food tours of ny

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13 top-rated nyc food tours of 2024.

Take a bite out of the Big Apple on these foodie-focused NYC excursions.

The Top-Rated NYC Food Tours

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As one of the best foodie cities in America , New York City has no shortage of delicious eats spread across its five boroughs. But the enormous volume of food carts, award-winning restaurants and long-standing favorites can be overwhelming for visitors searching for the Big Apple's most delicious dishes. A food tour can be a great way to narrow your search, thanks to the guidance of an in-the-know local. Considering traveler sentiment and expert opinion, U.S. News selected the top food tours in NYC. Whether you're craving the best bagel or the tastiest slice of pizza, you'll walk away with a full belly and a better understanding of the local food scene after one of these tours.

A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours – The Original Brooklyn Pizza Tour

Price: Adults from $105; kids from $95 Duration: 4.5 hours

Calling all pizza lovers – this tour was made for you. During the nearly five-hour outing, you'll board a bus from Manhattan to Brooklyn where you'll enjoy Neapolitan-style pizza at Grimaldi's and Sicilian-style pizza at L&B Spumoni Gardens. You'll also visit filming locations of famous movies like "Saturday Night Fever," "Goodfellas" and "The French Connection." In between stops for pizza, you'll have to time to enjoy a stroll on the Coney Island boardwalk (a particular highlight for reviewers) and pass by the million-dollar homes along Shore Road in Bay Ridge. Travelers heap praise on the guides for their knowledge and humor, and appreciate the many stops for photos. Others appreciated the comfortable bus.

The tour is typically available Wednesday and Friday through Monday at 11 a.m. If you didn't get your fill of the borough, you can also join in on the company's other Brooklyn-themed tours.

Check prices & availability on:

Nice Guy Tours – Greenwich Village Tour

Price: From $89 Duration: 3 hours

For a food tour that mixes in a healthy dose of New York City history, consider the Greenwich Village Tour from Nice Guy Tours. On this foodie excursion, you'll make at least six stops for samples of the neighborhood's best falafel, pizza, fries and cupcakes, among other tasty treats. Along the way, you'll see neighborhood landmarks, such as the longest-running off-Broadway theater, the narrowest house, the oldest house and Washington Irving's former home, not to mention the exterior of the famous "Friends" apartment. Participants commend Nice Guy Tours, saying the guides are funny and knowledgeable, and the food is incredible.

The tour is offered Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; additional tour times may be available depending on the month. Food-focused tours of the Lower East Side are also available.

New York Fun Tours – The Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food & Culture Tour

Price: From $149 Duration: 4.5 hours

For a crash course in the food and neighborhoods that make Brooklyn so unique, consider this nearly five-hour outing led by New York Fun Tours. You'll start the tour in Greenwich Village and then board a coach bus to Brooklyn where you may visit neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Carroll Gardens. As you learn about the history of each neighborhood, you'll sample some of the area's most famous dishes, including traditional Polish pierogis and kielbasa, New York-style brick oven pizza and cannolis, among other tasty bites. At the end of the tour, you have the option of boarding the bus back to Greenwich Village or walking across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. Tourgoers offer high praise for the variety of food featured and applaud the guide and driver for their expert knowledge of the area.

Tours are usually offered Thursday through Monday at 11 a.m. Private tours of Manhattan are also available.

Check prices & availability:

Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting – Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest

Price: From $105 Duration: 3 hours

Learn about the history, culture and food of two of New York City's distinct immigrant neighborhoods on this tour. You'll meet your guide in Chinatown, where you'll enjoy a Chinese pastry paired with jasmine green tea followed by authentic Chinese dumplings, roasted duck or egg rolls, as well as a tour of the neighborhood's historic Chinese landmarks. From there, you'll make your way to Little Italy for a brief history lesson before heading to mom and pop shops to sample prosciutto, olives, cheeses, fresh pasta and more. In all, you'll enjoy up to three seated tastings and up to six on-the-go tastings – a great value, travelers say. According to reviewers, this is a fun, filling combo tour with engaging guides who are very knowledgeable about the two neighborhoods.

Tours are typically offered multiple times a day beginning at 10:30 a.m. Private dinners in Little Italy and public tours of Mulberry Street (in Nolita) are also available.

Intrepid Urban Adventures – Tenements, Tales, and Tastes

Price: From $79 Duration: 3 hours

This tour celebrates the impact of immigrants and the cuisine they brought to New York that locals and visitors still enjoy today. The tour starts at the African Burial Ground National Monument and weaves around the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown, among other ethnic enclaves. As your guide provides historical context of the various neighborhoods and the immigrants who shaped them, you'll sample dumplings, knishes, pretzels and cheese, among other delicious bites. Reviewers say the tour provides an outstanding overview of the immigrant experience and deftly introduces participants to some hidden gems.

Tours are offered daily at 10 a.m. Intrepid Urban Adventures also offers a Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo food tour, among others.

Free Tours by Foot – Greenwich Village Food Tour

Price: Free (excludes cost of food) Duration: 2 hours

If you're on a budget, this may be the excursion for you. Instead of paying one upfront fee for the tour and the food, you'll pay as you go. During the approximately mile-long tour, you'll stop at several different shops and restaurants in the village where you can choose whether you'd like to pay for a sample or not. You'll generally spend between $8.50 and $15 on your bites, according to the company. Possible dishes featured along the tour include falafel, pizza, bagels, cupcakes and arancini (fried rice balls). As with other trips from Free Tours by Foot, you'll pay your guide what you think the trip was worth at the conclusion of the tour. Past travelers said they loved sampling the different food and appreciated the flexible pricing.

Tours are offered at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday and reservations are required. The company also offers food tours in a variety of other neighborhoods, including Chinatown and Williamsburg, as well as seasonal tours.

Check availability on:

Courtesy of Foods of NY Tours

Foods of NY Tours – Chelsea Market & The High Line

Price: Adults from $75; kids from $50 Duration: 3 hours

Sample one of the city's best hot dogs, Brooklyn-made ice cream and more on this tour of Chelsea Market and the High Line . The tour includes six on-the-go tastings and two seated tastings, along with commentary from your expert guide about the market's history and its vendors, as well as the history of the High Line and how the elevated rail line was once used to transport millions of tons of meat, dairy and produce. Reviewers laud the tour guides for their engaging, passionate commentary, their ability to navigate the crowds and their recommendations.

Tours are available at 10 a.m. Thursday through Monday. When you're ready to explore beyond Chelsea, consider signing up for the company's tours of other famous foodie neighborhoods, including Brooklyn, Chinatown and Nolita.

Manhattan Walking Tour – Hell's Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Walking Tour

Price: From $134 Duration: 4.5 hours

According to reviewers, this tour combines just the right mix of food, history and sightseeing. During the half-day stroll, you'll make stops at five different spots in Hell's Kitchen for tasty eats like empanadas, hush puppies, baba ghanoush and doughnuts. You'll also enjoy a walking tour of Central Park – a particular highlight for travelers. Tourgoers are complimentary of the passionate guides and the interesting and delicious food. What's more, tours are capped at eight participants – another plus for reviewers.

Tours are offered daily at noon. If you've gotten your fill of Central park, you can also book an abbreviated version of this tour that does not stop at the park.

Secret Food Tours New York – NYC Food Tour in Greenwich Village

Price: Adults from $79; teens from $74; kids from $69 Duration: 2.5 to 3 hours

This traveler-approved food tour takes up to 12 participants through Greenwich Village to sample a classic New York bagel, falafel, a cupcake, a slice of pizza and a gourmet doughnut for a total of six stops. Part of the fun on this tour is the "secret dish," which is revealed the day of your tour. Participants say the tour is educational, with many praising the secret stop and the personable guides.

Tours are offered daily beginning at 11 a.m. Still hungry? The company also offers tours of Chinatown, Little Italy and Brooklyn.

Like a Local Tours – Flatiron Food, History & Architecture Tour

Price: Adults from $78; kids from $68 Duration: 3 hours

Appeasing both history buffs and foodies, this tour explores the food, architecture and history of two of New York's most iconic neighborhoods: the Flatiron District and Union Square. During the mile-long stroll, you can enjoy Italian fare at Eataly and a Reuben at Zucker's Bagels, plus snap pictures at the famous Flatiron Building and more. Tourgoers rave about the substantial food portions and the knowledgeable guides, who win praise for sharing plenty of historical context in a fun, engaging way. However, a few reviewers warn the tour may not be entertaining for young children since it focuses heavily on history.

Tours are offered Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Kids younger than 4 can tour for free. The company also offers food and walking tours of other NYC neighborhoods and boroughs, including Brooklyn.

Sidewalks of New York Tours – West Village Food Tour

Price: Adults from $89; kids from $75 Duration: 3 hours

Indulge in classic New York City dishes while exploring the tree-lined streets of the West Village on this tour. With a local as your guide, you'll make six stops for samples including bagels, pizza, falafel and cupcakes. Along with the histories and traditions of the eateries, you'll also learn about the hangouts of the Beat Generation and Bob Dylan and view the exterior of Monica's apartment from "Friends," among other West Village hot spots. Reviewers applaud the variety of food offered and the generous portions. Others gush about the friendly, knowledgeable guides.

Tours are offered Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. Prices include all food. After you've sampled the West Village food scene, consider the company's other food tours of midtown, downtown and the Lower East Side, among others.

Underground Donut Tour – New York City: Downtown Donut Tour

Price: Adults from $75; kids from $65 Duration: 2 hours

Doughnuts have an extensive history in New York City. Dutch settler Anna Joralemon opened the United States' first doughnut shop in NYC in 1673, and Harlem bakery owner Adolph Levitt created the first automatic doughnut machine, dubbed "The Wonderful Almost-Human Automatic Doughnut Machine," in 1920. Travelers can learn more about this deep-fried, ring-shaped pastry with the Underground Donut Tour. The 2-mile walking tour takes participants on a journey through downtown New York, with stops along the way to try treats like a brioche-style doughnut and an everything doughnut. Reviewers say the tour guides are knowledgeable and the outing is an overall delicious experience. Travelers were also surprised and delighted by the variety of doughnuts featured.

Tours are offered daily between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Underground Donut Tour also offers outings in Times Square and Union Square, along with private tours, tours for students and bachelor and bachelorette parties.

Greg Walks NYC – NYC Greenwich Village Italian Food Tour

Price: From $89 Duration: 2 to 3 hours

The New York City Greenwich Village Italian Food Tour aims to teach travelers about the area's Italian history through food. During the walking tour, foodies will have a chance to visit famous Greenwich Village shops and eateries like Raffetto's Pasta and the Tiro A Segno Italian Rifle Club – one of the oldest private Italian heritage clubs in the U.S. As Greg shares stories of the neighborhood's past, you'll also sample Italian delicacies, such as prosciutto di parma, Italian cheese bread and fruit-a-misu, a berry tiramisu. Reviewers say this tour is fun and filled with interesting information. Many called it the highlight of their NYC trip.

Tours are offered Tuesday through Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The company also offers other walking tours, including the East Village Pierogi Food Tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

New York City is famous for several foods thanks to its diverse residents, who represent an array of cultures. Some of the most famous foods that you may encounter on a food tour or when dining throughout the city include falafel, bagels, pizza, pastrami sandwiches, soft pretzels, hot dogs, cheesecake, pierogis and dim sum.

Tips for tour guides are not mandatory, but gratefully accepted. In New York City, it's standard to tip 18% to 25% of the tour price.

Interested in more New York City tours? Check out the:

• Best New York City Tours
• Best New York City Bus Tours
• Best Statue of Liberty Tours
• Best New York City Boat Tours
• Best New York City Walking Tours

Tags: Tours , New York City , Travel , Vacations , food and drink

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Foods of New York Tours

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Foods of NY Tours Original Greenwich Village Food & Cultural Tour

Nolita & Secrets of Little Italy Food Tour by Foods of NY Tours

Foods of NY Tours Chelsea Market Food Tour & High Line Park

Flavors of NYC Chinatown Food and History Walking Tour with FNYT

Heart & Soul of Greenwich Village Food & Culture Tour by FNYT

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Foods of New York Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Celebrating 12 Years of Delicious Food Tours - Small & Large Group Team Building Available

WEST VILLAGE FOOD TOUR

Quick Details

Hour Glass   Duration: 3 hours

Map Marker   Stops:  Six different tasting locations

Food   Tastings: All food included. Enough food for lunch. Vegetarian friendly.  Click here for other dietary restrictions.

ABOUT WEST VILLAGE FOOD TOUR

Don’t fall for the culinary tourist traps when you’re visiting Manhattan! Sidewalks of NY offers irresistible New York food tours in the cultural hotspot of the West Village.

Ask any New Yorker where to find the best pizza, hamburger, cupcake, bagel, dim sum, or coffee, and they undoubtedly reply with a strong opinion. Time Out New York dedicates entire issues to the “Best-of list” in 50+ categories.

Our expert foodies have done extensive and delicious research to offer you the ultimate best-of food tour. The tastes, traditions, and old-world class of these landmark establishments create a true New York experience. It’s no coincidence these foods can all be found in the historic and savory West Village. Let the debate begin!

TASTING LOCATIONS

(6 of the following places, you MAY NOT go to ALL of the places, subject to change)

*Private Tour tasting locations may be different than ones listed below.

• Faicco’s Italian Specialties: Mom-and-pop shop owned and operated by a fourth generation of the Faicco family. (Est. 1900)
• Bleecker Street Pizza: Voted Best Pizza in New York 3 years in a row by The Food Network!
• Galanga Thai: Small, basic Thai eatery the locals frequent. (Est. 2004)
• Cuba Restaurant: Classic dishes such as roast pig & ropa vieja are boosted by live son music & hand-rolled cigars.
• Mamoun’s Falafel: The oldest falafel restaurant in the city. (Est. 1971)
• Pomme Frites: Busy, old world-style destination for Belgian fries served in paper cones with gourmet sauces.
• Molly’s Cupcakes: Finalist on the The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, named after the owner’s third-grade teacher. (Est. 2011)
• Hudson Bagels: Authentic New York bagels, always boiled before baked. (Est. 1997)

Behind every great food establishment in this city, there is an equally great story of tradition and innovation. On our food tours in New York City, you can discover these amazing histories while tasting what has made these eateries so beloved by locals.

FOOD TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Taste variety of delicious foods, from the best specialty food stores to ethnic eateries.
• Enjoy the quaint tree-lined streets and architecture of the West Village.
• Our fun, fascinating, and knowledgeable tour guide divulges tidbits of information only locals know.
• Walk hidden streets in the West Village, where we may be the only people on the street.
• View the apartment building where Monica from Friends lived.
• Learn about the hangouts of the Beat Generation and Bob Dylan.
• Taste the best bagel, pizza, and cupcakes in the city without the lines.

Private West Village Food Tour

Want to make our delicious and fun West Village food tour a private event? Contact Us! We specialize in curating the best private culinary experiences.

• Chevron down Meeting Location

The tour meets in front of the Porto Rico Importing Co located at 201 Bleecker St, New York (10012). If you are lost or running late, call us at 877-568-6877 and we’ll try to help you find the group.

Directions: The closest subway stop is the West 4th Street stop on the A, C, E, B, D, or F trains. Exit the subway station and walk in the opposite direction of traffic, going south along 6th Ave. Make a left at Bleecker Street, and the Porto Rico Importing Co will be on your left about halfway down the block.

You can also take the 6 train to Bleecker St and walk west about 8.5 blocks. Once you pass MacDougal St, the Porto Rico Importing Co will be on your right about halfway down the block.

Minetta Garage is located at 122 West 3rd Street just off of 6th Ave. Walk right out of the garage and make a right onto MacDougal Street. Take a right at Bleecker Street and the meeting location is at 201 Bleecker Street.

• Chevron down What's Not Included?
• One bottle of water is included. Additional drinks may be purchased on your own.
• Tip for your food tour guide. It’s customary to tip your guide 15%-20% of the purchase price.
• Chevron down Activity-Specific Policies

Please review the seller’s policies for this activity. Once tickets are purchased, these are binding.

• Activity takes place rain or shine The activity runs regardless of weather conditions. In the rare situation where the seller is forced to cancel the event, ticket-holders are allowed to reschedule to another time (subject to availability).
• Non-refundable, cannot be rescheduled Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded and cannot be rescheduled because your space is being guaranteed at the event.

Related Food Tours

• Featured NYC tour!
• Map Marker New York City
• Clock 11am-2pm
• Calendar Sunday & Monday

LOWER EAST SIDE FOOD TOUR

Join us as we explore what was once an immigrant and working-class neighborhood rich in ethnic diversity and culture. Savor foods from world-renowned 100+ year-old Jewish food institutions.

• Info Private Only
• Clock 11am-1pm
• Calendar Monday - Friday

MIDTOWN FOOD TRUCK TOUR

We’ve done the legwork so we can guide you to the tastiest and most innovative cuisines prepared and served on the street.

• Clock 3pm-5:30pm
• Calendar Friday & Saturday

PIZZA, BEER, & HISTORY TOUR

Enjoy learning interesting tidbits and increase your cultural knowledge, all while savoring three pizza samplings and two beer tastings in historic Greenwich Village.

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The Best Food Tours in NYC

Free Tours by Foot is proud to present the only pay-what-you-like food tours of New York City.

If you are looking for a food tour that leaves your stomach full but your wallet empty, then Free Tours by Foot food tours may not be for you.

Why Choose Us?

• Greenwich Village Food Tour

Lower East Side Food Tour

• Self-Guided Tours

If you are looking for a fun, filling, and affordable way to take a bite of the Big Apple, come to join us.  

We offer food tours every day of the week, but not all tours run daily.  

We recommend that you take a look at our full schedule to see whether or not a particular food tour listed below will be running when you are in NYC.

Like always, our New York food tours are free to take. We believe in allowing you to name your own price, even free after the tour is finished.

And our reviews speak for us. See what others say about our local guides on Google , TripAdvisor , and Yelp .

And unlike costly food tours that decide for you what and how much you'll be eating, we believe in giving foodies the choice to decide what to eat, how much you eat, and how much you spend.

Each tour stops at 4-5 scrumptious food shops that serve up incredibly delicious and inexpensive cuisine served in portions that can be easily divided and shared or singularly devoured.

Our guides make recommendations and facilitate ordering, but you have the final say.

You choose your own food and pay for it directly (usually between $7-$15).

In between the food stops, you'll have time to digest your food as well as the history of the neighborhood, as told to you by our entertaining and knowledgeable local New York tour guides.

Our Greenwich Village Food Tour explores the restaurants, shops, food, and architecture of the West Village, one of Manhattan's most historic neighborhoods.

Greenwich Village is a visitor favorite for visitors and locals alike for its shady, winding streets with 19th Century houses, its bohemian roots, and historic Washington Square Park.

But the Village's tree-lined streets are also lined with some of the best restaurants and food specialty shops in all of the Big Apple.

You'll crunch your sweet tooth with scrumptious desserts, indulge in prosciutto arancini (rice balls) from a shop 100 years old, and eat falafel at one of the first Middle Eastern establishments in the United States.

And in a city known for its pizza, you will try not one but two of the city's best-rated pizzerias, including one called Artichoke Pizza.

Eateries and Foods:

• Mamoum's Falafel
• Hudson Bagels
• Faiccos Rice Balls
• Bleecker Street Pizza
• Artichoke Pizza
• Varsano's Chocolate
• Molly's Cupcakes
• and much more!

Audio Tour Version

You can also take our Greenwich Village Food Tour on your own with our self-guided audio tour.

Here is a sample of our  GPS-led audio tour version  of this tour.

Download this audio tour .

Check out our blog post on  things to eat in Greenwich Village  which describes some of the below-mentioned locations.

The Lower East Side is known for its blend of cultural diversity and rich history. It's also known for its great food.

This walking tour is a food-tasting tour and is the perfect way to discover this fascinating neighborhood. 

The streets of the Lower East Side tell the tales of struggling immigrants - Eastern Europeans, Russians, Germans, Puerto Ricans - who came to America in search of opportunity.

They brought with them recipes from the 'old world' and you can still taste these foods today. 

Bagels, Knish, and Dumplings: Join us on our Lower East Side Food Tour, and explore food influenced by immigrant cultures from Eastern Europe, Russia, Germany, Puerto Rica, and many more!

Many of these stops are mom-and-pop shops that have been in business for over 100 years.

Food shops we stop at:

• Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery (see video below)
• Kossar's Bialy and Bagels
• North China Dumpling
• Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
• The Pickle Guys*

We don't stop inside Katz's Deli, but you can go inside to taste their delicious pastrami on rye sandwiches.

We also have 3 more food tours that run less often.

• East Village Food Tour
• Chinatown Food Tour
• Williamsburg Food Tour

Seasonal Food Tours

• Flatbush Brooklyn Food Tour
• Greenwich Village Dessert Tour
• Harlem Gospel Tour and Soul Food Experience
• East Village Pub Crawl

We also offer several self-guided New York Food Tours

• Chelsea Market
• Harlem Soul Food
• Arthur Avenue in the Bronx
• Lower East Side Food and History
• Historic New York City Bars
• Where to Find New York's Best Bagels
• Be sure to also read our blog post on eating well for little money in New York City .
• How to Order at Katz's Deli

If our guided food tours schedule doesn't work for you, there are other companies offering guided food tours.  

If you are considering getting a tourist pass, you should know that many include guided food tours.  

We wrote a post to help you determine whether or not a tourist pass is for you .

For those interested in an extensive tour covering the culinary and cultural history of various neighborhoods, you may want to consider a Secret Food Tour.

This company currently offers the following outings:

• Brooklyn Food Tour
• New York Pizza Tour

You can also search for individual guided food tours  with Viator.

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About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

North america, united kingdom & ireland, middle east & india, asia & oceania.

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The best food tours in NYC

Looking for an awesome food tour? NYC’s best culinary adventures will take you everywhere from Williamsburg to Harlem.

With more than 20,000 restaurants in Gotham, it’s hard to know where to begin, unless you want to spend a fortune trying each and every single one (we wouldn't blame you if you tried). One way to try at least some of the greatest restaurants is to book a comprehensive food tour of NYC.

One of the great things about NYC is that it's made up of tons of unique neighborhoods, each with a distinct culture that plays a role in shaping its cuisine. And while you could, technically, try to hit all the best restaurants in NYC , it would be quite the challenge. From cheap eats in Chinatown to some of the best New York pizza in Greenwich Village , there’s a food tour in NYC for whatever you’re craving. Better come hungry!

RECOMMENDED: Find more NYC tours and walks

This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click  here .

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Best food tours in NYC

1.  Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food and Culture Tour

Despite Manhattan's abundance of white-clothed, Michelin-starred dining rooms, some are now touting Brooklyn as the epicenter of food culture in NYC. Either way, it's impossible to deny that Brooklyn's dining scene is incredible, from pierogis in Greenpoint's Polish stronghold to tacos and pupusas in Sunset Park and trendy farm-to-table newcomers in Williamsburg. To provide a thorough understanding of the borough's eats, this half-day tour will take you through all those neighborhoods, as well as Dumbo, the waterfront neighborhood where you'll enjoy sweets from the renowned Jacques Torres chocolate factory. The tour starts in the West Village and transportation is provided via an air-conditioned shuttle bus, for your dining comfort.  

2.  Flatiron Food and History Tour

Long considered a culinary wasteland, the Flatiron District has become, in recent years, a full-fledged foodie destination, thanks in part to the recent surge of boutique firms and tech start-ups setting up shop there. This bang-for-your-buck tour comes with four tastings at NYC favorites including Italian megamarket Eataly, historic  Zucker's Bagels  and award-winning Bread's Bakery. The tour also stops at the iconic Flatiron building for a photoshoot, and passes through the Union Square Farmer's Market (Saturday only).

3.  Pizza Walking Tour of Manhattan

What trip to New York would be complete without sampling some of the city’s best pizza? Everyone has a favorite spot and your tour guide is no exception. Choose between three nabes—Little Italy, Greenwich Village or the Lower East Side—and prepare to feast on several slices of crispy thin-crust pizza fresh out of the oven. Depending on which route you pick, you’ll visit beloved local institutions like Joe’s Pizza, Patsy’s Pizzeria and John ’s of Bleecker Street.

4.  NYC Food Tour: Chinatown and Little Italy

NYC is a beautiful blend of different cultures, so what better way to spend a day than touring around foodie hotspots in Chinatown and Little Italy? The two-hour tour takes you to four different tastings, learning about the history and visiting local shops and establishments that have been standing for generations. You'll be led by historian tour guides and be part of a small and intimate group to get the best out of the experience

5.  Chelsea Market and High Line Food Tour

Embark on this three-hour tour of the hippest and foodie-focused places in NYC: the High Line, Chelsea Market, and Meatpacking District. The small-group tour will be led by a guide, offering insider tips and educating you on the locations you're visiting. Savor artisanal specials picked up from the market and marvel at the architecture of the Meatpacking District. Delish!

6.  Half-Day Hell's Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Stroll

A food tour of Hell's Kitchen and a walk through Central Park to burn it off, what could be better? Sample food with Middle Eastern, Latin, and Indonesian backgrounds, then discover the secrets of Central Park, led by a professional guide. The group is limited to eight people so you can guarantee an intimate experience. It lasts two hours and the food tastings are included. Put on your comfiest shoes and loosest pants, you're about to indulge. 

7.  Lower East Side Bagel Tour

Come hungry: You start this walking tour of the Lower East Side with a piping hot bagel smeared with cream cheese. The eats only get better as you visit venerable New York institutions like Katz’s Delicatessen, Russ and Daughters, The Pickle Guy and Economy Candy. It’s not all about the food either: Your guide will explain how immigrants shaped both this neighborhood and its cuisine as you walk.

8.  Kosher Food Tour of the Upper West Side

This tour focuses as much on the Upper West Side’s Jewish community life as it does the food. You’ll learn about Judaism’s traditions, rituals and religious practices like keeping kosher on this 2.5-hour tour. After stopping at a few local synagogues, you’ll nosh on tastings from kosher eateries like the Kosher Marketplace, Murray's Sturgeon Shop and Zabar's. There’s also time to do some grocery shopping, if you need to restock your supply of whitefish and lox.

9.  New York City Pierogi Walk

Past the seedy vape shops and tattoo parlors on St. Mark’s Place, you’ll find the East Village’s borscht belt. The Polish, Ukrainian and Eastern European immigrants who moved into the nabe in the ‘30s brought pierogies, kielbasa, blintzes and potato pancakes with them. Join a two-hour pierogi walk to savor the neighborhood’s history and food in one fell swoop. 

10.  The Original Cupcake Tour of Greenwich Village

If your main motivation for traipsing around a city is the promise of sweet treats, then this Greenwich Village cupcake tour is the one for you. Made up of seven tastings and trips to iconic venues such as Magnolia Bakery and Molly's Cupcakes, your dessert cravings will be well and truly satisfied by the end of this sugar-centric adventure. You'll also get to customize your own cupcake and pay a bonus visit to Amorino for some world-class gelato. 

Looking to walk off all the food?

Check out the best walking tours in NYC

• Things to do

From food to architecture, immerse yourself in the city’s best attractions with the top walking tours NYC has to offer

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NYC Food Tour in Greenwich Village

• Secret Food Tours: NYC - Greenwich Village

With countless glowing reviews that definitely speak for themselves, our culinary journey through the heart of New York City is sure to be the highlight of your trip.

Our NYC-Greenwich Secret Food Tour is not only one of our best selling tours worldwide, but it is also a widely awarded gastronomical experience. Join our expert local guides as they take you on an unforgettable exploration of the Village's most iconic and delicious foods.

We'll start with a New York classic: an everything bagel with a "schmear". Then it's on to the paradigm of New York sandwiches, Falafel. Of course, it wouldn't be a New York food tour without the pizza. As we stroll through the charming streets of the Village, we will excite your senses with sweet surprises and our exclusive Secret Dish.

If you find yourself in NYC on any given day, make sure to seize the opportunity and book our 5-star tour.

Ready to join us? Book now from the calendar on the right — and let the feast begin!

• Your guide will teach you what to look for when choosing a classic New York-style bagel, then you'll eat it.
• We'll walk to a local alehouse and indulge in a Falafel.
• You'll stop at a local cupcake bakery for a sweet little treat.
• Next up is a slice of NYC style pizza.
• We'll check out one of the hottest gourmet doughnut & cookie shops in the city and taste why.
• As with all our tours, there's our delicious Secret Dish.

* Please note: the itinerary and menu is subject to change, based on the locations' availability, weather, and other circumstances.

If a tour is fully booked, or you are looking to book a *Group or Private Tour - please email us about Group & Private Tours options.

*Please note - Group & Private Tours are specifically organised for your group and therefore subject to a premium price.

Our Top Recommendations For You

Book Now to Save on These Amazing Tours

• New York-style bagel with a "schmear"
• Classic Falafel
• The best New York pizza
• Gourmet Cookie.
• Mouth-watering Cupcake
• Our delicious Secret Dish

Due to the nature of creating a well balanced and thoughtful gastronomy experience, many of our tours are unable to accommodate certain dietary restrictions. Please contact us prior to booking your tour to see if we are able to accommodate your dietary needs.

We chose the Greenwich Village district for our New York City food tour because of the district's diverse restaurant scene, deep-rooted history, architecture, and its timeless charisma. While the rest of the city was subject to the 1811 grid system, the Village was able to escape this fate because of its charming, meandering streets.

The powers that be could not be bothered to try to reroute the winding streets found here. But their loss was our gain! This was a big win, both for those residents and for us because we get to take a step back into time and stroll outside of city life without actually leaving the city!

Secret Food Tours New York

Everyday 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

IFC Center - 323 6th Ave

Secret Food Tours: NYC - Brooklyn

Secret Food Tours: NYC - Little Italy & Chinatown

That is very easy! Go to our "Book Now" page, where we detail our tours. Select your tour and the time of your tour and book it! Are you looking for something special or are you organizing an event? Just email us at Group & Private Tours and we will do our best to arrange something that suits you. After your booking is made, we will send you an automatic e-mail confirmation. If you have any questions before booking, feel free to contact us via email .

*Please note if you are using a special promo code then enter it in the "Voucher Code" section before you select the amount of tickets you would like to purchase*

You can find the meeting spot here and if it's not clear you can always contact us.

IFC Center - 323 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014 Take the 6th Avenue/Carmine Street exit at the West 4th Street A/B/C/D/E/F/M subway station. The IFC Center is located directly behind the subway exit. Your guide will be waiting for you underneath the IFC Center marquee, holding an orange umbrella. Please call +1 (929) 529-6388 if you need further assistance. »»CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS««

7th Avenue near Bleecker Street, closest to the Christopher Street-Sheridan Square #1 train subway station.

We have had many vegetarian guests join our tours, and they have all thoroughly enjoyed their time with us. For any other dietary restrictions feel free to email us at [email protected] before booking. In addition, please inform your guide of any food allergies or special dietary requirements. We want every guest to truly enjoy the tour!

Children are more than welcome to our tour and it's free for any child 2 years or under, but their presence MUST BE NOTIFIED UPON BOOKING OF THE TOUR at [email protected] ! We have had many families attend from all over the world and everyone enjoyed the tour.

You will leave our tour with a full stomach, a full mind, and a full heart. We advise that you DO NOT eat a large meal before this tour. Come hungry and wear stretchy pants!

Our tours are often sold out very quickly. If the date you requested is not available, please do not hesitate to email us and we can see if there is anything we can do. We cannot promise but we will try our best to sort something out for you.

We strongly advise wearing comfortable walking shoes. Our tour runs a little over 3 hours. Although we have several seated food stops, we cover a good deal of ground around Greenwich Village as well. Our pace is moderate, but if you need a slower pace, let us know.

We take 12 people max. If you are more than 12 people, please do not hesitate to email us and will try to see if we can accommodate.

You do not have to print your voucher. A confirmation on your phone will be fine!

All of our vouchers expire one year from the date of purchase.

Your guide will take care of everything. However, if you have a food allergy or special request, please let your guide know. Substitutions may be made based on special dietary needs.

Unfortunately, the weather is unpredictable in New York. We do not issue refunds as per our terms and conditions. We also inform you that we never cancel a booking even if we have only 2 people! However we do reserve the right to cancel the tour if we feel the weather is extreme, and we cannot run the tour due to this for more info see our Terms and Conditions: https://www.secretfoodtours.com/terms-and-conditions/

You must book directly on our website. We do not accept cash payments. Our online payment is safe, secured and SSL protected.

The booking fee that you have to pay is up to our ticket provider and we can't change it. All our clients need to pay for it upon booking. The booking fee charged contributes to the cost of the ticketing system to provide an excellent service to our customers.

A few banks have charged their customer an extra fee while booking with us (this isn't the booking fee but another fee added by the bank). We think this is unfair, if this happens let us know by showing us in your bank statement and we will refund this fee as a gesture of good will.

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19 Best Food Tours in NYC that Every Foodie Must Experience

• 3 Pinterest

Taking you deep into multicultural, historic enclaves, these delicious locally-led tours highlight the top eats around town — from pizza in Little Italy to pierogis in Brooklyn and soul food in Harlem, you’ll get to taste your way around the most eclectic neighborhoods in New York City .

So come hungry, and prepare for one of the best things to do in NYC : eat! If you don’t know where to start, find my top 3 picks in the table below, or scroll down to see the entire list of the best food tours in NYC !

Want to dive straight in? Browse our catalog now!

• food tours in NYC

1 – Guided Food Tour of Chinatown and Little Italy

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 1586 reviews )

“The entire tour was awesome and Elizabeth was a very knowledgeable tour guide! Special diet restrictions were handled very well.” Harrison. Viator

Two Manhattan neighborhoods that overflow with flavor thanks to their distinct immigrant heritage, both Little Italy and China are culinary Meccas.

But as many run-of-the-mill tourists will attest, there’s almost an overwhelming amount of eateries to choose from. That’s why it helps to have someone from the Ahoy New York Food Tours team leading the way.

Living locally, the tour guides can take you on a beeline to the most historic, most delicious haunts around town — not just the famous names, but the little hole-in-the-wall joints that not even all New Yorkers know about.

Summary of the activity:

• Start the tour in Chinatown with a cup of tea, Chinese pastry, and Beijing-style dumplings
• Explore Little Italy and sample fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, olives, and fresh pasta
• Vegetarian tastings are available upon request
• book this food tour

This tour is exceptionally well organized and run by a fantastic guide (usually Patrick, Hannah or Valerie). You get a lot of food and you learn a huge amount about the local history as well.

The Tenement Museum at the end is a nice touch too. It comes highly recommended!

2 – The Original Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food and Culture, Bus Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 734 reviews )

“This was a great tour of Brooklyn. We learnt so much about the culture and history from our amazing tour guide Laurie. And to top it all off, the food stops were absolutely delicious! Definitely recommend this trip.” Ian. Viator

Move over, Manhattan! The Big Apple’s most hipster borough is rapidly proving to be a foodie paradise, and this tour shows you exactly why.

Combining all the best flavors from trendy enclaves like Williamsburg, DUMBO (a haven for sweet tooth and one of the top things to do in Brooklyn ) and Greenpoint, this New York Fun Tours foodie adventure will bless you with at least 7 different local staples.

Think Neapolitan pizza, traditional Polish kielbasa, French chocolate bon-bons and a melt-in-your-mouth Italian cannoli. Hungry yet?

Eats aside, you can also expect fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline, with plenty of history, culture and local insights thrown in the mix.

• The tour includes transportation by bus
• Enjoy 7 tastings, including Falafel, Shawarma, Pierogies, Kielbasa, and others
• check this offer

Make sure you start this tour with an empty stomach because a smorgasbord of delicious food is in store! Not only are you taken on a culinary journey through Brooklyn, but Laurie, Rick and the team also teach you a lot about local culture and history. A truly A+ tour.

3 – Greenwich Village Walking and Food Tasting Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 1220 reviews )

“Ian’s information sharing really made this trip interesting and eye opening. The food was all very good – as expected. We’ll go back and eat at most of these in the future.” Sam. Viator

While Greenwich is best known for being the home of New York’s counter-culture and bohemian community, it’s also a foodie haven. After some serious gentrifying, the Village has become a hotspot for everything from New York pizza to falafel and artisanal cupcakes.

While you could walk around and discover the street food on your own, the Nice Guy Tours team reveal all of the hidden gems that only the locals know about.

If you’re after the perfect blend of history, culture (you’ll even get to see the Friends apartment), and delicious eats, add this one to the itinerary.

• Sample New York’s specialties and discover hidden landmarks in the city
• Enjoy 7 tastings, including Falafel, Cupcakes, Pizza, Fries, and others
• check offer

Come hungry, leave happy. That’s the gist of this Greenwich tour.

Not only will you get to sample some of NYC’s most famous dishes, but thanks to the friendly guides, you’ll also learn about the fascinating history and culture that has shaped this charming neighborhood. Worth booking!

4 – Greenwich Village Italian Food Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 584 reviews )

“Greg was a wonderful guide, a complete Wealth of knowledge of the city, food and restaurants and shops we visited. I would recommend to anyone looking at food tours in NY”. Vince. Viator

While the next-door neighbor, Little Italy might draw most of the spotlight when it comes to mouthwatering Italian food, it’d be a sin to overlook Greenwich .

Not only is this hipster enclave the home of NYC counterculture, but it’s also developed a reputation in recent years for its outstanding foodie scene . And with the Greg Walks NYC team, you can learn all about it from the perspective of a local.

With over half a dozen stops including bakeries , century-old coffee shops and ravioli joints — and photogenic landmarks in between — it’s a couple of delicious hours well-spent.

Greg knows his neighborhood down to the inch! Since it’s a relatively small group, he can give personal attention to everyone on the tour.

The food, of course, is absolutely delicious, and the landmarks seen along the way are beautiful as well. A great way to discover the Village!

Read more: Best NYC city tours

5 – The Story of the Lower East Side’s Food Culture

Rating: ⭐️ 4.8/5 ( 271 reviews )

“Mickey was the best! She knew so much history and she was very friendly 🙂 we enjoyed the tour and we had a 12 and 13 year old in our family.” Dee. Getyourguide

Home to 100-year-old bakeries, pizza joints that have passed down generations, and some of the best dumplings this side of the Hudson, the Lower East Side is a coveted smorgasbord of flavors.

Combining areas like Little Italy, Chinatown, and Nolita, the Intrepid Urban Adventures tour shines a spotlight on how multicultural immigration has made Manhattan the foodie paradise it is today.

Expect to try Ashkenazi Jewish snacks, classic Italian dishes and Chinese staples, with stops at landmarks like the Tenement Museum, the New York Supreme Court and St Patrick’s Old Cathedral adding that extra sightseeing touch.

Bruce, Mickey and the Intrepid team are so welcoming and so knowledgeable! Since they’re locals, you’ll get to see areas of NYC that most tourists miss.

All the food is delicious, but the fried dumplings are to die for! For a mix of history and food, lock this in.

6 – New York Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 917 reviews )

“This was one of the highlights of our trip to New York. Such a great neighbourhood to explore and the food tastes were just perfect.” Michael. Viator

Everyone knows about Katz’s Deli and Lombardis. This tour takes you away from the usual tourist hot spots and introduces you to the real New York cuisine ; the hole-in-the-walls, the mom-and-pop shops and the hidden gems that you won’t find in the mainstream guidebooks.

With two equally fantastic choices — Greenwich Village or Chinatown and Little Italy — you will get to wander through historic, multicultural streets tasting everything from dumplings to bagels, falafels, cupcakes, New York-style cheesecake, donuts and fresh mozzarella .

With a knowledgeable Secret Food Tours guide leading the way and revealing the city’s best-kept foodie secrets, this tour is not one to miss.

Regardless of whether you choose the Greenwich or Little Italy/ Chinatown tour, you’re in for a treat. The dishes aren’t only delicious, but they reveal the history and culture of their respective neighborhoods.

The guides are so passionate about sharing their love for food and NYC — certainly recommended!

Read more: 35 Best Walking Tours in NYC

6 – Half-Day Hell’s Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Stroll

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 283 reviews )

“The information on the rich cultural history of Hells kitchen, food selections, and unique trivia about central park created a fantastic experience.” Carol. Viator

While Hell’s Kitchen and Central Park may not sit side by side, they represent two of New York City’s most coveted destinations for first-time (and returning) visitors.

On this particular Manhattan Walking Tour , you get to combine taste-testing with sightseeing — a perfect introduction to the multifaceted city that is New York.

You’ll start by eating your way through international specialties in Hell’s Kitchen , with a mouthwatering ice cream sandwich for dessert . From there, you’ll check off some of the relaxing things to do in Central Park and get a much-needed change of pace.

An unexpected but fantastic combination, the Hell’s Kitchen Food Tour and Central Park Stroll is widely regarded as one of the top food tours in NYC.

You get to learn about the rich cultural history of the area, making it so much more than just a taste-testing session. A+.

8 – NYC Food Tour: Flatiron & Union Square by Like A Local Tours

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 200 reviews )

“Wonderful day! The food stops were fabulous and our tour guide Justin was really fun and knowledgeable! Tons of great stories about the local architecture. I highly recommend this tour!” Deborah. Viator

An often overlooked enclave of Midtown – yet only to the detriment of those who choose to walk past it – the Big Apple’s Flatiron District is home to an amazing array of delicious foods and drinks .

On the Like A Local Tours walkabout, you’ll quickly realize that this slice of Manhattan boasts so much more than just a triangular skyscraper; Flatiron and Union Square are melting pots of New York City’s history, culture and of course, gastronomic delights.

As you explore the two neighborhoods, you’ll sample everything from classic New York pizza to award-winning bagels and the famous Caffe Lavazza brew at the Eataly Market .

If you want to explore off-the-beaten-path foodie spots in NYC, then this Flatiron tour is a wonderful option. The guides deliver a great balance between fun facts and history, and are always so friendly and helpful.

So long as you don’t mind a lot of (delicious) carbs, it’s a brilliant tour!

9 – High Line Park and Greenwich Village Food Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 370 reviews )

“Our tour guide Clare was excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly. She took us to places we would have normally just walked past. The various food stops again were very good.” Barry. Viator

A former railway turned urban park, the High Line has evolved to be one of Manhattan’s most spectacular attractions, regularly sitting high on visitors’ lists of things to do in Manhattan . This 1.45-mile-long stretch of elevated greenery dishes up stunning views of the city, away from the chaotic streets.

Combine that with a walkabout of Greenwich Village, one of NYC’s most charming and avant-garde neighborhoods , and this Manhattan Walking Tour activity makes for a fantastic half-day adventure.

You’ll sample delicious bites along the way like pizza, chocolate, and Italian specialties , popping into a couple of underground jazz clubs and independent bookstores in between.

Taking two very good tours and combining the highlights into one great adventure, this foodie walkabout is a fantastic way to blend sightseeing with taste-testing.

Alex, Jonathan, Tim, Claire and Jake are all locals who are passionate about New York food and history. One of the top-tier choices.

10 – New York’s West Village Food Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 120 reviews )

“Adam was awesome!! This was by far our favourite tour on our trip. The food tastings were really good and substantial.” Rossella. Viator

Ask any New Yorker and they’ll agree: Manhattan’s West Village is one of, if not the go-to spot for finding the best food in New York City . Its quaint cobblestone streets and charming old-world architecture make it the perfect backdrop for a day of feasting with Sidewalk Food Tours .

As you wander through this beloved neighborhood, you’ll taste your way through some of its most renowned dishes — the pizza slice named best pizza in NYC 3 years running, award-winning cupcakes , and a real boiled-then-baked New York bagel . It’s a popular tour for a reason!

Talk about a foodie paradise! The West Village overflows with delectable eateries, and the Sidewalk team knows exactly where to go.

The food tastings are substantial and the guides are so sweet. Takeaway? The West Village Food Tour is a must for any self-proclaimed food lover visiting NYC.

11 – Williamsburg Food Tasting & Walking Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 165 reviews )

“Paul’s interesting knowledge of Williamsburg and beyond and the many selections of foods to try. Really loved Pies and Thighs, Joes Pizza and the best doughnut Ive ever had, from Doughnut Plant.” Alexa. Viator

Quickly rising the ranks in the NYC foodie scene, Williamsburg brings together all of the best flavors of the city — pizzas, bagels, classic delis and so much more, all wrapped up in an up-and-coming, eclectic neighborhood vibe.

With the It’s All Good Tours walkthrough of Williamsburg, you’ll get to taste a half-dozen local specialties while passing through some of the trendiest boutiques, galleries and waterfront views in Brooklyn .

Throw in some vibrant street art and postcard-worthy Manhattan skyline panoramas from Domino Park, and you’ve got yourself quite the envy-evoking adventure!

No trip to NYC would be complete without a wander around this artsy neighborhood, and there’s no better way to do it than on a food tour like this one. Paul and the guides are terrific, and so is the food – you’ll be very full by the end of it!

12 – Chelsea Market and High Line Food Tour by Like A Local Tours

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 373 reviews )

“Great food at all stops. Ethnic choices. Guide Seth was fabulous and personable. Highly recommend. Beautiful walk along the Highline.” Kathleen. Viator

One of Manhattan’s most gentrified enclaves, Chelsea and the Meatpacking District have evolved into a collective foodie paradise. That’s thanks largely to the market at its center, a coming-together of dozens of international flavors.

Combined with a wander along the High Line (considered one of the best places to visit in New York City ), this Like A Local Tours adventure promises a delightful mix of food, history, and culture.

After sampling Sicilian-style pizza , a Doughnuttery doughnut , some halva , and some homemade honey (to name a few), you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for New York’s buzzing food scene.

This tour is very informative, enjoyable, and delivers a great balance of classic and modern sights. All the market food is fantastic, but the pizza and the mini doughnuts are particularly delicious. Laura, Svetlana and the team are patient, personable, and make you feel so welcome.

Definitely worth doing!

13 – Midtown Manhattan Street Food Walking Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4.8/5 ( 12 reviews )

“Very nice Guide with lots of insides of street food. The food was very tasty. Don’t eat before that tour. Would recommend this tour to everyone visiting New York.” Torsten. Viator

Run by Turnstile Tours , this Midtown Manhattan foodie adventure is all about showing off the tastiest gourmet food in NYC .

Joined by a knowledgeable New Yorker guide, you’ll be led through the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan, known for its endless options of delicious street food .

In between no fewer than 6 generous tastings (Mexican tacos, Greek souvlaki, Bengali kati rolls and more), you’ll get to check off landmarks like Bryant Park while meeting local food truck vendors and hearing fascinating tales of the city’s big-name chefs.

Appropriate for all ages , it’s considered one of the top family things to do in New York City with kids .

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You will learn a lot more on this tour than you’d expect! Besides getting to taste local staples, the friendly guides share the history of street food vending in the city – a topic you wouldn’t hear about on most other tours.

The food is delicious and diverse, so come hungry!

• Manhattan food tours

14 – New York City Mafia Experience & Local Food With Former NYPD Guides

Rating: ⭐️ 4.5/5 ( 164 reviews )

“The stories were brought to life by our guide, Jonathan. He made sure to connect with each person in our group bringing us together giving the tour a friendly, personal feeling. Our dinner at Benito One was authentic and absolutely delicious!” Suzan. Viator

Why take a mob tour and a food tour separately when you can combine them into one unforgettable experience? That’s exactly what Mafia Food Tours have done — this unique adventure takes you through the East Village, Little Italy and Chinatown neighborhoods, highlighting their controversial history of organized crime with delicious treats along the way.

What makes this tour particularly special is its guides; besides being experts in the local food scene , they’re also former NYPD members ! With their insider knowledge and personal experiences, you’ll get a much more authentic rendition of the city’s dark side and infamous mobsters.

The fact that this tour is run by a former NYPD officer who was born and bred in Little Italy is incredible. Not only will you get insider knowledge about the city’s underworld, but you’ll also delight the tastebuds.

This food tour is definitely one of our top picks for NYC.

15 – From Manhattan: Half-Day Brooklyn Food and Culture Bus Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4.9/5 ( 58 reviews )

“Laurie was incredible both in personality and knowledge. We loved every minute! This tour is a must when visiting NYC.” Joseph. Getyourguide

A great option for anyone staying in Manhattan who wants to explore beyond the skinny borough, this particular New York Fun Tours  excursion covers all the logistics to ensure you have a seamless, utterly delicious day in Brooklyn !

Covering areas like Williamsburg, Greenpoint (where the best pierogies in town await), and DUMBO (for a sweet treat at the Jacques Torres chocolate factory), you’ll be treated to deep dives into food, culture and history all rolled into one.

Being a region renowned for its ethnic diversity, you’ll get to taste staple dishes that originate from all corners of the world.

Rick and the team are very informative and have a great sense of humor. While it’s a little pricier than other NYC food tours, the fact that all the transport and food are included makes it worth the price.

The food is absolutely delicious and full of history too.

16 – NYC East Village Pierogi Food Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 26 reviews )

“Great guide, great food, great time! A variety of delicious perogies! Very knowledgeable guide! Lots of fun!” Antone. Viator

If you’re hunting for a good old Polish pierogi , NYC boasts two standout destinations: Greenpoint in Brooklyn, and the East Village in Manhattan.

Greg Walks NYC takes you on an in-depth walkthrough of the latter – an amazing neighborhood known for its multicultural enclaves (Little Italy, Chinatown and, of course, Little Poland) and rich food culture.

On this tour, you’ll get to experience firsthand the variety of Polish staples; far more than just pierogies , the menu also features traditional favorites like kielbasa, egg cream, and rugelach .

With five eateries included in between sightseeing, it promises to be a couple of hours well spent.

Great food, great times. The pierogies on this tour are some of the best in the city. Tour guide Greg is an expert in the local culture and also points out some amazing buildings along the way.

If Eastern European cuisine is one of your guilty pleasures, then the Pierogi Walk food tour is one for the ages.

17 – Private Harlem Soul Food and Jazz Evening Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4/5 ( 127 reviews )

“This tour was one of the highlights of my holiday, what a wonderful night and great tour guide. The food was fabulous.” Linda. Viator

With a reputation that precedes it, Harlem has long been known as a hub for music (jazz and hip-hop, in particular) and delicious food .

This private evening tour by Harlem Spirituals combines the best of both worlds, allowing you to experience the intricacies of Harlem’s soul food scene (think: cornbread, spare ribs, collard greens and tender fried chicken ) while notching up some jazz riffs along the way.

Thanks to stops at quintessential tourist attractions in New York City like the Cotton Club , Minton’s Playhouse and the Apollo Theater , and a live jazz performance to boot, this highly educational tour is guaranteed to have you tapping along.

It’s not the cheapest tour going around, but if you’re traveling as a large group of music lovers, it can be a marvelous evening.

By the end of the night, you’ll be stuffed, you’ll be dancing, and you’ll have learned so much about Harlem’s history.

18 – Retired NYPD Guided Gangster, Crime and Food Walk

Rating: ⭐️ 4.5/5 ( 17 reviews )

“Grear dollar value, great experience, and a great history tour that is cleverly combined with some great food stops. Go for it!.” Rod. Viator

Rolling back the curtain on the gritty underbelly of New York City, this Like A Local tour dives into crime, corruption, and the seedy side of the Big Apple. And thanks to the retired NYPD guide , the stories are all the more authentic. But don’t worry, it’s not all cemeteries and shady characters — the walkabout also includes stops at some of the best food joints in town .

Come hungry — you’ll get to indulge in some red sauce pizza at John’s of 12th Street , try some of Russo’s handmade cheese , dig into a mouthwatering cannoli for dessert , and a handful more.

Ideal for history buffs who want to ditch the run-of-the-mill food tours and go beyond the more touristy neighborhoods, this tour promises a rare, brilliant insight into the lesser-known side of NYC.

Dennis’s warmth, knowledge and passion are second to none. Highly recommended!

19 – NYC Greenwich Village Music And Food Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 35 reviews )

“It was really a unique tour combining food, music and other historical elements of the Village. The food was great and provided a lot of variety.” John. Tripadvisor

Besides being the home of artists and writers (and the wider counterculture movement), Manhattan’s eccentric Greenwich Village is also known for its lively music scene and delicious food . And this Greg Walks NYC tour combines both!

Following behind a Manhattanite local, you’ll wander through the Village streets, passing postcard-worthy landmarks and discovering all the hidden gems along the way.

En route, you’ll stop at iconic music venues and cafés, and learn all about the famous musicians who called Greenwich home. With delicious treats like pizza and spring rolls thrown in, you get a real taste of the local flavors too.

Combining 450 years of neighborhood history with a splash of music and plenty of delicious, big-portion food, this tour is excellent if you want to learn a little bit about everything.

Stops at Pete Seeger’s Home and Cafe Wha! really show off the rich culture. The guides are great too!

How to book food tours in NYC?

Being a foodie city on the world stage, NYC is home to a plethora of amazing food tours. But with countless options on the menu, it can be hard to know which one to choose – and at what price.

That’s where the TourScanner search engine can be a lifesaver. It compares all the available food tours in NYC, and their reviews and prices, allowing you to nail the best deal possible.

• compare food tours in NYC

SUPPORT A LOCALLY OWNED SMALL BUSINESS THAT SUPPORTS OTHER LOCALLY OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES

Like A Local Tours

Eat your way through Greenwich Village while supporting women and immigrant owned small businesses!

Insider Access to New York City & Brooklyn We offer SMALL GROUP tours with local guides who bring neighborhoods to life!

UNIQUE PRIVATE & GROUP TOURS We offer customization including drinks packages, sit down restaurants and more! Contact us today for your special event!

Thursdays & Saturdays Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Food Tour

Fridays & Saturdays Immigrant New York Food Tour: Lower East Side, Chinatown & Little Italy

Join Our Tours in NYC and Travel #likealocal!

Join our sustainable food tours in Manhattan and Brooklyn! Explore the city’s culinary wonders while making a positive impact. Last year, we contributed almost $25,000 to our Social Impact Partners and $125,000 with local small businesses . Your patronage fuels these efforts!

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5-star Rated NYC & Brooklyn Food Tours

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Chelsea Market + High Line + Hudson Yards Food & History Tour

Combine your love of food + famous NYC landmarks! Visit Chelsea Market, the High Line and Hudson Yards (including the Vessel) on this VERY popular foodie tour! Enough food for lunch! Available 7 days a week.

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Food Tour

Dive into the history of Brooklyn Heights & DUMBO, with tastes of the neighborhoods best spots! Plus spectacular vistas of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline as well as incredible Brooklyn history and a partial walk on the Brooklyn Bridge!

Williamsburg Bites: A Brooklyn Foodie Adventure

An epic culinary expedition through the vibrant streets of Brooklyn! From heavenly pizza to delectable pastries, bagels, sizzling BBQ to savory pierogis, and a whole lot more. Indulge in a feast of epic proportions and discover the irresistible flavors that make Brooklyn a true culinary gem!

Flatiron Food, History & Architecture Tour

From indulging in delicious treats at Eataly to sinking your teeth into NYC’s best bagel, this tour is a lunchtime adventure like no other. Munch and stroll, soak in fascinating history and marvel at stunning architecture that’ll have you snapping pics at every turn. Fodor’s recommends it too! 🍕🥯🏙️

Immigrant New York Food Tour: Lower East Side, Chinatown & Little Italy

Embark on a mouthwatering journey through America’s ultimate melting pot! As you sample delicious cuisine from around the globe, you’ll hear the fascinating stories of the resilient immigrants who made these neighborhoods their home.

Greenwich Village Food Tour

Delve into the vibrant history of the Village, uncovering hidden gems and visiting top-notch small businesses founded by women, immigrants, and people of color. From mouthwatering bites to inspiring stories, each stop promises to be a celebration of diversity, entrepreneurship, and community.

Hell’s Kitchen Dessert Tour

Discover some of the best hidden bakeries and off the beaten path gems where the locals go in Hell’s Kitchen. Guides dish out equal helpings of delicious treats and the neighborhood’s cultural and culinary history on this unique dessert tour!

Chelsea & West Village Dessert Tour

Explore the delectable bakeshops of Chelsea and the charming streets of the West Village, while also taking in the bustling energy of Chelsea Market, Market 57 and the scenic views along the High Line! Plus we take you to a secret rooftop with incredible views! 🧁🍪🥳

Seeing is believing!

So... Why choose Like A Local Tours?

From epicurean adventures to must-see sights, our unique and memorable tours are your one-stop source to experiencing some of NYC’s best neighborhoods … like a local.

Frequently listed as one of the Top 10 Tour Companies in NYC & annually awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, our vibe is gourmet food, street art, hidden gems, history, architecture, wine, craft beer, and…you get it.

We are made for locals and tourists alike! We give you personalized NYC tours that are led by guides that are working actors. So you’ll get incredible stories, cultural anecdotes and lots of laughs during your time with us.

Like A Local is redefining urban adventures by adding a social impact element to every tour. Each adventure you take with us has a positive impact above and beyond just the experience. Take a tour or contact us to learn more!

What are you waiting for? Book a tour with us today and see the city like a local!

Explore with one of Brooklyn's top 5 food & drink tours on TripAdvisor!

Had an amazing tour with Juan of Chelsea Market, the Highline, and Hudson Yard. Juan was very knowledgable about the area, the history and fun facts along the way. He made sure we had everything we needed and kept us moving at a good pace. He was upbeat, fun and caring. I would request Juan for another tour for sure.

Fantastic food tour (Williamsburg Bites Brooklyn Food Tour). Plenty of food and a great variety. Our guide even entertained my teenagers and made sure my seven year old always had something he liked. A great way to spend the afternoon.

Our guide knew the area's history and current best places to eat. She was both interesting and pleasant. Our tour turned out to be a private one, because the other tourists couldn't make it, but I would think she would be able to make it a nice tour for a group as well. The area is full with history and very good places to eat, I had never eaten so good in NYC.

I was recommended this tour through a friend and it was the best decision I made during my weekend trip to N.Y. from Toronto. I have visited N.Y. several times but had never ventured into Brooklyn. Walter our guide was funny, knowledgeable and kept things interesting. The spots were EXCELLENT! A great way to tour the area and get a mini history lesson as well as delectable bites!!

Our guide was waiting for us and began immediately (we were a group of 2). She was uber-generous with her stories; witty and fun and sooo informative. Learned so much and kept having the most lovely surprises, as food materialized in front of us over and over. Take this tour!! So worthwhile, and puts a lot into context for the remainder of your time in the city.

The tour guide was so knowledgeable about the area, funny, friendly, extremely personable. I would say that the tour guide really made the tour memorable. They took us to a area in Williamsburg that was on the river and had the greatest view of the city, something we would have never found on our own. I would definitely suggest this tour if you are visiting and want to have a fun experience in Brooklyn.

A fabulous combination of one of NY's best food hotspots, and the superb High Line linear park winding it's way through incredibly varied architecture and art installations. The selection of Chelsea Market outlets we visited trying many and varied food samples was very well chosen. Our guide Kate was very knowledgeable and a great companion. Definitely a 5*+ experience.

Part of all of our work is to bring awareness to these lineages that came before us. We, at Like A Local Tours, are situated within an interwoven network of historical and contemporary relationships with the Lenape people, whom we wish to honor and acknowledge as the original stewards and caretakers of this land, the elders and ancestors who have lived here far before we arrived. The traditional Lenapehoking stretches from upstate New York and the Catskills to the Delaware Bay.

It is within Like A Local Tours’ responsibility as a current steward and actor of this sacred land to disseminate knowledge about Native peoples and the land’s history with them. One of our commitments is to respect diversity and inclusion. To this regard, we are currently also going beyond this land acknowledgement and are seeking to integrate the acknowledgement by building relationships with Lenape and other indigenous communities and initiatives through partnerships, historical recognitions, service and learning efforts to implement Lenape wisdom into our processes and life-way. We are looking forward to supporting initiatives through our business and your support and purchases of our beautiful flowers such as the Redhawk Native Arts Council, the Lenape Center and the Manahatta Fund.

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“Go early in your visit so you can try out the places recommended or return to the places you went”- Gill, United Kingdom (Online Review)

“It’s really casual (tour) and we really appreciated that we could choose what we would like to eat at each place” – Oz2, Australia (Online Review)

Book a Public NYC Food Tour Here

EAT LIKE A NEW YORKER…

Food on foot: award-winning public & private guided ny food tours, group tastings, drinking crawls, traveler restaurant services, sports tours, party tours & events.

With an array of services to suit every food lover Food On Foot has become the go to New York company for food fun in New York. Well past our roots as a food tour company we work with individuals, couples, families, businesses, schools, tour groups and operators, anyone looking to have fun with food in the New York City metropolitan area. We are known for our passion and caring because it’s real. Our company was founded by a local who didn’t want visitors to go to a chain restaurant in Times Square or settle for bad food because they thought New York restaurants were too expensive.

Today we offer out-of-towners and locals unique tours and events on both a scheduled and by appointment basis as both private and customized experiences. Our Food On Foot Tours are award winning, our hosted Gourmet NY Tasting food hall events are loved by groups and we have services for individuals and families with our Self-Guided Tours and Customized Restaurant Recommendation Service.

Are you looking for a unique celebration space for a baby or wedding shower, business meeting or birthday party? Would your group love an escorted sports tour with Food For Fans? Have a foodie in the family who would love to hang out with us instead of having the same old birthday party?

If you or your group loves to eat or someone you love loves to eat, get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you because we’d love to eat with you!

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award Winner:

Creativity & Customization

We love to have fun and we know that not everyone wants do the same thing. Part of the fun of what we do is being creative and talking through ideas with you to develop the best event, party or tour that fits what you and/or your group wants. Would you like to add a wine or beer tasting at the end of a food tour? That works. Want to enjoy a progressive food crawl, appetizer at restaurant one, entrée at restaurant two and dessert at restaurant three? Let us know. Want to do something in the suburbs instead of the city? We’ll be there. Is your budget limited? You’ve come to the right place. Lots of options there too. We look forward to providing you with an experience you’ll love. We treat you like a friend, not like a customer.

Food On Foot Tours-Hudson Valley, Long Island & New York City

Available as both public and private Food On Foot Tours we are unique authentic local experiences that are very different from standard food tours. We are a ten-time TripAdvisor Award Winner, earning the Certificate of Excellence and Travelers’ Choice Awards from 2011-2020. On a Food On Foot Tour, you’ll visit real non-tourist New York City neighborhoods or suburban towns and villages while stopping at places where the people who live there eat. Many tours bring you to places because they are receiving money back from the stops. Not us! We only take you to places we like but our stops feed us and we love it! The tour is a quality fresh food eating tour and not the standard sampling tour. You’ll choose what you like at every stop and how much. Our public tours are known for being relaxed in a larger group format where you not only see and feel the real New York but you meet and mingle (or not) with others from around the world. Because you choose what you like all our stops are a surprise and we know from our years of tours that it’s much more fun that way. The tour replaces a meal. And because we care about your whole trip or your eating as a local, we help out with unbiased restaurant recommendations, if you like, to help you eat great and save money for the rest of your stay. Many of our 3,000+ excellent reviews say take our tour as early in your stay as possible to get the most out of tours and the recommendations we provide. We care about what you eat while you’re in New York. That’s why our slogan is Eat Like A New Yorker!

Gourmet NY Tasting- Hosted Food Hall Event

Imagine walking into an indoor food festival in the middle of New York City with hundreds of high- quality gourmet choices of international foods from New York curated by local chefs and restaurants and choosing whatever you like. Food On Foot Tours has created the perfect New York experience for groups with the Gourmet New York Tasting. This hosted event at six Manhattan food halls including an Asian one, is designed for groups and provides a unique experience for any meeting, party, shower or get-together. How much more fun can it be than having a space where all your guests or participants choose what they like from an amazing array of culinary treats?

Food For Fans Sports Tours

PRIVATE, SMALL, & LARGE GROUP OPTIONS

Food For Fans Sports Tours takes the guesswork out of bringing your group to the biggest sporting events and games. We enhance your experience so let us handle everything on a scheduled public, group or private tour. We’ll coordinate tickets whether you’d like to sit in a suite or upstairs. Our host will join your group and escort you to the game by private bus or by mass transit. Plus, you can add great amenities and your host will a stadium or arena walk-through (when available) and history tour. Public Guided Sports Tours outside of Manhattan use mass transit to travel to venues in the New York metropolitan area.

Spirits On Foot

THERE IS “SPIRIT” IN OUR STORY

Thousands and thousands of visitors had taken a Food On Foot Tour by 2017. Many guests had asked us to add pub crawls to our food tour menu. The response of our founder was always the same thing said in different ways but the overall theme was the same, “It’ll never work, I don’t drink”. Most guests stopped right there but with one reply one of our guests changed everything when he said, “you’d be the perfect tour guide because you don’t drink”. And a great new experience was born!

Self-Guided On-Your-Own Tour Experiences

EAT & SAVE LIKE A LOCAL, WITHOUT THE LOCAL!

Our unique and personalized service is designed to help you eat great while visiting. Since our inception, the word we have heard most often from our over 30,000 guests is overwhelmed! And that is about food in NY! Visitors don’t know where to go, what’s best, what’s great value, where places are, and so on. Our service takes the guesswork out of all of that. We can potentially save you hours of aggravation and even hundreds of dollars but it is mostly like having a friend make recommendations for you based on your plans.

New York Personalized Restaurant Recommendation Service

EAT & SAVE LIKE A LOCAL

Our unique New York Personalized Restaurant Recommendation Service is like having a best friend in New York. This is a curated service personalized for you by real people. There is no computer. This is the modern version of being on the phone with your friend or a friend of a friend getting local tips. When you order the New York Personalized Restaurant Recommendation Service we send you a questionnaire where list your preferences from cuisine to budget to location you’re staying in to attractions you’re seeing and we coordinate a personalized list for you. And we include tips about New York from tipping to using the subway to saving money from the airport. We’ll help make your trip a REAL New York experience!

WE LOVE ANSWERING QUESTIONS!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to contact you.

Our office is not staffed at all times and because of time differences the best way to contact us is by e-mail for the quickest response. If you leave a phone message (voice mail box #2) please let us know how late we can call you in the evening or how early in the morning. Please reference NY time as we receive calls from all over the world.  Because of time differences we do not return calls outside the U.S. or Canada.

Food On Foot P.O. BOX 444 Wheatley Heights, NY 11798 Phone: 1-631-491-0326 Email: [email protected]

HOW DO FOOD ON FOOT PUBLIC GUIDED TOUR TICKETS WORK?

       Our Food On Foot Guided Public Food Tour calendar posts on the 16 th day of the previous month up 

       to two months earlier. Since our food tours are different than standard food tours and you choose       

       what you like at each stop you may choose tickets with a food credit or tickets where you

       pay-as-you-go. Either way the tour is the same but each ticket type has different cancellation options

       so choose your ticket based on your needs.  We do not deviate from the terms for the ticket you buy.

       Like any concert, sports or theater ticket your ticket(s) are considered a purchase and you are

       responsible for the cost of your tickets or cancellation fees based on the terms of the ticket you buy. 

       Our spaces are very limited and once you book a ticket you are preventing someone else from 

       booking that space so cancellation options are not free and are considered a courtesy. Cancellation     

       fees increase the closer you get to your tour date. There are no cancellations of any type for any      

       reason within 24 hours of tour start times. Private travel insurance is available on the open     

       market as we do not issue refunds for free at any time for any reason. These rules also apply to any 

       tickets offered by travel partner companies unless otherwise stated in their agreement or on their 

       listing or app. If you are part of a program that offers tickets that are booked under their terms it is 

       important to note that we do not decide what to offer you. That is strictly their decision.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BOOK A TOUR OR EVENT?

For public tours and events the only way to purchase tickets is online here or via the book button above. The public food tour schedule posts on or before the 16th of the previous month. Public food tours run from mid-March until the first week of January.  Other public tours including Spirits On Foot and Food For Fans Sports Tours have a varied schedule. Private tours are available all times of year based on availability. For private and group tours and events please contact the Food On Foot office directly.

IS FOOD ON FOOT A TOUR COMPANY?

Food On Foot started as a food tour company but we are now full service offering all types of food and sports related tours and events for individuals and groups.

WHAT DOES FOOD ON FOOT OFFER?

Let’s start with what’s made us famous, our Food On Foot Guided Tours both public and private. Other tours that we offer include our Spirits On Foot Tours (21 and over please), Food For Fans Group Sports Tours and the Self-Guided On Your Own Neighborhood Food Experiences. Our events include the Gourmet NY Tasting- a unique experience for groups in New York’s leading food halls for local meetings, events, parties and visitor groups and the Queens-Flushing Meadows International Food Excursion. We also offer our curated unbiased Custom Restaurant Recommendation Service for travelers coming to New York. We help you in enhancing your New York experience!

ARE THESE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE EVENTS AND TOURS?

Most of our events and many of our tours are for small private or larger groups. Publicly scheduled events and tours are listed on our calendar as they become available and require the purchase of tickets. Public events include Food for Fans Guided Sports Tours. Food On Foot Scheduled Guided Food Tours, Spirits On Foot Tours and the Queens-Flushing Meadows International Food Excursion.  All other events, services and tours are private for individuals, couples, families and any type of small and large group.

WHAT IF I BOOKED TICKETS OR HAVE AN OFFER THROUGH AN OUTSIDE SOURCE?

Food On Foot does have on-going and changing relationships with companies in the travel industry. If you have an offer through an outside vendor you must follow the instructions provided by that vendor on their app or website and use any booking codes they provide. If you book tickets through us and then go to any outside vendor for tickets your tickets may be non-refundable or incur a cancellation fee based on the type of ticket you purchased.

WHAT ARE THE TERMS ON PUBLIC TOUR AND EVENT TICKETS? CAN I GET A REFUND?

All of our public tours and events have one or more ticket options. You need a ticket for our tours and events because capacity is limited. We do not accept reservations under any circumstances no matter how or where you purchase your tickets. Scroll down on the booking platform for each tour/event to see ticket types. If you want a cancellation option do not purchase non-refundable tickets. Like concert, sporting event and theater venues we do not refund those tickets under any circumstances, personal or otherwise. These tickets are often the lowest cost option because you are guaranteeing your full payment at booking. Tickets with cancellation options incur a fee.

ARE EVENTS & TOURS YEAR-ROUND?

Events can be booked all year based on their availability. Not all events and tours are available year around. Always come hungry!

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A Martini Tour of New York City

By Gary Shteyngart

Three years ago, as the pandemic was loosening its grip on the world, and as I started to recover from the aftereffects of a botched childhood circumcision that had returned to haunt me in middle age, I rediscovered the bottomless pleasure of a cold dry Martini. My emergence from both a global and personal health crisis plunged me into a daily Saturnalia. As restaurants reopened, I unhinged my jaw and left it open: suadero tacos dripping with lard; twisted knobs of dough crowning gigantic Georgian khinkali dumplings; the mutton chop at Keens Steakhouse that is made for sharing in theory, but not in practice—all fell victim to my appetites. And to help the food go down easy, I also consumed gallons of Willamette Valley pinot noir and hyper-local artisanal ales. Soon enough, my A1C levels were in the prediabetic range and I knew that action had to be taken.

Sugar was the problem, and while I have always been an aficionado of the blood-sugar-lowering wonder drug metformin I decided to make a life-style change as well. I decided to start drinking lots of Martinis. Martinis, I reasoned, contain far less sugar than beer or wine. Also, Martinis make you happier faster and so you do not need to drink as many of them. There is a point in my writing day when a Martini appears before my eyes and I have to resist putting it in the hands of my characters. In my last published novel, many Gibsons, a relative of the Martini, were enjoyed by nearly all my protagonists as they faced lifetimes of regrets and bouts of late-fortysomething ennui. Martinis often appear in other forms of art as symbols of joy and closure. The last scene of “ Poor Things ,” a stylized and sybaritic film if ever there was one, ends with the sumptuously dressed characters drinking a bevy of Martinis.

But not all has been well in Martini land. For years, doctors have been telling us that a glass or two of wine at dinner is good for our health. So how bad could two relatively sugar-free Martinis be? Recently, however, doctors changed their minds. A flurry of articles descended from Mount Hippocrates declaring that the healthiest choice was zero alcohol.

Zero alcohol! A glass of water with our salad. A splash of cucumber juice after our workout. The more articles I read, the angrier I became. Modern Americans are supposed to submit to all the indignities of late capitalism: the endless work hours, the 9 P.M. e-mails from our superiors, software that monitors our every keystroke. And then we’re not even supposed to have a drink in the middle of this psychic carnage? (Perhaps that drink would interfere with our productivity.) I understand that most doctors want us only to stay healthy, but the Rx on their prescription pads seems to read “Endless suffering endured daily; refill until death.” No, I, for one, would not submit. Let the younger folks medicate with their Adderall to stay up and their benzos to come down. In the meantime, I would reach for my gin and my vermouth and one V-shaped glass to contain them all. I would dedicate myself to the cult of the Martini.

But which Martini? I divide my time between upstate New York and New York City, and both have bars and restaurants that make formidable versions of the drink. Perhaps the best Martini one can enjoy is on the porch of my home in the country, but not all readers will find themselves there. Instead, with the so-called end user in mind, I decided to find some of the best Martinis in the city and to do so with some of my favorite Martini devotees: writers, actors, critics, and other assorted dipsos.

My Martini journey began on a chilly February with my friend the writer Amor Towles. I had asked Amor, with whom I share a neighborhood and a penchant for high-quality drinking, for his favorite Martini in the city and he had mentioned the Chelsea, which was once a semi-seedy artist’s paradise and now is not. The Martini of the Lobby Bar there is beloved because it pays homage to the Dukes Martini—named for the eponymous bar and hotel in London’s St. James’s neighborhood—which is famed for its frostiness, its purity, and, not least importantly, its size. (Legend has it that patrons at the original establishment were only allowed two per evening.)

The Lobby Bar is sumptuous, with a bar top that accommodates a Parthenon’s worth of marble, and banquettes that are cozy and velvety. Amor came properly dressed in a vest for the occasion, while I had hastened off the Amtrak in my country garb. The Dukes Martini was assembled tableside—the ingredients presented on a foldout stand—by a young server skilled in the pouring arts. When it comes to the purist’s dry Martini, there are two things to remember. First, there is a mantra that Amor himself has coined: “Crisp, clear, and cold.” The Lobby Bar follows these directives by freezing the glasses, as well as the gin or vodka. The second is the “vermouth rinse.” In this maneuver, the composition I usually turn to for a dry Martini—one part vermouth to five parts gin—is almost entirely done away with. The vermouth is conscripted only to coat a rather enormous glass and is then tossed away before the gin or vodka, which has been primed with a dash of salt-water solution, is poured. (I have been told that at the original Dukes the vermouth was ignominiously tossed onto the carpet, whereas at the Chelsea it is merely splashed into a tiny glass of olives, perhaps later to be lapped up by an alcoholic dog.) Notably, no ice or shakers are used and the alcohol is neither shaken nor stirred, creating a ninety-five-per-cent undiluted Martini, which, at this volume, functions as a kind of uncontrolled insanity.

The drinking began. The first Martini, essentially a vermouth-coated container for what I eyeballed to be two and a half to three shots of juniper-noted, grapefruit-evoking Tanqueray No. Ten gin, immediately put us in a mood. The mood was a good one. I cannot remember whether it was Amor or I who said “I’m feeling very chummy.” Perhaps we both said it. The Dukes Martini came with an array of garnishes, of which I found the lemon peel most conducive to the juniper crispness of the Tanqueray.

By this point, there was no other choice but to try the Dukes Martini with Ketel One vodka. Purists insist on gin, of course, but given my national background growing up in a famous autocracy high up by the Gulf of Finland, my constitution prefers vodka for the recovery process the morning after. Nevertheless, this was a hell of a lot of vodka. Here, I plopped an olive into the oversized glass for a hint of brininess. Although my thumbs were ceasing to work, I managed to type “This is friendship juice” into my phone as Amor and I chattered away on topics both alcoholic and literary. We ordered a very decent shrimp cocktail and split a B.L.T. sandwich to fortify ourselves for our third drink, the so-called 1884 Martini. This beast is premade with two types of gin—Boatyard Double Gin, from Northern Ireland, and the New York Distilling Company’s Perry’s Tot Navy Strength Gin—which clocks in at a ridiculous 114 proof. This dangerous concoction is then fat-washed with Spanish Arbequina olive oil, after which it is frozen and the olive oil’s fat removed, while vermouth, lemon liqueur, a house-made vetiver tincture, and a few dashes of lemon-pepper bitters are added. A lemon peel is then showily expressed over the glass tableside and a very briny Gordal olive and a cocktail-onion skewer are plopped in. Although more sizable quantities of vermouth and other pollutants are at play than in the classic Dukes Martini, the over-proofed gin does a lot of the talking and one is soon very convincingly drunk.

Three Martinis in, spirits high, voices loud, we stormed down Broadway to our native Gramercy, where, in the pursuit of further bar eating and to descend from our Martini highs, we split a duo of frankfurters at the Old Town Bar & Restaurant, along with a pair of Negronis. That night, my stomach padded with beef and bun, I descended into the sleep of the righteous, dreaming of further drunken friendship still.

My research continued. I conscripted my friend the actor J. Smith-Cameron, known lately for her role as Gerri on “Succession,” into taking me to one of her favorite Martini joints, Gotham Restaurant, in the Village. One can love a bar for the drinks, or one can love a bar for the bartender. For J., it is the latter, and the Gotham bartender’s name is Billy. Gotham, which opened in 1984, has been a fixture of the downtown dining scene for decades, and Billy is a lifer in that world, having worked at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill for twenty years, before spending ten years at Gotham. (The restaurant closed during COVID and reëmerged under new ownership.) J. and I are besotted by the man, by the excellent floral skinny tie, by the black vest, by the rolled-up bartender’s sleeves. There is a bookshelf to the left of the bar and the corporatized but still-interesting urban ballet of Twelfth Street beyond the restaurant’s tall windows, and then there is the potent drink before us.

When it comes to Martinis, Billy is a rebel against the general anti-vermouth vibe that pervades our city, but he knows his patrons prefer their libations dry. “ ’Cause most people,” he told us, “if you put vermouth in nowadays, they send it back.” He mixed us a Vesper, a drink that de-Balkanizes the conflict between vodka and gin by combining both, with a splash of Lillet Blanc serving as the Holy Spirit. “I use more Lillet to make it sweeter, to add more body,” Billy told us. The drink, while still crisp, was more toothsome than a standard dry Martini.

As we tried on a pair of Gibsons for size (here, a cocktail onion serves as the garnish), J. and I discussed child rearing. When her daughter was a child, J. taught her the rudiments of life: making a good pot of coffee and a good Martini. In a year or two, my ten-year-old son should be taught the same. J. tells me that while on the set of “Succession” she insisted that her character, Gerri, should be drinking gin Martinis with an olive, even while the other characters were drinking trendy “blue drinks” during scenes that called for alcohol. She also once threw a drink at her fellow cast member and friend Kieran Culkin because “Oh, we were very, very rude.”

Billy next presented us with a tribute to the supposed origin of the Martini, the Martinez, developed in the eponymous town northeast of San Francisco during the mid-nineteenth century. The cocktails are related, but after the crisp minimalism of a Gibson, the Martinez is akin to encountering a violent early hominid in a downtown bar. Sweet vermouth and maraschino are conscripted alongside the usual gin. Billy uses Carpano sweet vermouth, which, to my palate, provides hints of bitterness instead of overwhelming sweetness. It went down as easy as a Martinez can, and J. and I were now thoroughly drunk. Gotham’s kitchen was closed, so we headed across the street to get burgers at the Strip House to buffer our stomachs. When we left, an hour later, Billy had also crossed the street to get a drink at the bar. There he was, with his sleeves still rolled up, saying goodbye to the evening.

Over the years, I have had many Vespers with the food critic Adam Platt, and he remains, in my mind, as close as it comes to a philosopher-gourmand. “E. B. White called the Martini the elixir of quietude,” Platty, as he’s known, told me while we were sipping a vodka Martini at Tigre, on Rivington Street, on the Lower East Side. Platty’s father was a high-ranking diplomat in Asia and elsewhere when the future food critic was still a child, and he would come home and make himself a Martini. “My dad didn’t talk a lot when he had a Martini,” Platty said. But when he drank after a long day’s work, “there was a sense of slow-seeping well being.”

The dry Martini may be a powerful “friendship juice,” but a V-shaped glass is also a perfect container above which to hang one’s solitary perplexed punim at the end of a tough week or day or hour. Platty put it slightly differently: “A good Wasp just likes a big-ass Martini.”

Tigre is one of the most beautiful bars of recent vintage that I have seen. Windowless, it glows like a jewel box, and the striking semicircle of the bar is not unlike that of the U.N. Security Council, though studded with booze. Platty remarked that “all these bartenders look like Jesus,” and our handsome open-shirted server so resembled the Lord that I couldn’t help but hum, “Oh, come, let us adore him,” under my breath. The highlight of Tigre’s Martini menu is the vodka-based Cigarette, which Platty immediately qualified as “smoky as fuck.” “It’s old-fashioned, like if you smoked a cigarette while having a Martini,” Jesus told us, which is absolutely on point. Austria’s Truman vodka is shot into flaming orbit by an inventive liquor made by Empirical, the Danish distillery, and named after Stephen King’s pyrokinetic character Charlene McGee, which presents on the tongue as a flavorful burst of smoked juniper, hence the feeling that a draw of nicotine and tar can’t be far.

Platty approved. While he used to drink solely gin Martinis “colder than Margaret Thatcher’s heart,” he cited, as an inspiration for his own switch, the late Roger Angell, a writer for this magazine, who shifted during his later years “ from gin to vodka , which was less argumentative.” Platty’s A1C levels, however, have also driven him in search of other pleasures. “As an older diabetic boomer,” he said, “I like to get high.”

Despite our age and lack of hair, we decided to try our luck in Brooklyn. We headed to Maison Premiere, on Bedford Avenue, which is, oddly enough, owned by the same folks as Tigre. But in contrast to our cordial reception at Tigre, we were kept waiting for almost an hour, promised a Martini, then a seat, while all around us young professionals posed with and then demolished skyscrapers of plateau de fruits de mer. “It’s age discrimination!” Platty hollered, literally shaking his fist above the din. “Where’s my fucking Martini?”

We stomped out of the Maison and angrily scarfed down some street-side tacos as we recovered from this macro aggression. We decided that while Brooklyn was, pace Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men, we would give the borough one more try at Sunken Harbor Club, the recent but already renowned tiki bar above the steak house Gage & Tollner, on a dejected stretch of downtown. Sunken Harbor’s nautical theme and far more low-key clientele quickly warmed our bitter hearts as we were presented with the Immortal Martini. Here I will keep my descriptive powder dry and instead quote from the menu: “This gin Martini intrigues the senses with sesame oil, red pepper, and a cooling hint of cucumber. Not as briny as the sea, but enough to evoke the ocean’s mist.” Precisely. “It’s not bad,” Platty said. “It’s quite smooth,” he added. “I mean, it’s some weird shit. It tastes like a cucumber salad.”

We slurped in contemplation, enjoying the strangest take on the “elixir of quietude” yet, when an urgent message came over the intercom: “We’re taking on water! We’re all going down! This is your last call for alcohol!” Mist rolled into the bar, and a kind of laser-light show erupted all around us to the tune of ABBA ’s “S.O.S.” Satisfied that we had seen the best Brooklyn has to offer, Platty and I departed for our home island.

But a few days later I was back in Brooklyn to visit my friend Matt Hranek, author of the brilliantly concise and altogether helpful volume “ The Martini: Perfection In a Glass .” (Fans of Negronis might want to take a look at the accompanying volume, “ The Negroni: A Love Affair with a Classic Cocktail .”)

The dapper herringbone-jacket-attired Matt—he is also the editor of WM Brown , a life-style magazine—prepared me a few Martinis using coupe glasses and CAP gin, from the Côte d’Azur (“Far more herbaceous than that kind of classic London dry”). Matt is an evangelist for the “vermouth rinse” and the chilled-gin-and-glasses technique (he pointed out “the mouth feel of gin just out of the freezer” and allowed that gin-freezer storage was a “Dukes bar hack”). I want to draw attention to the joys of drinking from a coupe rather than a large V-shaped glass. A server at the venerable Death & Co., in the East Village (which makes a very effective ume-and-yuzu-aided Martini called the Parasol Dance), told me that drinking from a V-shaped glass “calls for an elegance of motion,” an elegance my shaky hands no longer have. Matt’s collection of diminutive coupes creates a different, more measured approach to the intake of vermouth-rinsed, premier-quality gin, and one with zero spillage of the precious liquid.

We crossed back into Manhattan and a six-hour marathon of Martini drinking began, one that should only be attempted by professionals like ourselves. The first stop was the new outpost of the storied Dante, this one on Hudson Street, in the West Village, which specializes in Martinis. On a Friday night, the room tinkled with the sound of voices just a decade out of summer camp and maybe five years out of the Midwest. “New York is so expensive,” a young woman from Ohio seated at the table next to us bemoaned. “But we want to pay for it!” The eponymous Dante Martini may well be worth the price: it is a heady combination of Ketel One, Fords Gin, Noilly Prat vermouth (Matt’s favorite), grappa-esque Nardini Acqua di Cedro liqueur, and lemon and olive bitters. “This is not for the home bartender,” Matt said, as he toasted with the complicated drink. “This is why you go out.” We both took a long sip. “That’s wet ,” he said with appreciation.

I was most interested in the garnish, a tri-color of black, green, and red olives, and was told by the proprietor, Linden Barton Pride (a name as suitable for the protagonist of a novel as for a Martini-bar owner), that these were Cerignola olives, from the Puglia region of Italy. Matt and I followed up our drinks with some shishito peppers and one of the best Martini accompaniments I have had so far, a simple fluffy piece of bread with a side of smoked butter. The bread, Pride told me, is made in a charcoal oven and is a cross between sourdough and Turkish pide. Dante also churns and smokes its own butter. This elemental combination of butter, bread, and colorful olives allowed me to enjoy at least three more Martinis before we shoved off across town.

Our next stop would be a nostalgic one for many New Yorkers, the newly reopened Temple Bar, on Lafayette. While Dante was ablaze with light, the Temple Bar, true to its name, was dark and muted, verging on the sacred. In the old days, I recalled, this is where many affairs were kindled or allowed to slowly burn out. Matt, who has long worked in media, remembered it as a gathering spot. “A lot of finance journalists used to come here,” Matt told me, “I would walk in here and I would see the editors I knew from Vanity Fair , GQ .” He reminisced about a hostess with “Groucho Marx eyebrows” and said that the room was the setting of many of his dates. “It is what I imagined travelling on a yacht would be.”

The Temple Bar closed in 2017, after the death of its owner, and reopened in 2021 under the cocktail stewardship of the team behind the Lower East Side bar Attaboy. The décor is much the same sultry darkened Deco; even the payphone by the entrance remains. Matt insisted that we needed a protein layer to accompany our latest foray, and we chose devils on horseback to go with the “Two Plymouth Martinis very dry up with a twist,” which would serve as a foil to Dante’s eponymous drink. “Plymouth is a much sharper gin than most,” Matt mused as we sipped. The bacon of the devils on horseback set off a long Proustian moment as we recalled the Martini-accompanying bar snacks of yore, the pigs in a blanket, for example, that went so well with the Polo Bar’s Gibsons.

Duty called for us to travel above Fourteenth Street as we visited perhaps the most classic of the city’s Martini destinations, Bemelmans Bar, at the Carlyle Hotel. I would be remiss here if I didn’t mention that by this point my recollections are as blurry as the pictures I tried to take with my phone. With at least six Martinis inside me and searching for a bathroom, I spent a great deal of time wandering in and out of the Bemelmans’s brilliantly glowing maze of rooms, bumping into tourists and trying to engage in conversation the murals of Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline and the portrait of Bobby Short, as if they were alive and imbibing alongside me. “Tanqueray Ten,” Matt said to the server when I rejoined him. “One olive, super dry.” Although it was uncalled for, it was still sublime.

Our marathon ended at Aretsky’s Patroon, a restaurant run by the amiable father-and-son team of Ken and Gene Aretsky, who greeted us like heroes returning from a long battle, a battle we had both won and lost. Ken was the manager of the “21” Club during the booze-soaked mid-eighties, and the clubby Patroon is known for its Martinis, its enormous steaks, and the incredible photographs on the walls, including one of Andreas Feininger’s moody shots of lower Manhattan that may be the most Martini-friendly work of art imaginable.

As midnight approached, Matt and I buttressed our stomachs with a côte de boeuf for two, perfectly charred on the outside, and our last (and possibly tenth) Martini, composed mostly of perfectly dry London gin. Matt thought we should end the evening “with a bit of hydration,” and I was picturing some sort of exotic Catalan water to give the côte de boeuf a nice mineral bath, but what he actually meant was a gin-and-tonic. A cab ride home followed, about which I remember nothing.

My final Martini marathon took place at one of the few places in midtown that can make me very happy, Le Rock, the Rockefeller Center restaurant whose bar radiates warmth and civilization to a neighborhood known for neither. I was joined by the journalist and Russia specialist Michael Weiss. There have been many Wasp protagonists in this story thus far, but Jews drink Martinis as well. I once consoled a Jewish friend over the loss of his mother with help from the Smoked Martini (the Laphroaig rinse helps cut through grief) at Russ & Daughters Café, on the Lower East Side.

Perhaps my favorite bartender in the city, Connor Piazza, mixes at Le Rock. Despite her relative youth, she knows her booze and is a whiz with the cocktail shaker. Michael and I were presented with every Martini on the menu. The Au Poivre introduces vodka to the excitement of green peppercorn, and the Super Sec fixes most mortal problems with over-proofed gin and extra-dry and white vermouth. The L’Alaska is perhaps the most interesting, almost a take on the Martinez, with a sweet-but-not-too-sweet combination of dry gin, yellow Chartreuse, and a dash of the Carthusian monks’ Élixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse. “Without Martinis, Anglo culture would have never happened,” Michael concluded at the end of this taste-testing as I munched on soft sweetbreads with black truffle and an excellent leeks vinaigrette whose enclosure of leek greens was circumcised tableside so that the roasted white parts within could be exposed by one of the servers. “Four Martinis in an hour,” he added. “I’m bombed.”

As Connor made an In and Out, her version of a “not quite straight up, extra dry, but not dry” Martini, I recalled the first Martini I ever had. I was a sophomore at Oberlin College and my roommate’s father had taken us out to a restaurant called Presti’s, which served hard booze in a partially dry county and was popular with the faculty for that reason alone. The gin Martini tasted strange to my vodka-conditioned tongue, but the olives were nearly winking at me, and after a few of the libations my teen-aged self felt slightly less scared of the world in front of him. I remember staggering to the bathroom and endeavoring to chat up a professor of modernist American literature. I remember seeing myself in the bathroom mirror and wondering if I could somehow prove myself to be at least a little bit suave. I remember lifting up my V-shaped glass back at the table and knowing that it would accompany me through the rest of my life. ♦

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CNY Pizza Tour: Here are all the places we’ve visited so far

• Updated: Apr. 29, 2024, 10:25 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 29, 2024, 10:15 a.m.

We've eaten a lot of pizzas so far this year. See where we've been, and what we thought of every slice. Charlie Miller | [email protected]

• Charlie Miller | [email protected]

Earlier this year, we set out to eat at as many pizzerias in the Syracuse area. At each stop of the CNY Pizza Tour, we let the owners or employees pick what they think is their best pizza. We judge its crust, the toppings, the value and the overall charisma. We also tell you a little bit about each restaurant.

Here’s a list, in alphabetical order, of the places we’ve visited so far. Open the link to see what we ate, and how it scored on our 20-point scale.

Amore Pizza: What the heck is a Bang Bang chicken pizza? That’s Amore

Angotti’s: At Angotti’s, sometimes the best pizza is the most simple of all

Byrne Dairy: Byrne Dairy pizza is exactly what you’d expect from a gas station

Di Lauro’s Bakery: Bacon and eggs on a pizza? A real breakfast of champions

East of Chicago Pizza: Trying one of the very few Syracuse shops with Chicago deep dish pizza

Francesca’s: Francesca’s in Liverpool marries world-class steakhouse with irresistible pizza

Franco’s: You’ll get a decent pizza at Franco’s, but jeez, it’ll cost you

Il Limone: An Italian entree atop an NYC slice in a strip mall? You bet

Kosta’s: My big, fat Greek pizza from Kosta’s in East Syracuse

Nibsy’s: A little bit of Southern cooking tops this Tipp Hill bar favorite

Pies Guys: At Pies Guys, order this rogue chef’s off-the-menu pizza

Robbie T’s: Is there a nicer guy in the pizza business than Robbie T?

Sal’s Pizza & Restaurant: Owner went from Italy to Jersey to B’ville to perfect this favorite pizza

The Varsity: Why Syracuse’s most famous pizzeria probably caused your Freshman 15

The Wildcat: This suburban spot might be CNY’s biggest pizzeria

West End Kitchen & Catering: A phenomenal pizza in a West Side shop you’ve never heard of

Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drinks and fun across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at [email protected] . (AND he pays for what he and his guests eat and drink, just so you know.) You can also find him under @HoosierCuse on Twitter and on Instagram . Sign up for his free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here .

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Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out

New york’s highest appeals court has overturned the movie producer’s 2020 conviction for sex crimes, which was a landmark in the #metoo movement..

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When the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sex crimes four years ago, it was celebrated as a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement. Yesterday, New York’s highest court of appeals overturned that conviction.

Jodi Kantor, one of the reporters who broke the story of the abuse allegations against Mr. Weinstein in 2017, explains what this ruling means for him and for #MeToo.

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Jodi Kantor , an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

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Jodi Kantor is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and co-author of “She Said,” which recounts how she and Megan Twohey broke the story of sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, helping to ignite the #MeToo movement.    Instagram • More about Jodi Kantor

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