The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

My BF and I visited the tea house on our trip to Boulder (We're from Denver) and it was superb! The tea was to die for and the food was authentic and delicious! I don't understand any of the bad reviews this place has gotten. The service was great and the atmosphere was heavenly.

We went on a Friday for afternoon tea and it wasn't noisy or extremely busy in the slightest. We sat next to the fountain and were able to watch the koi fish swim by during our entire meal. The architecture, carvings, and art were breathtaking!

My BF remarked that he hasn't had hummus as authentic as Dushanbe's since his trip to Israel. Both our entrees were under $10 and delicious! All together our entire meal (tea for two, appetizer, and two entrees) was only $36. Not over-priced at all. I can't wait to go back!!

Pros: Atmosphere, food, tea

Posted 06/22/08

I recently visited the Tea House for a Bridal Shower brunch and was blown away by this amazing place. I am a Colorado Native and never knew it existed! The bulding is beautiful inside and out. Yes, it was noisy but, so are other places. It was very busy which means it's a popular place. This is an absolute "must visit" place that certainly screams Boulder, CO. We had excellant service and great food (and champagne). I will certainly visit again with friends and family.

Pros: Beautiful and Unique

Cons: Noise

Posted 06/11/08

It was my Grandaughter's 10th birthday. We've been preparing afternoon tea and serving it every time I visit since she was 6 years old. Going OUT for Afternoon Tea was suppose to be special. The first impressions were the cement floors (not good). The tables were nice and the selection of tea adequate. It was noisy, there was no quiet background music and we had to ask for more tea sandwiches. There was champagne for me but no sparkling cider for my grandaughter. Our waiter was something of a nervous nelly (I think too many tables to serve). My grandaughter's review, "I think we do a better job of Afternoon Tea at home." I've attended Afternoon Tea in England, Canada and other cities in the US. Your restaurant owners should attend other Afternoon Tea experiences to pick up some valuable pointers. Afternoon Tea is much more than white table cloths and serving tea.

Pros: Interesting history and architecture, adequate selection of tea

Cons: cement floors (rugs would help) noisy, no quiet background music, no china tea cups, tea sandwiches & deserts were slight

Posted 04/30/08

I have only eaten at the tea house for breakfast and I must say it was wonderful. The selection of teas are amazing and the imported decorations (heck the whole building) is a wonder to take in while sipping your favorite selection. You if go at the right time you can walk right out to the farmer's market. It is a great Boulder experience :)

Pros: Decorations, selections of teas

Cons: Limited menu

Posted 03/01/08

I came to the tea house for lunch. The place is stunning, the tea is wonderful, the food is good but not great, and the service is not good. One thing to keep in mind is that it seems that this restaurant is ALWAYS packed! I understand that it would be demanding on the wait staff with all of the traffic, however, since it seems that it is almost always busy, I would think that they would be used to it, or hire more staff. I reccommend going for tea, the food looks like it would be fabulous, and when you taste it, it is a little closer to average. Not bad though. Definitely a must-see for tourists, even just for a spot of tea.

Pros: Atmosphere, great tea

Cons: poor service, food is a little overpriced

Posted 07/19/07

I took my mom to the Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder for Mother's Day in 2006. I don't think either she or my DH believed me when I said the atmosphere isn't some Victorian sissy joint. Because it isn't. Dushanbe, capital city of Tajikistan, is Boulder's "sister city". As a gesture of good will and feelin' the love, these nice people built and shipped the components of the tea house to the city of Boulder. It's really quite a spectacle, but in a good way.

They do have a dizzying array of teas to choose from, but they also have French press coffees and booze too! The food is quite tasty and features a range of entrees, salads, and of course many vegetarian options - high quality ingredients and generous portions to boot. For the sissy crowd - ahem, I mean serious tea drinkers - they offer a proper tea service featuring white tablecloths and flowers and all the trimmings of an afternoon tea.

Such a nice drive from Denver - if you take the hogback route (highway 93), you can stare alternately at the beautiful foothills and encroaching suburban sprawl.

Pros: Beautiful, reasonable

Cons: Parking meters

Posted 11/14/06

Excellent tea selection hence the name. ;)
The food is unussual and good, but what makes this place a must visit is the atmosphere, everything in here screams Boulder. This place is a must visit for early romantic dates, after dinner a strole down boulder creak path is called for.

Pros: Romantic, uniquely Boulder

Posted 11/12/06

The tea selection is huge, and it is all really high quality and very good. The food is pretty amazing, too... There is plenty for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Try the mediterrenean salad, the lamb kabobs, the breakfast burrito... it's all very good. Get dessert, too: the tiramisu is amazing!

Pros: beautiful building, good food, great tea

Posted 06/12/05

So we had dinner at the tea house last night. It is a beautiful spot for sure. The food was very good if a bit over priced. The spiced Chai was amazing and the black tea that my husband had was fantastic as well. Granted it was Valentines day and the place was busy...however I have one complaint. The service was lacking. We had the 5 course valentines day dinner. The waitress was so eager to push us through our courses at one point she was standing by our table waiting for me to take my last bite of soup so she could take my plate. It was VERY distracting and quite rude a couple of times. I would go back but not again for a fancy romantic dinner. I might pop in for another glass of Chai.

Pros: The Tea, The building, The food

Cons: Service, No music, rushed

Posted 02/14/05

Interesting place to visit for tea, take tourists, have tea. Food was uninspired as was the teenaged waitress.

Pros: Beautiful building, Setting, Great tea selection

Cons: Bad service, dull food

Posted 09/11/03

...You think it's just for tea and pastries and confections. You'd be wrong. The entrees there are quite delectable and substantial as well. The tea selection is quite outstanding...and the decor is fabulous!! Sitting down cross-legged in one of the "top john" areas and being able to kick back against some pillows (a la Mataam Fez and some Indian places) completes the rapture. It seems a little pricey, but for an escape like this, you don't mind it one bit!!

Posted 08/06/03