Located at 600 Fifth Ave. in the heart of San Francisco, Katia's Russian Tea Room (katias.com) is open for lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and for dinner between Wednesday and Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Katia's menu includes authentic Russian cuisine such as piroshki, blini, and vareniki. Katia's has been praised by the SF Chronicle and has received a Zagat Award of Distinction. An afternoon tea service is available for groups upon reservation. The tea is poured from a samovar, which is an authentic Russian urn, into a podstakanniki, or a Russian silver glass.
The Cinderella Russian Bakery and Cafe (cinderellabakery.com) is a homestyle Russian bakery in San Francisco that was first established in 1953. Cinderella's features classic Russian treats including poppy seed rolls, Napoleon cake, stroganoff and piroshki. Located at 436 Balboa St., Cinderella's is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parties of 10 or more can request catering.
Cafe Sadko (cafe-sadko.com) is in the heart of the Richmond District at 2229 Clement St. Consumers are treated to both Russian and Eastern European dishes, including tongue salad, beef stroganoff and solyanka, which is a spicy and sour Russian soup featuring meat, fish or mushrooms along with pickled cucumbers. Those looking to host a private party may contact Cafe Sadko at 415-666-3420 to place a reservation. A special banquet menu is offered. Cafe Sadko also offers a variety of dumplings, including meat-filled, chicken-filled and pork-filled variations.
Russian restaurants are spread all throughout the city of San Francisco, allowing natives and tourists to enjoy authentic Russian cuisine in a variety of locals. Some of these restaurants include Little Russia (no website; 5217 Geary Blvd., San Francisco; 415-751-9661) Moscow Village Russian Restaurant (no website; 1816 Irving St., San Francisco; 415-566-3344) and Russian Authentic Cuisine (no website; 5423 Geary Blvd., San Francisco; 415-221-6422). Patrons may dine in or order food to go, allowing them to enjoy Russian cuisine while sitting in Golden Gate Park, roaming around Haight Street or enjoying the view from Twin Peaks.
