High Tea At Rotunda

One of the places we often stop for lunch or high tea in San Francisco is at the Rotunda restaurant in San Francisco. It is located at the top floor of Neiman Marcus. It is a convenient place to rest your feet after hours of shopping. If you eat on the earlier side, then lunch is great. To start with, you’ll be served a complimentary puff pastry with strawberry butter. That is usually sufficient to fill you up, but all of the items I’ve had there have been good.

Later in the afternoon, you may want to stop by for their tea service. It is kind of pricey, but a nice treat. You choose you tea and with it will arrive a three-tiered plate with all kinds of goodies on it. I have had better tea service at other hotels in the area. However, the view is spectacular in the restaurant. If you sit by the window, you will have a wonderful view of Union Square. If you choose one of the booths, you will have a beautiful glass dome to look at (and depending on where your booth is located, perhaps also a view of Union Square.) I wouldn’t go to Neiman Marcus just for the food. There are too many other great choices in San Francisco. After all, it is the restaurant capital of the United States, perhaps only beaten by New York. However, if you are in the neighborhood and you just need a rest from all that shopping, then this is the place to go. I have eaten there many times. Sometimes the service may be a little slow and not as attentive as you would like it to be, but I have never had a bad experience.

- Ursula

IAN’S VIEWPOINT

When I met Ursula, I was not what you would call a tea and cookies kind of guy. Cookies yes, as in the Cookie Monster, tea no. After 20 years hanging around Ursula it has kinda gone like this. First it was simply taking enough of the beast out of me that she felt comfortable bringing me into Fancy Pants places like the Rotunda. Then after a few years, I started to get a little more comfortable, but was aghast at the prices. “$15 for tea!”

Then after a few more years I started to get the hang of it. By now, I slurp down tea with the best of them, and actually look forward to trying out different teas, and having little finger sandwiches. I would still make the finger sandwiches bigger and with more stuff in them, but at least now I am having fun!

Ian Michael Rong