Ethnic Food Tour in Over the Rhine, Cincinnati: 5 Tastings

Five restaurants, one afternoon, the world in Cincinnati

An ethnic food tour through Cincinnati's Over the Rhine neighborhood starting in Washington Park, where you walk to five locally owned restaurants and taste dishes from Hawaiian, Mexican, Argentinean, French and Lebanese kitchens. The tour runs three hours with 45 to 60 minutes of walking spread throughout. A local guide leads the route and commentary is in English. Vegetarian options are available if you request them at booking. The operator cannot accommodate nut allergies, gluten-free, vegan, lactose-free or other dietary restrictions.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Over the Rhine and ethnic foods

• Begin tour in Washington Park
• Visit Cincinnati Music Hall
• Stroll through ethnic neighborhood
• Walk along Central Parkway
• View colorful murals
• Receive streetcar map and tips

The experience

The tour begins in Washington Park, an eight-acre Victorian park built in the mid-1800s in the heart of Over the Rhine. From there you walk through the neighborhood's ethnic restaurants and past the landmarks that shaped it: Cincinnati Music Hall, built by German immigrants and now home to the ballet and symphony; the murals that cover story-high walls telling the city's history; Central Parkway, which follows the route of an old canal. Your guide points out the German immigrant legacy woven through the streets and shops as you move between stops.

At five different restaurants you taste dishes that map the world: a Hawaiian-inspired steamed bun filled with BBQ pork, bubble tea, a Mexican street taco, an Argentinean empanada, French macarons, Lebanese pitas, and a Zarita cocktail (a Lebanese drink). The tastings are built into the walk itself. You're not sitting down for a meal, but stopping at each place long enough to eat and move on. The three-hour experience spreads the walking across the whole afternoon, so the pace stays manageable even if you're not used to moving around a city on foot.

Your guide is a local professional who speaks English and knows the food scene and the neighborhood's history. By the end you'll have photos in front of the buildings and landmarks, plus the kind of insider knowledge that tells you where to eat when you come back. A streetcar map and tips on using Cincinnati's free streetcar are included, so you know how to explore the rest of the neighborhood on your own time.

What’s included

• A local professional guide leading the route and commentary in English.
• steamed buns with pork BBQ, bubble tea, a Mexican street taco, an Argentinean empanada, French macarons, Lebanese pitas, and a Zarita cocktail at five locally owned restaurants.
• local taxes.
• a streetcar map and tips for exploring the neighborhood on the free Cincinnati Streetcar.

Information

Lasts 3h, runs Saturday at 12:00, from US$ 99 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 12 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesSaturdayDeparts at 12:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 12 · max 8 per booking1 private ›

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (11 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 10 years) · Infant (under 6)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Riverside Food Tours LLC

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and delivers the tour in a conversational style, so you follow the neighborhood's stories and the food's origins without needing to read ahead or translate. This works for anyone who wants to understand what they're eating and why the neighborhood matters, not just taste the food.

Traveler reviews

4.98★★★★★★★★★★

165 verified traveler reviews

5 ★162

4 ★3

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 10 years); Infant (under 6).

What neighborhoods do you walk through on this Cincinnati food tour?

The tour is based in Over the Rhine, Cincinnati's historic ethnic neighborhood. You start in Washington Park and walk past Cincinnati Music Hall, through the streets lined with local shops and restaurants, and along Central Parkway, which follows the route of an old canal that once ran through the city.

How much walking is involved in the three-hour tour?

The tour includes 45 to 60 minutes of walking spread throughout the three hours, so you're moving between restaurants and landmarks but not walking continuously. The pace is suitable for all fitness levels.

What dishes do you taste on the Ethnic Eats Tour?

You taste five tastings across five restaurants: a Hawaiian-inspired steamed bun with BBQ pork, bubble tea, a Mexican street taco, an Argentinean empanada, French macarons, Lebanese pitas, and a Zarita cocktail. A vegetarian option is available if you request it when you book.

Can you accommodate dietary restrictions on this tour?

The operator cannot accommodate nut allergies, food allergies, low-carb, diabetes, gluten-free, vegan or lactose-free restrictions. A vegetarian option is available if you let them know at booking.

What is Cincinnati Music Hall and why does the tour pass it?

Cincinnati Music Hall was built in the mid-1800s by German immigrants and is known for its haunted past. It now serves as the home for the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The tour passes it as part of the neighborhood's German immigrant history.

Do you need to arrange your own transportation to the tour start?

The tour begins in Washington Park in Over the Rhine. Public transportation options are available nearby, and you'll receive a streetcar map and tips on using Cincinnati's free streetcar to explore the neighborhood before or after the tour.