Key Insights From Our Casual & Fine Casual Menuwatching Report

If it feels like white table-clothed dining is becoming increasingly rare of late, you aren't imagining it.

The 'haute cuisine' of old is giving way to a more relaxed approach as casual and fine casual dining proves to be an area of growth. After all, budget constraints may be real – but so too is the need to indulge in a good meal, and a fun night out. So, diners are won over by hospitality that doesn't break the bank, and restaurants that can blend high end technique with accessible price points.

Here are three key takeouts from this year's Casual & Fine Casual menuwatching report:

1. Simply, Elevated: Simplicity shines through, as quality and deliciousness are prioritised over fancy frills and elaborate plating. Think… perfectly fluffy omelettes and jammy-yolked boiled eggs, rotisserie roast chicken and a simple green salad, premiumised burgers with 'the best' meat and homemade brioche… they all showcase how even the most basic or ubiquitous dishes can be taken to the next level when placed into the right hands. This is the antithesis to the "more is more" mentality that dominates social media, embodying instead the ethos of "quality beats quantity".
2. Butcher's Cut: Sometimes nothing hits the spot like a good old steak.. but with pennies feeling a bit pinched, both cooks and diners are turning their attention to value cuts of meat – and how to give them a gourmet makeover. Cue, pork chops served Milanese-style… Guinness-braised oxtail and polenta… rigatoni with 12-hour beef and pork sugo (meat sauce)… peri peri chicken hears… Indeed, even good old fried chook is getting a gourmet makeover! We're seeing everything from sweet tea-brined chicken thighs, to stuffed and deep fried chicken wings, to 'posh nugs'. Just add chips… and a class of champagne!
3. Brekkie Rules: They say it's the most important meal of the day… and the casual/fine casual space is taking note, reimagining much-loved breakfast and brunch dishes with creative flair. Comforting bowls are a go-to as the weather cools; think gourmet sweet porridge bowls, but also savoury takes like chicken congee, or 'seasonal grits' bowl with bacon, rosemary potatoes and jammy eggs. Meanwhile bagels give sourdough toast a run for its money, being topped and filled with everything from caviar and cream cheese… to wagyue pastrami… to Vietnamese banh mi ingredients. And look out also for all day brekkie 'picky plates'; indeed, why not try a Mediterranean tapas twist with boiled eggs, fresh crudités, ham, cheese, pickles and aioli to dip.