New York City Food Tours

By Santorini Dave

See Also

• Where to Stay in NYC

We loved the Pizza Tasting Bus Tour through Brooklyn. Wonderfully fun and informative.

The 10 Best Food Tours in NYC

1. The Story of the Lower East Side’s Food Culture

Lively tour of the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy. There’s a fair bit of walking in this one. Lots of great food and interesting NYC history.

2. Brooklyn Food & Culture Bus Tour

Wonderful half-day tour of Brooklyn food, history, and culture. Tastings vary but often include meatballs, knish, falafel, pirozhki, pierogi, kielbasa, coffee, cannoli, apple pie, chocolate, and some amazing pizza. Plenty of vegetarian options are also available. This is probably the best food tour in New York City. (If it’s sold out, the Brownstone Brooklyn Food Tour is also very good.)

3. Private Food Tours

If you’re looking for something more private and with fewer people there are several excellent private food tours in NYC. Two of our favorites are the Brooklyn Pizza & Brewery Tour and Greenwich Village Food Crawl.

Best Private Tours in NYC (not food related)

• Manhattan Walking Tour
• Manhattan Helicopter Tour

4. Lower East Side Food Tour

Great tour of a historic NYC neighborhood. Stops include legendary places like Russ & Daughter’s, Katz’s Delicatessen, Kossar’s Bialys, Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery, the Doughnut Plant, The Pickle Guys, and North Dumpling.

5. Food Tour of Greenwich Village

Pizza, bagels, cupcakes, artisanal mac and cheese, bread, prosciutto, donuts, french pastries, cannoli, coffee, and more. Great tour and lots of fun. (If sold out try the Original Cupcake Tour of Greenwich Village.)

6. Pizza Tasting Bus Tour

Take a deep dive on New York City pizza. Guides are pizza fanatics. Tour starts in Manhattan and takes you to 4 pizzerias in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Highly recommended.

I’ve done so many great food tours of Manhattan and Brooklyn and have never really done anything close to bad. The best food tours are a fantastic and fun way to learn about the city’s culture, history, and heritage. The 3-hour Lower East Side Food & Culture Tour is the single best food walking tour in the city.

7. Hell’s Kitchen Walking Food Tour

Get generous tastings from some of the best restaurants in New York. Hell’s Kitchen is the lively and diverse neighborhood just west of Times Square and a great area to learn about the city’s architecture and history.

8. Brunch, Lunch or Dinner Cruise

Cruise New York Harbor on board an all-glass boat (the Bateaux New York) for a 2.5 to 3-hour sightseeing cruise departing from Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. Aweseome views of the city!

9. Guided Delicious Donut Tour

Start at Eataly and hit some of the city’s top donut spots such as Doughnut Plant, Donut Pub, and the Doughnut Project.

10. Flatiron Food, History, & Architecture Tour

Fun tour with 4 gourmet tastings. Eataly (the Italian food market) is the highlight for many – but there’s lots to see in this wonderful food district in Midtown Manhattan.

The Lower East Side Food Tour is the best food tour for first-time visitors to New York City.