Nestled in the West Village–aka Greenwich Village–between 12th and 13th streets is a neighborhood fit for a queen…the Queen of England that is. Little Britain—or Little England as it’s sometimes called— is your gateway across the pond in NYC. Fill up on bangers and mash and imbibe authentic English tea whilst perusing a handful of shops and restaurants that make up NYC’s Little Britain!
This small ethnic neighborhood boasts some of the city’s most authentically English shops. Thanks to Ms. Nicky Perry, a British expat and entrepreneur living in NYC –whose near gag experience sipping knock off tea–spawned Tea and Sympathy, an English themed tea house serving British bites such as bangers and mash, welsh rarebit and shepherd’s pie. The restaurant also has an adjacent store, Carry On, where you can purchase teas sold in the UK and other carry out food items.
If you’re seeking specialty British food items and/or personal care products, then a quick visit to Myers of Keswick on Hudson Avenue is a must! It’s your one stop shop for all things British! From yorkshire pudding and bangers to Radox soaps!
A few blocks away on Greenwich Avenue is the cheeky named A Salt and Battery, an authentic British Fish and Chips restaurant that gets top ratings for their perfectly battered fish dishes!
(12th and 13th Streets) New York, NY
Back in ’07 British ex-pats living in the city to include the aforementioned Ms. Perry and a few other big wigs i.e. Joss Stone and Virgin Atlantic Airlines, banded together in an attempt to have this neighborhood in the W. Village renamed to Little Britain, joining the ranks of other recognized ethnic enclaves—think Chinatown, Little Italy, but lost out.
Despite this obstacle and being one of the smaller ethnic neighborhoods in NYC, Little Britain still provides a very authentic British foodie experience that shouldn’t be passed up.
So the next time you’re in the West Village, hungry and craving a cultural experience, visit NYC’s variety of UK themed businesses!
Visited Little Britain lately? Tell us your experience!
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