What to watch out for next year
We’ve already listed the restaurants to look out for in 2026 – and now we’re casting our eye over which trends will shape going out in the capital in 2026. We’re predicting less screen time, more OTT restaurants, and a load of offal, sake and mezcal.
Bigger Is Better
Stripped-back interiors and lean menus are being traded in for OTT rooms and massive menus…. yes, maximalism is back. Restaurants want you to stay and spend money, so they’re going big on all fronts: plush furnishings, dramatic decor and long menus running across several pages (or if you’re Legado, onto one giant sheet of paper). Lilibet’s, the Mayfair seafood spot from Ross Shonhan, delivers on both counts, with extremely extra interiors and an extensive menu to match. With Jeremy King’s revamped Simpsons in the Strand opening in February, with two dining rooms, two bars, a private ballroom and the return of silver-domed trolleys, and Major Food Group bringing us big dick Manhattan energy with Major’s Grill, 2026 will be the year of more is more.
Sake Superiority
Sales of sake have been steadily increasing over the past few years and it’s no longer just associated with Japanese restaurants. In London, sake is appearing in wine bars, cocktail spots, high-end French restaurants, and neighbourhood joints that have absolutely nothing to do with Japan. With more sommeliers and restaurants understanding sake’s huge potential, and with new approachable brands hitting the market, it’s only going to become more mainstream.
Offally Good
Once a sign of frugality, cooking with the likes of liver, heart and sweetbreads is now a marker of cool. Chefs love the bold flavours, diners love eating like those in the know, and it’s the ultimate way to consume meat sustainably. As well as being found on menus at the likes of St John, Camille, and Smoking Goat, offal’s creeping onto the natural wine bar circuit too. With food waste being a hotter topic than ever, both from an environmental and financial standpoint, offal is only going to get more popular.
Hold the Phone(s)
As a society, we’re pretty glued to our smartphones – we average 3 hours and 21 minutes a day on our devices in the UK and it’s rare to go to a restaurant or a gig without seeing someone turn the experience into social media content. While nightclubs have been pushing back against photography and phones for years, more London venues are stickering cameras and locking away phones to prioritise experience over content. Make 2026 the year of memories and put the phone down.
Phở the Win
London has a rich tradition of Vietnamese food thanks to waves of migration from Vietnam to the UK, beginning after the Vietnam War and continuing with people searching for work and study opportunities in the nineties and noughties. The stalwarts, like the restaurants on the Kingsland Road, aka the ‘phở mile’, have recently been joined by new wave of openings, adding more regional and more contemporary takes on Vietnamese food to the city – and it’s something we expect to see more of in 2026.
Late Night London
London’s nightlife often gets a bad rap, with outlets (us included) often reporting on the increasing closures and the lack of late-night culture. But could the tide be turning? While stats on venue losses are worrying and we’re still a way off from being a true 24-hour city, there are more restaurants staying open later; more late and 24-hour licenses are being handed out (see: EartH and Brixton Storeys); new clubs like Palais are on the way; and new nights like Lost and Open Mondays are encouraging good old fashioned (aka phone-free) fun.
Mexican Wave
London’s Mexican food scene has improved massively from the days of fajitas and nachos at Tex-Mex restaurants. Breddos kickstarted a taco trend in 2016 and with its Michelin star, Kol offers a higher-end take on Mexican cuisine. Now the city has experienced another Mexican wave, bringing an even greater focus on regionality and specificity. There are more experimental tacos, lesser-known dishes like flautas and pozole, and new bars serving rare agave spirits. And with more new Mexican openings slated for early 2026, the wave isn’t cresting yet.
Grocerant Growth
Grocery-restaurant hybrids is a trend we’ve already covered, once in 2023 following the pandemic-induced pivot that many hospo businesses undertook, and again earlier this year as more retail spaces started to add restaurant concepts into their venues. Given the popularity of Corner Shop, a grocery, cafe, ice cream counter, salad bar, bakery and wine bar all under one roof, and the outstanding omakase experience at ASA inside Arthur’s Market (also home to some pretty impressive premium produce), we reckon there are more new wave grocery stores in London’s future.
Closed for Good
Something that we don’t want to see next year but very likely will is more restaurant closures. 2025 was an incredibly tough year for the hospitality industry, with the introduction of higher National Living Wage and increased National Insurance contributions as outlined in Labour’s 2024 Budget, the 20% rate of VAT, and rising costs causing many operators to call it a day. Despite our work on the #TaxedOut campaign, where we lobbied the Government for urgent support with an open letter to Rachel Reeves and revealed the true costs of running a hospo business in London, there was little in this year’s Budget to indicate that the landscape would be better in 2026.
Pop-Up to Perm
The city’s pop-up scene has long been the place to find truly innovative and creative cooking, and this year it didn’t let us down. Concepts and chefs like Duda Diner, Natty Can Cook, Khao Bird and Eric Wan found permanent homes this year, and there’s more to come from the likes of Logma, Tiella, and Soft & Swirly, and that’s something to get excited about.
