Resy Shares Anticipated Dining Out Trends For 2024 in Talk of the Table Report, U.K. Edition
As 2023 draws to a close, Resy spoke with a handful of leading London chefs and restaurant operators to discuss the dining out trends they anticipate for 2024. Their insights are summarized in Resy’s Talk of the Table, U.K. Edition report.
Trends predicted include the continued rise in ‘nomadic restaurants’ without brick-and-mortar venues, menus that are reactive to the changing environment, more adoption of regenerative foods as chefs seek out ways to re-wild the planet, and ingredients that were ‘hot’ but are now ‘not.’
Resy booking data also suggests some trends for the year ahead. The ‘Solo Dining’ trend forecasted in Resy’s 2022 London trend report proved true in 2023 – Resy London restaurants saw a 25% increase1 in solo diners – and could continue in 2024. Popular Piccadilly Circus restaurant Fallow was the most popular restaurant in London for solo diner booking in 2023. Resy users in the U.K. also started booking a bit further out in 2023 – the average booking was made 143 hours in advance, about six days, compared to 135 hours, about five and a half days1 in 2022.
1. Restaurants As We Know Them Are Changing
Nomadic restaurants without brick and mortars are rising in popularity as a result of increased rents and overheads. Restaurant collaborations and residencies will become more commonplace as more restaurants diversify their offering. Backing the trend: Imogen Davis and Ivan Tisdall-Downes, formerly of Native
2. Reactive Menus
As climate change continues to impact agriculture the lines between the seasons will become more fluid driving chefs to deliver daily menus based on the accessibility of local produce. Backing the trend: Jeremy Lee, Chef Proprietor of Quo Vadis
3. Will Mains Remain?
Small and sharing plates show no sign of slowing down as restaurants continue to re-think their menus in a way that makes sharing food more commonplace. Backing the trend: Antonio Gonzalez Milla, Executive Chef, Barrafina and Sertaç Dirik, Head Chef, Mangal 2
4. Educated Diners
Discerning diners are looking for quality, transparency and uniqueness in every meal. With this increased curiosity comes demand for obscure and eye-popping menu items which are a necessity to raise intrigue and expectations. Backing the trend: Imogen Davis and Ivan Tisdall-Downes, formerly of Native and Jeremy Lee, Chef Proprietor of Quo Vadis
5. Food Is the New Fashion
Food joins fashion and music to become a significant part of personal identity, not just a meal of the day. Whether it’s a brand partnership, collaboration or pop-up, bespoke food experiences will remain a priority for 2024. Backing the trend: Sertaç Dirik, Head Chef, Mangal 2
6. Re-gen Dining
Regenerative dining is on the rise as younger generations of diners and chefs are seeking out more consciously farmed menu items. Restaurants are re-imagining plates and giving more back to the earth than we take through continued creativity and resourcefulness. Backing the trend: Imogen Davis and Ivan Tisdall-Downes, formerly of Native
A survey* of consumers in the United Kingdom affirmed some of the chefs’ predictions and provided additional insights about how Brits plan to dine in 2024:
1 in 3 diners (32%) surveyed said they are more interested in how restaurant ingredients are sourced now than they were last year
More than 1 in 3 diners (34%) surveyed said they want to share food with other people at a restaurant so they can try more dishes
More than 1 in 3 (39%) of diners surveyed expressed they are more adventurous with dining choices when they choose small plates instead of one larger main meal
37% of diners said they prefer to order small plates over main dishes
In addition to the trends set to dominate the U.K. dining scene next year, chefs and Resy’s International Editor, David Paw, identified ingredients that are heating up and cooling down in the report’s Ingredients Barometer:
