Are There Food Tours in East London? Best 7 ways to Say YES!

Published: September 2026 · Last updated: September 2026 · Facts checked: September 2026 · Curated by Clara Whitby, The Londonologist.

East London is where the city eats best. Wave after wave of arrivals, French Huguenots, Irish weavers, Jewish bakers, Bangladeshi families, and now a young creative crowd, each left their food behind, layered along the same few streets. The result is a couple of square miles where you can eat a salt beef beigel, a plate of Bengali curry and an artisan doughnut within ten minutes of each other. A food tour, guided or self-guided, is the best way to do it. For food tours in other parts of the city, see our main guide to London food tours.

The Best Guided Food Tours in East London

A guided tour is the easy way in, especially on a first visit. A local leads a small group between six to ten tastings over three to four hours, with the history and the gossip along the way, and gets you into the places you would walk past.

The best known is the East End Food Tour run by Eating Europe (Eating London), a long running, highly rated walk through Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Shoreditch that has been going for a decade. Others worth comparing include the small group Brick Lane and Shoreditch street food tours, and private options if you want it just for your group. Book ahead, the best ones sell out days in advance.

Book an East End food tour Compare food tours

What You Will Eat

Whichever way you do it, these are the tastes East London is known for.

• Salt beef beigels. The 24 hour Beigel Bake on Brick Lane is a genuine institution, hand rolled beigels stuffed with hot salt beef and mustard for a few pounds. Join the queue, it moves fast.
• Bangladeshi and Bengali curry. The southern end of Brick Lane, once called Banglatown, is lined with curry houses. They vary, so pick a busy one, and for the real thing seek out the Bengali cafes locals rate rather than the touts on the street.
• Global street food. The market halls and yards serve everything from Ethiopian to Filipino to proper wood fired pizza. This is where East London's melting pot is most delicious.
• Artisan bakes and coffee. Cult doughnuts, cruffins, sourdough and serious independent coffee are everywhere around Spitalfields and Shoreditch. Save room.
• Cheese, wine and craft beer. Toasted cheese, natural wine bars and East London breweries round out the day for grown up grazing, especially near Broadway Market and in the railway arches.

The Areas and Their Markets

East London food clusters around a handful of markets and streets, and the day of the week matters, as several markets only run at weekends.

• Brick Lane. Beigels, curry and, on Sundays, a sprawling market with street food stalls from around the world. The spine of any East London food day.
• Old Spitalfields Market. A covered market with a strong food hall, open daily, handy when the weekend only markets are closed.
• Shoreditch. Boxpark and the surrounding streets for trendy street food, bars and late night bites.
• Broadway Market, Hackney. The Saturday market foodies love, artisan produce, hot food stalls and cafes along a Victorian street by the canal.
• Maltby Street and the Ropewalk. Railway arch food and drink stalls at weekends, just south of the river in Bermondsey, less touristy than Borough.
• Columbia Road. Famous for its Sunday flower market, with excellent bakeries, coffee and bagels along the same street.

East London Food at a Glance

Check East London food tour tickets

Prefer to Go It Alone? A Self-Guided Crawl

You do not need a guide to eat well here. A simple self-guided route: start with a salt beef beigel at Beigel Bake, walk down Brick Lane for a curry or, on a Sunday, the market street food, cut across to Old Spitalfields Market for a coffee and a bake, then finish among the bars and stalls of Shoreditch. On a Saturday, swap in Broadway Market. Free to walk, pay per bite, and entirely at your own pace.

Practical Tips

A few things worth knowing. Check the market days before you go, Broadway Market and the Brick Lane market are weekend affairs, while Old Spitalfields runs daily and saves a rainy trip. Most stalls now take card and contactless, but carry a little cash for the few that still prefer it. Go hungry and share plates, so you can taste more. And if you want a guided tour, book several days ahead, the good ones fill up. For more places to eat across the city, see our guides to the best cafes in London, halal food in London and eating in London on a budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there food tours in East London?

Yes, plenty. You can join a small group guided walk through Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Shoreditch, book a private tour for your group, or self-guide your own crawl between the beigel shops, curry houses and street food markets. Guided tours usually run most days and should be booked ahead.

What is the best food tour in East London?

The best known and most highly rated is the East End Food Tour run by Eating Europe, a long established small group walk covering Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Shoreditch with eight or more tastings. Compare it with the various Brick Lane and Shoreditch street food tours to find the timing and price that suit you.

What food is East London known for?

East London is known for salt beef beigels on Brick Lane, Bangladeshi and Bengali curry in Banglatown, global street food in its markets, and a strong scene of artisan bakeries, independent coffee, natural wine and craft beer. It is one of the most diverse eating areas in the city.

Is Brick Lane good for food?

Yes, though it is a mix. Beigel Bake and the Sunday market street food are excellent, and there are good Bengali curry houses if you pick a busy one and ignore the street touts. Treat it as one stop on a wider East London food day rather than the whole story.

Which East London markets should I visit, and on which days?

Old Spitalfields Market is open daily. Broadway Market in Hackney is the Saturday highlight, the Brick Lane market and Columbia Road are Sundays, and Maltby Street's Ropewalk runs at weekends. Plan your day around which markets are on.

Can I do a self-guided food tour in East London?

Easily. A good route runs from a salt beef beigel at Beigel Bake down Brick Lane, across to Old Spitalfields Market for coffee and a bake, and on into Shoreditch, swapping in Broadway Market on a Saturday. It is free to walk and you pay only for what you eat.

Do I need cash for East London food markets?

Mostly no. The great majority of stalls and shops now take card and contactless, but a handful of small traders still prefer cash, so carry a little just in case.

How long is an East London food tour?

A typical guided food tour runs about three to four hours and includes eight or more tastings, which usually add up to a full meal. Wear comfortable shoes and arrive hungry.

The Bottom Line

East London is the city's most exciting place to eat, and a food tour is the best way to understand why. Book a guided walk if you want the stories and the introductions, or self-guide between the beigels, the curry houses and the weekend markets if you would rather wander. Either way, check the market days, go hungry, and let one of London's great immigrant food stories fill your afternoon.

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