Food Tours

7 Best New Orleans Food Tours (2025 Reviews)

 7 Best New Orleans Food Tours

New Orleans Food Tours are the most delicious way to explore the city’s soulful streets and deep culinary roots.
Expect bold Cajun flavors, warm beignets, and stories as rich as the gumbo they serve.

This roundup features our top 3 picks — plus full reviews of the 7 best food experiences across the French Quarter and beyond.

If you’re thirsty for more, explore our 7 Best New Orleans Cocktail Tours or roll up your sleeves with the 7 Best New Orleans Cooking Classes.

Each one offers a tasty slice of the city, from hidden gems to historic bites.
Ready to dig into a Walking Food Tour in New Orleans?

👇 See our top New Orleans food tours below.

New Orleans Food Tour

Compare Top Tours: New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option, New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour, and New Orleans French Quarter Food Adventure
New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour New Orleans French Quarter Food Adventure
Duration: 2.5 hours Duration: 3 hours Duration: 2.5 hours
Pickup: No hotel pickup Pickup: Not included Pickup: Not included
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours
Includes: Live guide, food tastings, walking tour Includes: Food tastings, expert guide, cultural commentary Includes: Local guide, multiple food stops, small group
Explore Cajun and Creole classics in the heart of the French Quarter. Blend of rich New Orleans history and regional cuisine in one tour. Taste your way through Louisiana’s culinary soul with a local expert.
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Food Tour New Orleans

The Premier New Orleans Food Tour (2025 Reviews)

Tour 1: New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option

🟥 Meeting Point: The Voodoo Lounge, 718 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116
🟥 Departure Time: 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM (subject to availability)
🟥 Duration: 2.5 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Multiple food tastings, live commentary, walking tour, knowledgeable local guide, small group size

The New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option was my first real taste of the city’s soul, and honestly, it hit all the right notes.

We met just outside the Voodoo Lounge (a name that sets the tone perfectly), and from the first step, the tour unfolded like a slow-cooked roux, rich, warm, and full of character.

Each stop gave us something to nibble, sure, but also something to feel — that sense of time layering over place. I remember biting into a savory boudin ball just as our guide pointed to a weathered building that had survived fires, floods, and decades of reinvention.

The group was intimate, just the right size to keep things personal. There was a moment where we all paused outside a gumbo shop, steam from the bowl curling up like an invitation. And just like that, we laughed, chatted, and compared spice levels like old friends.

After reading about it, I persuaded my group to book the New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter with Small-Group Option, and it ended up being one of the best food experiences of our trip.

It wasn’t just about the food — it was the rhythm of the city served on a plate.

Tour 2: New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour

🟥 Meeting Point: Red Fish Grill, 115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🟥 Departure Time: 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM
🟥 Duration: 3 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Food tastings, expert guide, historical commentary, small group, walking tour

There’s something oddly charming about starting a food tour with a history lesson, especially in a city where the two are so tightly entwined. This tour brought both to life with just the right balance of spice and story.

We kicked things off outside the Red Fish Grill, and even though Bourbon Street was already buzzing, the moment our guide started talking about Creole immigration and culinary fusions, the crowd seemed to melt away.

I hadn’t expected to feel so moved by a bowl of turtle soup — but there I was, leaning against an old iron fence, tasting generations of resilience in one bite. The tour wasn’t rushed; we wandered at an easy pace, pausing for red beans and rice here, a praline there, and always another little tale tucked in between.

One couple in our group had roots in Louisiana, and I remember the guide adjusting her explanation of etouffée to include something their grandmother used to say. That kind of personalization? It stayed with me.

This tour had a lot of good reviews, and when we decided on the New Orleans Food and History Walking Tour, we were expecting a few bites and dates. What we got was a moving, flavor-filled stroll through time.

Tour 3: New Orleans French Quarter Food Adventure

🟥 Meeting Point: 311 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🟥 Departure Time: 10:30 AM
🟥 Duration: 2.5 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Local guide, multiple food stops, walking tour, small group format

This was the kind of tour that crept up on you, not flashy, not trying too hard, just good food, great rhythm, and the kind of local guide who feels more like a cousin by the end.

We met right on Bourbon Street, which is a whole thing in itself. The energy is bold and chaotic, but once the tour started, it was like slipping through a different layer of the Quarter. A quieter one. A more flavorful one.

We had muffuletta in a tiny shop where the olive salad was so tangy it made someone in our group literally dance.

We sampled fried seafood that tasted like summer, and at one point, our guide pointed out a small alleyway where jazz legends used to sneak through post-show to grab a bite. That kind of detail turns a walk into a memory.

The portions were generous but paced. I didn’t leave stuffed, just satisfied like someone had taken the time to properly feed me and tell me why it mattered.

We booked the New Orleans French Quarter Food Adventure, thinking it would be a fun morning. It ended up being the most relaxed, flavorful, and genuine experience we had in New Orleans.

Tour 4: French Quarters Best Food Tour: Signature Flavors of New Orleans

🟥 Meeting Point: 301 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🟥 Departure Time: 11:00 AM
🟥 Duration: 2.5 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Expert guide, tastings at 4–5 food stops, small group tour, walking commentary

If you’re someone who likes your food with a story, the kind told slowly over bites of something buttery and warm, then this tour really leans into that feeling.

It began just off Jackson Square, under the soft rustle of old oaks and distant street music. Our guide greeted us like we were long-lost friends, and within minutes, we were stepping into a dimly lit spot for our first taste of all spice, crunch, and oh wow.

What I loved most was how confidently it moved through flavors. We didn’t stick to the obvious; sure, there was gumbo (and yes, it was rich and perfect), but we also tried an oyster dish I’d never even heard of, and I loved it.

Everyone had their favorite stop, but there was something about the praline at the end that quieted the group in a sweet little hush.

The pace was relaxed but purposeful. You never felt rushed. You just followed your nose and your guide’s voice from one taste to the next.

We actually saw the tour in progress before we went on it and it seemed like the people were having fun so we booked the French Quarters Best Food Tour: Signature Flavors of New Orleans on a whim, and honestly, it’s one of the best ways I’ve ever spent a morning in the French Quarter.

Tour 5: New Orleans: French Quarter Food History Walking Tour

New Orleans: French Quarter Food History Walking Tour
New Orleans: French Quarter Food History Walking Tour

🟥 Meeting Point: 823 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
🟥 Departure Time: 11:00 AM
🟥 Duration: 2 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Local expert guide, tastings of Creole and Cajun dishes, historical insights, small group tour

What I loved about this tour was how compact it was, not rushed, but efficient like a delicious short story instead of a long novel.

We met just across from Jackson Square, and within minutes were weaving through the French Quarter’s backstreets, a hot beignet in one hand and a tidbit about colonial rule echoing in our ears.

It had a real rhythm: eat, walk, learn, repeat. One stop featured a buttery crawfish pie that had us all grinning like kids at a bake sale. Another gave us a smoky sausage link with a kick I didn’t see coming (but welcomed entirely).

I liked that the group was small enough to chat easily, ask questions, and even linger a bit when something felt special.

Our guide was sharp and funny, sprinkling in personal stories and cheeky bits of trivia. Someone asked about the difference between Cajun and Creole, and the way she explained it through two versions of jambalaya made it unforgettable.

The New Orleans: French Quarter Food History Walking Tour seemed like a nice bite-sized intro to the food scene. It turned out to be just the right amount of flavor and context in one perfectly seasoned walk.

Tour 6: French Quarter Food Tour

🟥 Meeting Point: 301 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
🟥 Departure Time: 11:00 AM
🟥 Duration: 2.5 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Local guide, multiple food tastings, small group walking tour, historical insights

If you’re after the kind of food tour that really lets the French Quarter speak for itself, this one hits the mark with quiet confidence.

From the very first bite, a smoky andouille sausage wrapped in just the right crunch, I felt like we were in for something a little deeper than the usual food walk. Our guide wasn’t just talking about dishes; he was threading in the stories behind the storefronts, pointing out hidden signs I’d have walked right past.

What stood out most was how local it all felt. Nothing felt overly curated or theatrical. We stopped in family-run places, got little nods from the kitchen, and even had a spontaneous chat with a chef who was prepping for lunch rush and still made time to tell us about the spice blend he uses.

I liked how the pace allowed for small conversations to blossom not just with the guide, but among the group. By the third stop, we were swapping bites and recommendations like old travel pals.

We went on the French Quarter Food Tour hoping to get an authentic feel for the Quarter’s food culture and ended up feeling like we’d belonged there, if only for a little while.

Tour 7: New Orleans Food Tour: Discover the Roots of Creole Cuisine

New Orleans Food Tour: Discover the Roots of Creole Cuisine
New Orleans Food Tour: Discover the Roots of Creole Cuisine

🟥 Meeting Point: Outside St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, New Orleans, LA 70116
🟥 Departure Time: 10:00 AM
🟥 Duration: 5 hours
🟥 Guide: Live English-speaking guide
🟥 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours in advance
🟥 Includes: Guided walking tour, Creole and soul food tastings, local drinks, historic and cultural commentary, small group

This was more than a food tour; it felt like a culinary pilgrimage.

We met outside the cathedral with its gothic spires catching the morning light, and within moments, we were slipping down quieter streets into neighborhoods that rarely make the postcards. That’s where the real Creole flavor lives.

This tour took its time, nearly five hours, but not a second felt wasted. We tasted smoky red beans from a soul food counter that had me humming, and at one point, paused under a shady balcony with hot cornbread wrapped in wax paper and a story about Creole resistance that gave me goosebumps.

Our guide, sharp, soulful, and deeply connected, didn’t just talk about the food; he spoke of families, migration, injustice, and resilience. It was powerful. Honest. One moment you were sipping on a chilled daiquiri, the next, learning how a grandmother’s gumbo recipe survived five generations.

It wasn’t flashy or overly scripted; it was real. Raw, in the best way. We confirmed the New Orleans Food Tour: Discover the Roots of Creole Cuisine, expecting flavor, and got a memory that still lingers.

FAQs (7 Best New Orleans Food Tours (2025 Reviews)

1. Where do most New Orleans food tours begin?
Most tours start in or near the French Quarter, common meeting points include Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, Chartres Street, and Decatur Street.

2. Are the food tastings included in the price of the tour?
Yes, all tours reviewed include multiple tastings in the price range of dishes from gumbo, jambalaya, and boudin balls to pralines and po’ boys.

3. Is there a difference between Cajun and Creole cuisine on these tours?
Yes! Several guides take time to explain this, often by comparing two different dishes, such as Creole vs. Cajun jambalaya or red beans with and without tomato.

4. Are the tours suitable for vegetarians or those with food allergies?
Some tours can accommodate dietary needs, but it’s essential to notify the operator in advance. Options may be limited for strict vegetarians or gluten-free travelers.

5. What’s the group size like? Will I be in a large crowd?
All featured tours are small-group experiences, typically with 10–12 participants, allowing for a more personal and interactive vibe.

6. How much walking is involved in these tours?
Expect to walk 1–2 miles at a relaxed pace over 2 to 5 hours, with frequent food and rest stops along the way.

7. Can I cancel or reschedule my food tour if my plans change?
Yes, all tours include free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.

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Sandra Bisalo

Sandra Bizzolo is a recipe writer and food traveler who blends global flavors with simple, approachable cooking. Based in Florida and writing for Food & Cook, she draws inspiration from culinary traditions around the world — from cozy kitchens to vibrant street markets. With a background in food writing and a passion for storytelling, Sandra shares recipes that feel personal, practical, and full of warmth.
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