The Restaurant Tour

The Restaurant Tour: self-guided Sunday food tours

The Restaurant Tour is a culinary leisure concept that organises tours of six restaurants in the same city on Sunday afternoons. The company presents itself as the creator of the original format for these tours and operates in several cities across the United Kingdom. The activity consists of a relaxed afternoon, in a group of friends or family, with six dishes and six paired drinks, spread across six different venues.

How the experience works

The route is designed to be walked without a guide. The company takes care of mapping the route, reserving the tables and paying every bill; participants simply follow the sequence indicated in the app and enjoy each stop. The app, included with the ticket, shows the list of restaurants in the correct order and lets each group move at their own pace, with no rush or imposed schedules.

Venues are selected by invitation: according to the company, restaurants do not pay to appear on the tour. Each stop includes a signature dish and a paired drink, usually wine, although an alternative is sometimes offered. All consumption is prepaid, so there is no need to manage menus, orders or bills during the day.

Cities and calendar

The calendar published on the website includes tours in Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Manchester, Oxford, Aberdeen, Brighton, Glasgow, London-Soho, Bath, Cambridge, Leeds and Liverpool. Departures are scheduled on Sundays, usually from 12:00 to 17:00. Some dates appear as sold out and others show the last available tickets, so availability varies by date and city.

Tickets, prices and booking management

Ticket prices range from £79 to £99 per person, depending on location. It includes the six dishes, the six paired drinks and access to the Restaurant Tour app. Purchase is made on the website and the ticket is automatically linked to the email address used; from the app, users access it by logging in with that same email.

The company allows you to change the chosen tour, change the date or cancel all or part of the booking free of charge until 4 PM two days before the tour starts; for Sunday departures, the deadline is Friday at 4 PM. After that, requests are reviewed case by case through customer service. Allergies and dietary notes can be added or modified per person from the account or the app until Friday at 10 PM.

Participant profile

Testimonials collected on the website describe the experience as an activity for foodies, a way to discover local restaurants that would otherwise go unnoticed and a plan to catch up with friends without the burden of choosing a menu, waiting for orders or asking for the bill. Several users highlight the freedom of not being in a guided group and the walk between venues as part of the day's appeal.

Customer service and other services

The company handles enquiries by email and has a frequently asked questions section. In addition to ticket sales, it offers gift cards and a restaurant guide, and keeps open the possibility for establishments to apply to take part in the tours. The responsible company is Foodtours Limited, with its registered office in Birmingham.

Location and contact

19 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3BH