New Aesthetics

Starting with menu design, the size of modern menus has shrunk, with many establishments opting for vertical, half-page menus with no pages to flick through and fewer dishes to choose from. Within single-page layouts, tabs are created, so diners can easily identify appetisers, mains, desserts, and beverages.

Beyond reducing page counts, restaurants are finding ways to differentiate their brand from competitors. For instance, although white and off-white hues have been favoured over the past few years for their simplicity and readability, current restaurants are using pops of colour and hand-drawn illustrations to add artistry and magic to their layouts. Some are abandoning white altogether and opting for backgrounds in colours like green or pink.

For an excellent example of what modern menus look like, check out Lobito de Mar. The latter’s menu features stunning illustrations and designs inspired by sea life. Other trends in menu design include smaller fonts, less formal design styles, and traditional touches, such as wax seals, handwriting, and embossing. Some restaurants are harking back to the past, relying on vintage fonts and graphics featuring comfort food. A fine example of nostalgia at its best is The Burger Bar St Maarten’s one-page menu, which features a blend of photographs and illustrations.

The Values Behind The Food

Modern restaurateurs are keen to share their stories, inspirations, and values, to connect more deeply with their clientele, and they are doing so creatively, through text and imagery on their menus. One of my favourite restaurants in London, Dishoom, shows exactly how menus can share a bit about a brand’s history, mission, and values. Its tagline, ‘From Bombay with Love’, sets the tone, and every dish has a backstory or connection to a broader cultural context. For instance, we learn that the Kejriwal (a dish comprising two friend eggs on chilli cheese toast) was a modern favourite at the Willingdon Sports Club in Tardeo. The menu tells us it was named after a member who ordered the dish repeatedly, because “he was not allowed to eat eggs at home.” We also read that the Akru (three spiced scrambled eggs served with plump, homemade buns and grilled tomato) is a café staple in Iran. There are a host of fascinating facts to discover, so if you do visit a Dishoom restaurant in London, make sure to give yourself a few extra minutes to read the menu!

Street Food Frenzy

Popular street foods, ranging from Birria Tacos to Satay Skewers, Vietnamese Pho, Amritsari Kulcha, and Bánh Mi, are finding their way into the menus of popular bistros and high-end venues. Street-food-inspired plates encourage shared dining, tantalising diners’ palates with spice, complexity, and optimal flavour balance. For instance, Mizon restaurant in New York serves Israeli street food delights, such as pita breads filled with ratatouille, moussaka, and lobster crème fraîche. Wahaca in London, meanwhile, entices diners with vegan Mexican-style street food, such as plantain tacos, bean tostadas, meatless farm chicken and avocado tacos, and churros. The idea is for diners to share platters with foods they can pick up with their hands and enjoy with their favourite beer or wine.

Asian Flavours Reign Supreme

Even in restaurants serving traditional cuisine (think Mediterranean or French), it isn’t uncommon to find touches of the inimitable spices and sauces that make Asian cuisine a firm favourite for savvy diners. Dishes like Thai curries and Vietnamese soups are being reimagined in fine dining, as are dumplings, bao buns, and sushi-inspired small plates. Chefs are blending elements of Japanese umami, Korean heat, and Chinese street-food techniques with local ingredients and creative presentations. They are also employing ingredients such as miso, yuzu, sesame, soy, gochujang, and lemongrass in sauces, marinades, and dressings in trendy restaurants.

For instance, the elegant Koan restaurant in Denmark combines Korean cooking techniques and flavours with Nordic ingredients. La Sartén in Madrid, meanwhile, serves fare that features Spanish, Latin, and Asian ingredients and techniques. If you’re in Madrid, we recommend La Sartén’s gyozas, filled with slow-cooked ribs, or the crisp wonton filled with beef, tomato, mint, basil, cilantro, and cardamom béchamel.

Alcohol-Free Drinks Menus

As research increasingly shows the impact of our lifestyle choices, the culinary industry is ready to adapt to the demand for healthier options, including booze-free beverages on menus. Mockingbird Zero Proof Cocktail Bar in New York is renowned for its impressive list of non-alcoholic cocktails made with non-alcoholic spirits and uncommon ingredients. The establishment offers a host of alcohol-free versions of gin, whiskey, tequila, rum, vermouth, and apéritifs, as well as 13 beers and three ciders.

Nostalgic Desserts

If you were born in the 1980s or earlier, you may recall desserts like Crêpes Suzette served table-side in gloriously theatrical style. If you can’t think of a better experience than Fortnum & Mason’s afternoon tea, then you may crave their famous strawberry tarts, layered chocolate cake, and Turkish delight. The good news is that nostalgic desserts are back with a vengeance. Get ready to order goodies like baked Alaska, panna cotta, and orange sponge cake, or a warm sticky toffee pudding served with a generous scoop of homemade vanilla ice-cream. If you’re visiting England, we also recommend Bettys Café Tea Rooms (located in York and Harrogate), where you will find exquisite Yorkshire curd tarts, Swiss chocolate cake, and a variety of scones served with clotted cream and jam. If Paris is more your penchant, make your way to Ladurée, for a host of traditional desserts ranging from éclairs to mille-feuille.