French Quarter Food Tour New Orleans: 5 Tastings & Local Guide

What Do You Actually Eat on a New Orleans Food Tour?

You walk through the French Quarter's oldest neighborhoods, stopping at five established restaurants where your guide has a table reserved. You taste red beans and rice, muffaletta, pralines, pastries, and po'boy or grits: all included, all enough for lunch. The 3-hour tour is led by a local guide and runs every day regardless of weather or group size, so your booking doesn't depend on other travelers showing up.

Step-by-step itinerary

French Quarter food tasting tour

• Meet guide at French Market complex
• Walk through French Quarter streets
• Visit Jackson Square and learn history
• Taste red beans and rice at Tujague’s
• Sample pralines and chocolates at Laura’s
• Enjoy Muffaletta sandwich at Little Vic’s
• Try French pastries at Croissant D’Or
• Eat hot roast beef po' boy at Nola Po-Boy
• Taste shrimp and cheese grits at Cafe Fleur De Lis

The experience

You meet your guide at the French Market complex in the morning, and from there it's a straight walk into the eating part of your day. The French Quarter food tour runs three hours, and you'll hit five stops, not a lot of walking between them, which matters because you're going to be full. Your guide is a local who's been doing this for years, and they know which restaurants have the space to sit you down instead of handing you a plate on the sidewalk. That's the thing Tastebud does differently: you get a table, not a curb.

The stops are real restaurants, not tourist traps pretending to be. Tujague's comes first: red beans and rice, which is the Monday dish in New Orleans and tastes like someone's grandmother is in the kitchen. Then Laura's Pralines, the oldest candy store in the city, where the recipes go back to the 1700s and the pralines are still made by hand. You'll walk down to Little Vic's on Toulouse Street for a muffaletta on homemade bread, eaten in a quiet courtyard that feels a world away from Bourbon Street noise. Croissant D'Or Patisserie is next, thirty years of French pastries in the heart of the Quarter. The last stop is either a hot roast beef po'boy fully dressed at Nola Po-Boy or shrimp and cheese grits at Cafe Fleur De Lis, depending on the day. All of it is included in the ticket price. You're not paying per stop, and there's enough food that you won't need lunch after.

The guide talks while you eat: the city's culinary history, how French and Creole traditions shaped what ends up on your plate, why certain dishes matter. You'll walk past Jackson Square and see the sights, but the focus is the food and the stories behind it. The tour runs rain or shine, and the company doesn't cancel for low bookings, which means your reservation is solid. Wear comfortable shoes, it's a walking tour, and let them know about food allergies ahead of time so they can adjust the stops.

What’s included

• Your tour includes all five food tastings at established French Quarter restaurants, a professional local guide, and a walk through the historic French Quarter past Jackson Square and other landmarks.
• The food portions are substantial enough to serve as lunch.
• The tour operates daily in all weather conditions and is not subject to cancellation due to low bookings.

Options for this experience

2 options

Meeting at the Lafitte HotelGuide in English · 11:15 and 15:15Start at the Lafitte Hotel and Bar on Bourbon Street, where this walk begins.

Meeting on Decatur StreetGuide in English · 13:15

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:15, 13:15 and 15:15

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tastebud Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat your way through the French Quarter without researching five different restaurants, making reservations, or figuring out what's worth the money. The guide handles the route, the restaurants have your table ready, and the price covers all the food.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

How long is the French Quarter food tour?

Three hours. You meet at the French Market complex and walk between five restaurants in the historic French Quarter.

How many food stops are included?

Five restaurants: Tujague's, Laura's Pralines, Little Vic's Rosticerria, Croissant D'Or Patisserie, and either Nola Po-Boy or Cafe Fleur De Lis. All tastings are included in the ticket price.

What do you eat on this tour?

Red beans and rice, muffaletta sandwich, Creole pralines and chocolates, French pastries, and either a roast beef po'boy or shrimp and cheese grits. The menu can vary, so check for any food allergies when you book.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible. Strollers and prams are also welcome, and service animals are allowed.

What if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in all weather conditions. Dress appropriately for rain or heat, and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Will the tour be canceled if not enough people book?

No. Tastebud Food Tours does not cancel tours due to low bookings, so your reservation is guaranteed.

Can you make dietary accommodations?

Yes. Let the tour operator know about food allergies or dietary restrictions when you book, and they will adjust the stops accordingly.