A Look Ahead to 2026: The Trends Defining Our Plates in the New Year

If you are what you eat, who will we be for 2026? For better or worse, these trends are already picking up steam, with attention expected to grow in coming months.

The Vibe is Back on Top

It’s fair to say that atmosphere and ambiance are vital for some of the concepts emerging in recent restaurant openings. The highly anticipated Pretender in Noblesville is one example– a curated menu from Fountain Room chef Ricky Martinez is already a draw, but paired with the moody Japanese listening lounge motif, this spot will set the tone for afterwork drinks and nights out in the suburbs. 

Small plates and wine are also emerging as a quintessential night out. This genre of food, which is predominantly picky bits and a bottle of vino, doubles as an Instagrammable gab sesh. Oysters, too, fit nicely into this mix, because they feel fancy but the cost is comparable to chicken wings (Plus, they pair just as well with hot sauce, which may or may not have been smuggled in via a friend’s purse). Strangebird even offers an Indy City Oyster Club card, with discounts for members that order half-shell selections on the reg. At $12/mo for membership, the rough math here is that you’d have to be ordering at least 6 oysters per month for this to pay for itself.

Korean, Japanese, Indian, and Thai dishes are also gaining traction in the Midwestern palate. Hoosiers are learning to look for dumpling skirts, handcut noodles, omurice, poppadoms, satay, samosas, hojicha, and more. Whether a product of globalization or social media hype, the result is a food culture gaining a wider food diversity. 

That said, Indianapolis has a few much loved spots that have welcomed diners for decades. Sakura serves up katsu curry and red bean desserts on their menu alongside the sushi selection. Mama’s House in Lawrence offers tableside Korean BBQ, and has served authentic Korean food since they opened their doors in 1989. Neither could be described as trend-chasing, but the food is phenomenal and authentic. Sometimes what’s trending opens the door to discovering something amazing that’s been around all along.

Novelty with a Bite

Creative or curious snacks are expanding their spot in the market, for adults and children alike. This is especially growing on digital platforms, where “gourmet candy” is sold through the TikTok shop and digital storefronts like Sugarfina for its eye-catching color or satisfying crunch. Jordan almonds dyed to look like martini olives, sugar coated gummy lips, wax candy– the stuff bottle caps are made of– formed into a giant lobster and filled with rainbow jam. 

Dirty Soda, originally a Utah favorite, also fits into this novelty category. The drink trend spread via viral videos and secret flavor combos. The opening of an Indiana SWIG location made this glorified italian soda a drive thru delicacy.

Food and Travel

The Aperol Spritz summer has kicked into a higher gear, as global food and drink brands are starting to see the opportunity in food tourism. Ireland’s Kerrygold took social media by storm in May after inviting influencers on a PR trip to explore Ireland. The trip coincided with the Ballymaloe Festival of Food in County Cork. Food influencers like Brooklyn-based Nasim Labichi (@lahbco) sipped afternoon tea, stayed on an 800-year-old estate, met the cows that make the butter, and dined in a walled garden on course after course of butter-infused fine dining. 

Tillamook followed suit in September with a cheese tasting weekend in Oregon. New York Times Bestselling author Justine Doiron (@justine_snacks) was among the guestlist for the factory tour, product sampling, curated meals, and bonfire on the beach to finish off the trip.

Some of these select events are not open to the public, but the content does raise the bar for food tourism. There’s a clear potential to build an experience beyond sampling. Some options to explore for the next foodie trip might be a cooking residency at Scotland’s Ballintaggart, where their curated masterclasses of the Scottish larder come with views of the sweeping Scottish landscape. Another option might be a curated retreat through the south of France with tour company Reverie. This tour company is one of many, but uniquely, they partner with author and baker Erin McDowell for weeklong explorations of the Basque region. Groups explore seaside villages, sample from local restaurants, and learn about regional food history through experiential cooking courses.

Health and Wellness

For better or worse, health and wellness continue to shape the food and drink space. There’s a continued focus on fiber and protein, two basic building blocks of nutrition that are easy to set goals and metrics around. According to a recent report from RAND, about 12% of Americans have used a GLP-1 Agonist like Ozempic or Mounjaro at least once. For women ages 50 to 64, that number is closer to 20%, according to the report. For these drugs, slower digestion and appetite suppression come alongside blood sugar regulation. Patients will notice a need for smaller portions or fewer meals. This raises the question, what happens when one in ten Americans start eating smaller portions? We may well see changes, especially in that over 50 demographic, in restaurant habits and grocery purchases. 

Supply and Demand

Undoubtedly tariffs will have an impact on food prices, as a hefty percentage of fruit and vegetables that Americans consume is grown in Mexican and South American soil. Local and federal governments hope this will spark US agricultural enterprises to fill the gap, but in the meantime these whole foods will see a price jump that’s unlikely to go down quickly. In August, food price inflation sat at 4% year-over-year according to the USDA, with prices projected to increase even more through the end of the year. 

Not all food prices will spike at the same rate, with lower tariff countries like the UK or Australia importing different portions of the market. In June, the United Nations Trade and Development agency reported that U.S. tariffs would cause major shifts in global fish trades. With major suppliers to the US like Brazil and Canada experiencing higher tariff rates, many are looking to turn their trade domestic or two other shores. According to the report, the U.S. accounts for $16 billion in annual seafood imports.

Hoosiers in lower income brackets are also facing cuts to free and reduced lunch for public schools, as well as cuts to food stamps and federally supported food funding. This will likely put pressure on mutual aid and community non-profits, which could be a special focus for charity as we approach the holiday season. A Longer Table (formerly the Patachou Foundation) is continuing to work with school food programs to make healthy meals more accessible to children and teens. Second Harvest leads food banks and initiatives across Central Indiana, and Flanner House is cultivating food justice programs in Indianapolis’ Fall Creek neighborhood, to name a few. 

Community Through Food

In 2025, Indianapolis saw continued interest in food and drink as a community builder. GANGGANG brought a 5-course tasting dinner with Cunningham Restaurant Group and exclusive speakeasy to their annual BUTTER Art Fair. The fair even previewed the event with an invite-only dinner at Tinker Street earlier in the summer. The city is clearly hungry for art-meets-food programming, with exhibition space Companion on Washington Boulevard hosting regular community meals alongside their openings since 2022. ART DISH, the Harrison Center’s monthly supper club, is another great example of art in conversation with food, with this ticketed event spotlighting local chefs as well as artists-in-residence. 

Of course, there are ever-growing ways that food and community intersect. Chef Logan McMahon recently brought back his Mystery Meat vegan pop-up for a third time. With the success of her past curated dinner parties, chef Grace Seibert has started offering a curated dinner party service as Ssuk. The name translates to mugwort in Korean. An invite to be envious of, especially after seeing her mouthwatering tres leches layered with matcha, lemon, and stinging nettle to celebrate the work of artist Kim Beck.