I always love a good home cooked meal—even if it costs three times tge price of one. The atmosphere of the restaurant is what I believe attracts most people to it. The food itself is good but not in a “omg I NEED to eat this again” way. The Shepards pie was a little bland, the chicken pot pie a little soupy, and the side of peas felt lack luster. The flavors were mostly on point though. My absolute favorite was the spiced ginger cake. It was warm and had a perfect spice level which dissipated with the warm custard. I can only accurately describe it as a warm hug by your favorite grandma.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Cakes
Babneet Kaur
Tea & Sympathy has a lovely British vibe with great afternoon tea options—sandwiches, desserts, and a wide variety of teas. I tried the Darjeeling tea, which was just okay, so I’d pick something else next time. The place is crowded with a 1-2 hour wait, so reservations are a must. It’s a bit pricey ($70 for one, $120 for two), but worth it for the experience!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea for Two
Ari Ellie
It's a little difficult to get a table and the space is quite cramped, but the menu has great options for a nice afternoon tea time in the city.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea for Two
Barbara Schoetzau
Generous serving of tea sandwiches and excellent scones. But the sweet consist of 3 lumps of stale tasteless cake. Definitely note worth &60
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Mihir Rao
Horrific service. The server came and snatched my girlfriend’s custard while she was actively eating and didn’t even ask if we were done. We were pouring our second cup of tea from the pot and one of the servers came and told us (didn’t ask us, rather told us very rudely) to leave since they need the table for other people.
I would have understood this if we stayed too long. We were there for a grand total of 30 minutes before being booted out. It is a damn tea shop and they don’t give you time to sip your tea? Are we expected to chug boiling water and dash to free up space for them?
Worst part is, we saw other tables where there were people who had come in before us still sitting and enjoying their tea. I’m not sure if this establishment decides to pick on patrons at random or if this is racially motivated. I sincerely hope it is the former.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Camille Casmier
had a really fun time but felt a little tooo rushed out considering we paid for 5 people to have the prosecco afternoon tea
Maryjeanne DiPalermo
Just ok. Super cramped space, impossible to move. And $22 for a plate of eggs? C’mon. That’s beyond inflation.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Rabia Samad
If you’re a person of color PLEASE DONT COME HERE. 2 mins in and a woman with curly grey hair comes in and violently pushes my table to the side saying it needs to be all the way near the window and I don’t even know who she is Then they tell us we need to move to another corner and then the waiter tells us to order we tell them we want to see the menu another lady comes in and says are you ready to order? I ask her if I can take 4 mins to see and if that’s fine and she says WELL I JUST CAME TO SAY HELLO. And gets upset- after this I decide I won’t pay them to humiliate me and be mean and obviously racist- I’m about to leave the woman tells me is YEAH I THOUGHT SO- Insinuating that someone like me couldn’t have paid for it- mind you I’m a dentist and my husbands a doctor LOL
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Norma Stary
My favorite part was dessert: the most amazing rhubarb crumble with custard. Yum!
Valerie Chang
A bit cramped in here, but they make do with what they have. Recommended parties of 4 or less as it is difficult to accommodate parties of a larger size. Afternoon tea is a must try, but I recommend ordering specific things on the menu that may be included in the afternoon tea set if you are not looking to have everything on the set. It's $60 for an afternoon tea set per person. I ended up spending about 70 to 80 for two people. I recommend trying the victoria Sponge Cake! It's really light and soft, while also crumbly. Served with a filling of strawberry jam and cream, making it perfect to have with your tea.
Had a 2:15 reservation on my birthday. Showed up at 2:19 and they would not seat us (2 people) and were very rude about it. I can’t believe in a city where a train can be delayed at any moment, there is no grace period for even 5 minutes. I had been a loyal customer before but will not be returning.
Service: 1
Amy Chang
tea & sympathy is such a disappointment. the food is absurdly overpriced—nearly $30 for an english breakfast that would cost less than £10 in the UK. the quality doesn’t justify the price at all, considering how simple it is to make. but honestly, the worst part was the service: completely rude + dismissive, which made the experience even more frustrating. not worth it for the food, the price, or the attitude.
Zeneida Disla
First let me say, the shop, Carry On Tea and Sympathy is an essential store for tea lovers in NYC. I have been to the restaurant many times. I used to be enamored of it, but after my last visit, the sheen is wearing off. This is not Bergdorf's or the Plaza Hotel or Pierre Hotel, so the expectation is that it will be a warmer, cozier ambience. 1. Don't go in the Winter or when it is cold because you will freeze, whether you sit outside or inside. Because of their outdoor shed, they keep the door of the actual restaurant open so the staff can easily move between the shed and the restaurant. 2. They are too expensive for what they offer. There is no reason, NONE, to pay $12 for a slice of their single layer cakes. When you think of scones, you think it should be the size of the palm of your hand. Not here. Very small, no variety, basic. Maybe that's how it is in the UK? That wasn't my experience in London. 3. Dining while Black is always a challenge: you don't want to make a scene, or be viewed as "that aggressive Black woman". I spent a nice amount there, but our waitress was inattentive, the guy in the store was rushed because he was watching a football match. Just an overall disappointing experience.
Recommended dishes: Traditional Scones
Shannon Hartigan
The eggs were so runny they seemed raw. The tomato was a full tomato and not easy to cut into. The beans were advertised as Heinz they were not. No brown sauce. I would not call this an English Breakfast. No idea how the roast would be but wanted to warn about breakfast.
Food: 1
Eugene Choi
our plates were cracked and teapot and lid weren’t matching, food is standard
I always love a good home cooked meal—even if it costs three times tge price of one. The atmosphere of the restaurant is what I believe attracts most people to it. The food itself is good but not in a “omg I NEED to eat this again” way. The Shepards pie was a little bland, the chicken pot pie a little soupy, and the side of peas felt lack luster. The flavors were mostly on point though. My absolute favorite was the spiced ginger cake. It was warm and had a perfect spice level which dissipated with the warm custard. I can only accurately describe it as a warm hug by your favorite grandma.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Cakes
Tea & Sympathy has a lovely British vibe with great afternoon tea options—sandwiches, desserts, and a wide variety of teas. I tried the Darjeeling tea, which was just okay, so I’d pick something else next time. The place is crowded with a 1-2 hour wait, so reservations are a must. It’s a bit pricey ($70 for one, $120 for two), but worth it for the experience!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea for Two
It's a little difficult to get a table and the space is quite cramped, but the menu has great options for a nice afternoon tea time in the city.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea for Two
Generous serving of tea sandwiches and excellent scones. But the sweet consist of 3 lumps of stale tasteless cake. Definitely note worth &60
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Horrific service. The server came and snatched my girlfriend’s custard while she was actively eating and didn’t even ask if we were done. We were pouring our second cup of tea from the pot and one of the servers came and told us (didn’t ask us, rather told us very rudely) to leave since they need the table for other people.
I would have understood this if we stayed too long. We were there for a grand total of 30 minutes before being booted out. It is a damn tea shop and they don’t give you time to sip your tea? Are we expected to chug boiling water and dash to free up space for them?
Worst part is, we saw other tables where there were people who had come in before us still sitting and enjoying their tea. I’m not sure if this establishment decides to pick on patrons at random or if this is racially motivated. I sincerely hope it is the former.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
had a really fun time but felt a little tooo rushed out considering we paid for 5 people to have the prosecco afternoon tea
Just ok. Super cramped space, impossible to move. And $22 for a plate of eggs? C’mon. That’s beyond inflation.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
If you’re a person of color PLEASE DONT COME HERE. 2 mins in and a woman with curly grey hair comes in and violently pushes my table to the side saying it needs to be all the way near the window and I don’t even know who she is
Then they tell us we need to move to another corner and then the waiter tells us to order we tell them we want to see the menu another lady comes in and says are you ready to order? I ask her if I can take 4 mins to see and if that’s fine and she says WELL I JUST CAME TO SAY HELLO. And gets upset- after this I decide I won’t pay them to humiliate me and be mean and obviously racist- I’m about to leave the woman tells me is YEAH I THOUGHT SO- Insinuating that someone like me couldn’t have paid for it- mind you I’m a dentist and my husbands a doctor LOL
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
My favorite part was dessert: the most amazing rhubarb crumble with custard. Yum!
A bit cramped in here, but they make do with what they have. Recommended parties of 4 or less as it is difficult to accommodate parties of a larger size. Afternoon tea is a must try, but I recommend ordering specific things on the menu that may be included in the afternoon tea set if you are not looking to have everything on the set. It's $60 for an afternoon tea set per person. I ended up spending about 70 to 80 for two people. I recommend trying the victoria Sponge Cake! It's really light and soft, while also crumbly. Served with a filling of strawberry jam and cream, making it perfect to have with your tea.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Victoria Sponge Cake
Restaurantji Recommends
Had a 2:15 reservation on my birthday. Showed up at 2:19 and they would not seat us (2 people) and were very rude about it. I can’t believe in a city where a train can be delayed at any moment, there is no grace period for even 5 minutes. I had been a loyal customer before but will not be returning.
Service: 1
tea & sympathy is such a disappointment. the food is absurdly overpriced—nearly $30 for an english breakfast that would cost less than £10 in the UK. the quality doesn’t justify the price at all, considering how simple it is to make. but honestly, the worst part was the service: completely rude + dismissive, which made the experience even more frustrating. not worth it for the food, the price, or the attitude.
First let me say, the shop, Carry On Tea and Sympathy is an essential store for tea lovers in NYC.
I have been to the restaurant many times. I used to be enamored of it, but after my last visit, the sheen is wearing off. This is not Bergdorf's or the Plaza Hotel or Pierre Hotel, so the expectation is that it will be a warmer, cozier ambience.
1. Don't go in the Winter or when it is cold because you will freeze, whether you sit outside or inside. Because of their outdoor shed, they keep the door of the actual restaurant open so the staff can easily move between the shed and the restaurant.
2. They are too expensive for what they offer. There is no reason, NONE, to pay $12 for a slice of their single layer cakes.
When you think of scones, you think it should be the size of the palm of your hand. Not here. Very small, no variety, basic. Maybe that's how it is in the UK? That wasn't my experience in London.
3. Dining while Black is always a challenge: you don't want to make a scene, or be viewed as "that aggressive Black woman". I spent a nice amount there, but our waitress was inattentive, the guy in the store was rushed because he was watching a football match. Just an overall disappointing experience.
Recommended dishes: Traditional Scones
The eggs were so runny they seemed raw. The tomato was a full tomato and not easy to cut into. The beans were advertised as Heinz they were not. No brown sauce. I would not call this an English Breakfast. No idea how the roast would be but wanted to warn about breakfast.
Food: 1
our plates were cracked and teapot and lid weren’t matching, food is standard
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Traditional Scones
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