Experience Brooklyn's best bagel shops with NYC Bagel Tours

NYC Bagel Tours is led by Sam Silverman and Mike Varley, two bagel enthusiasts who have tried hundreds of shops around the city for years.

News 12 Staff

Feb 19, 2023, 6:13 PM

Updated 602 days ago

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A new tour is taking bagel lovers behind the scenes of some of the best bagel spots in Brooklyn. 
NYC Bagel Tours is led by Sam Silverman and Mike Varley, two bagel enthusiasts who have tried hundreds of shops around the city for years. 
"I think between the two of us, we've hit close to 400 bagel shops throughout New York City," says Silverman, who is also the founder of Bagelfest.
The two long-time bagel connoisseurs joined forces to give curated bagel tours in all five boroughs.
"We help bring people behind the scenes of some of New York's best bagel shops, give them the inside scoop on the best bagels in New York, the history of the bagel, how it came to be an iconic New York food," Silverman explains.
Varley created one the most comprhensive bagel surveys of New York City.
"Bagels are just... quintessential, you know, it really captures the spirit of the city," Varley says.
Each tour lasts about two hours and includes three of their favorite spots.
"We kind of mix it up depending on the day," Silverman says.
"We often take them to the back of house, also the owners are typically there. We get an opportunity to interface with them and ask all sorts of questions about the bagel business," Varley says.
And of course, the best part is the bagels themselves.
"We always go for the shop's unique offerings. So for example, we’re at Bagel Point right now and we always come here on the Brooklyn tour because they got the 'cragel,'" Silverman says about the love child of a bagel and a croissant.
Tour schedules vary depending on the borough and the season.
"Even if you're a local whose eaten bagels their entire life, the bagel tour is going to give you a new insight and look into bagels that you've probably never seen before," Silverman says.
The Brooklyn tours include Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Park Slope.
For more information on how to book a tour, click here.