FOUNDER · LICENSED NYC SIGHTSEEING GUIDE

Dante Mercadante

Chief Eating Officer at Nice Guy Tours

Dante has been a licensed New York City sightseeing guide since 2012. In the fall of 2014 he founded Nice Guy Tours to prove that New Yorkers really are nice, and that the best way to meet the city is one bite at a time. A Yonkers native with a background in stand-up comedy and acting, he has led thousands of guests through the Village, the Lower East Side, Astoria and beyond.

“You will leave full, learn something, and have fun.”

DANTE'S THREE GUARANTEES

2012

Licensed NYC guide

2014

Founded Nice Guy Tours

150+

NYC pizza shops tasted

3

Game shows as a contestant

MEET THE NICE GUY

The guy behind the tours

Dante became a guide by chance and stayed for the joy of sharing great food with people from around the globe. He folded what he learned on stage into a sightseeing license, and in 2014 Nice Guy Tours was born: a company built to celebrate the city, its people, its culture and its food.

“Prior to having this job, when people would say ‘I really love my job’, I didn’t believe them or think it was possible. Now, I look forward to work every day.”

His favorite route is the Greenwich Village tour, winding through the West Village with stops for the food and the stories behind it. Off the clock you will find him with his kids, or cheering on the Yankees, Knicks and Bills.

“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t met yet.”

Fun facts about Dante

AS FEATURED IN

CNBC

Tasting Table

lohud

TravelAge West

Travel Off Path

Channel 13

FROM THE BLOG

Articles by Dante

2 Oct 2026

NYC Food Tour vs Self-Guided Tour: Which Is Better for Your Trip?

Nice Guy Tours guests sharing food at an outdoor table on the Chinatown and Little Italy food tour, New York City

1 Oct 2026

Visiting Chinatown NYC: A Guide to Food, History, and Culture

Paper lanterns strung between red-brick tenements and fire escapes in Manhattan's Chinatown

29 Sep 2026

Doyers Street NYC: The History of Chinatown’s Bloody Angle

26 Sep 2026

Nice Guy Tours Launches Chinatown and Little Italy Walking Food Tour

Red-brick buildings with fire escapes and red, white and green streamers over Mulberry Street in Little Italy, New York City

17 Sep 2026

Where Was Joe Gallo Killed? The Story of Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy

Cherry Lane Theatre entrance with its red doors and black awning on Commerce Street in Greenwich Village

12 Sep 2026

Cherry Lane Theatre: The Hidden Stage That Shaped American Drama

Domed facade of the Police Building at 240 Centre Street, former NYPD headquarters, next to a Manhattan Bridge bike sign

9 Sep 2026

The Police Building in NYC: The History of the Old Police Headquarters at 240 Centre Street

Restored sanctuary of the Eldridge Street Synagogue with its round east window and brass chandeliers, Lower East Side

5 Sep 2026

Eldridge Street Synagogue: History, Visiting Tips and What to Eat Nearby

Manhattan Bridge towers and cables with the Empire State Building in the distance, New York City

26 Aug 2026

Manhattan Bridge History: The Chinatown Arch, the Walkway and What You See Today

Three food tour guests in fall jackets sharing a snack on a Lower East Side street in New York City

21 Aug 2026

Best Time to Visit NYC for Food Lovers: A Season-by-Season Guide

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