Celebrating 30 years: Russian Tea Time's iconic dishes & decadent tea service in Chicago

Featuring afternoon tea and iconic dishes such as Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff amid a traditional atmosphere, the restaurant is as popular as ever with tourists and locals alike.

Photo byCourtesy of Russian Tea Time

(CHICAGO) This September marks 30 years since chef Klara Muchnik, from Uzbekistan but born and raised in Ukraine, opened the doors of Chicago's Russian Tea Time.

The Loop restaurant is one of Chicago's few authentic post-Soviet restaurants and it offers not only a Soviet-inspired menu but a decadent tea service and signature house-infused vodkas.

Featured menu items include delicacies such as blinchiki, pirogies, and golubtsy.

Photo byCourtesy of Russian Tea Time

In 2018, the Muchnik family passed the restaurant to two sisters, Altyn and Enesh Mantyyeva. The Mantyyeva sisters renovated the restaurant while maintaining its iconic ambiance.

The restaurant closed for a short time but reopened after Chicago's Covid-19 lockdowns ended in 2021.

According to an emailed press release,

"Continuing with the destination’s original mission to serve as a love letter to authentic post-soviet cuisine and unite all guests through food, Russian Tea Time has stood for providing an elevated experience complete with decadent afternoon tea, signature house-infused vodkas, and caviar service from around the world for decades. Russian Tea Time truly has become a culinary landmark that has stood the test of Chicago’s often tumultuous restaurant scene."

What are the details?

• Location: 77 E. Adams Street
• Hours: Open daily from 11 AM to 7:30 PM
• Reservations can be made online at www.russianteatime.com or by calling 312-360-0000.

History of the Russian Tea Time

Klara Muchnik left the Soviet Union hoping for a better life and she brought with her culinary talents of creating traditional flavors from her home country. When she arrived in Chicago in the 1990s, she launched the Russian Tea Time in 1993.

What's on the menu?

Photo byCourtesy of Russian Tea Time

• Afternoon Tea & Samovar Service is available daily. Entrees include classics such as Beef Stew, Stuffed Cabbage, and Chicken Kebab Shashlik.
• Brunch is available on weekends from 11 AM to 1 PM and offers items such as shakshuka with feta, crepes with creme, and macaroons.
• A prix fixe menu is available on Mondays through Wednesdays for $35.
• The drink menu offers a variety of flavored vodka including the vodka infusion of the month. You can also find Ukrainian beers, and Russian cocktails, or try the house shot (a shot of vodka served with horseradish, serrano, coriander, tea, ginger, or jalapeño.)

Check out the full menu on the website.

___________________

To get NewsBreak stories delivered for FREE on your phone, download the NewsBreak App. If you use my link, I get a small commission (at no cost to you.)