Tea and Sympathy

It would seem the streets around Greenwich Avenue would have little in common with England's village greens and warm beer, but that doesn't stop Manhattan from having its very own Little Britain.  For those of us whose budgets don't allow an actual trip to the UK, I'd say this area of the City is definitely one you should frequent the next time a staycation is in order.  And how fitting that on the day I visited, ran clouds covered the sky.

The quaint district is centered around Tea and Sympathy, a British backlog where grub, gossip, and goodies are all quiet plentiful.  It's divided into both a store and restaurant.  The former features every item you could possibly imagine featuring a British flag plus tons of teapots and tasty treats.  A single gals dream, every employee working there is a young hot British boy with the best accent.  They even have my Scottish grandmother's favorite candy, Quality Street.  And, a few plates featuring the Queen and everyone's darling royal couple can also be found.

So many teapots! 

Doesn't this remind you of the candy shop in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? 

I'm proud to say I resisted the urge to gobble all these tasty sweet treats! 

As for the restaurant, it's just perfect for ladies who lunch.  Alongside endless teapots, crookedly framed pictures of the Queen and Lady Di line the walls.  And one of my favorite features was wallpaper highlighting the best British books.  Floral tablecloths and creaky wooden floors complete the cozy British vibe.  You'd swear you just apparated into London, all Harry Potter style.

Of course, you're now probably wondering about the food--delicious!  First things first,  I of course had to order tea.  They have over 30 to chose from, but I decided on their classic Earl Grey.  And, for my meal it was a lentil pot pie.  All I'm saying is Marie Callander's got nothing on Tea and Sympathy!  Paired alongside green peas, the main course was simply scrumptious.  Their desserts sounded amazing, but I was way to full on my three cups of tea to indulge in apple crumble or sticky banana cake.


Now be prepared; only 23 can cram into the tiny hideaway.  So I wouldn't suggest coming here with bunches of shopping bags.  But besides that tiny deterrent, I'd say it's perfect!

And after your Tea and Sympathy visit, perhaps you'd like to take home their souvenir cook book?