Here are some culinary trends coming in 2025

With December almost upon us, it’s time to look forward and play with the crystal ball: what will be the culinary trends in 2025?

Whether they are confirmed or not, here are some speculations on the gastronomic trends that will slip before our eyes – and under our taste buds – in 2025.

Attract and retain customers

Table d’hôte menu after 9 p.m., oysters at $1 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Wednesday wines by the glass at $10, fixed menu at reasonable prices… Restaurateurs are overflowing with initiatives not only to fill their dining rooms, but also to retain their customers. With the surge in food prices and the recession still looming, these overtime hours worked by managers and chefs are more than necessary to maintain their competitiveness in the market, while maintaining their visibility so as not to be forgotten.

The Latin gastronomy essay

The excitement of Latino cuisine and gastronomic culture in Montreal and Quebec is undeniable: this scene is gaining not only popularity, but recognition. It is no longer confined to traditionally Latino neighborhoods, but now extends throughout the province, thus attracting a diverse and curious clientele. We see this trend on the one hand in the proliferation of cafes, bakeries, restaurants and specialized grocery stores, and on the other hand in the fact that Latino chefs are not just reproducing traditional recipes, but creating their own very own personal cuisine to them merging their roots, their professional education, as well as their values; including the inclusion of local Quebec ingredients.

A better future for room service

The pandemic has caused a major labor shortage in the restaurant world. Faced with this scourge, several restaurants were obliged to use the services of young professionals who did not necessarily have experience in cooking or serving. Customers, being aware of this phenomenon, turned a blind eye to sometimes clumsy service experiences, despite the servers. With this shortage behind us, professional servers have already worked hard to compensate for this weakness. The arrival of Michelin also has the effect of no longer cutting corners when it comes to training and recruitment.

Burger gourmet

The glory hour of smashburger is finished. Those who are there for the right reasons and excel at execution will stay, but big cities have reached saturation. We are now arriving in the era of the burger gourmet: it now rubs shoulders with prestigious cuts of beef on the menus of high-end restaurants and is treated with great care, like these so-called “noble” cuts. We will choose its cooking, recommended medium.

Flexitarianism: beef, the future noble ingredient

The price of beef will reach another new peak in 2025. Several chefs will reduce the presence of beef on the menu – to the point of removing it completely. More poultry, fish and vegetables are expected, thus confirming the progression of flexitarianism. In 2025, and possibly for the following years, beef will be a noble ingredient.

Cultural curiosity

People have a broader desire to understand and appreciate cultural diversity through food, open-mindedness and respect for food traditions around the world. Faced with the increase in social media and experience sharing, as well as an increase in the number of international channels coming from overseas (from bubble teadumplings, noodles, fondues hot potJapanese or Korean BBQ), people are increasingly curious about taste and are looking to experience an authentic culinary journey while staying in Quebec. Quebecers are more fond of exotic textures and flavors than ever!

Drink “alcohol-free” at a restaurant

Cold-pressed juices, infusions, flavored water, kombucha, kefir, kvass, tepache, amasake… Mixologists will double – even triple – their sense of creativity and their knowledge of the types of fermented drinks in order to make an alcohol-free pairing as interesting and exciting as wine pairing. Between the proven negative effects of alcohol on health, public health recommendations and changing lifestyle habits, this trend is here to stay. Several restaurants have already begun this process, offering either a selection of mocktails or a full pairing of house concoctions. The gourmet restaurant Tanière3 was a precursor of this trend, with its mixologist Simon Faucher who has already been offering it for several years. The latter even won the title of Mixologist of the year at the last Les Lauriers gala. We can taste inspirations, notably from Butter Syrup with blueberry juice, citric acid, jack pine oil syrup and infusion of ulne and alder roots, “Black Forest” with Montmorency cherry syrup, cherry essence and milk, or an infusion of fireweed with sumac and lemon balm syrup. The alcohol-free pairing of L’Auberge Saint-Mathieu in Mauricie is also gaining popularity.