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At Bon Appétit, we spend a lot of time in restaurants. It’s a good life, all that eating, pondering, and writing on repeat nearly every night of the week.
Looking back on the past 12 months of meals, there are patterns that emerge, and other trends that bubble up to the surface. This year was marked by a few outsize trends: the return of the classic French restaurant, the rise of the members-only dinner clubs, a love affair with Afro-Caribbean cuisine, and an Indian fine dining revolution, to name just a few. We surveyed a crew of chefs, somms, influencers and restaurant owners, folks with their fingers on the heartbeat of the industry, to dig deeper into 2025’s most interesting and unusual trends that will, with any luck, continue into the new year.
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Chef Collabs
“My favorite trend is the collabs between different restaurants and chefs these days. Food, especially in the US, has come so far in the past 20 years. You have all these amazing chefs/restaurateurs with incredible experiences either growing up, learning abroad or traveling who have these incredible stories to tell.” —Stefano Secchi, chef/partner, Massara on Park, Rezdôra, New York City
Adult Happy Meals
“Adult Happy Meals are nostalgia reimagined: the burger’s better, the drink’s stronger, and yes—there might even be a toy. They’ve taken off because they offer exactly what guests crave right now: value with a side of delight. Restaurants are pairing elevated burgers and fries with martinis and a clever surprise, turning a simple meal into a premium yet joyful experience. And we’re going to see even more creative twists in 2026 as fine dining and full service casual restaurants look for new ways to package value and playfulness.” —Candace MacDonald, cofounder, Carbonate Group, a coast-to-coast restaurant strategy firm
Open-fire Cooking
“Open-fire cooking isn’t new, but in 2025 the approach is becoming far more refined. Chefs are using controlled smoke, aromatized embers, and precision aging to layer flavor. It’s technique-driven wood fire, not rustic wood fire—and guests can taste the difference. ”—Sezer Deniz, director of culinary, The Joule, Dallas
Dong Bei Cuisine
“Dong Bei cuisine, from Northeastern China, is still in its infancy, but with a growing population here in the states settling in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, it is sure to catch on. Bucking the trend of throat-scorching Asian cuisines like Szechuan and Esan, its dishes are centered around meat, wheat, and pickled vegetables. The flavor profile is savory, tangy, and aromatic, with a warming and hearty nature. One of my favorite Dong Bei places is the newly opened Taste of North China, in Flushing, Queens. On a recent trip, our table enjoyed fried chive pockets; dry tofu sheets with hot pepper and pork; “eat with your hands” fried and braised pork trotters; and a deeply fragrant whole braised fish with star anise, tofu, cabbage, and vermicelli.” —Jonathan Forgash, executive director, Queens Together, a restaurant association and food relief organization
The Burger
“Burgers felt like ‘the’ dish of the year. I love that every fine dining chef has their own version. It reminds me of that scene from The Menu, a burger is such a pure, genuine connection to food, and everyone can relate to it.” —Tara Monsod, executive chef, ANIMAE & Le Coq, San Diego + La Jolla, CA
Cabbage
“I love that cabbage had its moment this year. It’s such an underrated vegetable and incredibly versatile. You can braise it, broil it, blanch it, or bake it and it always brings something different to the table.” —Aidan Owens, culinary director, Herb & Sea + Herb & Wood, Encinitas + San Diego
Savory Martinis
“A highlight trend of 2025 was the rise of the ultra-savory martini. Love a martini, but a martini that is reminiscent of the Willy Wonka three-course bubblegum? Perfection. I want my martinis to taste like tomato or sour cream and onion or seaweed, ideally. And if they come with a little sidecar snack, even better.”—Jackie Carnesi, executive chef, Kellogg’s Diner, Brooklyn
The All-day Cafe
“I love the vibe of a European café where you come in for a coffee and end up staying for a bite or pop in later for a drink. For operators feeling the pressures of labor shortage and the cost of doing business continually on the rise, it is a business model that allows you to keep costs in check and make better use of your space.”—Rose Previte, chef -owner, Maydan & Maydan Market, DC and Los Angeles
Sauvignon Blanc with Jalapeño Slices
“When the whole sauv blanc + jalapeño trend started scrolling onto my feed, it sounded unserious, but it ended up being shockingly bright, crisp, and balanced in the wildest way. To make one, pour yourself a cold, zippy Sauvignon Blanc (think New Zealand, Loire Valley, Chile), and instead of muddling anything, you just drop in a slice or two of fresh jalapeño. The heat lightly infuses the wine and amps up the tropical, citrusy notes — it’s basically a DIY spicy marg’s quiet sister who reads poetry and lives in a wine bar.”—Amari Collins, wine influencer and founder of Vin Dealer, New York City
The Roving Oyster Shucker
“You've probably seen a roving oyster shucker cheerfully weaving in and out of a party wearing a bucket-clad belt and a shell in hand. This ‘free-range’ concept was initially developed by the Dutch company Oystertainment over 24 years ago, and the model has since been adopted around the world. I’m thinking of Red Oyster USA owned by Angelique van der Made, The Wandering Oyster Co, Oyster Party, and Oysters Hawaii.”—Julie Qui, author of In A Half Shell and cofounder of the Oyster Master Guild, the world's first oyster sommelier certification program
The Dynamic Embrace of Cultural Cuisine
“One of the biggest trends I’m seeing is the rise of deeply rooted cultural cuisines—especially across the African diaspora. Dishes and ingredients that were once overlooked or considered humble are now being celebrated on national menus. Because of shifting protein costs, chefs are also returning to cuts like oxtail, which historically carried a sense of resourcefulness but today have become sought-after centerpieces, reimagined with creativity and pride.” —Andrew Black, executive chef and owner, Grey Sweater, Perle Mesta, Black Walnut and Dougla (opening in February 2026), Oklahoma City
Hybrids and Indigenous Grapes
“The edgy grapes used to be Aligoté, Gamay, and Grüner Veltliner. Now I see grapes that were previously overlooked, or even scoffed at—hybrids like Chardonel, Vidal, and Chambourcin, and PIWI, a new genre of hybrid grapes like Solaris. There are even indigenous American grapes like muscadine, which help address climate change because they are better acclimated to extreme temperatures and especially moisture and humidity brought by a warming globe. The future is here.”—Lee Campbell, Sommelier, Borgo, NYC and founder of Commonwealth Crush Vineyard in Virginia
Resilience
“This may not be a trend, but my favorite theme of the year has been resilience. It has been a very challenging few years for our industry. I leave 2025 incredibly inspired by the resilience on display by so many hospitality professionals.” —Chuy Cervantes, chef de cuisine, Damian, Los Angeles