Fine dining lovers, rejoice – because our latest Michelin star (…and rosette… and hat)-studded report is now live on the trendhub.
The 2026 Fine Dining menuwatching report looks at all things haute cuisine in a category marked by both its extreme innovation and deep-rooted traditions.
Here are three of our key takeouts from the report:
- Gastro Centres - The long-standing centres of fine dining excellence such as Paris, London, New York and Tokyo are sharing the limelight with a new batch of global gastronomic hot spots. Bangkok, Hangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City are just some of the destinations attracting major talent from across the world, as well as fostering homegrown stars. In return, culinary influence from these areas is spreading across wider cuisine, seamlessly blending into classical European, Latin American and modern US fine dining.
- Downsizing - The 'snackification' of meals is transforming wider foodservice and retail, as the traditional three-meals-per-day gives way to all-day eating, resulting in a rise in smaller formats designed for grazing. The impact is now being felt in Fine Dining, too; dishes are downsized, sauces are lightened, diners can grab a casual bite and carry on with the rest of their day. The popularity of GLP-1 medications is also playing a part in this shift, with some high-profile restaurants publicly releasing scaled-down menus aimed at this sector of the market… and a good many more offering unofficial options via a more subtle 'off menu' approach.
- Comfort Eating - When thinking of a fine dining dish, fried rice probably wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind. But the much loved Chinese staple is proving a hit across high end restaurants, elevated of course, but all the while retaining its connotations of comfort. The same treatment is given to other nostalgic nibbles: take Corenucopia's hot buttered crumpets (served with a rather swanky smoked salmon pâté) or Bonheur's playful take on a quiche Lorraine. From fish and chips to banana splits, topped toast to tiramisu, casual classics are given a premium glow-up to turn simple comforts into five-star feasts!
Looking for more report insights?
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