The best London food and drink

London's food and drink tours are about neighbourhoods as much as dishes. The East End food tours mix street food, bagels and curry with the area's immigrant history. Borough Market tours focus on the producers and stalls around London Bridge, and Soho evening tours take in small restaurants and a drink or two. Historic pub tours, which walk between some of the oldest pubs in the City and Fleet Street, are among the best reviewed tours in the city.

Most walking food tours last three to three and a half hours and, at the time of checking, were listed from about £73 to £124 including the tastings. Pub tours were cheaper at around £32 to £35, with drinks usually paid separately. There are also seated options such as afternoon tea experiences, a Thames lunch cruise and Faulty Towers The Dining Experience.

Before you book a food tour

Go hungry: the tastings add up to a full meal. Tell the operator about allergies or dietary needs when you book, not on the day, as stops are arranged in advance. Weekday tours are quieter than Saturday ones, when markets are crowded. In December, book early, as many groups fill with office parties.