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In line with the announcement of the Food & Drink Awards 2026 – winners are being revealed today – Time Out Australia has also released our Dining Trends Report 2026. The results stem largely from patterns identified across the range of Time Out Food & Drink Award nominee venues from Sydney and Melbourne, which reflect bigger trends across the cities’ dining scenes.
The key dining trends identified for 2026 are:
1. The Rise of "Specific Authenticity"
There's been a shift in the hospitality scene – at least in Sydney and Melbourne – away from broad offerings and towards “specific authenticity”. Taking Time Out Food & Drink Award 2026 nominee venues as examples, many venues are now focused on highly localised regional cuisines instead of broad-brush themes like "European" or "Middle Eastern": think Peloponnesian Greek at Olympic Meats, Hungarian at Corner 75, Padang Indonesian at Temu Kangen, Portuguese at Marmelo, Venezuelan at Papelón – and Otakoi is recognised as Melbourne’s first and only Ukrainian restaurant.
2. Hyper-Specialised Beverages
Specificity is also a characteristic of the bar industry – the success of bars as specific as “sherry focused” (at Time Out Melbourne Food & Drink Awards 2026 nominee Three Horses) suggests Australian drinkers are seeking "knowledge-based" consumption. Sydney nominee Paradise in Sydney is a specialist in orange wine; Moondrop in Melbourne specialises in East Asian flavour profiles, utilising ingredients like lapsang souchong tea, ube and MSG brine in its culturally specific cocktails; and Ruzia’s Wine in Melbourne offers a highly specialised perspective by matching its list with a menu built entirely around Polish-Jewish heritage and family recipes.
3. High-Concept Affordable Eats
Affordable venues have evolved from simple takeaways to a sophisticated segment offering hyper-specific product lines, made by applying rigorous techniques to low-cost formats. Examples include Sydney nominee Eat Ozzo (which makes a pizza-sandwich hybrid), Newcastle's Arno Deli (where an award-winning chef makes Florentine panini), and Melbourne nominee Suupaa, which serves elevated takes on Japanese convenience store classics.
"For this reason, cheap eats are no longer seen as a budget compromise – nowadays, diners wear their fun, great-value finds as a badge of culinary honour," says Time Out Australia Editor in Chief Alice Ellis.
Time Out Melbourne Managing Editor Leah Glynn adds, “Cheap eats has become one of the most interesting spaces in Melbourne dining. What we’re seeing is clearly defined identities and offerings, with eateries applying serious creativity to tightly defined food formats. The result is that ‘affordable eats’ are now something diners really celebrate.”
4. Sydney’s ‘Heritage Preservation’ Project
The Sydney hospitality industry in particular, is increasingly seeing itself as a platform for cultural preservation and education. A notable example of this is Sydney nominee Corner 75, which represents the preservation of “migrant culture”. Similarly, when it comes to spaces, there’s a renewed interest in heritage, with historic buildings – including the nominated Eleven Barrack and Dry Dock venues – being transformed into modern dining icons.
“In Sydney we’re seeing hospitality taking on the role of sharing culture," says Avril Treasure, Time Out Sydney Editor. "Randwick's Corner 75, for example, wasn’t simply a reopening – it was about a continued preservation of migrant heritage. More broadly, in a world where people are seeking comfort, we’re seeing a strong focus on nostalgia in hospitality. Venues like Sydney nominee Silver’s Motel are tapping into memory and identity in ways that feel considered, not just cosmetic."
5. Melbourne’s Trend Towards Intimacy
Smaller, more intimate dining experiences have become a distinctly Melbourne trend. Twelve-seater Japanese fine-diner Matsu in Footscray is known for its “clockwork-like” ceremony, illustrating that Melbourne’s diners are leaning into “exclusive intimacy” – experiences that feel rare and curated, even as they become more accessible.
What about destination dining, beyond the city in regional areas?
- NSW Destination Dining Trend: Migration of Talent: There’s been a trend of "migration of talent" from the city to regional hubs – e.g. at Arno Deli, owner Will O'Brien has brought years of experience in top Sydney restaurants to a Florence-inspired panini shop in Newcastle. And nominee Papalote’s use of a "traditional brick pit oven" for eight-hour slow-cooked pork shows that regional diners are now supporting high-concept, technique-heavy venues that were once only found in the CBD.
- Victorian Destination Dining Trend: "Farm-to-Table" Alchemy: In Victoria, regional dining is synonymous with radical self-sufficiency. Food & Drink Award nominee restaurant Wickens at the Royal Mail Hotel (Dunkeld) serves as a benchmark for 2026, sourcing up to 80% of its produce from a bountiful kitchen garden. This "alchemical" kitchen technique elevates humble regional produce through hyper-seasonal menus, a trend that is also seen at Barragunda Dining in Cape Schanck, which operates as a regenerative farm.
We also surveyed our Time Out audience, revealing the following data:
- Aussies are still chasing new dining experiences, but only when they feel it's worth it:
- The #1 motivator when choosing where to eat or drink is the desire to try something new (21%), but this sits alongside a strong value mindset, with 35% prioritising affordability.
- Value is the new fine dining: over a third of diners are choosing affordability first:
- More than 1/3 of diners (35%) are choosing cheap eats or value for money, compared to just 9% actively seeking a ‘treat’ experience.
- The rise of ‘smart spending’ is reshaping dining out:
- Australians still want new experiences, but they expect them to justify the cost, signalling a shift towards more intentional, value-driven decision making.
- 1 in 5 diners are actively seeking something new when eating out.
- The CBD remains central to dining culture:
- While local venues are gaining traction, only 13% of diners actively prioritise neighbourhood spots, meaning nearly 9 in 10 are still open to CBD dining.
Interested in finding out more about these trends and interviewing a Time Out Editor? Contact Livi Hosking at livi@blendpr.com.au.