Lower East Side: Food History Walking Tour
4.9
21 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
(21 Ratings)
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Ozuxii
Apr 14, 2024
Thank you! - This tour was great & informative! I learned a lot more then I thought I would about food and nyc culture with our tour guide Steven.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashera398
Apr 14, 2024
Tour!!! - Steven was amazing! He felt like a friend the whole time, and i learned so much about the city. I loved the dumplings and the Dominican food, and I found places I never couldve found on my own. Thanks Steven!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Untoldmorsels
Apr 12, 2024
Tasting the Lower East Side - Thanks Jerry for a wonderful few hours exploring this fascinating LowerEast Side. We loved the tastings and all your stories especially those with your family connections
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyndsbur
Oct 20, 2023
Best food tour in NYC. - This is our 9th Devour tour, and it was fantastic. Devour is an extremely high quality food tour taking you to fantastic local restaurants crossing many genres!! Jerry was extremely knowledgeable about the area, and could bring his own family experience to the tour. Highly recommend this tour to others considering a food tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Navigator25285607711
Oct 12, 2023
Craig is amazing!! - Craig was our guide and was absolutely the greatest!! Loved the stories and delicious food shared along the way!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cjrobert93
Oct 7, 2023
Great Day with Craig - Craig was great! Very knowledgeable and felt like the food stops were self curated. Loved the variety of the stops.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margieg202
Oct 3, 2023
Don’t Miss this tour - Our tour guide Jerry Ostrover is both a foodie and wealth of historical knowledge. I highly recommend this tour of the Lower East Side.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pirkkak2023
Sep 12, 2023
Friendly and knowledgeable - You are what you eat. This tour gives you an interesting perspective into the essence of New York. Jerry is full of stories about the food, places and people of the area, and has a skill of making it all come together in a big story about the city. You might want to skip breakfast when going, the food adds up along the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Blackbeards_cook
Apr 14, 2024
Eating your way through history - This tour was amazing! It covered so much history and the food traditions that went with it. Our guide Stephen was funny, personable and most of all knowledgeable! Anyone interested in the history and changing food traditions of New York would love this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mikeandlacyl
Oct 20, 2023
Good but cramped. - The food choices were good, and the guide was knowledgeable. Though most of the establishments were pretty small and/or busy. This is a good sign from a customer standpoint, but for a tour group it felt a bit cramped and awkward getting into these places. Our group only had 5 people and finding a space to eat and talk together was still a challenge.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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