| Tea and Sympathy | |
|---|---|
 The trio of businesses, pictured in 2022 | |
 Interactive map of Tea and Sympathy | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1990 (1990) |
| Owners | Nicky Perry (co-owner) Audrey Kavanagh-Dowsett (co-owner) |
| Food type | British |
| Location | 108 Greenwich Avenue, New York City, New York, 10011, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°44′18″N 74°00′07″W / 40.73832°N 74.00194°W / 40.73832; -74.00194 |
Seating capacity | 22 |
| Website | teaandsympathy |
Tea and Sympathy is a tea room-style restaurant in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. A British-themed establishment established in 1990,[1][2] it is located at 108 Greenwich Avenue.[3]
The restaurant is co-owned by Nicky Perry, a Londoner who moved to the United States in 1981,[4] and her daughter,[1] Audrey Kavanagh-Dowsett.[5] Perry originally co-owned the restaurant with her husband, Sean Kavanagh-Dowsett, who died from cancer in 2023.[1][6]
In 2019, Perry and Kavanagh-Dowsett were paying a combined $28,000 monthly rent for the restaurant and the two adjacent stores they also co-owned: Carry on Tea and Sympathy (opened in 1996) and A Salt and Battery (opened in 2000).[7][6]
David Bowie celebrated his 50th birthday at the restaurant in 1997.[7]
In 2002, the restaurant had 22 seats.[4]
The businesses in the block in which the restaurant is located, between West 12th and West 13th Streets, have struggled since the closure of St. Vincent's Hospital in 2010. Around thirty businesses closed over the next three years.[8] In 2018, Tea and Sympathy started a GoFundMe to keep the business afloat.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Pavia, Will (September 26, 2025). "She runs a British tea shop in New York. Now she could interview Obama". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ Pavia, Will (February 3, 2023). "Meet the restaurateurs bringing the Great British roast to bemused New Yorkers". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ Kortava, David (December 17, 2021). "The Irony of British-Inspired Tea Parlors in New York City". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- 1 2 Witchel, Alex (November 6, 2002). "A Nice 'Cuppa Tea,' Now in Book Form". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ "About Us". teaandsympathy.com. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- 1 2
- 1 2 Kilgannon, Corey (April 15, 2019). "This West Village Institution Is Fighting for Survival, One Scone at a Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ Adisman, Kathryn (May 1, 2023). "A conversation with Sean Kavanagh-Dowsett (February 2013)". The Village Sun. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ Vianna, Carla (November 15, 2018). "Longtime West Village British Tea Shop May Be Forced to Close". Eater NY. Retrieved April 8, 2026.