If you’re a foodie and like to eat (and who doesn’t!) – and enjoy culture, walking and shopping in one of the world’s most famous food & walking cities, consider taking a Food-Tasting & Cultural Walking Tour during your next visit to New York. It’s one of our favorite things to do when visiting Manhattan. It’s also popular with the locals! What better way to explore NYC’s diverse areas and learn about its history, culture and architecture. Tour guides are friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Taste local specialties. Come with an appetite; we guarantee you won’t leave hungry. And you get to walk it all off! It’s also a great way to meet new people who share your passion for food and fun.
Foods of New York Tours offers five unique food-tasting and walking tours, including: Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Chelsea Market/Meatpacking District, Central Village/SoHo and Nolita/NoHo. We’ve taken several of their tours (read more below) and highly recommend them.
We’re not the only ones who think that they’re the best food tours in NY – world-renowned celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey recently had his aspiring young chefs take a custom tour (led by tour guide Raheem) which was featured on his reality TV show “Hell’s Kitchen” that aired in the U.S. on August 22, 2011.
The Original Greenwich Village Food & Culture Walking Tour
Explore Greenwich Village and taste local specialties from classic Mom & Pop food shops, Italian eateries and charming neighborhood restaurants. Wish we had New York Pizza like this in San Francisco! Find out what makes the Village so unique from the rest of New York City – it’s one of our favorite areas to hang out and this food and walking tour is so much fun. Be prepared to do a lot of walking (wear comfortable shoes) – and enjoy a lot of eating (arrive hungry)!
One of the tour highlights (and one of our “must-see” stops whenever we’re in Greenwich Village) is a visit to Murray’s Cheese Shop – it’s a cheese-lover’s delight. We first found out about Murray’s Cheese Shop when NY Chef/Author Anthony Boudain recommended it on one of his TV shows. If you take this tour and Amy happens to be your tour guide, be sure to say “hi” from Alana & Barry in S.F.
Explore Chinatown: Food & Culture Walking Tour
Chinatown is a such a fun place to explore, eat, shop and people-watch. Steeped in history, you’ll really get a feel and “taste” of Chinatown on this tour. Learn about Chinese etiquette, explore local historic landmarks, walk around Chinatown and its hidden side streets, and browse the outdoor markets. Experience the fine art of enjoying Chinese Tea in one of Chinatown’s Tea Houses.
We enjoyed walking around Mott and Pell Streets. And Historic Doyers Street, once famous for its bars, opium dens, gambling houses, brothels, and massage parlors, is a fun place for picture-taking. It is home to the first… and oldest Dim Sum Parlor in Chinatown. Peek inside the nearby Gold Flower Restaurant – it still looks like an opium den inside. It’s a fun place to return for an evening drink.
Indulge your senses with a taste of delicious regional Chinese cuisine – during our tour we feasted on the best Dim Sum since our visit to Xi’an, China… and the best Peking Duck since dining at the China Club in Beijing. I’m glad I left my tight jeans back at the hotel and wore loose clothing because we did a LOT of eating – come with an appetite!
Raheem, (our tour guide), made this tour so much fun, we recommended it to our good friends when we got back to San Francisco. They took the tour a few months later during their NY visit and had a blast!
For those of you with a sweet tooth, if you’re craving ice-cream (and who isn’t on a hot summer’s day), stop by the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, located on Bayard Street. Famous for their delicious Gourmet Ice Cream and Sorbets, they were voted “Best Ice Cream in NYC.”
One other thing that you may want to consider, either before or after your tour, is a visit to Little Italy – it’s within easy walking distance from Chinatown. FYI… New York City’s biggest and longest-running outdoor festival, the “Feast of San Gennaro” takes place in the heart of Little Italy every September.
Other Foods of New York Tours include:
- Chelsea Market/Meatpacking District Tour
- Central Village / SoHo Tour
- Nolita/NoHo Food & Cultural Walking Tour
So… the next time you’re looking for something fun and different to do in New York City with your family, friends, business associates or clients, consider taking a Food & Cultural Walking Tour. Maybe we’ll see you there 🙂
i love your blog, i have it in my rss reader and always like new things coming up from it.