Russian Tea Room

The story

The Russian Tea Room was founded not by a Russian, but by Albertina Rasch — whose name appears alongside the original shopfront photographs — though the place was opened in 1927 by former members of the Russian Imperial Ballet as a cafe and chocolate store. It began as a refuge for Russian artists, particularly ballet dancers, before becoming a legendary gathering place for the entertainment industry. Its current home, across West 57th Street from its original address, was once an Italianate brownstone built in 1875 by a German tea and coffee merchant.