Tajik Tea Room

At KunstHof on Oranienburger Straße, you'll find the interior that was exhibited in 1974 in the Soviet pavilion of the Leipzig Trade Fair: hand-carved sandalwood columns, painted walls, and floor cushions. The Tajik Teahouse serves its tea from a samovar, the Russian tea ceremony costs 8.80 Euros per person. Payment is cash only.

Tajik Teahouse: Central Asia in the KunstHof on Oranienburger Straße

The interior of the Tajik Teahouse was exhibited in 1974 in the Soviet pavilion of the Leipzig Trade Fair. Instead of sending it back to Dushanbe, it was handed over as a gift to the Society for German-Soviet Friendship, which was located in the Palais am Festungsgraben until 1999. The teahouse stood there until April 2012, when renovations forced it to move. Since November 2012, it has been located in the KunstHof on Oranienburger Straße, two minutes from the S-Bahn station.

Above your heads are hand-carved ceiling beams made of poplar and sandalwood, which transition into capitals and columns, dividing the space like arcades. On the green walls, a large-format series of pictures tells a Tajik love story. Seating is on cushions at low tables, for which shoes must be removed, or on regular chairs. Dogs are only allowed at the chair seats. In summer, the courtyard terrace in the KunstHof is added, which belongs to the quietest part of the complex.

Samovar, Russian Tea Ceremony, and a Small Kitchen

The tea comes from the samovar, which takes its time to reach the right temperature. Each variety is prepared according to its own recipe, which intentionally takes longer than elsewhere. The Russian tea ceremony for a minimum of two people costs 8.80 Euros per person and brings various types of sugar, jam, fondant, rum raisins, vodka, and tea biscuits to the table in addition to the samovar. East Frisian tea with fresh cream and rock candy costs 6.50 Euros.

In addition, there is a small kitchen with borscht, vareniki, blinis, and pelmeni, as well as Uzbek plov à la carte. Payment is exclusively in cash; no outside food or drinks are allowed. Because the Tajik Teahouse is very small, it requests reservations two to three days in advance, and groups are only accepted with a food pre-order and deposit. At the cushion seats, you may share a table with other guests; terrace seats are generally not reserved as there is no roof over the courtyard.