If you’re in NYC and looking for a quick fix of British, before you book that weekend discount ticket to London, see first if a quick trip to New York’s West Village can satisfy your thirst for an authentic “cuppa”.
Walking into ‘Tea & Sympathy’ on Greenwich Street will make for a total escape from Manhattan. The intimate setting with tables and benches set close together combined with customers’ friendly banter combined with the aroma of home-cooked food and tea will make you revisit your accent when the waitress welcomes you. The menu is all English – from Welsh Rarebit and Shepherd’s Pie, to Sticky Toffee Pudding. It’s a perfect place to decompress and make new friends. After a visit to ‘Tea & Sympathy’, you’ll see that Britannia’s addiction to tea… is not just about the tea.
Next door, ‘Carry on Tea & Sympathy’ has English tea everything. Here you’ll find teapots, PG Tip, biscuits, and even tea tins with red double decker buses and a staff that you’ll want to keep coming back to.
Adjacent restaurant ‘A Salt & Battery’ offers all kinds of fried fish and seafood: haddock, sole and shrimp, as well as yummy chips, onion rings and battered veggies. No tea for dinner here, the Boddington’s and Strongbow Cider pair perfectly with the fried indulgences.
PS: Don’t leave without trying the fried Mars bars!