Brand strategist. Problem solver. Foodie. Yogi. Traveller.

Feb 4, 2016

Foodies united: 15 trends from the world of food and eateries

The world of food is always fun and exciting, with new ideas and experiences emerging every day. Let’s sample a few treats that take gastronomy beyond our plates and enrich our lives by providing a feast for our senses.

Work and play

Need to have a quick meeting, fancy finishing the book you’re reading, or want to get your bike fixed while grabbing a bite to eat? Restaurants are getting creative in setting up eclectic, mixed-use spaces, complete with yoga classes, cat stroking, bike fixing, ceramic painting and more.

Get your bike repaired while you eat at Look Mum No Hands! in London. Browse while sipping on your spiced chai at the Magazine Shop in Dubai. Finish that assignment at Berlin’s trendy coworking spot St Oberholz.

Celebrate culture

Culture is being served not only on plates, but also in experiences, décor, and design details that reflect the roots, customs, and little-known secrets of places and people from around the world in vibrant, fun and unexpected ways.

Enjoy a playful Indian street food experience at Melbourne’s Horn Please canteen. Sample food and music from Cairo to Cape Town at South Africa’s Moyo. Keen to try traditional Levantine mana’eesh with a twist? Head to Zaroob in Dubai.

Sharing is caring

You’ve heard about it in many tongues — tapas, mezze, chaat, and more — but the meaning is largely the same. Snack-sized portions and sharing platters bring us together, and enable us to try a wider variety (or smaller portion) of tasty treats to suit our appetite.

Sample an assortment of salads and sides at Los Angeles’ Superba Snack Bar. Share the globally-inspired breads, spreads, and nibbles at Dubai’s Fume. Enjoy the ultimate sharing plank at international chain Jamie’s Italian.

Get real or go home

Authentic, down-to-earth experiences mean that people can come as they are and instantly feel at home. Food is served raw, real, and a little messy; open kitchens invite transparency and participation. Say hello to your friendly neighbourhood eatery.

Savour the sweet smell of freshly baked bread at Johannesburg’s Vovo Telo. Get comfortable on the blue sofa at Amsterdam’s Room Service by Droog. Pop in to Dubai’s Tom & Serg for a cold, fresh OJ served in a jar.

Rise of the artisan beverage

From rustic microbreweries to responsible coffee roasteries to gourmet tearooms, original and interesting liquid concepts are on the rise. Whether it be an in-house experience or a product off the shelf, artisanal beverages offer variety, heritage, and a sense of refinement.

Choose from over 100 varieties of beer on tap at Boston’s Meadhall. Drink a single origin blend with a purpose at Cape Town’s Truth Coffee. Sip a perfectly brewed cup of tea at Leopold’s of London in the UK and beyond.

Fast and good

The equation has changed: fast food no longer equals bad food. Today, people expect fast and good, and more and more restaurants are coming to the party with nutritious ideas and options that don’t take hours to prepare. All around the world “fast slow food” is becoming the order of the day.

Devour a good-for-you hot breakfast in less than five minutes at New York’s Essen. Join the raw food movement at London’s Wild Food Café. Create your own salad from the bottom up at Richy’s in Dubai.

Tableside theatre

The food world is by no means immune to the effects of the attention economy. Restaurants are upping the spice level by turning eating into an immersive, entertaining, beyond-taste experience. Avoid awkward silences by taking your next date out for dinner with a bit of theatre on the side!

Savour a show at Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams in South Africa. Enjoy a night of musical acts, dancing, drinks, and snacks at Beirut’s Music Hall. Request a passionately delivered tequila lesson on your next visit to Dubai’s Maya.

Going nowhere

The advent of food trucks and pop-ups means that dining experiences are becoming more interesting and less formal, more dynamic and less expected, more seasonal and less complex. Look out for the latest meal on wheels or rotating snack bar and catch it while you can!

Grab a simple yet scrumptious burger and fries on-the-go at Berlin’s Burger de Ville. San Francisco’s Rice Paper Scissors offers a rotating menu of Vietnamese favourites. Stay on the look out for Salt, Dubai’s pioneering food truck concept.

Liquid lovin’

Vegetables are no longer confined to salads, soups, and sides — today they’re frequently served raw and chilled in a glass. Whether you’re up for a hard-core juice fast or just a supplementary juice feast, you’re likely to find a juice bar near you.

Globally spread Detox Delight offers a range of pressed-to-perfection juices. Sip a fresh, organic, never processed veggie juice at New York’s Juice Press. If you’re in Norway or the UAE, try one of Essentially’s cleanses for a healthy glow.

Something to talk about

Wondering where to go tonight? See what your friends think on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Through mouth-watering images and delicious words, people are switched on to what their friends are posting, and successful food joints are giving them something to talk about.

Experience having a drink through a drip while on a wheelchair at Singapore’s Clinic. Discover the power of your senses at Berlin’s first dark restaurant Nocti Vagus. Add Dinner in the sky to your bucket list, wherever you are in the world.

Dining in made easy

Contrary to what one might expect, many restaurants are making it easier for us to stay in. By providing the DIY tools needed to make a dish, the complete ingredients perfectly portioned and packaged, or an idiot-proof recipe for success, restaurants and food shops are helping us hone our cooking skills and confidence in the kitchen.

Order a ready-to-cook dinner-in-a-box from Dubai’s Cook-a-Box. Browse through Toronto-based Fresh’s cookbooks for healthy inspiration. Grab all you need to make a gourmet feast at Melbourne’s Jones the Grocer.

Something for everyone

Gone are the days when your vegetarian friend was the only exception at the table. Today it’s not uncommon to meet people with myriad dietary requirements, from pescatarian to flexitarian, locavore, and more, so restaurants and food shops with inclusive menus and customizable options are leading the pack.

Savour a delicious, locally-produced meal at Ubud’s trendy Locavore. Enjoy a fresh and innovative vegan feast at Montreal’s Aux Vivres. Dubai’s Coco Yogo sells a range of delicious, dairy-free coconut-based products.

Conscious consumption

No matter where you are in the world, food brings people together. So why not spark a conversation, stir a debate, or communicate an idea — while everyone’s at the table? Passionate restaurateurs are finding ways to generate awareness about food and other topics by featuring ideas and information as the centerpiece of the meal.

Try a meal that’s aware of its origins at Amsterdam’s Go Slow Café, a project by Droog. (Photo credit: Raphael Brion). Participate in a debate over Palestinian falafel at Pittsburgh’s Conflict Kitchen. Amsterdam’s Instock reduces waste by serving meals made from supermarket leftovers. (Photo credit: Ruben de Ruijter).

Alone together

Keen to make some new friends, discuss a topic of interest, or try a restaurant you haven’t been to before? Why not get out of your comfort zone and book a seat for one at a sharing table — you may find that being alone together is not lonely at all.

Airbnb allows travelers to book a seat at locals’ dinner tables in San Francisco. Eat With invites you to dine in people’s homes all around the world, such as New York-based chef Shuchi. Extend your network while trying a new venue through Restronaut, Dubai’s social dining platform.

New formats for old favourites

There’s nothing like the unexpected, quirky, or novel to get people talking. Our needs are also changing — we’re more time-pressured, looking for convenience at every occasion. Innovators are seizing the opportunity to create fun, yet practical ways to enjoy the foods we love.

Devour gelato, sorbetto, or yogurt on a stick from New York’s Popbar, made fresh daily in its Poplab. Grab a jar of salad at the push of a button from Chicago’s Farmer’s Fridge vending machines. Amsterdam’s CHCO offers pure indulgence in the form of the “Hotchocspoon” Deluxe.

The world of food is evolving every day, and these are really just a taste of the innovative and exciting things we are seeing around the world. There’s so much more to discover — and with this in mind, I hope these 15 courses have left you hungry for more!

All images used courtesy of their respective authors. Permission being requested.