Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Cafe

So, I still adore this place. and I love caviar. But I’m reviewing on the fact that they tried to charge me more than I expected.
We came back here for my friend’s 30^th birthday. I was all excited knowing we were coming back. When we got there, there was a special for a caviar flight (I forgot how much it was, but it was not the same priced listed on the menu). We each got that… We waited patiently as it was being prepared. We were being goofy and you know how open it was at the Ferry Building. You may have seen us if you were there on Dec. 30^th… Three Asians and a token white guy ;)
Anywho, we devoured every bit of scrumptious-​ness and afterward split the bill between the four of us. I was the only one without cash so I paid my share via credit card whilst everyone whipped out their cash (I may recall that someone had quite some dollar bills .make it rain. heh). So, I told them to charge $ 63.00 onto my card and everything else is paid by cash. So far so good. signed and left.
Well about a week later I checked my account and to my surprise instead of the $ 63.00 I had wanted charged on my card, it was showing $ 214.62. I was pissed! I immediately called to dispute the charge. As of right now, still waiting to have it settled.
It pains me to give a less than stellar review, but it must be told. I bet it was just a fluke. but, still, that was a huge amount difference!
Usually, if someone messes with my money they would receive a one star. Buuuuuut, I gave a total of three because the gentleman who served us, serenaded us. That was pretty cool. ^_​^
Verdict: Do come and try, it’s still a WINNAR. But, check your bank account if you pay by card .just to be sure.

This location has closed as of January 16^th. They do not have a new location yet.

Another day another closure, although this one was announced a while ago. This Caviar Café has a new location near Union Square scheduled to open next month.
In my opinion, people shouldn’t think of caviar as just food for the wealthy. This is sustainable farm raised American caviar, a local bay area product (although they do sell some imported items). Unless you’re vegan, it’s worth trying at least once.
Here are some pics I took a long time ago:
This is the popular caviar caddy sampler:
Crêpe with blueberries & crème anglaise — yummy!
This Ferry Building spot is going to be taken over by a ceramics store based in Sausalito, see website.

I’ve never had American caviar, and that is what this place offers. I have to say I like their Russian siblings’ caviar better. They were too soft and for some reason light colored. Is that normal? I mean, the Russian sturgeon caviar we had growing up where almost jet black, glossy and has a consistency of tobiko’s. These ones were rather gooey with consistency of ikura’s.
We had the California sampler ($ 80? $ 90?) and it was presented neatly. It was served with some tiny pieces of what tasted like soft pita bread and crème fraîche. No mother of pearl spoons, only white plastic ones…
It’s pricey for what it is, I was expecting something better. Still in the hunt for a place that serves the better caviar, suggestions?

I’m not going to lie, this place is ridiculously expensive. But they do have about 2 affordable menu options, which make them accessible.
Their Tsar Nicoulai premium caviar is $ 25 for ten grams. That sounds like a tiny amount, but it’s actually a decent portion (if you’re looking to get the $ 25 price, be sure you get the 10 grams and not the ounce, which will be closer to $ 80), and it comes with about 20 tiny blini and sour cream. My friend and I split this and also split a champagne flight, which was three generous portions of different champagnes that also cost about $ 25. The caviar we ordered I really genuinely enjoyed, as did my friend, and the champagne was quite good if you like dry.
Towards the end of our slightly expensive snack, one of the men tending the café was introduced and burst into an operatic aria that was really enjoyable.

a must visit if yur stopping by the ferry building. the menu can run anywhere from $ to $$$$ depending on what you get.
we heard a lot about this place from friends who went and decided we needed to make a stop here along our culinary whistle stop tour of the bay area.
it’s a tiny open booth-​style eaterie (not a real restaurant… more like a sidewalk café than a real rest, except instead of being on a sidewalk it’s on an indoor hallway of the ferry building). we made reservations before going, and it when we arrived we were greeted by our hostess who turned out to be the finest embodiment of service i’ve experienced ANYwhere. she had all of our names written on a card on the table and she was just simply so friendly and made you completely feel at home. i think mostly it was because she kept giving us free refills of the flights. hahahahahaha
regardless of all the free drinks we got, it was a great fun — learning how to eat/​enjoy caviar properly. great way to kick off what would be an awesome day.
can’t wait to go back!!! and it’s only like 3 shops down from the blue bottle coffee!

Really a wonderful little luxury midday snack, pull a seat up at the bar & take your pick.
I wanted to try as many as possible, so I chose:
Tsar Nicoulai Sampler, Golden California Osetra, Reserve Estate Osetra, Select California Osetra, California Estate Osetra, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Classic (TNC)
If you want more crème fraîche and/​or blinis, just ask.

Let’s start off by saying that I learned to love the taste of caviar when I was a child. I probably thought it was some weird fruit at first but realized the reality of it during my trip in Paris.
I received a $ 150 Gift Certificate from my boss to Tsar Nicoulai on my one year anniversary at work. I have never heard of this place before but it was a lifetime experience.
The staff was very well educated and friendly. The bar was fully stocked, there was a baseball game on the large screen next to the bar. Place was very quiet and elegant.
If you don’t know yet, this café is well known for its «farming» process that I would consider eco-​friendly. Basically they breed and farm all their caviar so they don’t hurt the ecosystem or add anymore animals to the endangered species list.
Did you know that fresh caviar should be eaten within one week? I never knew that but I could never keep it around for that long without eating it all already.
I love how they offer caviar tasting and wine pairings. Their plating is very high class and sophisticated. I never had scrambled eggs and caviar before but I never thought that combination would work also. I love their whole cream they use as the «nest» to hold the caviar in place. They also had fish jerky! That’s insane! I had dried squid jerky before but come on! Its basically like sashimi but dried.
My birthday is coming up, who wants to take me: p This is by far my favorite place in San Francisco now!

What is it about the servers in SF? Why are they all rude at first and then warm up over time to be your best friend? Our waitress was not a happy camper at first. She was beyond rude but once we ordered she was pleasant… hmmm not sure what that’s about.
Once the waitress was pleasant, the service was really good! :) I tried the Crêpe with berries and vanilla bean custard and my friend had the Sturgeon Burger. I thought the Crêpe was unbelievably delicious. So good, I walked over to chief and paid my compliment to him directly. The Sturgeon burger was also great, so many fresh flavors and melt in your mouth flaky fish.
I’d love to try the Caviar sometime too — guess I’ll be back upon my next SF visit and am hoping for a warmer welcome from the servers!

I love caviar. I always have and I always will. I wish I lived in the area and could afford to eat caviar every day. If I did and I could, I would be a frequent customer at Tsar Nicoulai.
On our trip, we were lucky to arrive in SF on a Tuesday. Why is that lucky? Besides the cheaper air fair, it also meant that we were able to enjoy a caviar sampler at half off. That’s right, folks, ½ price samplers on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The caviar is delicious. The staff is very knowledgeable about their products and definitely share that knowledge with you. The buckwheat blini they serve with the caviar is a nice accompaniment to the flavor of caviar. It’s also fun to see them making the blinis for your order on a small counter top griddle. They also have a nice selection of sparkling wines, including Schamsberg, one of my favorites.
It’s a very small space. It’s a wrap around counter with about 12 stools and an open store front. The Ferry Building is so beautiful, that it’s a great environment.
They were knowledgeable about the caviar, that’s for sure, but they didn’t seem too put together about their store. When we arrived we asked about the half price special they advertised on their website. Out of the two people behind the counter, one didn’t know if it was still running. Luckily, the second knew it was (it was still posted on their website, anyway).
But then, the darnedest thing happened. A woman came in with her friend and a gift certificate to the café for a chef’s tasting. The two behind the counter had no idea what to do. Then, a third person joined them behind the counter. I took her to be a manager/​owner. None of them had ever seen the gift certificate before. Meanwhile, the woman is explaining how she bought it at a charity auction. It isn’t until she digs out the envelope that the certificate came in that they believe her. Three employees could not recognize their own gift certificate.
Would you believe that it actually get more awkward? My friend and I were finished. We had paid our bill. We wanted to leave, when the large group at the other side of the counter began posing for pictures under the manager’s supervision. They were taking pictures for the café, so we were begged to stay when all we wanted to do was explore the rest of the Ferry Building. Now, they did end up pouring us each a half glass of sparkling wine for our troubles. But that was after the photos were taken, and not during. It was awkward to say the least.

When I’m not eating dodo eggs or grilling up a California condor (tip: the best meat is in the wings), I enjoy caviar. It’s delicious, one of the most perfect foods on Earth, and I can’t get enough. Unfortunately, between the Endangered Species Act and the Axis of Evil mumbo jumbo, it’s hard to get access to top-​shelf caviar that doesn’t make you feel like a James Bond villian for eating it.
Tsar Nicoulai soothes my palate and my conscience. Their sustainable farming in the North Bay keeps a supply of sturgeon going strong, and the results, especially on the high end, are at least as good as most of the Iranian offerings that are commercially available stateside. The café in the Ferry Building is wonderful – a place to get your caviar fix (good offerings for all price points), try some of the other menu items (the tuna sandwich is fantastic!), and relax in a casual spot that is not at all snobby or pretentious.

Everything everyone has already said about Tsar Nicoulai is true. The caviar is fresh, service friendly and food absolutely delicious. Of the caviar offered, my favorite is the Royal Onyx California Estate Osetra. And the Parisian sandwich is amazing! Another thing I appreciated: the atmosphere was casual and relaxed, not at all pretentious or stuffy. Love it love it love it!

Recession? What recession? I definitely did my part in helping to stimulate the local economy this past weekend. I expect a personal thank you letter from Mayor Newsom any day now. I officially coined this past Saturday as my «Day of Decadence» and it was worth every penny. My friend and I splurged on the Connoisseur Sampler and the American Sampler. Our favorites were the Truffled Whitefish and Brandy Infused Caviar. We also had a sample of smoked sturgeon, which was smoky, buttery, and delicious. We left $ 300 poorer, but at least we had with a memorable experience filled with (in the words of Robin Leach) champagne wishes and caviar dreams.
P. S. Don’t think I didn’t notice you looking over my shoulder, lusting after my caviar and champagne. Don’t hate, biznatches! You, too, can burn a hole in your pocket if you choose to. Now leave me alone. I’m busy searching underneath the sofa cushions for my next meal.

Delicious, well-​prepared dishes in a very social atmosphere results in a great eating experience. But the big attraction (besides the caviar) at Tsar’s?! The employees! Yowzahs!
Great food + serious eye candy employees = fantastic time.
That’s my food math for the day.

Once upon a time, there was wee little girl named Alana. At the time, she was nine…
My wife and I, and our two girls, go to the Ferry Building for an afternoon of nibbles and treats, and where else to go but Tsar Nicoulai?
We grab three seats at the bar (our youngest goes off to the Imperial Tea Court for dim sum), and we get our menus. When the waiter returns, Alana asks for the Russian caviar sampler plate (yes, you could still get Russian caviar back then) for $ 150!
«Uh, no. .. you can’t.»
«Well, what can I get?»
«How about this one — the American sampler plate?»
«OK.»
The waiter then takes the menu from Alana’s hand, and disappears. .. before Lynn or I can order…
He returns with Alana’s order — seven different types of caviar.
Lynn and I both order glasses of Champagne, and Lynn orders a truffled caviar egg, and before I can order anything, he disappears. .. returning with Lynn’s order, by which time our nine-​year old has finished her sampler plate, and asks if she can have another!
«Very good,» says the waiter, and he leaves — before I can say a word!
Returning with Alana’s second sampler plate, I finally get to tell the waiter what I would like to have…
BUT — before the waiter returns with my caviar, he comes back with yet a THIRD sampler plate, and says to Alana, «We made this by accident, would you like it?»
«Can I»?
«Sure» and within 20 minutes my nine-​year old devours THREE sampler plates of caviar!!!
All I can say is. .. the men of the Bay Area better have a lot money if they ever want to date my daughter! ;^)
* * * * *
Needless to say, we’ve all been back many times over the past five years, and it’s always a treat!

It was an interesting experience for me and my husband to hit Tsar Nicoulai. The caviar was excellent. We ended up getting the caviar caddy, which is 3 dishes, with a mix of caviar based dishes, and smoked fish dishes. The price was a bit high, though the quality of the food was excellent, and I’ll rank the dishes first, then the food.
The truffled scrambled egg with caviar was excellent. It was a touch salty, but really, does it matter? The osetra caviar and crème fraîche on top were a perfect complement. The croquette was the least interesting of the dishes. A bite of goat cheese with smoked sturgeon, which lacked much flavor. The trout caviar that topped it had a nice texture and pop. The charcuterie plate was solid, though the smoked salmon was a bit overly salty. The smoked sturgeon had a very nice texture, and was something I’d definitely eat again.
The service was,…odd. We walked by twice, as no one was actually eating there at the time, and had to ask someone that didn’t necessariy look like he worked there if they were open. They were, he was part of the staff, and he was just on the computer. A scruffy hipster vibe that screamed, whatever, they’re still paying me. Once we sat down, and they took our order, one person took to cooking, and the other sat back down at his computer. It was a little surreal.
Excellent product, odd service, and well, prices are prices.

When I was a child, my biggest fantasy was to take a bath in caviar.
After being told that the world’s sturgeon population was exponentially dwindling, I pulled a Cheney,
«So?»
(jk…I actually decided to settle for a caviar facial)
After Tsar Nicoulai began its sustainable fish farming practice, my haughty self realized that sustainable fisheries are a godsend AND they produce excellent caviar. The farmed caviar (like most farmed fish) has that nutty, earthy taste, compared to the buttery opulence of the Iranian and Russian cavs, but it’s a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things.

This sustainable California caviar company is really giving the Russians a run for their money – especially with their award-​winning California Estate Osetra ($ 78 per ounce). When I was a culinary student, I could obviously not afford the delectable premium stuff, but would treat myself to a tin of their truffled whitefish caviar ($ 18 for 2 ounces), a bag of their blinis and other accoutrements for dinner once a week. I just love the stuff.
I was trying to pace myself for my Ferry Building eating extravaganza (or trust me, I would have gotten a tasting) so I just ordered the truffled scrambled egg with Osetra caviar – can I just say, «OH MY GOD?!» It was heaven on a plate.
If you’d like to take some caviar or any of their smoked fish home, you can get it packed for travel at the store (gelpacks that last 8 hours), but I suggest ordering from the website. I normally do a large order with friends to avoid big shipping costs and make it worthwhile. A good idea given current airport security regulations which might force you to leave your precious cargo at the door along with your nail scissors! I did manage to buy some mother of pearl spoons, for my darling sister, since bringing the caviar home was not an option.

Located in the historic Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Café offers a wide range of food, most of which includes caviar, smoked fish or other Tsar Nicoulai products. We sampled the salmon eggs benedict, the scrambled egg (served in its shell), and a caviar omelet. While moderately tasty, the portions are a bit small for the price.
It may be better to avoid the food and stick with the caviar and champagne. Although, I would note that the two-​ounce portion of truffled whitefish caviar we took home was bad.
The service is average and not particularly friendly. But the space is fun and allows patrons to take a seat and watch the crowds pass by.

Peeples of the former Soviet Union…
My Comrades… it has come to our attention that we have uncovered the last bastion of the Russian Empire ruled by the Romanovs. We have located it in something the imperialist Americans call the Ferry Building in that immoral din of capitalist excess, San Francisco. For shame.
We dispatched an advance reconnaissance mission to investigate and naturally discovered them to be exploiting the masses by selling our beloved caviar. Yes, the roe of our Communist-​raised sturgeon have been raped and pillaged to serve the palates of capitalists who in turn charge astronomical prices to the unsuspecting proletariat. For shame.
Well, maybe not so unsuspecting as the «Parisian» sandwich is advertised for $ 17. That is a ransom in rubles, my comrades. For six months of wages in the mines, one receives a modest sandwich on a pricey hamburger bun with ahi tuna, sushi grade no less, topped with crème fraîche, capers, chopped red onions, a tiny sunny-​side up quail’s egg and a soupçon of American Golden Whitefish Caviar. American? Nyet, nyet, nyet! The Californians are now raising their own capitalist sturgeon to procreate their own roe. For shame.
However, in a concession to the masses, these descendants of the Romanovs offer a side of mixed baby greens and a bottle of Pellegrino sparkling water or Izze sparkling juice as what they term a lunch special. Granted there is a flavorfulness to the bastard caviar and the pomegranate juice is puckery sweet, the extras are a small pittance for three centuries of exploitation.
My comrades, glasnost is phooey. The Kremlin has mandated that we not support the capitalist practices or else you shall end up in one of our state-​supported gulags. It is your choice, my comrades… as what price do you pay for the taste of caviar? Just remember that Nicholas and Alexandra were shot for less. Arise, my fellow Bolsheviks, as we will triumph in the end. In the meantime, let us all go to Taylor’s Refresher for an imperialist American hamburger.
FOOD — 3 stars… fresh caviar, my comrades… but you must sacrifice your place in the breadline one hundred times over to afford it.
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… this Ferry Building is a capitalist marketplace and there is only counter seating for the proletariat.
SERVICE — 3 stars… friendly enough but rather blasé… indicative of the Romanov lineage, I’m afraid
TOTAL — 3 stars… caviar is worth a try, but regular lunches here will mean giving up your government-​funded hovel in short order