The year of 2025 has come to an end, sadly. In Hong Kong, we have been so busy with eating, drinking cocktails, exploring new restaurants, and becoming experts in our field. And for that, we want to sum up the year in style!
Trends have come and gone this year, but we want to point out the trends that we can happily bid a farewell to in 2025, and predict a few trends that we expect to bubble to the surface next year.
Five dining trends we can leave behind in 2025
Small plates
In Asia, and especially in Hong Kong, we are accustomed to sharing our meals with others at the table. The small plates phenomenon probably began States-side, germinated in the West, and came to Hong Kong this year. It is a trend that is not bad per se, but ensures that the table cannot properly enjoy a plate of food with tiny forkfulls and nothing left after a few bites.
Artisanal desserts
So, you have waded through the meal and completed the challenge at the restaurant. What is the best way to end the experience? A simple dessert that signals the end, for now. It is understandable for restaurants to explore complexity in a sweet form for the final bite of a meal, but a little bit of gelato, a cheesecake, some chocolate, petit fours, or something icy and fruity is the best to clear the palate and complete the package.
Dining time limits
Two hours is plenty of time to enjoy the full breadth of a meal, from the bubbling small talk upon arrival and greeting your friends through to starters, mains, and the dessert. But the one and a half dining limit to even the occasional one hour limit prevents diners from truly enjoying every facet of the dining experience. Most people won’t be stretching their legs for two hours, but the limit is enough to make people feel rushed.
Pistachio everything
It all began from the Dubai pistachio chocolate craze, which then followed with the use of pistachio with nearly every dessert or sweet treat you can find here. The taste is not the issue, the application is. It sometimes comes off as lazy to default to pistachio as the format for your next dessert treat. Sometimes vanilla or chocolate or even matcha can have a go!
Loud music in restaurants
The vibe in a restaurant can no longer be curated or substituted by the sole introduction of music. Oftentimes, the music becomes too loud and you cannot hear yourself enjoying the food on our plate. In the future, we predict the return of restaurants’ hosting live bands or just letting the customers feel out the natural vibes.
Five dining trends we predict for 2026
Short but fancy tasting menus
Fine-dining in Hong Kong has enjoyed a quiet resurgence in 2025. As the economy improves following a post-pandemic shock, Hong Kongers and tourists still have the fine-dining bug, but are still searching for value-for-money experiences. No one wants to be chained to the table for three hours however. Now, tasting menus below HKD1,000 with a handful of courses reign supreme.
Niche Korean concepts
The Hallyu wave has not stopped coming our way this year, and it will ramp up even more in 2026. A tranche of Korean restaurant chains have opened up shop in Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, and within Tsim Sha Tsui’s Korea Town, recognising the city’s undying love for truly authentic flavours of the cuisine that can only be found in the East Asian country.
Casual Italian restaurants and pasta bars
Beyond Asian cuisine, Italian restaurants number the highest in the Western restaurant category in Hong Kong. Accessible with a use of simple ingredients, Italian cuisine has long been the staple of Hong Kongers diets. This year, we enjoyed the openings of many casual pasta bars that brought us simple recipes packed with love and tomatoey goodness. Simple home cooking means affordable prices and big smiles on our faces.
Social media-first dishes
Many restaurateurs in Hong Kong are waking up to the need to curate food for the Instagram and Xiaohongshu feed, not just the palate. This has always been a thing in Hong Kong, but now more than ever, as tourists pile into our city manned with pictures of restaurants they have found online, we see social media dictating what we eat more than ever.
Immersive dining experiences
With The Magic Table, 7 Paintings, and Dining in the Dark all opening in Hong Kong this year, it is evident that the trend of customers seeking new experiences, flushed with lights (or the absence of), entertainment, and thrills will not wane. The restaurant model will not falter, but for some, a meal teasing not just your taste, but sight, sound, and smell power diners’ enthusiasm in Hong Kong’s restaurant scene.
