Lower East Side: Food History Walking Tour
4.9
28 Ratings
New York
Uncover the rich layers of the Lower East Side's food history on this engaging walking tour. Sample classic dishes, international cuisine, and meet local shop owners along the way.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Katz’s Delicatessen - Start your tour inside one of the Lower East Side’s cultural institutions run by the same family for over 100 years. Katz’s Delicatessen serves up classic American breakfast foods and perfecting giant sandwiches since the 1888. Here you’ll bite into their signature pastrami with mustard sandwich.
  • El Castillo De Jagua Restaurant - Breakfast foods are an art in New York, so you’ll stop by a Dominican breakfast counter next to get a variety of what’s on offer in the locality. Try their pastelitos or dos golpes while learning the fascinating story behind their delicious plates.
  • The Market Line - A small shop big on passion. A newer addition to the Lower East Side, this is a butcher that focuses on top-to-tail use of the animal and makes their own charcuterie right here in New York!
  • Orchard Grocer - At this spot, you’ll experience a unique twist on the classic New York bodega. Catering to vegan diets, you’ll try a classic bagel with carrots and cashews in place of smoked salmon and cream cheese.
  • Shu Jiao Fu Zhou - As two food meccas, it’s no surprise that the Lower East Side and Chinatown are practically intertwined. Try some Chinatown specialties from a more recent addition to the neighborhood. You might sample thin-skinned pork dumplings or their delicious Fujian peanut butter noodles.
  • The Pickle Guys - This stop pays homage to another food brought over by Jewish immigrants that made the Lower East Side their home in late 19th century. Try the family recipe passed down for generations.
  • Partybus Bakeshop - The final stop of your tour is, of course, reserved for dessert. Step inside a bakery that’s become a popular spot with locals in the Lower East Side – and for good reason! Lay your eyes on their cinnamon rolls, monster cookies and loaded croissants – and let your tastebuds be your guide. It’s the perfect place to reflect on your journey through the neighborhood’s past and present.
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Small group of 12 people max
  • Expertly guided walking tour
  • 7+ tastes at 7 family-run businesses (enough for breakfast and lunch)
What's Not Included
  • Pick up
  • Gratitues
Additional Information

Spend a morning delving into the rich backdrop of the lively Lower East Side. Sample a spectrum of dishes, from timeless favorites to contemporary international cuisine still being infused into the local gastronomy, ensuring it flourishes. Begin at New York’s oldest deli, Katz’s, for a tantalizing pastrami sandwich. Drop into a Dominican breakfast hub for conventional morning treats, then proceed to a humble Chinese eatery for peanut noodles and pork skin dumplings. Explore a few more places to taste traditional foods like bagels, pickles, and genuine Jewish deli meats, ending with a dessert of a cinnamon roll, sizable cookie or lavish croissant at a neighborhood bakery. As you meander, interact with the local proprietors and gain insights into the familial traditions carried down through the ages, making this one of the most sought-after gastronomic hotspots today.

  • The tour is in English.
  • This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
  • Guests with serious food allergies will need to sign an allergy waiver at the start of the tour.
  • This tour is not recommended for vegans, and, due to the risk of gluten cross-contamination, this tour is not recommended for those with celiac disease.
  • This tour is adaptable for: Vegetarian, Gluten free (not celiac), Dairy free, Pescatarian, and Pregnant women, however, please note that you may not have a replacement food option at every stop.
  • Those with dietary restrictions need to contact us before joining the tour so we can arrange your food, or we may not be able to accommodate you.
  • This tour is not wheelchair accessible and strollers are not recommended.
  • We can acommodate gluten free but cannot guarantee that were will be no risk of cross contamination in the case of celiacs. All guests with serious allergies must sign an allergy waiver at the start of their tour.
Location
1st Avenue & East Houston Street
This tour meets at Peretz Square, on the corner of East Houston Street and 1st Avenue (across the road from the One and One restaurant located at 71 East 1st Street). Your guide will be holding a red Devour Tours sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(28 Ratings)
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Th
Jun 9, 2024
Delicious and educational - Jerry led us through a delicious tour of the Lower East Side with some things expected (pastrami at Katz deli) & few unexpected (the Dominican plantains shocked me with how good they were). It was a great way to sample a variety of cuisines (dumplings, cheeses, salamis) and it captured the historic and contemporary flavor of the neighborhood and covered us for lunch as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour63320121482
May 26, 2024
Thank you Emily! - Emily was a wonderful tour group leader! I was impressed by her extensive knowledge of New York City history. Much appreciated!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sophiesc2864oy
May 7, 2024
Amazing tour! - It was so amazing! The guide Lisa was great and told so much about the history. The places we visited were also very nice and the food was so good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michellehs8197tn
May 3, 2024
Tour - Jerry, our tour guide was FANTASTIC! The dumplings were the amazing!! A good variety of food to try. Very laid back and had a great time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jackiejh587rx
May 3, 2024
Perfect way to know lower east side - All the food was delicious…especially the dumplings. Learned a ton of history and Jerry, our guide, was great. My favorite way to get to know an area is through these food tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
333juliani
Apr 26, 2024
Great food tour with Jerry - Jerry was very knowledgeable and personable. Unique food choices, Dominican breakfast was a standout. Great time was had by all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V478pdelizabethb
Apr 26, 2024
Tasting a rainbow of cultures - Awesome trip! Jerry was the best. The tour was very informative and delicious at the same time! We loved everything about this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Voyage08368050142
Apr 26, 2024
Great tour of information and plenty of food. - Jerry was a fantastic guide who provided a great deal of information about the e area and food. The food was great at Katz and the Dumplings house were the best! Would definitely recommend this tour for any family looking for plenty of food and information!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K2053wxlilyl
Apr 26, 2024
Loved the history + food! Jerry was great! - Jerry was a great knowledgeable host he was such a joy! We absolutely loved this experience ❤️ GREAT food. Great service. We learned so much about the lower east side! What a special neighborhood.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly_s
Jun 12, 2024
Good but - Great stuff but would have liked more history of the locals. Value for money Dumping okay , first place was the best
Review provided by Viator
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
July 2024
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