Overview
By Chris Lukic
A West Village institution and an expat favorite, serving up classic British dishes in all of their starchy deep fried glory.
History
Tea, sympathy and $28,000 a month
David Bowie celebrated turning 60 at Tea & Sympathy1, and the shop, popular with the neighborhood's celebrity crowd, turned up in "Sex and the City"1. Founded in 1990, it serves traditional British fare to customers from across the five boroughs1. In 1999 the owners expanded with a fish-and-chip shop next door, A Salt and Battery1. When we listed it, we called it a West Village institution and an expat favorite, its British classics served in all their starchy, deep-fried glory.
Institutions pay rent, too. By November 2018 Tea & Sympathy, its British grocery store and A Salt and Battery were paying $28,000 a month in rent between them, with property taxes and other costs climbing1, and the owner started a GoFundMe page1.
It's still at 108 Greenwich Avenue, where afternoon tea for one arrives on a tiered stand with finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and a pot of tea2.
Sources
Researched October 2026.