What dining out looks like in 2026

This was arguably a great year for India’s F&B scene. But how will it impact the future and what does the next year hold for us enthusiastic eaters? In no particular order, here are a few of my predictions about flavours, formats and frontiers we’ll explore in the dining out space.

THINGS ARE GOING TO GET SURREAL

Surrealism, the 20th century movement in art, film and literature is influencing fine dining in numerous ways. The tenants of the movement rest on connecting seemingly unconnected images and events in a dream-like manner to express what happens in our subconscious. One of the most talked-about dining experiences around the globe this year leans heavily on surrealism. At Alchemist in Copenhagen, gastronomy, drama, art, and spectacular visuals blend to create a holistic dining experience. Guests scoop dishes that look like eyeballs, rabbit ears and more. There’s even bread that the restaurant collaborated with US space agency NASA on, as a part of the seven hour, 50-course meal that costs about $1,000 per head. Surrealism developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I, in the period of the late 1910s and early 1920s, that has often been compared to the time we’re living in at the moment, amid much global, political and climate strife.

While Alchemist is a full-blown surrealist fever dream, restaurants and chefs around the world such as Gaggan Anand and Heston Blumenthal have been experimenting with surrealist elements (dishes that you can only lick, creations that look like rocks but are actually potatoes) in fine dining for a while. As the world around us gets more bizarre, we’re likely to see more creative folk tip into surrealism and more diners want to escape into fantasy to make sense of the times we’re in.

AN EMPHASIS ON EXPERIENCES

Recently, a heavily quoted study by data audience insights firm GWI created waves when it announced that social media usage has been on the decline since 2022. Across the developed world, adults, aged 16 and older, spent about 10% less time on social platforms, choosing instead to look up and engage in the real world. This tracks, with the rise of community-driven activities like run clubs, the padel and pickleball boom, supper-clubs and food experiences that feel immersive. Restaurants are tapping into this by offering special experiences, some of which diners can only book in advance, and others that feel tactile and real. At the recently-launched Kaspers in Mumbai, crayons and Jenga blocks encourage diners to get playful; while at Adda in New York City, guests can book a “butter chicken experience” that is offered to only six tables a night. For $42 per person, a chef wheels over a cart, smokes chicken over wood of your choice, gives you tastes of three butters (smoked chilli, fenugreek, and pickled tomato), then uses your selection to build the gravy to your liking.

In 2026, we’re likely to see fine dining get more fun, with elements of play and participation, that take the edge off big-ticket meals.

BASIC TO BOUGIE

As we watch the air quality worsen on our screens, we need something to hold on to that feels familiar, but not too basic. Enter the basic to bougie trend that spans everything from cocktails to chaat and chips. The dirty martini becomes filthy, star chefs like Alex Sanchez and Varun Totlani churn out versions of delicious, indulgent and comforting Mac n’ Cheese at Mumbai’s Americano and Paradox, respectively. Chef Radhika Khandelwal’s star dish at her new Delhi restaurant Trouble Trouble is a spin on the old-school prawn toast, while mixologists like Pankaj Balachandran churn out cocktails that are reminiscent of grandmom’s fish curry.

CONVERSATIONS THAT GO BEYOND THE KITCHEN
In a refreshing turn of storytelling events, the spotlight is shifting, from chefs and owners to other employees in the restaurant ecosystem: from sommeliers and baristas to managers and dishwashers. As more dining institutions pull back the curtain, my hope is that dining out is going to become more inclusive in the conversations it generates, the stories it covers and the dishes it chooses to highlight. Restaurant and chef awards like those by Culinary Culture are including awards for restaurant managers and sommeliers, signalling that it’s time to recognise the team behind the chef persona.

BITE-SIZED EVERYTHING

In 2026, we’re going to be nibbling a lot more. In terms of formats, portion sizes across the board are shrinking. Call it the Ozempic effect or blame it on our shortened attention spans, but everything from cocktails to the food that gets served with it is going to get tinier. More bars are offering “three sip serve” cocktails that allow tipplers to choose a significantly smaller (and cheaper) pour. We’re also seeing the rise of cocktail pairing menus that offer diners a few drinks, paired with small portions of food that don’t leave you feeling overstuffed and hyper-stimulated. At Mumbai’s Hom, helmed by chef Saurabh Udinia, guests can choose to get a tapas-style single portion of a dish, or pick from a larger, a la carte menu of sharing plates.

In the end, the most compelling prediction may be this: India’s dining scene is growing up, increasingly becoming more self-aware, rooted, and confident in its own voice. It’s a table worth pulling up a chair to.

Smitha Menon (@smitha.menis) a food journalist and the host of the Big Food Energy podcast.