been wanting to visit Samovar Tea Lounge for a while now, and finally had just made a plan with two other friends. We arrived at the Powell BART station and walked over after light shopping. We had made a reservation for 12:30, and we ended up calling in a little late and the person answering the phone quickly and politely helped us shift out reservation to fifteen minutes later. When we arrived, it was bustling and the background noise was moderately high, but it was not annoying. We ended up ordering the quiche, the dessert platter, chai and the chilled oolong (all completely delicious) and I myself would reccommend the soy matcha shake. We loved the atmosphere and the food of course! Lovely place."
Dined on 03/03/2013
2013
Special Features: romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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Review 16 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Healthy but most delicious lunch!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The Japanese Tea service lunch is incredible... To die for! Fabulously delicious, healthy and very filling. Can't bring myself to order anything else, it's so good. Enjoy!"
Dined on 03/01/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, special occasion, great for lunch
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Review 17 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
They should think about serving
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"They should think about serving hard teas as well such as Long Island Ice Tea, Tokyo Tea, etc....:-)"
Dined on 02/16/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch
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Review 18 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
My husband and I had a very
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"My husband and I had a very relaxing dinner and we enjoyed the surroundings very much. I wish the tables were a bit bigger and more distance between them. We had the Japanese and Moorish meal set. It would have been nice to get a refill of the green tea because it got cold fast. The mint tea was great because we could add hot water to it."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic
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Review 19 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Great view over the top of
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Great view over the top of the waterfall in Yerba Buena Gardens park. We enjoyed the large turkish plate (12 different items on a large rectangular sushi-style plate) and the large Russian plate (red beets, deviled egg with caviar). The mint tea was the best I've ever had, the blood orange tea was similar to a "zinger" style flavor, but we didn't like the regular Russian black tea, which was served one glass at a time from the central samovar, rather than at the table in a pot. Large outdoor seating area. Very fast service. Inside seating is a little crowded, but the walls are all glass, so you can see out over the park."
Dined on 02/17/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch, hot spot
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Review 20 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Wonderful selection of artisanal
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Wonderful selection of artisanal teas, and international menu with food and tea combinations. The glass enclosed lounge in the Yerba Buena Gardens is lovely, with additional outdoor seating."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2006
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 21 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Beyond expectations and blissful
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"mmmmm... the moment I took my first bite I was transported. Delicious, healthy and delicious. I wish the restaurant was in my neighborhood."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, romantic, special occasion, scenic view
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Review 22 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
It is one of a few real tea
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"It is one of a few real tea houses in SF. The tea is good and so is their tea food."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2010
Special Features: romantic
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Review 23 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Despite the name Samovar,
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Despite the name Samovar, this place serves more than just Russian-style tea service--they offer Japanese, classic British, Chinese, and more! Each of the types of tea come with food that pairs with it, and they were all very tasty. Since it's located above the Yerba Buena arts center, there's a nice outdoor patio for dining, although it might be a little chilly during the Winter seasons. Great service and ethnic decor, I'll be back sometime later to try out the other varieties of tea."
Dined on 02/07/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 24 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
We had a great time at Samovar
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We had a great time at Samovar Tea Lounge. At first my 12 year old daughter was disappointed there was no "regular" fare. The menu was a bit too "healthy" for her at first. But she did end up really enjoying her panini-style grilled cheese sandwich with pesto. The chocolate mint tea was good, though a bit bitter. We also loved the large salad that came with our sandwiches and the tea dessert plate was delicious, especially the lavender cookies and shortbread. What was most refreshing was that we never felt pressured to leave even though the place was busy."
Dined on 02/02/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 25 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
I was impressed with the food
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"I was impressed with the food and the view of Yerba Buena is fantastic when there is great weather."
Dined on 01/31/2013
2010
Special Features: scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 26 for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Excellent tea. Great mood.
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Excellent tea. Great mood. Service was late with the check, but appropriately attentive during the meal."
Dined on 01/28/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, scenic view
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Samovar Tea Lounge - Yerba Buena Gardens
Based on the average of (65) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
10 out of 10 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4.1
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
3.8
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic