Food trends may start abroad, but Ireland rarely lags far behind.
On The Anton Savage Show, food critic and one half of the Gastro Gays, Russell Alford outlined the flavours and habits he believes will soon become everyday on Irish menus.
Alford said he has been tracking international dining scenes closely.
“Myself and Patrick, the other Gastro Gay, have been looking into our crystal ball over the last couple of months just seeing what trends are happening in New York, London and other cities around Europe,” he said.
One of the first changes, he said, will be how meals begin.
Trending 'mini cocktails'
The phenomenon of a new “mini cocktail” also referred to as “sharpeners,” are on the rise, according to Alford, a new trend which he had previously saw in London and Edinburgh last year.
"Smaller versions of Gibson's, Manhattan's, Martinis. They're in that realm of things," the food critic explained.
“It’s quite elegant, quite fancy and an inexpensive way to kick off a meal.”
He described these 'sharpeners' as “about half the size" of an ordinary cocktail.
A taste of South America
South American food is also gaining a lot of attention.
“We’re starting to see this emergence more and more of South American cuisines,” he said, pointing to Peruvian, Brazilian and Venezuelan influences appearing more frequently in Ireland.
Alford pointed to restaurants such as La Repas Grill on Richmond Street, Cantina Valentina at the Hoxton and Amai By Viktor, which is rumored of being “hotly tipped potentially for a Michelin star.”
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What sauce is in right now?
One trend Alford believes has peaked is hot honey.
“It was a huge thing in 2025, but it’s gone,” he said, adding:
“I don’t know why you’d want chilli first thing in the morning.”
In its place, he sees ranch dressing finally breaking through.
“Ranch is in,” he said.
“Ranch dressing is going to be the condiment of 2026. This is its moment.”
The Michelin awards
Looking ahead to the Michelin Awards being held in Ireland on February 9th, Alford was cautious.
“Michelin is an imperfect system,” he said.
However he added that for chefs, “this is the accolades in their industry and this is what they aim for.”
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The food critic mentioned that Chapter One on the Northside of Dublin city, could be a strong contender for receiving yet another Michelin star, alongside Liaith in Blackrock.
