Apr 12, 2025
A delightful tour - We were a party of 5 including an elderly gentleman. Celia did a fantastic tour with us, full of interesting information and an excellent chance to sample Portuguese food and also learn about colonial history and its impact on Portuguese cuisine. Celia was delightful company and we appreciated her flexibility on the day so our elderly friend could also get the best out of the day. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 7, 2025
Very glad to have done the tour. - Joao was very knowledgeable and engaging. He felt like a friend we had known forever! The food was great and well spaced out, and the history lessons to go along with the variety of food was fascinating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 2, 2025
Do a tour. You will not regret a single minute. - Our tour guide Kika was spectacular and was a wealth of knowledge when it came not only to Lisbon, but Portugal as a whole. We thought it was going to be a great tour but ended up being blown away by her excellent job of providing historical and social context to every restaurant and market we went to. Not only that, but one of our friends surprised us with news of her pregnancy the day before the tour and Kika was so accommodating to her temporary food aversions and diet restrictions that our friend ended up eating more than she had in the previous two days! The food was fantastic, the conversation was welcoming, and the sites along the way were wonderfully suited to the tour. Throughout the exploring and table mapping (a very helpful secondary guide), Kika built out a giant diagram of recommendations that were so compelling we ended up trying out three of them after the tour (shopping, cocktails, and historical site), before we settled in for the night. Everything was fabulous and we can’t recommend her enough to anyone who wants to explore Lisbon through food and culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 16, 2025
If you are hungry and curious, you'll love this tour! - Our day long food tour with Joao was fantastic. There were 4 adults in our family and another couple signed up for the same tour, so 6 people total. Joao was knowledgable, energetic, curious and attentive to all of us. We walked through a neighborhood or 2 at a leisurely pace while he rotated between chatting personally with us to keep our energy up and sharing historical information about the locations and buildings we walked by.
Each restaurant got better as we went along- and they all were DELICIOUS! It was fascinating to learn about the history and interconnectedness of the cultures we were tasting.
Culinary Backstreets was recommended to us by 2 other previous visitors to Lisbon, and they both raved about their tours.
Now we will share our wonderful day with others !
All the food was fabulous, the service was high level, and Joao was amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 8, 2025
Fantastic! - Incredible food; fascinating look at cultural influences flowing from former colonies to Portugal and back, as well as a quieter, much-less touristy side of Lisbon. Knowledgeable and fun guide. Tried several things we had never heard of before, and familiar things presented in new ways. Top-notch experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 18, 2025
More than just a food tour! - Culinary backstreets never disappoints! This isn’t just a good food tour, it is a story that is told through food. Kika was our guide and she did such an excellent job telling the history of immigrants in Portugal and the stories of the little shops and restaurant owners along the way. Her passion for history, food and education really shined through. She went above and beyond giving us food recommendations for other places in Lisbon and beyond to visit during our Portugal trip. An amazing tour of amazing immigrants creating amazing food given by an amazing person. Thank you Kika!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 16, 2025
Great tour with our amazing guide Kika. - On vacation in Lisbon, this was my first Culinary Backstreets tour and I really enjoyed it. Our guide Kika was amazing. Not only did she share lots of interesting information about the food, she gave us great insights into the history and culture of Lisbon and Portugal. She made the tour fun and engaging. All of the food was incredible and the hosts at all our stops were very welcoming. I will definitely book more tours in other cities in the future.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 9, 2025
A delicious and informative introduction to some of the influences on Potuguese cuisine - I highly recommend this tour, I was interested in getting a taste of some of the cuisines that have made their way to Portugal from its former colonies and this tour delivered. In addition to the food itself I learned a lot about the former colonies, and their interactions with Portugal. So whether your interest is in food or history, I can recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Feb 5, 2025
Amazing - Very knowledgeable about the mixed local cultures and the foods that they contributed to Portugal’s history.
Review provided by Viator
Jan 29, 2025
A Deeper Look at Portugal's Culinary Landscape - I've been following Culinary Backstreets -- the publication -- for years and was delighted to finally take a tour with them! Kika, our local guide, was tremendously knowledgeable about Portugal's history and culinary traditions, open and honest about its colonial past, passionate about small businesses, and willing to go above-and-beyond to accommodate the group's diverse dietary needs. To boot, Kika is a professional educator and told the story of Portugal's colonies' food in a way that was accessible and easy-to-understand for a variety of learners.
Finally, the food! Come hungry, because this tour spans half a dozen countries and nearly as many eateries. From African stews to Brazilian pastries and rich Goan curries, you will get your fill.
If you want to go deeper than codfish croquettes and egg tarts, Culinary Backstreets is the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
