It’s time for pizza by the pi-load and pastel de nata by the truck-load to make way for some new supremes
As we bid farewell to 2023, the year that will no doubt go down as one of the longest in history, here at Lovin we’re looking to the future. As people who follow the food and drink scene pretty closely, these are some things that we think the new year will hold in store for us. Will there be a surge in hot dog sales? Will raclette be on the menu of every café in town? Will there be even more pastel de nata shops to welcome into the fold of Dublin? We’ve looked into the tea leaves, gazed at the crystal ball and deveined what the future trends for the year ahead will be:
7. Spicy condiments
Things are about to get spicy and even swicy (sweet-spicy), with condiments like fiery condiments like Sriracha, chilli oil and hot sauce which have been with us for a long time, hitting the mainstream cuisine. Expect your tastebuds to be blasted out of it with firey fermented ramen toppings, African-inspired chilli oils and pepper-infused spirits. With A A Caribbean already leading the fray with his range of hot pep chutney and jerk marinade.
6 Cacio e pepe e everywhere
While straight-up pasta has been ruling the roost for years, Cacio e Pepe is expected to transcend pasta and become the unexpected flavour of the year. We’ve already spotted a Cacio e Pepe dip in Mani and a Cacio e Pepe butter in Kicky’s, and in 2024 we are predicting that no contemporary Italian-twinged menu will be complete without a reworking of this peppery creamy sauce.
5. Winebar supremacy
We’ve seen plenty of wine bars jump up in 2023, but what makes the new openers pretty interesting is that they do not bleed natty wine. The likes of Bar Pez, Row Wines and Cellar 22 are all shining examples of wine bars that stock the classics and a couple of bottles of natural wine (to keep things quirky and interesting). What we are predicting in 2024 is an increase in this classical refined kind of wine bar where you can meet up with a pal and quaff over a glass of burgundy.
4. Hot doggeries are Hot
Full disclosure we included this on our 2023 trend list and it didn’t quite materialise, but we reckon 2024 is the year of the hot dog supremacy. There have been a couple of pop-ups, and some dedicated weiner nights across the year, so we are (yet again) predicting that New York-style hot dog joints will temporarily take over from burgers and pizzas as the meaty main of choice. 2022 saw three hot dog openers in Dublin alone, with toppings including everything from peanut butter to avocado slices on offer, and we’re sure it won’t end there!
3. Pizza by the slice
Dublin has upped its pizza game significantly in the last couple of years – you can’t move in town without bumping into a hand-stretched, Neapolitan-style base and that’s just how we like it. But in terms of pizza by the slice, we have a long way to go – Di Fontaine’s has flown the flag on Parliament Street for the last 20 years, there for us in our post-Workmans times of need, and this year Bambino opened on Stephen Street Lower with a huge buzz around it. The appeal of a slice-on-the-go speaks for itself as post-pandemic life is busier than ever, and we feel Drury Street’s Mani won’t be the last opener of this style we see.
3. Botanical and floral-based hyper fixation
Known for our high-quality ingredients and our deep grounding in their manufacture, versions of this ‘trend’ have been appearing around the Irish drinks circuit for the last few years. But there is the expectation that there will be a big increase in florals and botanicals appearing in the likes of cocktails, desserts and atop savoury dishes as a form of decoration. Seen as an extension of the burgeoning well-ness trend, these intriguing flavours will come in the form of herbs, petals and elixirs which can come with some health benefits, vitamins and antioxidants. Expect plenty of hedgerow foraging and seasonality to abound, further enforcing the link between the customer and place. We’ve already seen the wonderful Stillgarden Distillery leading the fore with their creation of Ireland’s first Chartreuse-Style herbal liqueurs.
2. The rise of the snack
Did someone say girl dinner? The TikTokification of food has led to some interesting trends, many of them as straightforward and customisable as much of the app’s content. Quick input and high-yield output have led to the likes of butter boards, sea-cuterie and charcuterie boards, and simple easy-to-follow dishes. Despite their simple production, these dishes have a sense of occasion, especially as they are typically eaten in a communal setting. They are easy ways to use up or consume your leftovers in a re-imagined way, by putting a variety of picky-bits on the one board.
1 Lil treat treatin
We recently brought a new video series Lil Treat, which celebrates the importance of a little luxury, meant just for you. The stresses of the cozzy liv, wars and the rise of the far right have undoubtedly impacted us all, so we need some single-serving culinary indulgences to keep us going. This trend of singular luxury ingredients can vary from an overpriced pastry, to typically unattainable luxury items like tinned fish and caviar, things that are unrealistic in a group setting but on their own are manageable (once in a while). This trend will transcend traditional dining and will be an elevation of simple everyday dishes with an injection of luxury.
Any predictions you can see coming a mile off? Let us know!
READ ON: 24 of the best Dublin food and drink openers of 2023
