When we go to restaurants in 2026, we’ll be looking for spicy flavors, new takes on old favorites and some good company.
That according to dining trend reports that come out this time of year.
We’re looking at three of them, each compiled with its own research methods. They reach different conclusions but there’s a lot of overlap.
We’ll begin with Yelp, the social media platform, whose researchers look for rising words, phrases and business mentions from millions of searches and reviews.
Yelp
Yelp includes eight items in its list of 2026 Food & Drink Trends.
Indian food is No. 1, but categories tend to overlap and complement each other.
“Indian cuisine is going mainstream,” said senior community director Margaret Palanca, who lives in Southern California.
Searches are up 459% for Indian buffets, she said in a phone interview.
Takeout searches are up 153%, according to Palanca.
Dishes that generate searches include biryani chicken, a dish with spicy marinated meat and basmati rice that’s up 49%.
RELATED: A Bollywood actor and supermodel talks about his new Bay Area restaurant
Chains with Indian dishes include Lazy Dog Restaurant, which has Tikka Masala Meatballs on its fall menu.
Black sesame, which has a stronger taste than white sesame seeds, came in second. Palanca describes it as a staple in Asian-American cuisine that’s used in sweets and beverages.
Searches for black sesame matcha are up 147%.
Matcha, a Japanese green tea powder, is No. 3 on the list. It’s already a craze, according to Palanca, and she expects it to continue to be big in 2026.
“Now a lot of places are coming up with unique flavors outside of the traditional matcha,” she said, including guava matcha and horchata matcha.
RELATED: Matcha madness: Bay Area cafes go all-in on green tea powder
“I feel like there’s going to be such a wave of matcha drinks, but a little more unique, rather than your traditional matcha latte.”
Searches for ube matcha are up 205%, according to the report, and Palanca said searches for banana pudding matcha latte are up an “astounding” 36,900%. Cloud matcha, similar to cold foam, is also popular.
All-you-can-eat buffets come in at No. 4. Palanca said this trend is “a whole different ballgame” from Indian buffets in the way they reflect a desire for social dining that’s affordable.
“People are looking for ways to socialize, and we believe that an all-you-can-eat dining style is a great way to socialize in large groups.”
But the trend also reflects an interest in global flavors, with searches for Korean barbecues and hot pot up 591%, dim sum up 244% and sushi bars up 93%.
A single product came in at No. 5. It’s an Italian cocktail called Sarti spritz, and It saw an 8,500% rise in searches.
With flavors such as blood orange, mango and passionfruit, “it’s got a tropical profile,” said Palanca. “It just goes to show that the spritz era is here to stay.”
The remaining three categories on the list are all bakeries: artisan breads, Mexican bakeries and Scandinavian treats such as Swedish princess cakes.
RELATED: 9 must-try Bay Area bakeries to satisfy any sweet tooth
Interest in sourdough never went away after the COVID-19 home baking fad, according to Palanca, but people are looking for new items such as sourdough croissants, sourdough bagels and sourdough cinnamon rolls.
Creations include, yes, a matcha cinnamon roll from Pasadena’s Bad Ash Bakes. Palanca said it went viral.
“If you love matcha, this is definitely a sweet treat for you.”
National Restaurant Association
The trade association’s annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast is created with feedback from culinary professionals who are given lists of food and drink items and macro trends to weigh in on.
RELATED: 9 new Bay Area burgers you need to try
Chart-topping trends for 2026 include local sourcing, comfort foods and protein add-ons.
When it came to individual menu items, smash burgers topped the list. But like Yelp’s list, an interest in global foods runs through the report.
“Today’s foodies are looking for escape — the chance to step out of their everyday into somewhere comfortable.”
Dessert trends spotlight Dubai chocolate, which was huge in 2025.
So were high-protein foods and drinks.
“This micronutrient can now be added to everything from your coffee to your pancakes. Diners of all kinds are exploring the benefits of protein-rich diets, including muscle-building and weight management,” the report asserts.
Datassential
Dataessential is a research firm whose customers include Starbucks, Burger King, General Mills and Target, according to a news release.
Its 2026 Trend Report was compiled using interviews with more than 1,000 consumers. Although Dataessential sells its research, it made portions of the report available in a preview edition.
Dataessential predicts that high-fiber products will overtake protein as a diet trend as people seek to improve their gut health. Social media calls it fibermaxxing.
Its take on Indian cuisine is that foods and beverages from the state of Kerala on the Malabar Coast of India will have a moment. The region is known for spices and “veggie-forward” dishes such as mutta curry, unniyappam and palada pradhaman. Yelp has lists for Kerala food although the restaurants they include may not identify themselves as such.
The report also says that consumers who embraced plant-based proteins are going back to meat and that tea time will become part of happy hour as people look for new no- and low- alcohol beverages.
“New classics” for 2026 include Basque cheesecake, butter chicken, hot honey, birria and ube, a purple yam.
Leave a Reply