New York Food Tours

I have been on 12 different food tours in the US, Canada and the UK. The East Village food tour was similar to many of them with a focus on the ethnic food in this neighborhood. I always enjoy walking through a new area and exploring what it has to offer. Our guide Candy was very knowledgeable about the area. The focus was definitely on food but not always about tastings which I like. We started the tour in a small Asian grocery store and Candy provided us with a lot of interesting information. I actually enjoyed the food on the tours I did in Greenwich and Chinatown/​Little Italy a little more than this tour but it was nice to see a new neighborhood.

The tour had great food selections and was overall a good experience. Our tour guide Candy left a lot to be desired. She was over 20 minutes late and ate more than we did. Will try another another company next time around.

Went on the NY dessert tour today with Candy.
Firstly, she arrived 20 minutes late while we waited in the pouring rain. When she got to our small group she explained without apology why she was late then got herself a coffee and cookie.
Secondly, Candy ate more than we did! Her dishes were weighed with ours and pieces of pastry were cut smaller so she could have the rest.
Thirdly, what is a NYC dessert tour without a cupcake? Really?
All in all, I have been on many food tours around the U.S., (including the Greenwich Village tour with the other NY company) and they all had more professionally presented tour guides; worked in conjunction with the restaurant owners much better; and had a better selection of food.
Disappointed.

First of all, let me say, I am bummed to find poor reviews here for Candy and her NY FOOD TOURS. Our experience was exceptional. This company is owned by one person, run by one person and she takes pride in what she does. Sometimes life happens and people run late and a million things can go wrong in NYC — I’m confident than Candy is resourceful enough to make each trip exceptional.
OK. That being said. Let’s get to the good stuff… my husband and I booked ahead of time on the internet. We had to cancel someone in our party early on and Candy was responsive, helpful and provided good customer service prior to us arriving in NYC.
We booked our SOUTHEAST ASIAN TOUR OF CHINATOWN on the day we arrived from Honolulu, my husband couldn’t wait to get to Chinatown, something about Jewish folks and chinese food, but anyway… we met Candy and it turns out that we were the only two people on this particular tour and that was fantastic!
Candy took us around Chinatown below Canal Street and showed us so much that when I told my friend about this he made me take him to all the same places! He’s lived in NYC his whole life and never heard of some of Candy’s choices. Awesome.
We found the commentary interesting, the food exceptional and worth every penny we paid. After eight days in NYC this tour turned out to be the highlight of our trip.
We ate dumplings, beef jerky, Shanghai scallion cakes, tasted tea, ate baked dim sum, vietnamese sandwiches and ended the tour in a very nice Malaysian restaurant for a sit down meal. It was exceptional!
Thank you Candy. You work hard and it shows. I would recommend this tour company to anyone without hesitation.
Laura
MAUI

Food tour was fun. Our guide was very knowledgeable (adrienne) and sweet. We had an entertaining group with us that definitely added to the fun of the day. If you are a foodie you might be a little disappointed with the actual food-​hotdogs, pizza, coldcuts, but there are a few nice surprises so I won’t give it all away… servings are small so don’t expect to feel full afterwards.

A review of The Original East Village Food and Culture Tour: No where near the caliber of comparable NYC walking tours. NYFT attempts to host a tour that includes both restaurants and «culture», but they stretch themselves too thin and therefore succeed in neither category. Most of the cuisines they choose aren’t unique to the area (falafel, cannolis, etc.) and aren’t particularly good either. Also, the «culture» aspect is sparse, and ultimately leaves you with little more information than you might get by reading a paragraph in a guide book.
The worst part of the tour was the conclusion, when, after you have spent nearly $ 50 on a handful of small tastings that total around $ 10 if bought them individually, the guide throws out «my salary is mostly tips». But to whom does the remaining $ 40 go? And for what?
If you’re from the NYC area, you’ve already taken the tour by just walking around the East Village (and you spent a lot less). If you’re from out of town, take a true tour that highlights all the East Village has been and is today. It won’t cost as much, and you’ll get a ton more out of it.

This was my first food tour, and I was really impressed with the places we visited during the tour. My mom and I had never visited East Village before, and this was a great way to explore the area and eat some tasty treats along the way. I would definitely do another food tour with them, and explore a new area that next time we visit NYC!

The first vaca with the dude, and he is a foodie. So, he googled «food tours» and found this website. The price was great, so we decided. why not?
I bought 7 tickets, plus we had a baby with us. Once we all got to NYC, we went to the spot where to meet. We got there early, and greeted 2 other tourists from Europe. Then our tour guide came, named Candy. She introduced herself and spoke about the neighborhood and its history. We walked alot, but thats a given. We tried many different foods. all tasted so good. We even had a little picnic at Washington Square Park. Oh man, I’m now sad bc I miss NYC now.
Anyways. this is a great tour for tourists and natives. I loved it. Our friends loved it. I can’t wait to come back and try another tour! Thank you Candy for everything you showed us!

What a NYC find!!! We took the Greenwich Village 3 hour tour. Our tour guide — Shachra (so sorry if I screwed up her name) was funny, witty and very knowledeable of the area. I only wished we had done this tour first as we would have found several new restaurants to try and would have tried to catch a play at Cherry Lane Playhouse. I was traveling with my 80 yr old father who walks with a cane and my 22 year old college student son. They both absolutely loved this tour and the pace was just fine for everyone. stop and eat. stop and eat! Where else can you get historic information about an area and be fed at the same time… for $ 45! This is a must must must if you come to NYC. I want to come back to NYC just to go on there other tours. Make sure you book in advance as the tours do book up and you can’t show up on the same day as they have the food pre-​prepared for those on the tour. Chow!

I feel like when you travel, you want to experience everything at once — the sites, the food and culture. With New York Food Tours I got that all at once! Not only are the tours show you important historical sites, but it also brings you to local and ethnic eats. Even as a New Yorker, I find myself learning something new despite the fact that I have been living here. I would highly recommend using New York Food Tours for exploring the city. It is not expensive and also really fun!