Little Britain in The Big Apple
What this foodstroll is
Our take on the best things to do and eat near NYC’s “Little Britain” in West Village.
Why this foodstroll works
Great Britain used to own a lot of things around here, but not anymore. Fortunately for them, what precious little remains occupies some prime West Village real estate, perfectly situated near The High Line and Hudson River Park. And while its presence as a global superpower may have waned in the 20th Century, Great Britain’s food is as delicious as ever. It’s also practical. An English Full Breakfast, a Fish ‘n Chips lunch, and a Sunday Roast have you covered at every meal. If you take our entire foodstroll, it starts and ends in about the same place, and that’ll be just enough exercise to entitle you to enjoy two of them.
Strolling
You can begin the stroll right in the heart of Greenwich Village at Washington Square Park. The park was built in the 1820s as a military parade ground, and the surrounding area has been one of NYC’s most desirable ever since. Countless contemporary movies have been filmed here. The Washington Square Arch was built in 1889 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of George Washington taking the oath of office. It is one of three Triumphal Arches in NYC.
From there head to the corner of Waverly Pl and Gay St. Despite the neighborhood’s famous reputation as an LGBTQ Mecca, Gay St has nothing to do with it. It was named after a colonial family way back in the day. The tiny street has been used as the location for several music videos, including Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”.
The Whitney Museum relocated downtown in 2015, and is right on the border of West Village and the Meatpacking District at 99 Gansevoort Street. Founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (of the famous Vanderbilt family), the museum has over 25,000 permanent works of art from the late 19th century to today, with an emphasis on living artists.
The entrance to The High Line is right next door to The Whitney. Built in 2009, it is a 23 block (1.5 mile) long park constructed on an old elevated New York Central Railroad line. Tickets are free but reserve them in advance.
Walking north along the High Line from West Village, there are great places to take pictures overlooking Chelsea and The Meatpacking District, two of Manhattan’s most popular neighborhoods. Street Art is a recurring theme throughout The High Line, and several murals were created courtesy of the famous Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra.
The High Line ends at Hudson Yards Public Square, on 34th Street. Right at the center is Vessel, a 16 story structure with 360 degree views, open to the public. Tickets are free but reserve them in advance. Just scan the bar code on the machines outside the Vessel with your iphone. If there’s a wait, you can grab some Van Leeuwen Ice Cream from a truck right outside.
Hudson River Park refers to the entire waterfront area between 59th St and Battery Park on Manhattan’s west side. It has 4.5 miles of continuous walking and biking paths, with many places to stop along the way. You could enter around 34th Street and take it all the way back to The Village, with views of lower Manhattan and The World Trade Center along the way.
On your way back, stop by 90 Bedford St or 66 Perry St for exterior views of the Friends apartment building or Carrie Bradshaw’s Sex and the City townhome, respectively. If you take our entire Foodstroll up through The High Line and back down through Hudson River Park, you end up about where you started in the West Village, and that makes for a great afternoon.
Food Spots
1. Tea and Sympathy
Tea and Sympathy serves traditional British comfort food along with a first class cup of tea. Scones with cream and raspberry jam accompany their Afternoon Tea, along with other cakes and pastries.
The Full Monty English Breakfast is a great way to start your day, or end it. Eggs, Bacon, Beans, and Toast are certainly hearty, and it comes with tea and OJ.
Savory meat pies are one of Great Britain’s legacies. Most of us grew up on chicken pot pie, and this Chicken and Leek Pie is like that, only much, much better.
Sussex Chicken is a British breed typically roasted whole with stuffing inside and gravy on top. Hide the peas inside mashed potatoes and there’s a good chance your kids will eat their vegetables.
A Salt and Battery is our favorite “Chippy” in NYC, and it’s two doors down from Tea and Sympathy. Both spots have the same owner, who also owns Carry On Tea and Sympathy next door, a British specialty goods store.
We don’t hear much complaining every time we announce Fish ‘n Chips will be our next meal. We’ve tried explaining to our kids that this is a bastion of international British dining, but all we hear back is “fish sticks”.
It’s difficult to say we have a favorite order at Salt. These scallops are in the running, but their shrimp, cod, and haddock are all excellent.
They deep fry other things too, like Battered Sausage. Try the Deep Fried Mars Bars for dessert.
Myers of Keswick is a grocery store, butcher, and bakery specializing in British products. It’s our go-to for traditional bangers, and their meat pies, like the Curried Lamb pie, make great takeout options.
Scotch Eggs dipped in Colman’s Mustard is maybe our favorite snack to eat on the run. A handy treat to carry on long foodstrolls.
All their pastries are great, including the scones. The cream and jam are imported from the UK, and you should definitely take a jar or two home.
They carry all sorts of British Teas. Look for HP sauce, a famous British style BBQ sauce. And of course, love it or hate it, they carry Marmite.
Transportation
Most subways in Manhattan stop at 14th St, and the A, C, E, 1, 2, and 3 trains all stop very close to the food spots and entrance of The High Line.