Everyone can follow a guidebook or Google the best food in town. But in so many cities and towns, the best eats aren’t written down. They’re located in family kitchens, in markets nestled between stalls, down quaint cobbled lanes and more often than not, in Michelin star menus. Finding them often requires the expertise of locals and tours—something we at True Travel happen to know a thing or two about. So, if you want to get a true taste of a destination, feast your eyes on our experts’ handpicked selection of some of the best food tours around the world.
Everyone can follow a guidebook or Google the best food in town. But in so many cities and towns, the best eats aren’t written down. They’re located in family kitchens, in markets nestled between stalls, down quaint cobbled lanes and more often than not, in Michelin star menus. Finding them often requires the expertise of locals and tours—something we at True Travel happen to know a thing or two about. So, if you want to get a true taste of a destination, feast your eyes on our experts’ handpicked selection of some of the best food tours around the world.
Embark on a culinary odyssey through Cape Town’s cultural epicentre. Get a sense of its breadth of flavours, from the colourful streets of Bo-Kaap where fruity Malay curries mingle with traditional Afrikaner staples to the trendy City Bowl’s Kloof Kloof Street and its stalls of homemade buttermilk rusks and rooibos cupcakes. Watch as family favourites like boerewors (sausages) and potjie (stews) are prepared in Afrikaner kitchens, take in tiny restaurants that serve up big gatsby sandwiches (think of them as a more elaborate chip butty) and go behind the curtain at one of its world-class restaurants; a fascinating insight into the city’s culinary scene.
The rich soils of the Cape Winelands cultivate a delightful mix of flavours and dining experiences. Led by a friendly guide, journey down Huguenot Street in Franschhoek to watch talented chefs in action at world-class restaurants, from the French-inspired Café du Vin to modern spots like Oku and Eleven. Once your appetite is satisfied, venture to the region’s picturesque wine estates, where you’ll explore four vineyards by e-bike, pausing for exquisite wine tastings, food pairings, and a delectable platter along the way.
Originally established by the enterprising mother-daughter duo, Hélène and Suzy Sébillon-Larochette in 1946, Le Maison Arabean was the first restaurant in Marrakech’s medina to welcome foreign visitors. Since then it has hosted a slew of dignitaries including Sir Winston Churchill and Queen Ingrid of Denmark and become renowned for its cooking workshops. During a half-day class, you’ll gain insider knowledge of the secrets of authentic Moroccan cuisine from dadas (traditional Moroccan cooks), having a go at preparing dishes passed down through generations before enjoying the fruits of your labour during a tasting.
In the case of Duba Plains, the best food is found in tented camps in the furthermost reaches of the Okavango Delta. Using locally grown ingredients (grown in trays inside their kitchen, away from birds or animals, as per government restrictions), chef Wijan Pretorius has crafted a menu inspired by the local community’s sustainable food philosophies. Spend evenings gathered around his interactive kitchen, breathing in the aromatic scents of herbs and spices while watching your meal being carefully prepared right before your eyes.
Part night excursion, part street food adventure; experience Ho Chi Minh City the way locals do, on the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. Start with sundowners at a rooftop spot with views over the city and prepare for the adrenaline rush as one of our experienced drivers navigates the city’s maze of vibrant streets with you riding shotgun. Stop at local restaurants to sample some of Ho Chi Minh City’s best dishes including gỏi cuốn and bánh mì. Visit a Vietnamese-style coffee shop, complete with live music, and finish the evening at a rock music bar.
Journey to the tiny village of Baan Nadaet, on the banks of the Nam Khan River, to meet head-chef Joy Ngeuamboupha at his restaurant, Tamarind. From there, you’ll travel to the colourful local food market for a lesson in Lao culinary customs. Armed with the ingredients needed for your cooking class, Chef Joy will lead you back to the restaurant for a masterclass in flavours and fragrances. Whip up lemongrass stuffed chicken, sticky rice and or lam, a spicy stew made with dried buffalo skin and simmering Lao chili wood. Leave with a full stomach and complete recipe list of everything you’ve created.
Pontocho is considered Kyoto’s premier dining area. Located along a narrow alley lined with traditional, wooden houses and a canopy of wires just west of the Kamogawa River, this tour offers every gastronomy imaginable, from inexpensive yakitori to multi-course kaiseki. Visit hidden local izakayas that tourists wouldn’t typically find on their own. Sample sake and sink your teeth into sushi with a Kyoto flair. During summer, your guide will delight in taking you to the noryo-yuka or kawadoko (riverside dining platforms) where meals and tastings come with views over the Kamo River festooned with florid lanterns.
Travel to Motta Camastra, a timeworn borgo (village) just 17 miles from Taormina for a heartwarming culinary adventure with the Mamme del Borgo (village mothers). Start with a scenic stroll round the village, immortalised by Francis Ford Coppola in The Godfather. Uncover hidden gems and traditions undisturbed by time before being welcomed into their homes and kitchens. Learn the art of local dishes like arancini and sarde a beccafico and have a go at preparing them yourself with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. This class goes far beyond flavours though. Offering up the chance to connect with locals, sharing stories over a glass of wine and concluding with a lunch featuring your own dishes, this food tour is a true insight into Sicilian life.
It’s no secret that San Sebastian has one of the world’s best food scenes. Endless pintxos bars (the Basque region’s answer to tapas) and more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else in the world, it is only at Mimo’s exclusive Michelin Star cooking class where you’ll get a true sense of the skill that goes into their complex tasting menus. Let world-class chefs guide you through advanced techniques and state-of-the-art tools such as vacuum sealers, sous vide machines, pacojets, blast chillers and siphons. Create dishes such as egg and eel stuffed fritters and oysters with a Navarra rosé mousse and learn how to replicate them in your own kitchen. Dinner parties will never look or taste the same again.
Uncover the secrets of Scotland’s uisge beatha or ‘water of life’—the name given to Scotch whisky by the ancient Celts—on a tour of some of the Highland’s most revered distilleries. Accompanied by a local expert, a luxury Range Rover and driver, you’ll journey from the Fife Arms’ distillery to the Royal Lochnagar’s (right next door) and Glenfiddich, learning about the national drink’s production as well as cask-strength tasting and sampling wee drams of limited edition single malts. If there’s a specific distillery you’d like to visit, let your guide know and they’ll do their best to make it happen.
Over the past decade, Peru’s capital has been busy redefining itself as Latin America’s hottest food destination. And nowhere has done more for the cause than Barranco, the beating, bohemian heart of the capital. This local food tour guides you through the city’s best eateries, highlighting its rich history and mouthwatering dishes like ceviche. And can be tailored entirely to you. If you’re a coffee connoisseur, your guide will be able to arrange a tasting nearby. Want to know the folklore behind some of its most fabled dishes, enjoy a visit to a nearby market, talk to locals and sample their favourite bites. When our Latin America Programme Manager, Evie, went on the same, exact tour, she visited a chocolate factory, learning about cacao and its importance in Peruvian culture, sampled local dishes at favourite local haunts and sat down for a home-made lunch with a local food expert. Leaving satiated won’t be an issue here.
Designed to give an introduction to the best of Argentinian asado (traditional Argentine barbecue), Fogón’s 9-course tasting menu showcases Argentine classics with a creative twist, accompanied by wine pairings from Argentina’s oldest wineries. Sit around a custom built grill and watch with hungry eyes as chefs slow cook and season cuts of flank steak and short ribs to perfection. Included in the Michelin Guide, and led by a collective of seasoned and passionate restaurateurs, Fogón is more than a culinary destination—and a must for any zealous omnivore while staying in Buenos Aires.
Roll up your sleeves and dive into the heart of Pueblo Garzón, roughly 14 miles or so inland from the surf of Jose Ignacio, at El Garzón Restaurant. Set amidst the sleepy village’s leafy streets, this hands-on culinary experience combines revered Chef Francis Mallmann’s gastronomic methods with delectable local recipes. Together with his local team, you’ll discover how to re-create signature dishes and appreciate each and every flavour during a delightful 5-course lunch in the restaurant, right in the heart of gaucho country.
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