Lower East Side Food Tour (Private)

Discover the Lower East Side's storied past and culinary highlights on this private food tour with an experienced local guide. Sample traditional favorites and contemporary delights at six iconic stops, from legendary pastrami at Russ and Daughters to unique sweets and pickled specialties.

Live professional host
Instantly bookable
Private Event

Provider

Vetted Local Provider

You’ll be connected with a trusted local event partner directly after booking.

Location Exact meeting location TBD, New York

Pricing

$712 for up to 8 people; $89 per additional person

Duration

Up to 3 hours

For a shortened session, please request desired length in special requests at checkout.

Group Size

Up to 120 people

Group size can be changed after booking if needed.

Materials See event description.

Other

Policies

If you find a similar event with a competitor at a lower price, we’ll gladly match it. This applies to events of comparable description and duration. Simply provide the details when booking, or within 72 hours of your booking, and we’ll ensure you get the best value. Contact an event concierge to get started.

Days before event	3 days or less	7 days or less	30 days or less	More than 30 days
Reschedule	No reschedule allowed	$150 fee	Reschedule for no fee
Cancellation	No cancellation allowed			15% fee

Rescheduled events must occur within 1 year of the original event.

Explore the Lower East Side on a walking food tour, tracing its immigrant and pushcart history alongside its evolving neighborhood identity.

About Our Lower East Side Walking Food Tour:

Your guide is a genuine New Yorker with an encyclopedic knowledge of the neighborhood's history, food culture, and the stories that make each stop meaningful. You will learn about the pushcart culture of the early 1900s, sample some of the most legendary food in the city, and leave with a much richer sense of what this neighborhood means to New York's story.

Here are some of our stops (subject to change):

Russ and Daughters

Founded in 1914, Russ and Daughters is one of the oldest continuously operating appetizing shops in the country and the first known American establishment to include "and daughters" in its name. The selection of smoked fish, caviar, and accompanying treats is extraordinary. On this tour, you will sample one of their sweet preparations.

Economy Candy

New York City's oldest retail candy store, Economy Candy, has been satisfying sweet tooths since 1937. The selection spans vintage candy bars, international sweets, and novelty items, with every shelf telling a story about American confectionery history.

Pickle Guys

The last pickle store on Essex Street, Pickle Guys, carries on the centuries-old Lower East Side tradition of fermenting and pickling everything from classic dill pickles to olives, peppers, tomatoes, and more. These are pickles made the traditional way, and the difference is immediately obvious.

Kossar's Bialys

In continuous operation since 1936, Kossar's is the definitive destination for bialys in New York City, those flattened, onion-filled rolls that are closely related to but distinctly different from a bagel. Their cream cheese is exceptional. If you do not know what a bialy is, you will be a convert by the time you leave.

Doughnut Plant

Founded in 1994, Doughnut Plant is widely credited with inventing the Creme Brulee doughnut and pioneering dozens of other flavors and styles that have since become industry standards. Every visit offers something new, and every doughnut is made with the kind of care and creativity that made this place a New York legend.

Katz's Deli

The oldest and arguably most famous deli in New York City, Katz's has been serving the city since 1888. Every meat in the house is cured in-house for a minimum of 30 days, compared to the 36-hour standard at most delis. The pastrami is legendary, and tasting it here, at the source, is a genuine New York experience.

Vanessa's Dumpling House

Since 1999, Vanessa's has served some of the most consistently delicious and affordable Chinese dumplings in the city, helping introduce an entirely new generation of New Yorkers and visitors to the pleasures of traditional dumpling culture.

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