Nothing immerses you more in a culture than enjoying the local cuisine. Whether it’s pasta in Italy, crepes in France, or deep dish in Chicago, the food becomes synonymous with the city. And the memories you make around trying those foods are carried with you long after your travels are over. That’s why whenever we plan a trip to Europe, we always book a food tour. And there’s no better European food tour provider than Eating Europe. If you want a walking tour of the city, they’ve got ‘em. If you want a hands-on cooking class, they’ve got ‘em. Or maybe you want a tour with access to the hardest-to-get reservations. They’ve got ‘em. Is your stomach rumbling yet? It will be! Here’s what to expect when booking Eating Europe food tours.
Types of Eating Europe Food Tours
Eating Europe Cooking Classes
In Eating Europe’s cooking classes, you’ll get to spend time with local chefs and learn how to make traditional dishes. These classes are the gifts that keep on giving since you can bring home your new knowledge and share it with loved ones. A few of our favorites are Our Big, Fat, Greek Food Tour in Athens, Authentic Florence Pasta Making Class, and Rome Trastevere Pasta Making Class.
Eating Europe Walking Tours
Walking tours are the most common food tours that Eating Europe offers. They’re our personal favorite. There’s something so special about experiencing a city on foot. You get a better understanding of the layout when you walk. And we love a progressive dinner where you eat each part of the meal at a different restaurant. When else do you get to sample so many dishes and flavors within just a few hours?
Eating Europe Private Tours
Though we really enjoy getting to know fellow travelers on our food tours, Eating Europe does have the option for you to get a fully private and customizable tour. This is especially great if you have a larger group or are part of an organization, are new to the city, and want to get to know the best places to go, or just want a more intimate experience. It could also be an excellent choice for a birthday party or bachelor/bachelorette party!
What to Expect on an Eating Europe Food Tour
How Much Do Eating Europe’s Food Tours Cost?
Eating Europe food tours range in price from around €66 to €149 per person. This price generally depends on the city, tour duration, and quantity of food. Typically, you’ll spend more on a larger evening meal, especially in a popular city like Rome or Amsterdam, than you would in Palermo or Naples. This price is so worth it for the quality of the food, the access to hard-to-get reservations or hole-in-the-wall spots, and the information you’ll get from your tour guide.
What Makes Eating Europe Food Tours So Great?
We physically cannot set foot in Europe without booking a tour with Eating Europe. It feels sacrilegious! Some of our favorite memories from our travels are from the food tours we’ve taken with them. It’s because they craft an experience around the food. While many tours feel overly informative or not informative enough, Eating Europe strikes the perfect balance. Your guide will share the history of the city, the history behind the restaurants, and the details of the meal. But there’ll be plenty of time to get to know the people on your tour and enjoy your meal. These are hands down the best food tours in Europe thanks to the local and knowledgeable guides, high-quality food, and communal experience.
Forming Connections
Bonds are formed over breaking bread. We have made more friends on Eating Europe food tours than on any other tour or while doing any other activity. It’s very communal, and it attracts a friendly crowd.
Knowledgeable Guides
We did the Julia Child food tour in Paris years ago. The guide, Karl, was a former chef who had met Julia on several occasions and was able to share personal anecdotes about her. It made the tour so intimate and brought Julia Child to life for all of us. They could’ve hired anyone with textbook knowledge of Julia and her life and cooking to lead the tour. But they found the PERFECT guide to make the experience even more memorable. A few of us even had tears in our eyes at points with how special it felt. That’s the best way we can describe Eating Europe. It’s personal and curated to be an experience you’ll want to return to again and again. We can’t recommend it enough.
Since the guides are so knowledgeable, they’re great resources for asking about other activities and restaurants to hit in the area. Pro Tip: Book an Eating Europe food tour early in your visit to a city. The guides will often recommend hidden gems that you’ll want to add to your itinerary. We often leave an extra day in our itinerary open for whatever the tour guide recommends.
Restaurant Access
Many of the restaurants that Eating Europe is affiliated with are incredibly difficult to get a reservation at. You could be standing in line for hours to get a seat at one. But with Eating Europe, you’re whisked straight into the restaurant with special access and often a private room.
A Unique Way to Explore
Sure, you could explore a city on your own or with any old tour company. But with Eating Europe, you’ll have a truly original experience. Eating local flavors while learning about the city often connects sensory memory, making the history and the foods more memorable.
Eating Europe Food Tour Logistics
Arrival Info
It is encouraged to arrive 15 minutes before the tour’s designated start time. The guides are incredibly prompt, and though they do what they can for late arrivals, they have to prioritize those who showed up on time. If you’re struggling to find your guide at the designated meeting point, look for someone wearing a purple Eating Europe tote bag.
Cancellation Policy
When you book an Eating Europe food tour, you don’t have to worry if your plans change last minute. Travel is never certain, making flexibility a huge plus when booking a tour. With Eating Europe, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours in advance. So if plans change, you can reschedule or get your money back. For private tours, since they’re booked entirely around you, you have up to 7 days before the tour to receive a full refund.
The Best Eating Europe Food Tours in Every City
Amsterdam – Food and Canals Tour. We know you’re already planning a canal boat ride, so why not combine the two activities? Here you’ll get a slightly more private canal tour and enjoy the delicious cuisines that make up Amsterdam.
Athens – Our Big, Fat, Greek Food Tour. You should be sold off the name alone! Have a hands-on culinary experience making your own souvlaki and original cheesecake. This is one of the most immersive and unique food tours in Europe!
Barcelona – Tapas & Wine Tour. You’ll get a true sense of Barcelona as you explore three different neighborhoods during this food tour. And you’ll get to pass by the home of Pablo Picasso!
Berlin – East Berlin Food & History Tour. We prefer this Berlin food tour since their other one takes you through the city center, which you will likely already be exploring on your own. Instead, explore a more off-the-beaten-path part of Berlin with an expert guide who can tell you all about WWII and the fall of the Berlin Wall as you enjoy traditional flavors.
Bologna – Food & Wine Tour. Normally, it’s not wise to eat anything that’s been sitting around for three years. But in this food tour in Bologna, you’ll get to taste the difference between cheese aged 18, 24, and 36 months. You’ll also wander through a medieval food market, try tagliatelle al ragù, and indulge in chocolate tortellini.
Edinburgh – Fringe Festival Food Tour. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is absolutely on our bucket list. It typically takes place during the first three weeks of August, and the city really comes alive during this period. This is a lunch tour, so you can squeeze it in during intermission. If you’re not planning a trip to Edinburgh during this time of year, or want a longer tour, you can also opt for their Old Town Food & Drinks Tour.
Florence – Tuscany Truffle Hunt. Doesn’t a meal always taste better when you know how much work and love went into it? In this tour, you’ll get a luxury transfer from Florence into the Tuscan countryside to hunt for your own truffles. Those truffles will later be turned into a homemade meal on an idyllic farm.
Lisbon – Undiscovered Lisbon Food & Wine Tour. This is rated the #1 food tour in all of Portugal. And for good reason! You’ll get to taste bifana, a Portuguese pork sandwich, Mozambican samosas, octopus salad, and other unique flavors alongside some local beer and wine.
London – The Heart of the City Food Tour. If you ask us, British food leaves a little to be desired. Which is even more of a reason to book a food tour here. You’ll be directed to the very best spots so you don’t waste a single meal. This tour takes you to some of the longest-standing restaurants in all of London, giving you an incredible history lesson along the way.
Madrid – Not Just Another Tapas & Wine Tour. Experience the local small plates of Madrid. From fried calamari sandwiches to violet ice cream, you’ll try the tastiest dishes at the most authentic restaurants.
Milan – Navigli Food & Drinks Tour. Visiting canals designed by da Vinci, savoring venison risotto, and sipping on delicious local wine are just a few things you can expect from this Milan food tour.
Naples – Pizza & Drinks Tour: A Slice of Naples. If you love the idea of sampling a variety of pizza flavors and possibly finding a new favorite, this is the tour for you. You’ll also get to try a Venetian Spritz and Limoncello Twist. Your tour will also take you by some of the most iconic landmarks in Naples.
Palermo – Street Food & Market Tour. What’s more unique than eating pastries inside a monastery? During this tour, you’ll visit a monastery turned bakery after wandering through the Ballarò Food Market.
Paris – Saint-Germain-des-Prés Food & Wine Tour. Our former favorite tour, the Julia Child tour, is sadly no longer offered. But there are still plenty of tours to choose from, including our new favorite, the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Food & Wine Tour. This is the same area we explored in the Julia Child tour, and we would not have discovered this part of Paris without it. It’s now our favorite part of the city.
Porto – Porto Progressive Dinner Tour. As we mentioned, we LOVE a progressive dinner, and this one takes you to five different restaurants! What’s most special about this one is that you get to meet some of the family members behind the establishments you’re visiting. It’s such an incredible way to feel closer to the hardworking members of the community while enjoying their delicious cuisine.
Prague – Food & Beer Tour. After this tour, you’ll be able to say you’ve sat in the same room as Albert Einstein! The line at Café Louvre can often take hours, but with this Eating Europe Prague food tour, you’ll be able to skip right to the front. And while trdelnik is delicious, you’ll be taken to a more authentic dessert spot – a local gingerbread shop that is as cute as the cookies are delicious.
Rome – Twilight Trastevere Rome Food Tour. In case you were on the fence about Eating Europe (though we’re not sure why you would be!), their Twilight Trastevere Rome Food Tour is the #1 food and drink tour in the entire world. We’ve done this tour twice, and it lives up to the hype. Part of what makes it so special is Ristorante da Pancrazio. Not only will you enjoy the delicious carbonara, but you’ll be doing so in the location where Julius Caesar was assassinated.
Venice – Food & Drinks Tour. My mouth is watering just thinking about this one. The tiramisù alone should be enough for you to book this tour! We also love the spritz-making demonstration that offers insight into Italy’s aperitivo culture. And you’ll get off the touristy path while exploring the Jewish Ghetto.
From learning about local history to visiting hole-in-the-wall restaurants to sampling a wide variety of traditional flavors, Eating Europe knows how to turn a food tour into a memory of a lifetime. No matter which city in Europe you choose to visit, there’s an Eating Europe food tour perfect for you.
Want a trip to Europe without the headache of planning? Check out our post on mystery trips with Journee!
