With nearly two months of 2026 behind us, trends for the year are emerging and holding. Some—like an affinity for spice—suggest nuance, specific to certain food genres and locations. Some trends—less alcohol—are easy for any restaurant business to incorporate. Nation’s Restaurant News reports with a roundup of the 2026 trends that are worth paying attention to, including these below.
Bananas
Banana will be a hot flavor throughout the year, particularly due to the rise of banana milk. “The flavor is starting to appear in more cocktails as mixologists have found enzymes that will dissolve the pectin, allowing them to hang the fruit in cheesecloth and catch the intense banana essence that drips out. The result is in an ingredient that’s cleaner tasting and more pure than the banana cordials on the market,” says NRN.
Georgian Food
Aligned with the Olympics and Georgia’s visibility, Georgian food is increasing in popularity. Located south of Russia, Georgian food is comforting and spice-forward. NRN says, “The boat-shaped cheese bread called Khachapuri is charismatic, photogenic, and tasty (it’s cheese bread, after all), and the cuisine even has its own version of soup dumplings called khinkali.” The region is also well-known for their wines.
Meat Based on Quality
Beef and chicken dishes are holding steady with one important attention to detail: quality matters. Whether it’s Wagyu beef flown in from Japan or slowly-grown heritage chicken, these are the standards fine-diners are setting for their meat options. “Chicken will make a mean comeback in 2026,” said chef Andres Kaifer of Customshop in Charlotte, N.C. “I believe we’ll see more and more restaurants that have really well thought out chicken dishes, and I personally would like to see chefs challenge themselves.”
Citrus Fruit
Fruit flavors will lean toward the bright and exotic. “Tropical flavors such as mango and passion fruit have been on the rise for a while, and citrus is perennially popular, but trend watchers expect to see them in different forms in 2026…yuzu, passion fruit, lychee, and guava that are increasingly popular…[and] lesser known citrus, including dekopon (a variety of satsuma) and calamansi,” states NRN. Specifically, AF&Co and Carbonate “anticipate more passion fruit cocktails, noting that its ‘bright acidity walks the line between tart and sweet, adding lift and balance to cocktails without being cloying’.”
Richard Weil, principal and owner of National Restaurant Consultants and a highly-qualified culinarian, adds, “These taste-driven trends will continue to drive consumers of all demographics seeking variety and distinction. Infusing citric characteristics and spices with all types of proteins will resonate well with consumers. Take the time to step back and consider the opportunities that these products will appeal to consumers.”
For the complete round-up of incoming trends for 2026, visit NRN’s slideshow here. And if you’re considering how to incorporate these trends into your restaurant business, consider reaching out to our restaurant consultants, who have years of experience navigating the rise and fall of food and beverage trends.