Sanctuary on Green

I just learned of this place last year and I was thrilled. I’ve been collecting German Christmas smokers, nutcrackers and pyramid’s for years. I went back this year to choose a smoker so I brought it home, took it out of the box and the arm fell off. No problem I know these are fragile and have had to make repairs to my other ornaments over the years. I got out the clear Elmers glue but it would not adhere. Then something else fell off but I noticed that the bottom had no stamp, sticker, nothing. No ‘made in Germany’. It did have a tag hanging from it. I decided to exchange it. I live about 45 minutes from this store but I get into this area fairly often so not really a problem. I spoke to the owner. She said she has no control how the manufactures stamp their product. Said she couldn’t resell it. That a lacquer had been applied but she’d have her husband look at it. At first I said ok but the more I thought about it, the lack of a stamp, I said I wanted an exchange. Her husband fixed it but there was still no stamp. He offered to order a stamp in the spring and I could stick on the bottom. I couldn’t believe the grief I was being given. Not looking for ‘good deal’ here. They would not allow me to exchange it. I never asked for my money back just a fair exchange. But no, and now I’m stuck with an ornament with no stamp of authenticity. I spent $ 103 and I have no idea if it’s a knock off or not. BTW this was the only smoker without a stamp or sticker. I’ll never go back. I couldn’t believe how poorly they handled this situation.

This place is amazing. You walk in and find the cutest little crafts and trinkets. Their tea selection was quite impressive and their run raisin cake was delicious! I loved how they have their own garden and compost their waste. Definitely go to this place!!!

This place was absolutely amazing. This is one of the top places I’ve ever been to. The garden is gorgeous. If you happen to be in Cleveland, you must go here. The side salads we had came fresh from the garden & were amazing. The quick I had was absolutely the best I’ve ever had and I’ve had a fair amount (I have a slight quiche obsession). There is an extensive tea menu & the matcha (green tea) was delicious. I really can’t rave enough. We did get our reservation 1 month in advance so you would need to do that.

Let me tell you something, I don’t think there exists another restaurant like this one. It’s extremely unique. It has the atmosphere of home and gift shop, all in one. It’s nestled in a woodsy area with a cottage-​like restaurant. I went a week before Mother’s Day. I didn’t have a reservation, so they had me wait and look around until they could seat me. They introduced me to the concept of the restaurant, the protected habitat that surrounded it, and what I was to expect. They were so sweet and the wait wasn’t long at all. I looked around at all the books, charms, and souvenirs until they offered me a table. They allowed me to choose and I selected the seat facing a view of the trees. The menu was shorter this day, since the chef/​owner was out. They had a lot of vegetarian and gluten-​free choices. Their tea menu however, is very extensive. I’ve never seen so many choices of teas in my life! I went with an Angel tea and a vegan option of South Euclid Sanctuary salad with a side of strawberry vinaigrette. So here’s where I’m blown away. This salad was the freshest, tastiest raw salad I’ve ever eaten and that’s hard to do without having any sauces on it. When I added the vinaigrette, I was blown away even further. Look, nobody writes a review just because of a salad. But I kid you not, it was that awesome! It was extremely filling too. I could barely eat the dinner I had later. The tea they brought in with a spoon, sugar options and a little hourglass timer. When the sand has finished pouring, I was to pull out the tea bag. It tasted divine! Their service was impeccable and the décor was adorable. I went to their bathroom which had the same knick-​knack décor as well. I will upload pictures soon. I then went into a back room where a pretty girl waited at the register. I paid with credit card and then thanked them for their lovely service and accommodation. I hope to return someday with friends in tow.

The best service, hospitality, professional employees. The food, plate presentation was amazing. I will be back next season for sure.

What a true gem in our very own backyard in South Euclid. Can’t believe we’ve never been to this place until now. This café is at the owner’s residential house! The dining patio overlooks the South Euclid wetlands and the grounds and gardens are scattered with her sculptor husband’s works (studio also onsite). Along with an extensive tea menu, they specialize in organic, vegan and gluten free with many of the produce all grown in their own garden, but I had to have my meat… Schnitzel with blaukraut. Wow! Easily one of the best lunches I’ve ever had! Finished it off by sharing a Bavarian chocolate cake and a pineapple turnover cake… all literally homemade!

I’ve been to the Sanctuary on Green before and reviewed it already, but I had to note a touch that they offered that is quite unique. A friend and I went there for lunch a couple of weeks ago and we ate outside. It was a beautiful, sunny Cleveland day, but there was a slight chill in the air (unusual for this time of year). Our server came over and asked us if we would like a fleece throw/​blanket so we would be more comfortable during our meal. We both accepted the offer, which was very much appreciated. Some of the other diners accepted them too. This detail is in addition to all of the other niceties they provide, like the bird-​shaped lemon squeezer to use for your water, the meticulous presentation of the food, the beautifully maintained yard, etc.
As for as the meal itself, I tried one of the new items on the menu, the Salmon Louie, which was Salmon Salad (somewhat the same consistency as a chicken or tuna salad) served on an avocado half with a couple of mango strips on top. The pairing was a nice blend of textures. It came with a salad of greens that were picked fresh from their on-​site organic garden, radish slices, tomato, julienne carrots, cucumber salad and diced apple. I chose the House Hibiscus Citrus Vinaigrette, which complimented the salad nicely. A baguette slice with butter and a watermelon wedge, with a couple of blueberries on a pick, rounded out the meal. Although they have over 100 organic loose-​leaf teas to choose from, I always order the Irish Breakfast by the pot — it’s my favorite.
My friend ordered the Artist Palette, which is her favorite. It comes with a choice of soup — today’s choices were Asparagus, Pumpkin and one other that I can’t remember, 3 side assorted side salads (carrot, cucumber and a kraut) and the choice of two canapé sandwiches. As always, it was a colorful sight when it came to the table. She chose the Asparagus Soup, but declined the optional homemade whipped-​cream dollop (included in the price of the soup). For her beverage, she chose the Blueberry Pomegranate Tea. Her other favorite is the Goji Blossom Tea.
Before we knew it, we had been there 2 hours and it was time for the next seating. We walked the grounds for a little bit and heard some pounding in the barn area, near the parking lot. Norbert, the husband part of the business, was carving a sculpture for a customer. He invited us in to see what he was doing and talked with us for a few minutes.
The atmosphere is so welcoming and relaxing. Seriously, if you are in Northeast Ohio and are looking for a truly unique experience, you should visit the Sanctuary on Green. Call ahead for reservations though, they fill up fast. Make sure to leave additional time to shop in their spacious gift shop for everything from greeting cards to baby, 1^st communion and wedding gifts, home décor and jewelry. You’re also free to stroll the grounds to.

Tofu schnitzel was delicious, somehow reminded me of breaded lamb. Went well with the house salad and hibiscus dressing and sauerkraut. Service was excellent, had the feel of a bed and breakfast. Looking forward to coming back to try something from their large tea collection.

This place is really unique. The perfect place to spend a lazy Saturday with family or friends when the weather is nice. The outdoor area is just gorgeous. I can look around the shop for a while after lunch too. The grounds have gardens to walk through, a wood working shop, and a hammock to lounge in.
Reservations are a must and be on time. We had a party of 6 and between tea, meals, and desserts spend a few hours. The servers are great. The only reason it’s not 5 stars to me is the food. I want to give 5 but really it’s good food but I (and the rest of the table agreed) that it wasn’t what we would remember about the place.

Sanctuary has become my favorite lunch time restaurant!
I found out about this gem by accident when I searched online Bavarian stores in Cleveland. So when I found that there was this cute little store with a restaurant/​tea house attached, I was all in! After checking out pictures on their website and their menu, I made a reservation for later that week.
We got to the Sanctuary a little bit early, so we checked in, and while we waited for our table to be ready, we strolled around their beautiful grounds, checked out their sculptures, and explored the store. Everything was just beautiful! It was hard to believe that we were still in South Euclid! An employee came and got us a few minutes later and we were seated on the patio, which had a lovely view of the creek behind the house.
Their tea menu is extensive and includes general information about tea varieties and brewing, as well as substantial descriptions about each of teas. Because the long list can be a bit overwhelming, the waitresses are more than happy to help you make your choice. Any tea could be served hot or cold, so it could suit any mood. If you really love your tea, you can buy it buy the leaves by the ounce, which I totally plan on doing soon!
For lunch, I ordered the pumpkin soup as an appetizer. Wow, this was an amazing start to the meal. This soup was not creamy like pumpkin soups I’ve had it in the past, but it was not thin and brothy either. It was thick and rich, yet light and was a perfect fall dish! Next I had a Weisswurst platter, which came with sweet mustard, lightly pickled carrots and cucumbers, sauerkraut. Having just come back from visiting friends from Munich, I was happy that this sausage tasted just like the ones they had made for me! Finally for dessert, I had a pumpkin torte (yes, I love pumpkin), which was a great way to finish!
I was so impressed with my experience that I made a reservation for lunch the next week! Again, I had a wonderful meal. This time, I ordered the Goodlife Plate, which came with a kale and peanut salad, red quinoa (tangy, perfectly cooked, and was the best quinoa I’ve ever had!), and another salad with an light, citrusy dressing. Everything was healthy, delicious, and filling! My friend had the quiche special with yellow tomatoes and herbs. While the filling was tasty, it was all about the buttery, delicious crust! Yummy!
Like I said, I really have fallen in love with this place! They offer food that’s fresh and healthy and absolutely delicious. You can definitely tell that they put a lot of effort and care into what they do. I wish they were open for lunch all year, because I don’t know if I can wait for spring to come back here!
Some tips:
1. Parking is a big hassle here, and could be a bit confusing the first time so make sure you come early so you can find a spot.
2. Definitely be sure to make a reservation, because there are only two seating times, and tables really fill up fast. Try to make it early in advance if you can, besides being able to find a table, you will be more likely to get a «guaranteed» spot (meaning if it rains, you will have a spot inside).

Simply Incredible.
Shielded by century-​old trees, Sanctuary on Green is easy to miss. Discover this South Euclid gem and you’ll be transported to another place (namely, a Sanctuary). Situated on a lush 3 acres that formerly housed a 19^th century artichoke farm and overlooking the flourishing Nine Mile Creek Wetlands, Sanctuary on Green is truly a treasure in the art of food and place making. Propped up on cushions, surrounded by whispering trees and singing songbirds, sipping on a carefully and expertly brewed gen mai chai iced tea, Sanctuary on Green is one of my favorite dining experiences in all of the US.
Based on the concept of simplicity and authenticity, Victoria Koehn’s kitchen serves nothing but the finest and freshest ingredients. Each ingredient used and each dish is prepared thoughtfully and inspired by her memories and experiences. Simply put, Victoria does not serve anything she herself would not serve her family. This is art in the culinary world in its truest form.
The Artist’s Palette, which consisted of tasty cauliflower soup that made me feel nostalgia, a crunchy salad sampler, and freshly prepared canapé sandwiches left me feeling refreshed and radiant. The Chicken Snitzel is a must: slowly marinated and grilled to perfection, it’s difficult to leave the Sanctuary without having at least a taste of the tender and juicy meat.
The staff is exceptionally friendly and attentive. Bring sunglasses for the sun, a hearty appetite, good friends and good conversation.

One word: amazing. Sanctuary on Green is truly a sanctuary; you enter another world the moment you pull into the Koehns’ Bavarian-​themed property (their residence, a sculpture garden, tea house, and gift shop all in one) off Green Road. We were astounded by the beauty of the sculpture garden on a late spring Saturday afternoon: amazing wood and stone carvings everywhere including around a quaint little pond, green grass and tall leafy trees, welcoming hammocks swinging in the breeze, a giant wind chime, brightly colored flags, and places to sit and meditate and take it all in. In the house, there’s a gift shop packed with trinkets and tchotchkes of all kinds, and then of course there’s the tea house. There are seatings (indoors and outdoors) at 11:30am and 1:30pm, Wednesday through Saturday (March through October), and bookings are recommended but not essential. We sat outside on the patio overlooking the wetlands and enjoyed the most leisurely lunch in the cool breeze under the shade of the trees. The waitresses could not have been friendlier, service was attentive, and the food — all of it organic with plenty of vegan options — was delicious. Our soups (the cauliflower, and the gazpacho) were fantastic and so were our mains (the sausage with sauerkraut, and the macrobiotic plate packed with salads and fruits). But it was the dessert that really blew us away — best flaky apple strudel and real hand-​ground chocolate mousse I’ve ever had. The bill for 2 appetizers, 2 mains, 2 desserts, and 1 iced Assam tea came to $ 65, so it wasn’t a cheap lunch, but it was totally worth it for the quality of food, service, and most of all the experience that you get. The Koehns have lovingly created a place that is a true gift to the public; I look forward to visiting it again and again.

I LOVE this place! I had a crazy semester with teaching full-​time, going to grad school full-​time, and my dad dying when I first discovered Sanctuary on Green, and it lived up to its title! The staff is great and the food and view are even better!
The chocolate mousse… OMG!!!
Such a cool, tranquil spot in such an unexpected location (South Euclid is mostly just chain stores and other boredom).
They have gluten-​free, vegan, and vegetarian options.
Note: the food part is not a drop-​in spot. There are two seatings (11:30 and 1:30) and it is meant to be a leisurely, beautiful experience. Walk the pretty grounds!

This was my 2^nd time here and sadly, my 1^st visit was way better. You cannot argue with a patio-​perfect setting overlooking a wetland and listening to birds. So 4 stars for the ambiance.
It is mostly a tea house with an extensive tea list. But they have an impressive and healthy food list. Most plates are $ 14. They can accommodate vegan, gluten free, and macrobiotic diets which is cool. I like the macrobiotic plate. At $ 14 it’s a lot of food like red quinoa, carrot slaw, kale salad with peanut dressing, salad greens with the house hibiscus vinaigrette, etc. But they also have a chicken/​turkey salad so meat eaters will be happy. Most of the greens are grown on the property so it’s completely organic, fresh, and local! Beautiful presentation on the plate. 4 stars for the food
My complaint about this place (and thus the downgrade to 3 stars) is the service. Because they pool their tips, you may have 3 different servers approach your table. They may ask you the same questions which is annoying. There isn’t much communication among the servers. We placed our order and waited 25 minutes for our tea to arrive. Meanwhile, all tables around us had received their tea. So I flagged down one of the servers and magically our tea appeared. When it arrived I told the server I wanted them to hold off on bringing out our food because I cannot eat and drink at the same time (true statement). Not 5 minutes after we got our tea our food arrived. She said, «Sorry, I tried to tell the kitchen but they went ahead and made your food and they didn’t want it to sit in the kitchen.» What? I was officially ticked off.
Reservations are a MUST. They have 2 seatings…11:30am and 1:30pm. Plan on a 90 minute experience with the wait times and awkward service.

This was a very interesting place! Overall, I liked it.
I’m having an interesting time trying to shape what my experience was like here. First of all, I’m amazed that there was this amazing wildlife and scenery right off of a main road like Green Rd, across from Notre Dame College. When I pulled in, I was a little early so I took a look around. The place is a mix between…
1) a very German /​Bavarian-​style home (the owner actually lives there! very homey.)
2) a kitschy ornament and trinket store
3) my favorite hipster Zen-​Buddhist vegan restaurant in the lush mountains of Taiwan (but Cle is not as lush)
4) bougeosie ladies having a really healthy afternoon tea.
I checked in with the main hostesses for lunch (making reservations helps.) They all had mic-​walkie talkies to make sure everyone was seated well. Before my friend arrived, I read a little on the porch swing. I think the restaurant owner’s husband was sculpting in the back area.
My friend and I chose a place on the patio overlooking the wetlands. I really enjoy being outdoors, so I thought it was a great way to eat a healthy lunch. I was a little surprised by the pricing — it was definitely on the expensive side. ($ 12 – 16 for main dishes, $ 4 – 5 for cup of tea.)
I had the tofu schnitzel and my friend had the quork-​brot. Everything was carefully prepared (which is why it reminded me of the Taiwanese vegan restaurant — that was also prepared out of someone’s home!)
Tofu schnitzel — very, very fresh everything. I came away feeling really good! All the greens were local, including the arugula, blaukraut (red cabbage), and carrot salad. I got a portion of tofu that was very lightly breaded and fried. It was good! Because we ate slowly, I was surprisingly satisfied after.
Quork-​brot — I only tried a little piece of the main section (homemade bread with natural homemade cheese and herbs), and I could definitely tell that it was fresh.
I probably won’t be here often because of the pricing, but I will definitely come when I need to have some contemplation and reflection. I would also come back when I’m just craving something fresh and healthy to eat!

Whenever I am looking for a unique dining experience I will head to The Sanctuary on Green. It’s hard to believe you are still in Cleveland upon arriving the property, the green space has a calming effect as you walk the grounds! You are greeted at the door and guided to your table by the delightful staff. I know this is a one-​of-​a-​kind experience and dining at this comfy boutique tea room will be an uncommon event, unlike the chain or fast paced restaurants we are all so accustomed. If I am looking to unwind and slow my pace, I will head to Sanctuary on Green! I love the vegan offerings and know I have eaten a healthy meal. This is a café to decompress, relax and chat with friends and let Vicky Koehn and her staff pamper you! The pace may not be a fast as some like, but the tradeoff is calm, comfort and delicious dining! Dining with Vicky is like being at a friends home, hand crafted food made with love.

Service was eh so-​so. Granted I was the head of an event had 15 people. One person ran pretty late and there was not a seat setting for the 15^th person, even though I confirmed for 15 people three days before the event. I felt that the staff was very disorganized. One minuted they said they had one flavor of strudel then it ended up changing to something different. With a large group they requested for entrée’s to be chosen before hand. When the email was sent with all the orders, there was no response to know if the email was received. I was very displeased. No photographs were allowed while in the tea house, but yet we didn’t know that until a camera was brought out. I honestly didn’t see any signs about no photography. I don’t think I would personally go back to the facility, even though their tea list is over 80 different kinds of teas.

Love this place! Wish I had time to spend every Saturday lounging on the patio. How many places allow you to see the actual garden that most of the food comes from? Please support this wonderful business!

I’d give this place 50 stars if I could.
I’ve had the pleasure of dining at the Sanctuary on Green more times than I can remember and have always been very impressed by the food, service, and ambiance. I can’t even put into words how fresh and flavorful the food is. I had the macrobiotic plate on my most recent visit — a fantastic mix of small servings of quinoa, kale salad, regular salad, and some of the freshest bread you’ll ever eat. I also had a vegan cauliflower soup that was as creamy as your traditional dairy based soup but even more flavorful. I accompanied my meal with a glass of their amazing iced coffee.
Since this little establishment is known for having fantastic desserts, I ended my meal with chocolate mousse. The BEST chocolate mouse I’ve ever eaten, actually (and I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate mousse) You could taste the quality ingredients used to make the mousse, including very high grade chocolate.
This is a definite must see if you like tea, coffee, dessert, locally sourced food, or unique gift items. Just a word of advice, though — make a reservation. I’ve been turned away in the past when the weather is nice and there are more people there than the small kitchen can handle.