The Top Five Food Tours in Miami

Follow your taste buds around Miami! This Florida party destination is positively rife with celebrity chef restaurants and overpriced tourist traps for unimaginative visitors, but those who are looking for a deep dive into Miami culture, art, history and, most importantly, cuisine have an array of options for food tours with like-minded individuals who eschew the typical Gordon Ramsay outposts for family-owned Cuban kitchens or Brazilian fare nestled under the ostentatious towers of the Art Deco District. These tours are best approached at the beginning of the trip, so visitors can spend the rest of their stay at real-life local dens both celebrity laden or divey and delicious. Want to try some truly spectacular pan-South American food in a casual, colorful setting? Welcome to Miami.

Tour South Beach with the South Beach Food Tour

Visitors to Miami can’t miss out on the South Beach experience and that experience involves struttin’ one’s stuff down sandy boardwalk, perhaps in a monokini, and dining out on a diverse array of mom-and-pop eateries which trace culinary heritages to Latin, European and American comfort foods. Its huge Cuban presence has ensured that SoBe has some of the best Mojo and chimichurri this side of the Straits, as well as some excellent Spanish, Italian, Argentinean and Floridian-Carribbean (portmanteau: Floribbean) cuisine. Join the South Beach Food Tour with Miami Culinary Tours to taste the beach – monokinis not necessary.

Spend a day tasting Little Havana

Saturdays at 12:30, visitors gather together and embark on an edible journey through Miami’s Little Havana for a walking lunch. Hungry tourists will get to learn about the culture and history of the area, meet local artists, watch cigar rollers and taste Cuban cuisine in the 8 city blocks of the tour. All the food is included in the price of the ticket, and the foods include Cuban sandwiches, picadillo empanadas, chicken toston, freshly squeezed guarapo juice, guava pastelito and Cuban coffees.

Dish out on Wynwood, a design haven

Art and food unite in the eclectic, color-splashed Wynwood Art District – walking tours around this district help visitors get acquainted with the beautiful murals, local artists, history and cuisine of this neighborhood-sized outdoor art gallery. Stops include Top Chef Miguel Aguilar’s Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, local chef Jimmy Carey’s Puerto Rican-themed Jimmy’z Kitchen, a Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant called SuViche Wynwood, a Southern barbecue joint called Pride and Joy, all capped off with a decadent homemade dulce de leche cookie and an authentic cafecito from a local favorite.

Grab a drink (or five) with the Art Deco Sobe Cocktail Tour

Inquisitive and more moderate spring breakers can drink their way around the Art Deco district while picking up some knowledge on celebrity culture, Miami history and local cocktails, recipes and all. Start with a classic Mojito at the Cardozo Hotel, then taste the tropics at the rooftop bar atop the Tudor House. There’s beer at Taverna Bolivar, delectable bites and some aguardiente and a unique secret cocktail while listening to the story of the death of one of fashion’s greatest designers at the Tides Hotel.

Try it all with the South Beach Tour des Forks

The South Beach Tour des Forks is no joking matter. Enthusiastic guides take visitors through five different restaurants and cafés, skipping all the tourist traps and hitting local eateries in styles ranging around Nouvelle cuisine, Cuban, French, Brazilian, Peruvian and Kosher ice cream. Apart from the exciting food tastings, visitors can learn about the architecture and history of the Art Deco district and hear some of the cool stories associated with this richly diverse neighborhood.