London can legitimately claim to be the culinary capital of the world. Its history, economy and diversity have all combined to create a fusion of the most exotic, nourishing, creative and delicious eateries in the planet. Indeed, this infinite smorgasbord can be overwhelming, so we’d heartily recommend one of the city’s many food tours to get you started. These tours are informative not just about the culinary highlights of the city, but of how London’s past and present circumstances helped shape this fabulous city. Here are some of the finest food tasting tours of London…
London Food Lovers – Modern Taste of Britain
London Food Lovers offers a range of excursions, but we especially recommend their Modern Taste of Britain Tour. It kicks off at London Bridge, bringing you to the market stalls and side streets, where you’ll experience the finest modern cuisine trends, from locally sourced, organic produce to trendy food markets via English pubs and charming spots for tea and dessert. This tour, like a lot of British cuisine, combines the cosily traditional with the innovation of a 21st Century metropolis.
Secret Food Tours London – London Bridge, Brick Lane
If you’re looking for hidden gems and secret delights, the Secret Food Tours might be for you (but you didn’t hear it from us!). Tours are separated by both locale and cuisine style, and many of them have won several awards each. We’ll start with one of the most popular…
London Bridge Tour
Traditional British food has a mixed reputation, but there are some things we do as well as (if not better than) anyone else. The London Bridge Tour is one of the best known foodie tours in London. It takes you to the heart of the city, where you’ll sample ten items across eight stops within three hours, including fresh breads, Cumberland sausages, desserts and a surprise dish.
Indian Food Tour
While London has an abundance of fantastic Indian restaurants, one address reigns supreme when it comes to the cuisine. Brick Lane is legendary for its curry houses and Indian restaurants, with foods to cater for any budget or Indian food fan; whether you’re a curious beginner or a veteran of curries; whether you like it mild or super-powered spicy.
The Indian Food Tour will allow you to sample sweet and savoury spices from all over the sub- continent. This three-hour tour has six stops, nine items to taste and a good reputation for generous portion sizes.
Vegan Food Tours
Vegan food is having a moment. People opt for vegan for several reasons; it might be environmental, health-based, or the fact that many vegan foods are mouth-watering. Vegan Food Tours are three-hour walking outings available in five cities, including London. It takes place in the hipster haven of Shoreditch, bringing you through this bustling, charming neighbourhood to four separate vegan eateries. This tour will not only recommend where to go, but what to order once you get there. And the tour company prides itself on its witty, informed, amiable guides. This is an evening walking tour, with the first jaunt kicking off at 6pm. It’s recommended that you arrive with an empty stomach!
Eating London Food Tours Eastend, Soho, Docks
England’s capital is so vast, that some tour companies offer a range of tours across different areas.
Eating London, for instance, has (at time of writing) at least three different tours, catering to different locations and tastes, for instance…
Eastend Tours
Bakeries, markets, shops, pubs and restaurants make up this diverse, fun, four-hour tour around London’s East End. As well as seven separate stops (taking in everything from street food to Jewish cuisine), you’ll learn about London’s East End, including its relationship with Ancient Rome, the French spice trade and incredible street art.
Twilight Soho Food Tours
Soho has been the nexus of London nightlife since the swinging ‘60s, and it still remains a thrilling, diverse hotbed of nightlife and fine food. In the Twilight Soho Tour, you will sample delicious Chinese dumplings, tasty Spanish tapas and mouth-watering margaritas (among other delights). You’ll also get a side-order of Soho trivia and history.
London Old Docks Historic Pub Tour
The city’s docklands were once home to merchants, sailors and pirates. Now, their charming, cobbled streets are filled with more than enough pubs and restaurants to wet your whistle and fill your belly. This tour will fill you in on the area’s colourful history, while giving you the opportunity to try local drinks and pub grub. Hearty bar favourites include fish & chips, savoury pies and bangers & mash.
Sweet Tooth Tours
If you always save room for dessert, Sweet Tooth Tours is the one for you. Spend a few hours discovering some of the excellent sweet treats London has to offer with one of their sugar-coated tours.
Signature Tour
The Signature Tour explores Belgravia, visiting locations including a local cake shop, a Sardinian gelateria, a British chocolate maker and a cheesemonger.
Sugar & Spice
Not the consummate sweet tooth? This tour is the perfect balance of savoury and sweet. In addition to some of the favourite sweet stops from the Signature Belgravia tour, the Sugar and Spice tour includes stops at delis and restaurants to sample the diversity of London’s cuisine.
Le Cordon Bleu Tours
As you might expect, Le Cordon Bleu is a frequent stop off for visiting foodies. A tour of our world- class culinary school brings you through the classrooms, kitchens and library that has played host to some of the finest cooks in the business (many of whom cut their teeth within these walls). You’ll also get a chance to sample our fare first-hand, with a trip to the Le Cordon Bleu café. Some visitors on extended trips go even further, by enrolling in one of the short courses offered by our school. Our short courses can teach you anything from Indian cooking to cake decorating and everything in between.
See you in London!
London is a city as rich in history as it is in food. And a tour is a handy, quick way to get started on your incredible culinary journey. We look forward to seeing you here!
