Last month, I visited Tea & Sympathy with a group of friends for a holiday celebration. It is one of my favorite afternoon tea spots in NYC and I normally get their exceptional tea and scones. I have never been disappointed with their afternoon tea staples. (Their clotted cream that is served with the scones is especially good.)
One thing that you need to know about Tea & Sympathy is that it is a tight fit. While the physical space isn’t especially large, there are a couple of other good reasons for the crowding. The staff is very warm, friendly and helpful. That makes you want to return and bring friends. The spot “feels” like a cozy little teashop in England in my imagination. (I especially love their beautiful variety of teapots and cups!)
The only other thing that you truly need to know about is the food at the restaurant. When I think of British food, I automatically think of Tea & Sympathy. (In fact, when I was trying to come up with a shepherd’s pie recipe for a British themed going away party, I turned to their site for inspiration!) Anyway, I branched out from my traditional afternoon tea order and tried some additional new things during my last outing. I ordered the bangers ‘n mash which featured two different types of sausages along with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was really good. I will confess that I’m a bit of a mashed potatoes snob though. It is almost impossible for mashed potatoes that are cooked for a crowd to be as tasty as homemade mashed potatoes, but these were close. A friend had also ordered the treacle pudding. It tasted like a honey and molasses sponge cake smothered with custard. It was so delicious that I will get my own serving the next time that I visit.
In any event, Tea & Sympathy is now not just one of my favorite afternoon tea places, but it is also one of my favorite dinner spots too! If you have been to Tea & Sympathy, what is your favorite item on the menu?
Tea & Sympathy
108 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 989-9735
As I mentioned earlier, Tea & Sympathy can be crowded, but it is worth the wait. While my group was waiting for our table, we browsed around the Tea & Sympathy store that is right next door to the restaurant. There are all kinds of British themed food, sweets, drinks, tea sets and more in the small store. The gentleman who runs it is both informative and hilarious. (His wife is British, but I don’t think that he is – even though he has that dry, British wit about himself). Either way, he has a great love for all things British…including his wife. I want to go back just to hear more of his stories! FYI: If you don’t live in NYC, you can still purchase some of the Tea & Sympathy teas, British groceries and seasonal items from their online store.
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