English food tends to get a bum rap. Maybe it's because the names of some dishes are straight up unappetizing - spotted dick? toad-in-the-hole? blood pudding? Maybe it's because people envision endless meat stews and meat pies and yep, meat puddings. I don't want to venture additional guesses, since I don't know everyone's reasoning and don't want to offend my future British husband - who I have not yet met, but who I expect to be adorable. My imaginary husband and our imaginary children (who say things like "mum" and "loo" - so precious) can take heart in the fact that when I say I love Tea & Sympathy and its English food, I am not lying.
For starters, Tea & Sympathy is a super cute, super quaint, and SUPER small restaurant on Greenwich Avenue. With only ten tables crammed one next to the other, it can't help but have a cozy feel. Floral tablecloths, faux bookcases, and shelves lined with teapots and mismatched cups add to the charm - as do the framed drawings and photos of the royal family and other British icons. It doesn't hurt that the waitresses have fantastic English accents and sunny dispositions.
As for the food, the menu covers a lot of ground. There are traditional dishes like shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, and Yorkshire pudding. However, the options include more than what you might find at most British pubs around the city - there's the scotch egg (a hard boiled egg wrapped in cumberland sausage), tweed kettle pie (salmon & cod in a parsley sauce, topped with mashed potatoes), and coronation chicken (chicken salad with curry) among other dishes. There are also various salads, soups, sandwiches, and scones.
Speaking of those last two, Tea & Sympathy offers "Afternoon Tea," which is available for both lunch and dinner. It arrives on a three-tiered serving tray and includes a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and an assortment of desserts. It is accompanied by a pot of tea, of course, in whatever flavor you choose. Tea & Sympathy also serves a full English breakfast on the weekends and a Sunday roast on (logically) Sundays.
Ready for the bonus? The store (Carry On Tea & Sympathy) directly adjacent to the restaurant sells all things British. Did you want a certain European candy you can't seem to find anywhere else? (Lion bars are my weakness). Are you looking for an ornate teapot to call your very own? (Mine has a map of the world on it). Do you have an obsession with the Union Jack and think those cufflinks would be the perfect addition to your collection? (Um, that's all you). In addition to the goodies, you can even place a take-out order of food from the boys at the store and chat for a bit while you wait. If one winks and calls you "darling," so be it.
Bonus Part 2 - On the other side of the store is a fish and chips eatery under the same ownership as Tea & Sympathy. It is wittily named A Salt & Battery, and it's worth a visit for all things fried. More on that in a subsequent post.
I recommend Tea & Sympathy to anyone looking for an authentic bit of England. It's best to go in small groups, as the tiny establishment isn't set up to accommodate large parties. Also, they don't take reservations, and your party will not be seated until all have arrived. There is a wooden bench outside on which you may sit while you wait, or you can pop over to the store if it's too cold to linger outside. So take your date who fancies himself an anglophile, your cousin who just spent a semester in London, or your mum. If any of them know my future husband, have them tell him I say hi.
Tea & Sympathy - 108 Greenwich Avenue, between West 13th & Jane Streets
For starters, Tea & Sympathy is a super cute, super quaint, and SUPER small restaurant on Greenwich Avenue. With only ten tables crammed one next to the other, it can't help but have a cozy feel. Floral tablecloths, faux bookcases, and shelves lined with teapots and mismatched cups add to the charm - as do the framed drawings and photos of the royal family and other British icons. It doesn't hurt that the waitresses have fantastic English accents and sunny dispositions.
As for the food, the menu covers a lot of ground. There are traditional dishes like shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, and Yorkshire pudding. However, the options include more than what you might find at most British pubs around the city - there's the scotch egg (a hard boiled egg wrapped in cumberland sausage), tweed kettle pie (salmon & cod in a parsley sauce, topped with mashed potatoes), and coronation chicken (chicken salad with curry) among other dishes. There are also various salads, soups, sandwiches, and scones.
Speaking of those last two, Tea & Sympathy offers "Afternoon Tea," which is available for both lunch and dinner. It arrives on a three-tiered serving tray and includes a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and an assortment of desserts. It is accompanied by a pot of tea, of course, in whatever flavor you choose. Tea & Sympathy also serves a full English breakfast on the weekends and a Sunday roast on (logically) Sundays.
Ready for the bonus? The store (Carry On Tea & Sympathy) directly adjacent to the restaurant sells all things British. Did you want a certain European candy you can't seem to find anywhere else? (Lion bars are my weakness). Are you looking for an ornate teapot to call your very own? (Mine has a map of the world on it). Do you have an obsession with the Union Jack and think those cufflinks would be the perfect addition to your collection? (Um, that's all you). In addition to the goodies, you can even place a take-out order of food from the boys at the store and chat for a bit while you wait. If one winks and calls you "darling," so be it.
Bonus Part 2 - On the other side of the store is a fish and chips eatery under the same ownership as Tea & Sympathy. It is wittily named A Salt & Battery, and it's worth a visit for all things fried. More on that in a subsequent post.
I recommend Tea & Sympathy to anyone looking for an authentic bit of England. It's best to go in small groups, as the tiny establishment isn't set up to accommodate large parties. Also, they don't take reservations, and your party will not be seated until all have arrived. There is a wooden bench outside on which you may sit while you wait, or you can pop over to the store if it's too cold to linger outside. So take your date who fancies himself an anglophile, your cousin who just spent a semester in London, or your mum. If any of them know my future husband, have them tell him I say hi.
Tea & Sympathy - 108 Greenwich Avenue, between West 13th & Jane Streets
I loooove tea and sympathy and all things related to it. Had high tea there and it was great. Love the store next door and a salt and battery! fantastic review.
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