Crime and Cuisine on Federal Hill
Description
A food tour with a felonious twist! The Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence is one of its hottest destinations, home to some of the best Italian food in the world. This tour will give you a smorgasbord of its best bites and drinks, from fine wines to family recipes passed down through generations. Come hungry! Every guest will also get a memento from their time on the Hill to take home with them. Spoiler alert: it's delicious! The Hill was also home to some historic characters who dabbled on the wrong side of the law. Follow the intrigue of State v. Patriarca, when a future mayor took on a mob boss; learn about the corruption which brought Rhode Island's banking system to its knees in the '90s, and about a raid on an illegal dice game that sent a Providence Police Officer through a second-story window. Guests under 21 will not be served alcohol on this tour. A min of four guests is required for all tours to run. If less than four are booked, we’ll contact you the morning.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pasta tasting
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the plaza!
Prosciutto, cheese, and olive tasting
Eggplant rollatini tasting
Pizza Tasting
Pastry tasting
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(227)
It is a great way to learn about the history of Providence and to sample some of the delicious foods.
Excellent tour! Katy K was knowledgeable, funny, and an excellent cat wrangler (we were a big group) . Delicious food and a fascinating peek into some of the criminal underpinnings of Providence.
Thank you for the praise and acknowledging Katie's wrangling skills! (She's a cowgirl at heart!) We aim to please and it's gratifying to know that you were happy. We hope to welcome you again on another one of our adventures. Our Clues and Brews Murder Mystery tour is a lot of fun and we hope to see you soon!
Ginger was delightful and told us many stories about the area and the famous crime families. We enjoyed the food at a number of great Italian restaurants and cafes, and shopped afterwards. Such a fun experience!
We are so pleased to hear you were pleased with your experience and had fun with Ginger. She loves sharing stories of the "Hill" and it's notorious past. We also love sharing our piece of Little Italy to allow you to join some of the food offerings. Please consider us again for another adventure! You are always welcome!
We had a lot of fun on this tour led by Katy K. Although it was a pretty big group of 21, she herded us around the Federal Hill neighborhood and kept us very interested with the true tales of Mafia dealings, mob hits, getaways, pinches, and the life and times of Providence mayor Buddy Cianci. The food and wine were delicious and there were opportunities to do a little shopping as well to support local businesses. Highly recommend!
Thank you so very much for taking the time to share your thoughts and your 5 Star review. It means the world to us that you enjoyed the tour and especially enjoyed Katie K. She's a gem and we hope to welcome you again in the very near future. We have many other offerings so please check us out!
David was a great and knowledgeable guide! The food along the tour was fantastic! We’re local so it also introduced us to some new spots that we’re excited to come back and try! Looking forward to trying the new Clues and Brews.
Fantastic news!! This does our heart good to know that you enjoyed yourself and will try another one of our adventures. We love sharing Providence's gems with our guests!
Group of six visiting the area and thought this food tour would be a fun experience. It was the guide's first tour and would have been helpful if she had an experienced guide there to support for the first time. The first restaurant stop was great. One of the restaurants listed opted out and there was no replacement. One stop served pizza and it was not good. A few issues out of the control of the guide was it was a very hot/humid day and there was a festival going on which did not help the experience. I would give it a try but check out these issues prior to your booking.
Good morning Patricia- Thanks so much for joining us on Crime and Cuisine, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the first restaurant stop and appreciate your kind words about your guide. While every guide completes extensive training before leading tours independently, we understand that a guide's first public tour can feel different from one led by a more seasoned team member. We're also sorry that one of our restaurant partners was unable to participate that day. While we occasionally encounter changes outside our control like the festival you've referenced, we strive to maintain the full experience whenever possible. We appreciate your honest feedback about the pizza stop as well, as guest input helps us evaluate and refine our offerings. Unfortunately, the hot weather and neighborhood festival created some additional challenges that day, and we're sorry those factors impacted your experience. We appreciate your recommendation and your constructive comments, and we'll use them as we continue improving the tour for future guests.
Great stories told by Sheli, very informative and fun. Food was deliciois..
Thank you for you 5 Star review! We are so glad that you enjoyed the tour. I will pass on your kind words to Sheli. She loves sharing our slice of little Italy. Please consider trying one of our many other offerings for your next adventure.
My husband, friends and I loved the Crime & Cuisine tour on Saturday May 30, 2026 hosted by Sheli. We enjoyed Sheli's pace, her ability to connect with everyone on the tour, her engaging storytelling style and her love for sharing Federal Hill's culture and history. We plan to recommend Sheli to our friends who plan to go on this tour. The food was quite good at each stop and we enjoyed the interesting stories about the immigrants who established Federal Hill.
We are so pleased to see that you enjoyed your tour and thank you for your 5 Star rating. We love sharing our piece of little Italy and the fascinating stories and history! Please consider another one of our adventures in the future!
Katherine was delightful. Kept the stories coming and our tummies full.
Yeah! So glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour and Katherine. Please consider joining us again in the very near future!
We really enjoyed our Crimes and Cuisines tour with Ginger! She is a great storyteller and kept us entertained. All the Italian food and wines were delicious. Highly recommend!!
Thank you so very much for the 5 Star review. We will be sure to let Ginger know that she kept you entertained. She loves sharing our piece of Little Italy and we hope you consider trying another one of our adventures in the very near future!
