Had the pleasure of a FANTASTIC tour of lower Manhattan with Renee. She was extremely knowledgeable…read moreabout the Financial District and NYC and could not have been any more helpful. I recommend Free Tours by Foot and especially tours with Renee. Thank you so much Renee!

I am so glad I found this tour company! We did the Brooklyn bridge/DUMBO walking tour with Onel -…read morehe was phenomenal! This tour was one of the highlights of our trip to NYC. I can't wait for my next trip to take another walking tour with this tour company. Onel is knowledgeable, personable, engaging, humorous, thoughtful and kept us on time! He knew exactly where to stop for photo ops and gave us plenty of time for them - I appreciated the scheduled bathroom break at clean bathrooms and the stop for drinks/snacks at the most perfect grocery store that I wish was in my neighborhood. The tour ended at lunchtime in the perfect location with several food options as well as close to both the ferry and trains for the return commute to Manhattan. I highly recommend this walking tour with Onel as your guide - you won't regret it!

Annabel was wonderful. She communicated with us before the tour so we knew exactly where to meet…read moreher. She has a thorough understanding of and deep passion for the architecture she showed us. The tour was great.

Jake is top tier! I went on the Hell's Kitchen tour with my 11 year old niece and her final summary…read moreis, I won't eat again today so cancel dinner! Lol. I can't put words to this tour that would do it any justice. I knew nothing about Hell's Kitchen going in, when I looked online it said it was a great place for food so I said why not.. but omg it's so much more. Considering I'm here for Broadway week to catch some shows this artistic, creative, theatrical tour was the best way to kick it off!!! You can tell Jake is a theater kid through and through it shows in every part of his tour and it makes it so much better. Just do it! You won't be disappointed. This feels like a tour with a show

This is my 3rd tour with Foods of NY. Food tours is something I always do when I visit a town and…read morethese tours are amongst my favorite. Tours are thoughtfully curated to provide a great experience and historical information as well as the best of the best food tastings.

We did the Original Greenwich Village food tour. It was great! Our guide, Robin, was fun and…read moreinformative. We learned a lot about the area. Of course, the main part of any food tour is the food which was delicious and plentiful. 2 desserts stops. One was an amazing apple pie cookie. The savory stops were also quite good. My favorites were the pizza slice, fish taco and eggplant rollatini. It was supposed to last 3 hours but went over so we never felt rushed.

My wife and granddaughter recently visited New York and booked several sightseeing tours through…read moreReal New York Tours. We wanted a knowledgeable, top-notch guide to help us experience the city, and they exceeded our expectations. From the planning process to the tours themselves, everything was handled professionally and efficiently. Our guide was outstanding--knowledgeable, personable, and passionate about New York. They customized the experience, shared fascinating insights, and made every stop enjoyable. Our experience with Real New York Tours was exceptional. They delivered first-class service in every way, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a memorable and well-organized New York City sightseeing experience.

Wow, what an great tour. Wife and I opted for the Beyond the Grid tour and it was better then we…read morehoped. Real New York Tours was recommended by a couple that we met at a wedding and they were spot on in how enriching it would be. So many hidden gems of history, pop culture and places to dine. If you have the time, and have don't mind a good walk this is your tour.

Wonderful tour with knowledgeable guide for historical Church in New York City. I actually live in…read moreNYC and pass by this beautiful Church for many time when I chill out in Soho. When I found out this place is only catacombs in NYC, I decided to book a tour. I learn so much of history of St. Patrick church that this church is the original before they built St. Patrick 's Cathedral on 5th Ave. I was amazing knowing the history of catholic in New York and mystery behind. The underground was great, some people might say it was short time but maybe because I took a tour at the last round so I feel I spend amount of time down there with no rush. Even it only one level underground but the tomb is deeper than that but with the security and lots of reason they completely seal the tomb so no air in and out of the tomb and no one tough inside for centuries.

It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was still interesting. The tour lasts about an hour…read moreand a half. I have to say the guides were great. You could see how much they enjoyed what they were doing. Our guide shared lots of fascinating stories about St. Patrick's Old Cathedral Basilica, the history of Catholicism in New York City, and the NOLITA neighborhood. Anyone who's into history would definitely enjoy this. That said, I do think it's a bit pricey for what you get, but if you are really interested in NYC history, it's worth doing.

Went on my 3rd B.O. walking tour and somehow this is my first review. The other two were years…read moreago, but I remember enjoying them as well. This weekend I went on the Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour and it was exceptional. I forget the name of our guide (he was a PhD student and professor) but he was packed full of info, very comfortable presenting it, and all around a top notch guide. Two hours of lots of food and a moderate amount of walking. Fantastic way to spend an afternoon, highly recommended, and now I have to go on more of their walks.

We loved our walking tour about immigrants in New York City. Natalie was so knowledgable!read more

We went on their China Town & Little Italy tour of down town Manhattan. Dan was just terrific!…read more His enthusiasm was contagious that made our Birthday celebration weekend. We now want to go on all the tours that they offer.

What a superb tour we had with Dan. He was incredibly knowledgable and kept us engaged with…read morefascinating details and fun facts. Highly recommend

My family's story in the United States has roots on the lower east side of Manhattan. Lost history…read moresince my grandfather refused to talk about his early life, emigrating from Russia. My grandmother was just a baby with few recollections. In 1988 two visionaries founded the Tenement Museum. Their intent was to spread tolerance and understanding of the immigrant experience. The museum purchased two tenement buildings on Orchard Street and rehabbed several apartments to simulate the way they were when occupied. Between 1863 and 1935 it's estimated thousands of people from 20 nations called these tenement buildings 'home.' I found the tour fascinating with our guide talking about two families -- one Italian, the other Jewish -- and the hardships they endured living in over-crowded quarters. There are several tours you can choose from focusing on different immigrant experiences, each $30, each ranging from 60 to 75 minutes. (The only way you can see the museum is by booking a tour.) Make reservations on line and check-in at the visitors' center upon arrival. Learn more about the museum by watching the 26 minute film that's run on a loop in the back room. A very worthwhile afternoon.

This is a very great museum and experience. It is focused on the history of the tenants in this…read morearea over time. it is not the typical museum where you see fixed exhibits, but rather pick a tour and then visit a particularly tenement based on the tour you selected. We went on a tour called "family-owned." The tours seem to fill up quickly on weekends, so it is a good idea to reserve in advance. You meet in the main building and then form into your tour group. You get a quick briefing at the start, then go into one of the tenements. This tour started in one that was a saloon in the front and then an apartment in the past (with families from Prussia and Bavaria). The tour guide was excellent and the history was really interesting. I will likely go back again for a different tour--definitely worth a visit.

I can't say enough good things about this entire experience. The tour we wanted was sold out,…read morebummer. Sent a message to see what was recommended as far as the availability of a wait list or moving tickets from walking to bus tour would be easy. Scott himself responded, almost immediately with his recommendations. Purchased the walking tour tickets, put ourselves on the wait list for the bus tour and watched emails like a hawk for the few days before our scheduled date. The pizza tour Gods smiled on us and the wait list opened up. I called to get our tickets moved and talked to Scott who handled the whole transfer quickly for me because once the wait list opens up it opens up for everyone on it. He was very helpful in scoring those seats for us and understood the urgency. LOL. That's ALL before we even got to our first meeting place. We met the tour and Scott at Keste in the Financial District. I had read in my research that the tour stops aren't planned ahead and I was skeptical, but you could see him figuring it out as he figured out his group for the day. One of the attendees had taken the tour a year prior, they played a game of guess the spot so he didn't repeat stops for her and the very large group of family that she brought with her on this tour. There was one request for a spot in Brooklyn but he couldn't make it happen due to their hours, not that he wouldn't have moved heaven and earth if he could have. We had a smaller than usual tour group because of timing and a LI RR strike and you could just see that this opened up other options for places to go. After Keste we were able to do two stops in the Bronx, one in East Harlem. There was even an ice cream, water ice store next door to the last pizzeria. So much thought went into this route. Scott was able to take this group to places he hadn't been to in quite some time due to the distance and size of the group. Back to Keste-- what tour guide takes his entire group and takes over the kitchen, helping himself to dough balls and creating pies as he discussed pizza history?? We saw the kitchen and oven in each establishment and each shop was welcoming and friendly. Scott is a wealth of knowledge and enjoyed sharing his story and the story of all of the stops we visited. Pizza is an absolute passion project for him. Highly recommend!

Five stars for Scott's Pizza Tours, and that's only because six is not an option Yelp provides…read more Imagine a man who has taken the idea of pizza, which most people treat as a thing you fold in half on a street corner, and decided it deserves a Rosetta Stone. That man is Scott. We met him at Keste in the Financial District, and before he said much of anything, I noticed something unusual. Several of the people on our tour had done it before. They were back for more. That seemed as telling as anything else. People do not go on vacation and repeat the same bus ride unless something extraordinary is waiting for them on the other end. Scott does not work from a script. He looks at the group, he looks at the day, and then he consults the secret weather system in his head. Out came our route. Four stops, starting at our meeting point in Manhattan's Financial District and three more scattered like wayward toppings on the city map. Queens. The Bronx. Harlem. Lucky us. Scott told us that combination hardly ever happens. To him it was chance. To the rest of us it was magic. The stops themselves were like chapters in a book. At Keste we learned about the precision of Neapolitan tradition. At Patsy's in Harlem we felt the weight of history, coal ovens burning with the same stubbornness they have for generations. At Mario's on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, an owner with stories longer than the line outside the door talked to us like we were old friends. At Philomena's in Queens, Scott was so at home that he even took a customer's order when the restaurant was swamped by our presence. Every stop had its secrets revealed. Oven temperatures. Dough hydration percentages. Family feuds. Bake times. Flour suppliers. How long a pizza can sit before the soul leaks out of it. Scott called over owners, opened kitchen doors, and invited us to peer inside the fiery mouths of the ovens like pilgrims gazing at sacred relics. Scott himself is difficult to explain without sounding untrustworthy. He is a human encyclopedia with a perfectly tuned sense of joy. He has a Rolodex in his brain that seems to contain the phone number of every pizza maker on earth. I mentioned Hamilton and he talks about Papa's and DeLorenzo's as if we were neighbors. Others mentioned Seattle and Las Vegas, and he told them where to eat, who to meet, and when to go. He casually suggested lowering the water percentage from 66 to 63 for another guest's home pizza dough, as if adjusting the tides. Then he mentioned that after our tour he would be home making 16 doughs for his guides, who were planning to test a new oven. I believed him. He also radiates decency. He runs Slice Out Hunger, a nonprofit that takes the love of pizza and turns it into meals for people who need them most. It is good to know a person can devote their life to melted cheese and still be entirely serious about kindness. This tour filled us with more than pizza. It gave us a sense of belonging. Everyone, from my ten year old to a pizza shop owner who happened to be along for the ride, was entertained and educated and full. Scott's Pizza Tours is not just about pizza, although the pizza is wonderful. It is about a man who has built a community, and who invites strangers to step inside it for a few hours. If you are a casual eater, a home chef, or someone who has already built your own pizzeria, this is for you. Five stars. The highest recommendation.

West Village Food Tour - June 16, 2023 A wonderful, 3-hour…read moretour. Informative and delicious! First of all, Josh in the office was more than helpful. I admit I made his job more difficult than necessary due to the multiple changes I needed to make. Josh was courteous and helpful and, in no way, did he give me impression of being bothered. Andrea was the tour guide for myself and two friends. Our tour group was small which I felt was a stroke of luck. Andrea sent an email to each of us the day before our tour which reminded us of the tour, our meeting spot and time. She also noted that the tour would begin promptly at the scheduled time. She also asked if we had any dietary restrictions, food allergies or questions. I replied to her email asking for suggestions for places to visit after our tour had concluded. She responded promptly and gave us some helpful suggestions. Andrea cheerfully met us at the predetermined time. After introductions, Andrea gave us a brief overview of what we were to see, answered our questions and confirmed that there were no food allergies she needed to be aware of. We stopped at Faicco's Italian Specialties where we sampled soppressata and rice balls, a.k.a. Arancini in front of Faicco's. Both were excellent. As we snacked, Andrea gave us a history of the place. Our next stop was Bleeker Street Pizza. Andrea gave us a brief history before going in. We ate slices of of Nona Maria pizza. Then the previous owner, Greg Greenwood, joined us. He gave us a detailed history of the restaurant, which his brother, Captain Douglas Greenwood, opened in 2004. Captain Greenwood tragically passed away from 9/11 illness and ownership passed to Greg, who recently sold the pizzeria, although he still works there on Fridays. The pizza was fantastic! I will definitely visit again. As we walked through the West Village, Andrea gave us more history of the neighborhood, which included a home that was only 9 feet wide and a former speakeasy!! Our third stop was Hudson Bagels. where we shared two delicious, traditional New York bagels with cream cheese. Our fourth stop was Galanga, a Thai restaurant. We each had a corn fritter and Chicken Satay. I loved the fritters but thought the chicken was a bit plain. The fifth restaurant was Mamoun's Falafel. My boring palate did not enjoy this treat, but the others did. Lastly we had a cupcake at Molly's Cupcakes, opened by a former school teacher and schoolhouse themed. We each ordered different cupcakes, all of which were yummy. We ended the tour at our original meeting place. Andrea was wonderful, personable and informative. I inquired about other tours Andrea gave so that I can book another tour with Andrea.

We went on the food tour of the Lower East Side with Adam of Sidewalk tours. It was awesome. This…read moretour takes you through all the cuisines of the various populations that have settled in the Lower East Side. We started at an amazing Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery. This bakery has been in this location since 1910. Yonah is fifth generation. We had a potato knish to die for and you can see why this bakery is still in business. Unfortunately, our guide Adam, as he went over the history of the Lower East Side, said that very soon this little knish shop may be pushed out due to the high rents and development that is taking over this neighborhood. We moved on to Katz deli- skipping the line- because we were on the tour :) and had pastrami. Pastrami is not really my thing, but even I can taste that the Katz Pastrami melts in your mouth. We also had rugula from Russ and Daughter's. The rugula was delicious. My sister said she could have eaten 10 more pieces. As we walked, Adam filed us in on the history of the area. Along the way, we stopped at Economy candy. This place has every old fashioned candy you could ever want as well as modern favorites. It is candy floor to ceiling and very fun. We then went to Essex market. I could have spent a whole day there. It has both prepared foods and many market stalls for fresh fruits and veggies, dairy meats, sweets, really everything you could want. If I lived in NYC, I would shop there every week. We stopped at Arinchini Brothers for orrincici (rice balls) which were fabulous. I wish I could have taken some home but they ship so I'll get them that way. We also stopped by Essex Olive and Spice where I bought two bottles of fig balsamic vinegar, which may be the best balsamic I have ever tasted and I have been to Italy, France and Croatia. The olive oil there was also special. I went back to Essex market after the tour and spent more time there. So much to eat and buy and so little time. Okay so moving on we stopped at North Dumpling to buy some of the best dumplings in the city. The pork dumplings were so flavorful. I was pretty stuffed by now but we moved on to the Pickle Guys where I tasted pickeled pineapple which I would have purchased if I had not had to put it in my luggage. Sounds gross, but trust me. It was awesome. We then stopped at Kossar's Bialys for what I had been waiting for and they did not disappoint. We had an everything bagel and a bialy and they were... well, NY perfect. You may think you have had a bagel, but if you haven't had a NYC bagel, you haven't tasted bagels. We moved on to the Doghnut Plant where they have a tres Leche donut, which they were out of, and a wonderful blueberry cake donut that was a nice ending to a wonderful food and culture tour. I highly recommend it.