Discover the city’s fascinating history on these London food and beer tours!
London is a city of superlatives. Year after year, it ranks among the world’s most visited, most influential, most exciting but also, most expensive cities. London has starred in countless movies and books, and stories about its long lurid past have been told and re-told over the centuries.
In London, you can follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare and Dickens, discover the city’s famous pub scene, and eat your way from classic to modern British cuisine. London’s vibrant and diverse food scene will prove everyone wrong who still thinks of British food as bland and boring!
Whether you fancy classic fish and chips, hearty sausage and mash, or the rich and creamy flavours of Chicken Tikka Masala, London has something for everyone to offer. Avoid the tourist traps and discover hidden gems on one of these London food tours. And, if you find yourself travelling further into the UK, make sure to check out food tours in Dublin and Edinburgh as well!
London Food Tours
Eat your way through London’s culinary scene by joining one of these guided London food tours!
1. Walk Eat Talk Eat
Walk Eat Talk Eat food tours were born out of the desire to finally turn around the UK’s bad reputation for bland food. Founder Charli Nordone and her team partner with small London businesses and work to highlight the local history of the neighbourhoods they explore. The Hidden Gems: Tower Bridge to Borough tour takes you off the beaten path in-between some of London’s most famous landmarks. Taste fine sweets in waterside cafes, devour a fish finger sandwich at Maltby Street Market, and discover the hidden street food scene under the Southwark railway arches. Click here for more information on Walk Eat Talk Eat London food tours.
2. Alternative London
The people behind Alternative London pride themselves on doing things differently. While they love fish and chips as much as any other Londoner, their Shoreditch Food Tour favours a more diverse and modern food scene. Tastings include Indian, Taiwanese and Jewish dishes and come accompanied with stories about street art and the area’s immigration history. Alternative London also offers specialized street art tours lead by local street artists. Click here for more information.
3. London Food Tour
London Food Tour guarantees you’ll have fun on their tours, and if you don’t, you’ll get your money back! Not a bad deal. Better yet, their Royal London Food Tour will take you as close as you can get to what the Royals eat. Visit the official food suppliers of Her Majesty, enjoy a professional cheese tasting, and sit down for a beer in one of London’s oldest pubs owned by the Royal Family. Of course, no royal food tour would ever be complete without a classic Afternoon Tea. Check here for more guaranteed fun.
4. London Food Lovers
London Food Lovers offers morning, afternoon and evening tours that focus on the diverse food scene of this cosmopolitan city. The Soho International Food Tour starts with a hearty breakfast and a stroll through Soho’s colourful streets. Discover Soho’s international cuisine and eat everything from English pub food to delicate French pastries to steamy dumplings in Chinatown. Find out more about London Food Lovers tours on their website.
5. Eating Europe
Eating Europe offers food tours in ten different European cities. Their London food tours introduce you to quintessentially British foods and local specialities. The East End Food Tour is their most popular option and for good reason! The four-hour walking tour starts off with an award-winning bacon sandwich and a tour of Spitalfields Market. Make sure to take note of Brick Lane‘s impressive street art and vintage shops, before getting in line for a famous salt beef filled bagel. Find more information on the Eating Europe website.
6. Chocolate Ecstasy Tours
This really is the ultimate London food tour for all chocolate lovers with a serious sweet tooth. Chocolate Ecstasy Tours are professionally curated by UK chocolate expert and International Chocolate Awards judge Jennifer Earle, and come fully loaded with sweets, ice creams and probably a major sugar rush. The Sweet Treats Adventure starts with a cup of sipping chocolate and visits gourmet bakers and famed patisseries around Chelsea and Belgravia. Samples include award-winning chocolate truffles, light-as-air macarons and glazed doughnuts. For more sweet adventures, visit the Chcolate Ecstasy Tour website.
London Pub and Craft Beer Tours
Home to more than 3500 pubs, London has everything from rustic corner taverns to modern microbreweries. Join these pub and craft beer tours and drink beer in the city’s famous and historic public houses!
7. Liquid History Tours
If you want to learn about London’s fascinating history, but museum tours and historical walks just don’t excite you, give Liquid History Tours a try! Their Drink London Tour takes you along the “street of shame” to historic London pubs and ale-houses. Try some of the city’s best beers and gins, while you immerse yourself in local tales and creepy legends. For more Liquid History Tours, click here.
8. Tally Ho!
The dapper, tweed-clad team behind Tally Ho! specializes on quirky London history and city tours on classic bicycles. Their Secret London Pub Tour starts off with a professional ale tasting and leads you from pub to pub on an exploration of London’s fascinating and bizarre past. Travel back in time to the Knights Templar at Temple Church, and stroll through the ancient corridors of the Inns of Court. Discover all of Tally Ho!’s London experiences on their website.
9. Meantime Brewery Tours
Meantime Brewing Company brews popular London Pale Ales and Lagers at their Greenwich brewery. On the Meantime Brewery Tours, their beer ambassadors take you behind-the-scenes at this modern craft brewery. See with your own eyes how beer is made and learn the difference between ales and lagers during a tutored beer tasting. For tour details, visit the Meantime Brewing Company’s website.
10. London Pub Tours
London Pub Tours, also known as Dragon and Flagon London Pub Tours, is the passion project of founder and tour guide Vic Norman. Their signature Dragon and Flagon Tour follows narrow and forgotten alleyways through English history, one pub at a time. The walk takes you from the city’s best-hidden pub, through Dickensian London, to the fabled Art Nouveau pub, The Black Friar. Learn more about London Pub Tours on their website.
London Bike Tours
If you’re tired exploring the city by foot, saddle a bike on one of these bike tours!
11. BrakeAway Bike Tours
Since 2009, the passionate bicycle guides at BrakeAway Bike Tours organize group bike trips all across the city. See everything on their Grand London Bike Tour, which takes you past all of London’s must-see sights, including Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square. Ride along riverside bike routes, across cobblestone streets, and learn about the city’s iconic sights and long and colourful history. Read about all BrakeAway London Bike Tours by clicking here.
12. Fat Tire Tours
Rain or shine, Fat Tire Tours‘ knowledgable and enthusiastic guides guarantee that you will fully enjoy your London bike tour experience! The Royal London Bike Tour is geared towards bikers of all ages and skill levels and their comfortable bicycles ensure a fun and smooth ride. The tour visits The Royal Parks and makes stops at The Houses of Parliament (Big Ben!), Buckingham Palace, and other royal sights. For a full tour itinerary visit the Fat Tire Tours website.
13. The London Bicycle Tour Company
The London Bicycle Tour Company houses the city’s largest privately owned fleet of bicycles. Saddle-up and join one of their many guided bike tours across the city. The popular Classic Tour is available in six different languages, including in French and Spanish. The 3.5 hour-tour takes you around central London and to its most impressive sights. Highlights include Covent Garden, The London Eye, as well as riverside views of the city’s iconic skyline. Follow this link for more information on their tours and bicycle rentals.
If you find yourself across the Atlantic, be sure to explore Canada’s exciting food scene on one of our Canadian food tours.