[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Blog Post Section” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” locked=”off” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding_phone=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Post Nav” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”||||on|||RGBA(33,41,69,0.2)|” link_text_color=”#212945″ background_color=”#F4F4F6″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
January is unavoidably reflective. December\u2019s excess has receded; the champagne flutes are boxed away, the reservation calendar thins, and resolutions hover briefly before dissolving into something more realistic. What remains is a clearer sense of what we actually want to eat, drink, and gather around. Not what went viral. Not what was photographed well for three weeks. But what endured, what exhausted us, and what is quietly inching its way onto menus and into our homes.<\/p>\n
In South Africa, this reckoning feels especially sharp. The cost of living has narrowed our appetite for novelty-for-novelty\u2019s sake. Diners are cautious, more deliberate, and increasingly value- and values-driven. Trends still arrive \u2013 often via TikTok or Dubai (I\u2019m looking at you, Dubai chocolate) \u2013 but they now have to earn their place.<\/p>\n
As 2026 begins, certain ideas are slipping from favour, while others are settling in with renewed purpose. Before turning to what\u2019s emerging, it\u2019s worth noting a few things that may benefit from a pause:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”||||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
What follows are 10 emerging trends shaping how \u2013 and why \u2013 we eat now.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=” Supper clubs and hosting as a hobby” module_id=”supper” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Dinner parties are no longer casual accidents; they are planned, themed, and documented across socials. For some, hosting has become a serious creative outlet: monthly menus, considered playlists, decorated tables, handwritten menus and place cards. I\u2019ve even seen people open their homes once a month as makeshift coffee shops \u2013 baking furiously, laying their wares, fresh out the oven, on paper-covered tables, and letting friends \u201corder\u201d a sweet treat with their flat whites.<\/p>\n
On social media, the renewed admiration for figures like Ina Garten and Martha Stewart \u2013 buoyed by her recent Netflix feature \u2013 speaks to a desire for order, beauty, and generosity within small, controllable spaces. If the world feels chaotic, at least the roast chicken can be perfect.<\/p>\n
This impulse has spilled into the restaurant world, too, where supper clubs and independent event organisers are staging elaborate one-off dinners: tightly themed evenings with carefully choreographed menus and premium wine and drink pairings. These gatherings sit somewhere between a dinner party and a performance: intimate, intentional, temporary. <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”15529,15527,15526,15528″ show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” hover_overlay_color=”RGBA(33,41,69,0.2)” hover_icon=”L||divi||400″ admin_label=”Gallery” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h6″ title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”1px” title_line_height=”0em” caption_text_color=”#64697d” caption_font_size=”12px” caption_line_height=”16px” custom_margin=”||||true|false” custom_padding=”||||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”The little treat ritual” module_id=”treat” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Big luxuries feel out of reach for many, but small indulgences remain non-negotiable. A daily coffee, a pastry on the way to work, a market lunch, a well-made cocktail at the end of a long week \u2013 these modest pleasures punctuate routine without demanding much commitment or a big cash outlay. They are affordable joys in a time when nearly everything else feels expensive. Not decadence, exactly, but permission to indulge where we can.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Texture” module_id=”texture” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Texture has moved from supporting role to star. Foams, crisps, chews, and gels now exist not as garnish but as point of view. We\u2019re seeing this playfulness extend into drinks as well with foams, pastilles and crunchy elements.<\/p>\n
Alongside this is a growing appetite for chew itself. Korean and Japanese restaurants, caf\u00e9s, and convenience stores have made texture-led foods familiar and desirable: tteokbokki, mitarashi dango, mochi \u2013 now as likely to appear on menus as in the freezer section at Woolworths. It\u2019s no longer just about flavour. It\u2019s about how food feels in the mouth, how long it lingers, and how memorable a bite (or sip) can be.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”15531,15532″ posts_number=”2″ show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” hover_overlay_color=”RGBA(33,41,69,0.2)” hover_icon=”L||divi||400″ admin_label=”Gallery” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h6″ title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”1px” title_line_height=”0em” caption_text_color=”#64697d” caption_font_size=”12px” caption_line_height=”16px” custom_margin=”||||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.dineplan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/food-trends-2026-texture-2.png” alt=”A woman holds a pink plate that has 6 different colours of mochi on it.” title_text=”Food Trends 2026: Texture” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”549d55e2-89fb-4dd2-8b88-e4b3df6f3c04″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Cabbage” module_id=”cabbage” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”5px||5px||true|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Cauliflower\u2019s long reign is ending \u2013 its PR team deserves a medal for convincing us, for years, that it could be pizza, gnocchi, noodles and just about anything else we asked of it. In its place comes its humbler cousin: cabbage. It\u2019s inexpensive, roasts beautifully, absorbs flavour willingly, and carries nostalgia without heaviness. A recent sweet-and-salty dish of grilled cabbage at Tambourine<\/a> \u2013 wilted and perfectly soft, finished with blue cheese and chestnut paste \u2013 was a standout for me at the end of 2025.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Returning to favourites” module_id=”return” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n With fewer nights out feeling affordable, diners \u2013 locally and globally \u2013 are choosing certainty. Familiar rooms. Beloved dishes. Food prepared and served by trusted hands. Loyalty has become a strategy rather than a sentiment.<\/p>\n Instead of chasing every new restaurant opening, we\u2019re returning to places we know will deliver. Money is tight, and a night out now needs to feel assured: ordering the food we love, in spaces we already trust, and supporting the restaurants that have earned repeat visits.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”\u00c0 la carte over tasting menus” module_id=”menus” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Long tasting menus are starting to feel more like commitments than treats. Ordering what we want, when we want it, has regained its appeal. At The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse<\/a> at the Mount Nelson, Chef Dave Schneider has introduced an \u00e0 la carte option alongside the well-known Chefs Warehouse \u201ctapas for two\u201d tasting menu, allowing diners to drop in casually or return repeatedly. Win-win. <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Playful seriousness in the cocktail space” module_id=”playful” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The canned cocktail market continues to grow, driven by a desire for properly made drinks designed for those on the move. Bar-strength offerings from brands like Olio<\/a>, Patch<\/a>, and Pienaar & Sons<\/a>, with their much-loved \u201cbuddy packs\u201d, deliver stiff, on-the-go cocktails with packaging that\u2019s a lot of fun.<\/p>\n Alongside this, we\u2019re seeing a loosening of formality in more rarefied spaces. Abroad, Jell-O shots have begun appearing in fine-dining settings \u2013 espresso martinis and margaritas reimagined in bite-sized, wobbling form. Closer to home, non-alcoholic cocktail gummies from brands like Think Flavour<\/a> are showing up in major retailers, blurring the line between drink, sweet, and novelty.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.dineplan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/food-trends-2026-playful-seriousness-3.png” alt=”A small can of Olio Cocktail Negroni sits on a white table next to a hard-boiled egg in a silver egg holder. The egg is topped with orange caviar. ” title_text=”Food Trends 2026: Playful seriousness in the cocktail space” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”549d55e2-89fb-4dd2-8b88-e4b3df6f3c04″ custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”15536,15537″ posts_number=”2″ show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” hover_overlay_color=”RGBA(33,41,69,0.2)” hover_icon=”L||divi||400″ admin_label=”Gallery” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h6″ title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”1px” title_line_height=”0em” caption_text_color=”#64697d” caption_font_size=”12px” caption_line_height=”16px” custom_margin=”||||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Fish-forward restaurants” module_id=”fish” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A noticeable shift away from meat-centric menus is underway. Fish \u2013 often local, sustainably sourced, and simply prepared \u2013 is moving into the spotlight. A growing number of fish-forward restaurants are asking diners to look away from red meat, if only briefly, and toward the coast.<\/p>\n Restaurants like COY<\/a> at the Waterfront, Galjoen<\/a>, Seebamboes<\/a>, and the Mount Nelson\u2019s newest opening, Amura<\/a>, reflect this change, as do seasonal pop-ups like Kobus Botha\u2019s stint at the Saldanha Wine Co., where seafood is served raw or straight off the coals within meters of the water it came from. With coastlines as generous as ours, this feels less like a trend than a correction, one that allows local diners to enjoy our own fish and seafood in the landscapes that make them possible.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”15542,15540,15539,15541″ show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” hover_overlay_color=”RGBA(33,41,69,0.2)” hover_icon=”L||divi||400″ admin_label=”Gallery” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h6″ title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”1px” title_line_height=”0em” caption_text_color=”#64697d” caption_font_size=”12px” caption_line_height=”16px” custom_margin=”||||true|false” custom_padding=”||||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Nostalgic dining” module_id=”nostalgic” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Bars and restaurants are increasingly mining collective memory: dishes you recognise before you taste them, menus that reference something you once loved. At Gigi<\/a>, Chef Moses Moloi reimagines his childhood favourites through a fine-dining lens, turning personal memory into something both intimate and refined. <\/p>\n Elsewhere, nostalgia takes different forms. At Ouzeri<\/a>, Chef Nic Charalambous builds an entire Cypriot menu inspired by his grandmother\u2019s cooking, anchoring memory in lineage rather than trend. The old-school bakes and sweets at Ongetem<\/a> \u2013 banana splits included \u2013 and the soft-serve ice cream cones at De Vrije Burger by Chef Bertus Basson draw on a more collective past.<\/p>\n These dishes don\u2019t look backward so much as inward, treating familiarity not as escape, but as something quietly joyful and worth revisiting.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”15543,15544″ show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” hover_overlay_color=”RGBA(33,41,69,0.2)” hover_icon=”L||divi||400″ admin_label=”Gallery” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h6″ title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”1px” title_line_height=”0em” caption_text_color=”#64697d” caption_font_size=”12px” caption_line_height=”16px” custom_margin=”||||true|false” custom_padding=”||||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Spontaneous creator advertising” module_id=”creator” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ link_font=”|600|||||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Advertising in food and drink is beginning to shift. Large, non-food brands like Marc Jacobs with Nara Smith, Hailey Bieber\u2019s Rhode, Skims, and others, are stepping into the culinary space, recognising its cultural pull as a way to connect with audiences.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, influencers, long a staple of marketing, are driving momentum in a different way. Brands can find themselves no longer briefing or signing off on content; instead, creators go rogue, content goes viral, and only afterwards do brands catch up \u2013 ideally compensating them fairly.<\/p>\n We closed 2025 with the Romeo x Dr Pepper saga. If you haven\u2019t seen it, go watch. A spontaneous TikTok jingle went viral, was collectively turned into an internet-produced ad, and suddenly the world was thinking about, buying, and drinking Dr Pepper again \u2013 even here in South Africa. It\u2019s safe to assume the brand saw a boost in both sales and awareness.<\/p>\n The lesson for marketers is clear: authentic, creator-led content can work wonders; especially if brands recognise and reward it. Ignore that part, and public scorn, already swirling around the Dr Pepper story, can hit fast and hard.<\/p>\n If this year\u2019s food story has a theme, it might be this: extravagance has lost its shine, but pleasure hasn\u2019t. We\u2019re not done enjoying ourselves \u2013 we\u2019re just more selective about how. <\/p>\n In a moment marked by economic pressure, global noise, and an internet that insists every meal be new, clever, and documented, South African diners appear to be choosing something steadier. Loyalty over novelty. Pleasure over performance. Familiarity over frenzy. <\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean curiosity has disappeared. It has become more discerning. There is still an appetite for new textures, new formats, and new ways of gathering \u2013 just less patience for excess that doesn\u2019t earn its keep. A pistachio can still delight, a matcha can still thrill, a burger can still satisfy. They simply have to be good.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Food Trends 2026 explores what South Africans will be eating, drinking, and leaving behind \u2013 from supper clubs and nostalgic dining to the end of pistachio everything.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":15525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[412,406,212],"tags":[787,797,806,809,821,839],"class_list":["post-15415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-posts","category-expert-corner","category-news","tag-hospitality-industry","tag-news","tag-reports","tag-restaurants","tag-trends","tag-paige-errera"],"yoast_head":"\n5. Returning to favourites<\/h4>\n
\n6. \u00c0 la carte over tasting menus<\/h4>\n
\n7. Playful seriousness in the cocktail space<\/h4>\n
\n8. Fish-forward restaurants<\/h4>\n
\n9. Nostalgic dining<\/h4>\n
\n10. Spontaneous creator advertising<\/h4>\n
\n