samovar tea lounge

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By: Deborah Crooks
Deborah Crooks is a California-based writer, singer-songwriter and performer. She has practiced Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois for more than 10 years, traveling to Mysore, ...

Samovar Tea Lounge epitomizes the widespread cultural influence of tea. Now with three locations in the city, Samovar has fused the East-meets-West tea ethos into something all its own. The Yerba Buena Garden location is a glass structure perched atop the Martin Luther King Jr. fountain. Sitting on the jewel-toned banquet, overlooking a lush flower garden, you can take a mini-vacation and everyone will have different trip. Samovar features more than 50 teas, herbal infusions and a menu that represents most continents. Do not expect to take a quick lunch here: service is relaxed and you will be, too, by the time you finish. 

Tea and food are available a la carte, but it’s more fun to choose from the carefully thought-out menu of regional tea services, which pairs teas with artfully arrayed platters of corresponding treats. The Moorish Tea service matched a fine herbal mint tea with a Halloumi (goat cheese) Kebab over a mint salad, dolmas, and dates stuffed with chevre. Yum! The Russian tea service featured fragrant Samovar Russian Tea, smoked salmon blinis, a Russian deviled egg with caviar and bergamot bread pudding, and a chunk of rustic dark chocolate. The front counter holds a tempting display of fresh baked goods including fig-almond cake and jasmine tea biscotti, in case you have to take your tea to go.

297 Page Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
+1.415.861.0303

730 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
+1.415.227.9400

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