London’s food scene isn’t just about fish and chips or afternoon tea-it’s a living, breathing mosaic of global flavours, hidden pubs, historic markets, and boutique wineries tucked between brick terraces. If you’re a food lover or wine enthusiast living in or visiting London, you don’t need to fly to Tuscany or Bordeaux to taste something extraordinary. The city’s best guided tours turn ordinary afternoons into unforgettable sensory journeys, led by locals who know where the real flavour lives.
Smithfield Market and Historic Pubs Tour
Start your day where London’s meat trade began-Smithfield Market. This 800-year-old hub still buzzes with butchers, stallholders, and traders long before the office crowds arrive. A guided tour here isn’t just about sampling cured hams or fresh sausages; it’s about hearing how the market survived the Great Fire, the Blitz, and modern supermarket chains. You’ll taste Berkshire pork belly from a family-run stall that’s supplied London’s best gastropubs since 1923, and sip a local craft cider from a small producer in Somerset, poured straight from the barrel.
The tour doesn’t end at the market. It winds through cobbled alleys to The George Inn, London’s last remaining galleried coaching inn, dating back to 1676. Here, you’ll try a pint of Fuller’s London Pride alongside a platter of Stilton cheese and pickled walnuts-both British classics with deep roots. Your guide, often a former chef or cider sommelier, explains how the pub’s oak beams once held lanterns for stagecoach riders and how its cellar still stores casks the same way they did in Dickens’ time.
East End Street Food and Craft Beer Walk
From Brick Lane to Shoreditch, London’s East End is where immigrant traditions met modern food innovation. A guided tour here doesn’t just list food stalls-it connects you to the stories behind them. You’ll meet a third-generation Bangladeshi cook in Brick Lane who makes lamb curry the way his grandfather did in Sylhet, then taste it with a side of homemade raita and freshly baked naan. Next, you’ll stop at a tiny brewery tucked behind a laundrette in Hackney, where the owner ferments hops from Kent and adds elderflower from Hampstead Heath.
This isn’t a typical food crawl. It’s a lesson in cultural fusion. Your guide will explain why the area became a magnet for food entrepreneurs after the 1980s, how the 2012 Olympics changed local supply chains, and why you should always order the chicken tikka masala at Dishoom with the special house chutney-not the one on the menu. You’ll also sample a dry-hopped IPA brewed with London fog yeast, a strain isolated from air samples taken above the Thames in 2021.
Wine Tasting in London’s Underground Cellars
Most people think of wine country when they think of wine tasting. But London has over 40 hidden wine cellars beneath its streets-many dating back to the 1700s. One standout tour takes you beneath the streets of Borough, under the arches of London Bridge, where a former wine merchant’s warehouse now holds over 800 bottles from small European vineyards.
Here, you’ll taste a 2019 Pinot Noir from the Sussex Downs, grown just 40 miles from the city, and compare it to a 2020 Gamay from the Loire Valley that was aged in oak barrels imported from Burgundy. The guide, a certified wine educator who trained in Beaune, explains how London’s cool, damp underground spaces are perfect for aging reds without climate control. You’ll also learn why English sparkling wine-like the award-winning Chapel Down or Chapel Hill-now regularly outperforms Champagne in blind tastings.
At the end of the tour, you’ll get to pick one bottle to take home, selected by the guide based on your palate. No generic gift shop bottles-just real, small-batch wines you won’t find on Tesco’s shelves.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market and Artisan Cheese Pairing
On Saturday mornings, Chelsea Farmers’ Market transforms into a living showcase of British dairy, foraged herbs, and hand-pressed oils. A guided tour here is led by a cheese master who’s worked with over 50 UK cheesemakers since 2010. You’ll taste a wheel of Stichelton, a raw-milk blue cheese made in Nottinghamshire using the same recipe as pre-1970s Stilton-illegal to sell commercially, but available only through select artisan suppliers.
You’ll also sample a honeycomb-infused goat’s cheese from a farm in the Cotswolds, paired with a glass of English rosé made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown in Kent. The guide explains why British cheeses are having a renaissance: stricter animal welfare laws, revived traditional methods, and a growing network of small-scale dairy cooperatives.
Don’t miss the stop at the London Honey Company stall, where you can taste wildflower honey harvested from rooftop hives on Battersea Power Station. It’s sweeter, more complex than supermarket honey, and used by top chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi in his London restaurants.
Thames River Food and Wine Cruise
There’s something magical about sipping wine as the sun sets behind the Tower Bridge. A guided river cruise combines the best of both worlds: curated bites from London’s top food artisans and wines from lesser-known English vineyards.
The cruise, which departs from Westminster Pier, includes a tasting of smoked eel from the River Lea, a delicacy once eaten by Tudor royalty, paired with a crisp 2023 Bacchus white from Suffolk. You’ll also try a mini Yorkshire pudding with truffle butter-served warm-and a glass of sparkling rosé made by a family in Surrey using the traditional method.
The guide, a former sommelier from the Savoy, points out landmarks as you float past: the Tate Modern’s wine bar, the old fruit and veg docks of Wapping, and the hidden wine vaults under the Shard. It’s not just a tour-it’s a floating history lesson with snacks.
What Makes These Tours Different?
London’s best food and wine tours don’t just show you places-they connect you to people. The guides are often the very producers, historians, or chefs who keep these traditions alive. You won’t find scripted scripts or pre-packaged samples. Instead, you’ll hear why a London baker still uses sourdough starters passed down from his grandmother, or why a winemaker in Kent refuses to use pesticides because his grandfather’s bees still pollinate his vines.
These tours are small-usually no more than 10 people-so you get real time with the experts. They’ll answer your questions, recommend where to buy the same cheese or wine back home, and even send you a follow-up email with links to the producers.
When to Book and What to Wear
Most tours run on weekends, but some, like the Smithfield Market tour, start at 7:30 a.m. to catch the freshest goods. Book at least two weeks ahead-these fill up fast, especially in spring and autumn. Wear comfortable shoes; you’ll be walking on cobblestones and uneven pavement. Bring a light jacket-London’s weather changes fast, even in summer.
Don’t expect fancy dress. These are authentic experiences, not themed parties. Leave the selfie sticks at home. Bring curiosity, an open palate, and maybe a small notebook. You’ll leave with more than full stomachs-you’ll leave with stories.
Where to Go Next
If you loved the wine tours, try the London Wine Festival in October, where over 150 UK producers gather at the Old Truman Brewery. If you want to dive deeper into food history, visit the Food Museum in Walthamstow-free entry, and it’s packed with 19th-century kitchen tools and recipes from immigrant communities.
And if you’re ready to take your passion further, sign up for a one-day London Food & Wine Certificate course at City & Guilds. It’s not a degree-but it’s the closest thing to a real culinary education you can get without leaving the city.
