The WORST episodes of The Layover

Every episode of The Layover ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Layover!

Proving that layovers are opportunities for travelers to mingle with locals, crash parties, dine on local cuisine, and explore cultures, this new weekly series gives No Reservations' foodie-traveler extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain just 24-48 hours to hit the "must see" places, people and foods. From New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami to Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Rome, Montreal and Amsterdam, he will provide viewers with insider tips that only the most seasoned travelers would know.

Last Updated: 3/1/2025Network: Travel ChannelStatus: Ended

7.15

67 votes

#1 - Seattle

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/4/2013

Who doesn't love a layover in Seattle? Bourdain indulges in runny and smelly cheeses at Calf and Kid, checks out the aerial view of the city from a seaplane and gets a not-so-family-friendly tour of Seattle's historical underbelly.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.40

136 votes

#2 - Amsterdam

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/2/2012

Anthony Bourdain visits Amsterdam for the first time since his "misspent youth" and learns there's more to the city than the red light district.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.73

129 votes

#3 - Singapore

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/21/2011

Tony's first 24-hour layover lands him in Singapore, a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that all come together over a national obsession with food. Tony's friends take him on a tour of the hyper-modern city that manages to stay true to its culinary roots

Watch Now:Amazon

7.76

162 votes

#4 - San Francisco

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/9/2012

Tony Bourdain finds himself in San Francisco, a city known by vegan and vegetarian lovers alike. He discovers that San Francisco is actually a "bare-knuckled, 2-fisted drinking town," where you can get a great meal of raw juicy meat for under $20.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.81

133 votes

#5 - London

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/16/2012

A layover in London, Tony's "home away from home," means catching up with chef friends Marco Pierre White and Fergus Henderson. He has just enough time for a few pints and a visit to a real-life little shop of horrors before his flight home.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.84

139 votes

#6 - Rome

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/5/2011

Tony has just over 30 hours to explore the Eternal City. From dusk till dark, he sets off to explore and eat as much as he can in a whirlwind tour, from the banks of the Tiber River, and deep into the crooked ancient alleyways.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.94

64 votes

#7 - Chicago

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/19/2012

Tony cruises around the Windy City, has a damn-good hot dog, has a drink with painter and blogger Bruce Cameron Elliott, and dines with Top Chef champion Stephanie Izard.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.94

186 votes

#8 - Miami

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/12/2011

Paying homage to his love for Miami Vice, Tony Bourdain's Layover in Miami is full of hilarity as he takes in the South Beach Art Deco architecture scene and spots bikini clad roller bladers while cruising around in his red convertible.

Watch Now:Amazon

7.95

167 votes

#9 - Hong Kong

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/19/2011

Tony finds himself on a Layover in the fast paced, fascinating city of Hong Kong...in the middle of summer. Sweltering heat, oppressive smog, and intermittent rain, add some sardonic twists to Tony's travels to the Far East.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.03

33 votes

#10 - Atlanta

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/14/2013

Anthony Bourdain heads to the “ATL” where he cruises around in a muscle car, shoots guns and experiences the famed 10 o'clock burger at Holeman & Finch. He wraps up his trip at the legendary adults-only Clermont Lounge.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.20

130 votes

#11 - Los Angeles

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/23/2012

Tony has 48 hours to find the best food that LA has to offer. A huge city with ethnic enclaves spread out over 468 square miles. He stays at one of Hollywood's most luxurious and legendary hotels, Chateau Marmont.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.22

32 votes

#12 - Sao Paulo

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/10/2012

In Sao Paulo, Anthony Bourdain stays in an eccentric boat-shaped hotel, dines with friends at Alex Atala's famous D.O.M. restaurant, checks out the street graffiti with celebrated artist Speto and has nose-to-tail food at Mocoto.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.31

32 votes

#13 - New Orleans

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/28/2013

In New Orleans, the town of excess, Tony indulges in fresh seafood, drinks Sazerac with Davis Rogan, hits The Kingpin and finishes off his bar crawl with tacos from one of the nation’s top 20 food trucks.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.34

38 votes

#14 - Montreal

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/26/2011

A Montreal Layover for Tony means calling up local friends like Martin Picard to explore the city's hot spots that can't be found in any guidebook. He sees first hand how intrinsic the local environment is to food and fun.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.34

32 votes

#15 - Philadelphia

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/3/2012

Tony goes beyond the cheesesteak in Philadelphia. He dines on modern Israeli food with Marc Vetri, throws back the citywide special at Dirty Frank's and learns the real story behind the drinking and carousing of our Founding Fathers.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.40

35 votes

#16 - Taipei

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/21/2013

In Taipei, Anthony Bourdain visits the second-tallest building in the world. There he discovers pork carved out of jade, learns he can't have a plan in a bar scuffle and sees why scantily-clad women attend funerals.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.46

171 votes

#17 - New York

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/28/2011

Tony takes on his hometown of NYC. Having lived and explored the city for years, Tony's better equipped then anybody to show even the most novice traveler, how to explore this diverse and fast paced city

Watch Now:Amazon

8.54

39 votes

#18 - Paris

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/26/2012

In Paris, Tony does as the French do. He sips coffee at Le Pure Café, sits down at Le Dome for an enormous shellfish tower, discovers the lost art of bread baking and indulges in a guilty pleasure: a duck press.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.57

67 votes

#19 - Dublin

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/7/2013

Anthony spends 36 hours in Dublin, Ireland, during which time he checks out the food scene and dines on sweetbreads, pork stew and lamb.

Watch Now:Amazon

8.62

39 votes

#20 - Toronto

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/17/2012

Tony finds that there’s more to Toronto than what meets the eye. From nose-to-tail cuisine to authentic dim sum, Toronto has one of the most diverse food scenes in the world, and Tony attempts to see as much of it as he can in the little time he has.

Watch Now:Amazon