The story of the London food scene is one that includes dim sum, Sunday roasts, curries, pizza, sinasir, rarebits, banh mi, udon, pepper pot, sweetbread suya, and natural wine. Across cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points, all these dishes and drinks place London among the very best and most diverse places to eat in the world.

This guide, which I’ve been compiling and iterating on for the better part of the last decade, aims to reflect the best food and most important restaurants in the capital. I want this map to help you navigate a city in which it is all too easy to eat poorly, but in which it is increasingly inexcusable to do so. It will showcase a mix of over three dozen restaurants, which have all done outstanding things in extraordinary times: emerging, surviving, thriving, and continuing to enrich the city and its food culture through more than half a decade of unprecedented change and tumult.

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing London dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in pounds), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.

New to the map in January 2026: Yi-Ban, one of the city’s best places for Sunday lunch dim sum, where you can also watch the planes land and take-off from City Airport; fine-dining institution the Ledbury, whose imprint — and application of global culinary influences — is all over some of the capital’s best modern restaurants; and Smoking Goat, a casual, energetic bar-restaurant serving some of the tastiest and most exciting Thai drinking food in London.

Adam Coghlan is a writer and editor based in London. In 2017, he launched Eater London and ran the site until it ceased daily publication in 2023.

With its offbeat blend of poutine, pikliz, natural wine, and piri-piri, Montreal is a food city hors pair. You’ll find Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Haitian, and, of course, meaty French-leaning restaurants side by side. Add to that our public markets, rooftop greenhouses, urban farms (Montreal is a world capital of urban agriculture), and a surplus of homegrown cooking talent and vibrant immigrant communities. Foodways coalesce, traditions get upheld and upended, and imported techniques are tailored to local flora and fauna. No single influence governs Montreal’s distinct, ever-evolving culinary terrain, and that’s what makes eating here so special.

I’ve been curating this map for the past five years. Spanning cuisines, neighborhoods, and price points, it’s a shortlist of must-try spots, reflecting some of the newer openings driving conversation, the trends playing out across dining tables, and generational icons that complete the city. It also serves as a primer on local food-speak; lesson one: If you order an “entrée,” you’re getting a starter.

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Montreal dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 USD (or the equivalent in Canadian dollars), to $$$$ for places where mains exceed $30.

New to the map in January 2026: Pâtisserie Armenia, an Ahuntsic staple upholding four generations of lahmajoun legacy; plus two newer arrivals to the scene: Bar Minou in Mile End, where there’s no tipping and no reservations, and Limbo, where a reverence for French technique gives way to one of the city’s most satisfying and surprising dining experiences at the moment.

Valerie Silva is a Montreal writer and editor. From 2020 to 2022, she ran Eater’s Montreal site and remains a regular contributor for the publication. Her work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Air Canada’s enRoute, ELLE Canada, Maisonneuve Magazine, and elsewhere, spanning everything from the belugas and beer of the Saguenay Fjord to Hochelaga’s clown culture and the history and high notes of poutine in Montreal. Otherwise, you can find her developing concepts and telling stories for multimedia studio Moment Factory.

I’ve noticed something bright and comforting, even in the moodiest of dining rooms across the country: real candles, and lots of them. After a long reign of battery-powered faux candles for safety and convenience, some restaurants are back to scattering demure tea candles in votives across their tables, and a number have leaned into an even more dramatic choice: long and elegant tapered candles that gently flicker and dramatically drip wax as your meal progresses. They instantly help create a romantic, dramatic vibe, one that serves as a reminder that eating out can and should feel like a special and celebratory event. 

At Berenjak’s new Los Angeles location, on nearly every table and free surface — in between plates of lamb koobideh and saffron rice — stands a thick, white tapered candle. The candles help give the sprawling, dimly lit restaurant space a tangible sense of intimacy. You’ll find a similar strategy across the city at Cento Raw Bar, where the smokeless tapers that dot the space help make the beautiful cavernous restaurant, with its white stucco walls, feel cozy. The effect was so stunning that, after meals at both restaurants, I felt inspired to immediately purchase tapered candles for my own dining table. 

It’s not just white tapered candles that are finding a resurgence at restaurants. At Borgo, Andrew Tarlow’s chic take on a neighborhood trattoria in New York City, the tablecloth-draped tables are also assigned a sleek, deep-yellow tapered candle to create even more warmth. And at La’ Shukran in Washington, DC, pink tapered candles help illuminate the playful and colorful interior. 

In a modern world addicted to convenience and shortcuts, it’s heartening to see so many restaurants commit to real candles, given just how much work and attention they require. Candles will often go out or even need to be replaced mid-meal depending on the rate at which they’re melting. New York Times food critic Tejal Rao says that she has experienced multiple meals where the staff has “changed the candles out three times,” which speaks to the enhanced level of service they require. A server at a restaurant in LA revealed to me that it basically becomes one person’s job on staff to look after the candles, making sure to re-light and replace them as needed, and that it was not uncommon for the restaurant to go through upwards of 300 candles a night. 

It is important to know that certain tapered candles work better in restaurant and dining settings. If you’re hoping to add them to your own dinner table, look for candles made from beeswax or soy — they melt cleaner than other types of wax and do not produce any soot. (Restaurants that go through many candles are also increasing the frequency with which they have to replace their air filters.) Additionally, opt for candles that are not scented to avoid impacting the taste of your food (and because they have fewer health risks).      

Here are some of the best tapered candles and holders, so that you can recreate these cozy, romantic vibes at home. 

These classic tapered candles are high-quality, made from an unscented beeswax blend, and available in classic white, ivory, and a variety of chic muted colors.

Root Taper Candles (12-Pack)

Where to Buy:

• $37.99 at Amazon

These 100% pure-beeswax candles have a gentle honey scent to them as they burn, but it will not clash with most food. They are also available in multiple colors to suit every style of decor. 

Hand-Dipped Beeswax Taper Candles (12”, 4 Pairs)

Where to Buy:

• $50 $46 at Bluecorn

Don’t be afraid to lean into colored tapered candles! It creates big visual impact to have several in one color, or mix and match for a more eclectic rainbow effect. Made with a dripless beeswax blend, these candles from Hawkins New York are, of course, unscented and have a 10.5-hour burn time. 

Hawkins New York Hand-Dipped Taper Candles (Set of 2)

Where to Buy:

• $8 at https://www.hawkinsnewyork.com/products/13-taper-candle-sets-tea-rose?variant=39589338775640

It’s worth getting a set of holders that display candles at every height to add some extra drama to your dining table. The look is enhanced over time when paired with the drippiest candles, where the wax can collect into epic formations. 

Aurora Gold Metal Taper Candle Holder (Large)

Where to Buy:

• $28 $28 at Anthropologie

Speaking of drama, let’s bring back candelabras. They are the elegant and most fun way to display your taper candles for maximum impact. This one has a classic aesthetic and will make a dinner party feel extra celebratory.

Gold Metal Candelabra

Where to Buy:

• $33 at Jamali Garden

Ho Lee Fook is redefining Cantonese food in Hong Kong, with chef ArChan Chan calling the spot — covered in mahjong tiles and beckoning gold cats — “a Chinese restaurant with a Hong Kong heart.” Chan’s modern renditions of classic dishes like char siu, sweet and sour pork, and steamed razor clams have become beloved by locals and tourists.

For the most popular dish, char siu, Chan’s team cures Kurobuta pork for four hours with sugar and spices before marinating it overnight in a hoisin-heavy sauce and potato starch. After roasting in a traditional Chinese smoker, the mostly cooked char sui is finished on a charcoal grill with a coating of honey for a smoky, charred exterior.

Chan takes a creative approach to recognizable Cantonese dishes, adding new ingredients and flavors to nostalgic favorites. She was inspired to make her own version of sweet and sour pork after struggling to find a rendition that she personally enjoyed and that hit a balance of sour and sweet; her update includes geometric cuts of pineapple turned into three-pronged building blocks and a popular perfume lemon tea that turns into a base for the sauce.

The Ho Lee Fook version of stir fry king, an iconic Hong Kong dish that combines nuts, seafood, and an allium, also utilizes creative ingredients like peanut sprouts and a mix of three different seafoods: abalone, dried shrimp, and anchovies. Meanwhile, razor clams are only steamed for a little over a minute, before being topped with glass noodles, fresh green onion, hot oil, and aged garlic soy sauce; Chan wanted to be extra thoughtful about the simple dish, which she enjoyed growing up, with the fresh clams reflecting the incredible live seafood scene in Hong Kong.

Chan says her overall goal at Ho Lee Fook is for customers to “feel like you’re eating local food with a little bit of a twist and something that is very memorable to you,” from the mahjong tiles lining the restaurant’s entrance to the fortune cookie that comes with each check.

Watch the latest episode of Experts to see Chan’s process for making thoughtful dishes that reimagine traditional Hong Kong cuisine.

Honolulu hangs onto its food and culture fiercely. It’s why decades-old mom-and-pop restaurants still dominate certain neighborhoods and why you see dishes that would have been familiar to some of the islands’ earliest settlers. While the world moves at its frenetic pace, the city reminds us of who we have been and who we are. 

Of course, it’s not immune to change. Over the nearly 20 years that I’ve been writing about food in Honolulu, many beloved institutions have closed, while newer restaurants have brought in flavors from places as diverse as Detroit and Laos. Use this guide to learn more about those special spots both classic and new, and to find plenty of other great meals — in a food-obsessed city, there is always something exciting to eat nearby, if you know where to find it.

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Honolulu dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips from our experienced writers and editors, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10, to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.

New to the map in December 2025: The Pig and the Lady returns in new digs in Kaimukī, a neighborhood that’s become a dining destination; and Bocconcino, a fixture of the Kaka‘ako dining scene serving panini and the best Neapolitan-style pizzas in town.

A food-loving visitor will quickly learn that sardines, cod, and the iconic pastel de nata are great, but the Lisbon restaurant scene can offer much more. Portuguese cuisine draws on global flavors from the country’s centuries of trade, and Lisbon’s restaurateurs have access to top-quality fish and seafood, unique cheeses, lovely wines, and vegetables from organic farms just outside the city. In a capital experiencing lightning-fast growth, Lisbon’s food scene mediates the collision of old and new, weaving together trendy wine bars, Michelin-starred restaurants, traditional and casual venues, and neo-tascas (modern neighborhood restaurants) that combine aspects of all of the above. 

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Lisbon dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips from our experienced writers and editors, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in euros), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.

New to the map in December 2025: Lisbon smells of the sea even in winter. A new outpost of the luxury group JNcQUOI pays homage to Portugal’s coastline; Nunes Real Marisqueira remains one of the city’s great temples of shellfish, known for barnacles as thick as fingers; in Mouraria, Ciclo stands out as one of Lisbon’s best values right now: an eight-course, farm-to-table tasting menu for €80; and Padaria 110, a tiny bakery proving that Lisbon’s devotion to bread needs very little space to thrive.

Rafael Tonon is a journalist and food writer living between Brazil and Portugal, covering the restaurant industry in Lisbon for outlets like the Washington Post, Epicurious, and leading Portuguese publications. A contributor to Eater since 2008, he is also the author of Food Revolutions (published in Portuguese and Spanish).

Hong Kong has always told its story through food, and the restaurant scene today reflects the city’s many chapters. A mere 180 years ago, Hong Kong was a cluster of tiny fishing villages scattered across an archipelago, and local Cantonese dishes still speak to that halieutic past. Hybrid diners offer foods featuring the first imported British and American ingredients like macaroni and canned evaporated milk, proving that the city’s massive international port has formed an “East meets West” culture that runs much deeper than PR speak. And today’s new‐gen Chinese cooking and internationally recognized fine dining reveal the next chapter. 

Everywhere you turn, people are redefining what it means to be, and eat, like a Hongkonger. As some elements — like street food culture, which is fast disappearing — fade, new trends and traditions take hold. Michelin-rated plates appear on tables sporting delicacies unearthed in the forests of Mainland China; cocktail bars eschew Western spirits for Chinese liquors; and chefs from India, Japan, Venezuela, and elsewhere continue to expand the city’s global reputation. Together they make Hong Kong’s story rich, colorful, and new every day.

In this update, we’ve overhauled our write-ups with a fine-tooth comb, providing more practical info for diners, as well as a rough range of pricing for each restaurant — from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under 300 Hong Kong dollars (about $38 USD) to $$$$ for places where meals go for 1,200 Hong Kong dollars (about $150 USD) per person.

There is no better and easier gift than a really great condiment. It doesn’t matter how picky a person is, or how specific their tastes are, or how well (or little) you know them, a high quality condiment is a meal-upgrading addition to anyone’s kitchen — even if they don’t cook. (Let’s be honest, all takeout tastes better with a little chile crisp or a swipe of chutney.) Condiments are actually ideal for every gifting scenario: They are the ultimate host gift, when you need to bring something with you to a party; they are also excellent stocking stuffers; and the perfect present for everyone on your list that you feel obligated to buy something for, but don’t want to spend too much. 

We are lucky to live in this golden era of condiments where we have options beyond a boring jar of mayo or a $4 squeeze bottle of ketchup. Thanks largely in part to global cultures, the condiment selection has really diversified over the years and the options for flavor-packed condiments in well-designed (and often whimsical) packaging has only exponentially increased. Here are our seven favorite sweet, savory, and spicy threads for guaranteed-to-spark-joy gifting.

A pistachio spread that is superb straight from the jar 

It feels like everyone is talking about pistachio spreads this year, thanks to it being a crucial ingredient in Dubai chocolate. But having a jar on hand, even if you have no plans to make the viral dessert, is a good idea. There are many benefits: Not only is the rich and luxurious spread delicious straight from the jar, but it’s also divine stirred into a latte for a nice nutty flavor, or spread on fluffy toast for a sweet treat. While there are several excellent pistachio spreads on the market, this one stands out because of its tiny (read: not packed with junk) ingredient list, and it really manages to pack in the pistachio flavor without being too salty or too sweet. 

Pistakio Creamy Pistachio Spread

Where to Buy:

• $15 at Pistakio

Gochujang that you’ll want to use every day

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I think it’s okay to judge a sauce by its packaging. Given its box’s beautiful matte design and that the sauce is stored in a clean minimalist jar, the gochujang from Potluck is one of the best condiments of all time in aesthetics as well as flavor. The vegan Korean chile pepper paste is incredibly flavorful and deeply savory thanks to notes of sesame oil, perilla seeds, and garlic. Try it as a marinade for meat or vegetables, or add a dollop for a really nice gentle heat in any rice bowl. It also makes for a killer sandwich spread when cut with mayo. Whoever you gift this to will be thinking of you multiple times a week, because that’s how often they will likely reach for the jar. 

Potluck Gochujang

Where to Buy:

• $16 at Potluck

A chutney that does double duty as sweet and savory

Tamarind chutney manages to hit all the best flavor notes — tangy, spicy, and sweet — all at once. Brooklyn Delhi is best known for its line of aachars, or savory Indian pickles, but their tamarind date chutney might be their best condiment yet. Traditionally, the chutney is used as a dip for dishes like samosas and pakoras, but it is also just as at home on an epic cheese and charcuterie board, or drizzled over some vanilla ice cream for a surprising twist on a sundae. My favorite use? As a quick base for a tamarind margarita — just add tequila and lime juice. 

Brooklyn Delhi Date Tamarind Chutney

Where to Buy:

• $11 at Brooklyn Delhi

Spicy oil in a display-worthy can

This oil is worth gifting for the charming container alone. The spicy oil, made with just olive oil and serrano peppers, is packaged in what looks like a retro-cool oil canister, ready to drizzle and add heat to slices of pizza, a bowl of pasta, or vegetables before roasting them off in the oven — and it saves you from having to actually chop peppers. Plus, it is made in small batches in Los Angeles. 

Rosi’s Hot Oil Can

Where to Buy:

• Check price at Rosi’s Hot Oil

Chile crisp with a garlicky punch

There are a million chile crisps on the market, but what sets Mama Teav’s apart is its focus on garlic. The chile crisp is jam packed with crunchy pieces of garlic that add deep aromatic, umami flavor. While this versatile condiment does add a nice amount of heat to whatever dishes you add it to, it also packs a serious garlicky punch, which truly transforms any dish from bland and blah to incredibly exciting. This is the perfect gift for either the garlic head in your life or someone who has a solid collection of hot sauces and chile crisps but could use something surprising and truly delicious. 

Mama Teav’s Hot Garlic Chili Crisp

Where to Buy:

• $16 at Mama Teav’s

A stunning rice vinegar set

I first came across these beautiful rice vinegars when browsing the website of Yun Hai, this incredible independent store dedicated to the foodways and products of Taiwan. This bundle includes two types of rice vinegar — a seasoned rice vinegar and a black vinegar — in architectural bottles. Wu Yin, the makers of the vinegar, have been in business since 1903 and are one of the longest-operating vinegar-makers in Taiwan. While the vinegars can be used for many different things, they are magical when combined, especially with a bit of chile oil to create a dumpling dipping sauce.

Wu Yin Rice Vinegar Set

Where to Buy:

• $30 $28 at Yun Hai

Yuzu kosho is the Japanese hot sauce with a zesty edge

This Japanese hot sauce is the best present for anyone who likes zest (and distinctive Japanese flavors) with their heat. Yuzu Co makes a particularly invigorating version of yuzu kosho, with just three simple ingredients: young green yuzu, green chile pepper, and Japanese sea salt. More a paste than a sauce, it needs to be refrigerated once opened to preserve its puckery heat. It’s especially useful for folding into salad dressings and sauces, but is also mouthwatering just dabbed on meats, fish, and eggs. 

YUZUCO Green Yuzu Kosho

Where to Buy:

• $12 at YUZUCO

The largest city in North America, Mexico City is a unique, elastic, ever-changing patchwork of food traditions. As a native of the city and a food writer covering the scene for the past 14 years, I’m still amazed by CDMX’s captivating energy and scale.

Since Eater first started reporting on Mexico City’s dining scene in 2016, the way people travel and dine out has changed. Food-obsessed travelers visiting CDMX are often guided by opaque and controversial award systems, such as the 50 Best and, since 2024, the Michelin Guide. But there’s a lot more going on in restaurants here. I’ve witnessed CDMX’s growing openness to regional cuisines and its fascination with trends. I’ve also watched as the chefs who launched Mexico City onto the international stage more than 20 years ago have begun quietly passing the baton to a new generation of chefs and restaurateurs, who have traveled the world, worked in the best kitchens, and returned home to continue their cooking journeys. 

In the spirit of sorting out what is worth visiting, this list includes 38 restaurants and experiences for first-time and seasoned diners in Mexico City, focusing on projects that have distinctive culinary point of views, clear commitments to hospitality, and/or young local talent in the kitchen. 

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Mexico City dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips from our experienced writers and editors, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in pesos), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.

New to the map in December 2025: The opening of Xuna is especially exciting, since it marks the Mexico City arrival of chef Jonatán Gómez Luna of celebrated Le Chique in Riviera Maya; Bartola, Magazzino, and Galea further expand the constellation of intimate restaurants with Italian-inspired menus, each offering a distinct culinary perspective; and Piquette Brasserie, a limited-time residency that pairs classic French dishes with equally compelling Francophone wines.

If you’re looking for even more travel tips, order the new Eater Guide to Mexico City, which unpacks the sprawling city by breaking it down into seven chapters, along with histories and glossaries that put the tamales and pozoles you’re eating into eye-opening (and mouth-watering) context.

As 2025 comes to an end, the annual holiday gift mania begins to set in. No matter the mental notes and physical lists maintained throughout the year, we’re all stuck asking the same question as December quickly passes: “What should I get them?” Whether you’re shopping for your bestie, that one crazy uncle you got in the family Secret Santa exchange, your dogwalker, or your dad who already has eight pairs of slippers, food-themed gifts are the perfect catch-all when you’re just not sure what to get for that special person. Since no one does food like Eater, it seemed only right that our staff should come together and curate a holiday market of kitchen necessities for all the shoppers in need of gift inspiration. 

This past weekend, Eater transformed a Soho storefront into a shoppable winter house as part of our holiday event Eater Under Wraps. More than 2,000 people flocked through the market to sample delicious bites, sip festive drinks, and shop the editor-approved gifts that decorated every room. From whimsical kitchen timers to Jell-O stress balls, the place was packed with stocking stuffers, under-the-tree treats, and party-makers. For those unable to attend Eater Under Wraps, have no FOMO — we’ve compiled a list of our very favorite staff picks from the market, with why we love them. So whoever that difficult-to-shop-for person is in your life, there’s something on this list for them. 

Heydoh’s small-batch soy sauce

“I’m a certified condiment lover (there are at least 10 different hot sauces in my apartment) but I’ve never paid too much attention to the soy sauce we buy. No more: Heydoh’s single-origin soy sauce, made from whole black soy beans from Taiwan, is complex in flavor and thoughtfully sourced — giving the pantry staple the love and attention it deserves.” — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief

Heydoh Soy Sauce Duo

Where to Buy:

• $31.98 $30.99 at Heydoh

Your ornament game is strong

“Sure, food ornaments are great, but souvenirs paying homage to a specific place are even better. And if you grew up in or traveling through New York City, this over-100-year-old institution and its grilled hot dogs will surely ring a bell.” — Nat, associate creative director

Walter’s Limited-Edition Hot Dog Ornament

Where to Buy:

• $22 at Walter’s

This chile crisp hits the spicy-tingly sweet spot

“I’ve tried so many chile crisps and this one warrants a restock every time. It really delivers on the spicy-tingly sensation and I love the way it amplifies savory dishes.’ — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter

Yun Hai Mala Chile Crisp

Where to Buy:

• $15.5 at Yun Hai

Let Eater wine and dine you in Mexico City

“If you’ve been to Mexico City, you want to go back. If you haven’t been, it should be at the top of your list. I had the pleasure of collaborating with locals across Mexico City to put together what I can confidently call the essential guide to CDMX for food-minded travelers. Put it on your packing list immediately.” — Lesley Suter, brand director

The Eater Guide to Mexico City

Where to Buy:

• $24.99 at Abrams Books

This fancy hand soap was created by chefs to eliminate odor

“Love cooking; hate when my hands smell like garlic for hours after. This is the best hand soap I’ve found for instantly and effectively eliminating pungent cooking aromas — and it comes in a nice bottle and smells incredible.” — Hilary Pollack, deputy editor

Naomi Cardamom & Iris After-Cooking Hand Scrub

Where to Buy:

• $24.95 at Zest

The year’s buzziest cake-scented candle

“Culturally, it was a really big year for princess cake, the Swedish dessert that is a symphony of marzipan, sponge cake, custard, and, depending on your prinsesstårta source. The swish LA lifestyle brand Flamingo Estate is well-known for its high quality candles, and it collaborated with Sant Ambroeus to create what is, to my knowledge, the best and only candle that pays homage to the dessert; it’s sweet but not saccharine, with milky and warm notes that waft through the air and make me feel like I’m in a Scandinavian bakery.” — Francky Knapp, staff writer

Flamingo Estate Prinsesstårta Candle

Where to Buy:

• $87 at Flamingo Estate

Kitsch socks, of course

“I love fun socks and the ones from Hansel from Basel are super cute — particularly these strawberry socks, a fun add to a fall loafer.” — Melissa McCart, Eater NY editor

Hansel from Basel Strawberry Socks

Where to Buy:

• $16 at Hansel from Basel

Design snobs will love this sleek Martini mixer

“Having a dedicated martini mixer feels both retro chic and decidedly of the moment. This is the perfect gift for friends who like to host (or your friends who are sick of paying for martinis at their ungodly price these days).” — Mary Anne Porto, senior editor, Punch

Arne Jacobsen Martini Mixer

Where to Buy:

• $170 $145 at Finnish Design Shop

Celebrate the soul of Black American cooking

“During a year when truth and American history are under attack, American Soul provides a fun, animated look into the nation’s foodways, heart, and yes, soul. The regional landscape is unique in the traditional storytelling of Black food, showcasing African American influences beyond the South, in regions like the Northeast and Midwest.” — Kayla Stewart, senior editor

American Soul: The Black History of Food in the United States

Where to Buy:

• $40 at BEM

Main character glassware, always

“I love to replace and uplevel my glassware, and giving a gift of four or six tumblers, especially to food lovers, is the right way to go. How cute are the tiny fruits in the middle of the glasses?” — Stephen Pelletteri, VP of video

Ichendorf Milano Fruit Tumblers (Set of 6)

Where to Buy:

• $155 at Wine Enthusiast

Check out the rest of Eater’s holiday shopping guides here. 

Steakhouses never went away in the United States, but recently they’ve taken over the dining landscape. Now, everything is steakhouse. 

The continued cultural cachet of martinis, olives, and shrimp cocktail: steakhouse. The prevalence of tableside carts that turn all kinds of dishes into dinner and a show: steakhouse. The rise of the “swankstaurant”: steakhouse, just made more exclusive. Brooklyn dive bars offering $20 steak frites: steakhouse-ish. The splashy new restaurants from José Andrés, Kwame Onwuachi, and Daniel Boulud: steakhouse, steakhouse, and steakhouse. Molly Baz’s Thanksgiving spread: steakhouse. Even Cake Zine’s next issue is “Steak Zine.”

This year, the steakhouse continued to expand beyond its traditional lens, the category previously defined by establishments like Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles and Keens in New York City. “Can [the steakhouse] evolve?” the New York Times’ Ligaya Mishan asked in September, pointing to openings with international influence, like the Korean Gui, with its prime rib crusted with shio kombu, and the Mexican Cuerno, where $38 steak tacos are prepared tableside. Across the country, as once-undersung cuisines reach new echelons of cultural interest, chefs have looked to the steakhouse as a way of presenting their foods in more luxe fashion: the rise of the bougie Korean barbecue spot Cote in NYC, Miami, and Vegas; the new, glamorous Thai barbecue Unglo in NYC. 

Not all of these renditions aim to be so highbrow: In Philadelphia, Chance Anies’s new Manong is a Filipino American steakhouse that’s inspired by Outback and LongHorn. With his first restaurant, Tabachoy, Anies felt like he had to present a more general overview of Filipino food; Manong, however, feels more personal. For Anies, whose mom worked for chain restaurants, going to those places as a child felt like “luxury,” he says, “like hospitality existed in a new light.” Because the concept of the steakhouse is so popular, it provides an opportunity for chefs to work in less familiar ingredients and flavors while maintaining a broader appeal. At Manong, the prime rib comes with an adobo-esque soy sauce- and peppercorn-infused jus, and the burger has a swipe of mayo into which bangus, oil-preserved milkfish from the Philippines, has been mixed in. 

The 2010s and early 2020s were marked by an increased interest in less meat-focused diets, as pressure mounted on food producers and consumers alike to adopt more sustainable, ethical practices. “Plant-based” dining captured the zeitgeist, and even major recipe sites like Epicurious promised to cut down on beef. A 2022 McKinsey study found a growing trend of consumers eating less or no red meat and embracing flexitarianism, and concluded that more people were open to trying plant-based alternatives. 

But a sudden shift has marked the last couple of years, and it feels like a distinct disavowal of all that. Many vegan and vegetarian restaurants have recently shuttered or changed strategies to serve more animal products. The tide has turned away from tech-founded meat substitutes and back toward “animal-based” diets; once-hot plant-burger company Beyond Meat’s stock value plummeted (before reemerging, unsustainably, as a meme stock). The unapologetic embrace of beef and its byproducts like tallow became a prominent part of the conservative culture war. If the pandemic era led to guilt-spurred “conscious eating” that was suspicious of meat, the Make America Healthy Again era has inspired a mindset that sees no reason to feel guilty. “I think ultimately people’s regressive emotions and wanting to latch on to familiarity in the pandemic [led to this return],” vegan chef Shane Stanbridge recently told Eater SF. Stanbridge attributed it, too, to a kind of “revenge eating” of “what they may have deprived themselves throughout the last five years.” Beef is everywhere again, from fancy steakhouses to fast-casual chains, and that’s despite record-high prices over the course of this year.

Even restaurants that feel diametrically opposed to the conventional steakhouse have, however implausibly, embraced the steakhouse as a concept. For the second winter in a row, Los Angeles’s Kismet — bright, airy, colorful, crunchy, vegetable-heavy — is becoming Kismet Steakhouse: Through February, it will once again don white tablecloths, swap out contemporary flower arrangements for red roses, and replace dishes like “stone fruit with lemon balm and turmeric-whey vinaigrette” with New York strip steak, creamed spinach, and French onion dip. 

The restaurant’s website maintains that it’s “…still a vegetable loving restaurant,” but co-owner Sara Kramer says that its alter ego as a steakhouse allows it to attract a broader audience. “It’s easy to see the word ‘steakhouse’ and be like, That’s not the restaurant I know and love,” she says. Noting that much of the steakhouse menu is vegetarian, including a center-cut cabbage “steak,” she adds, “We would never abandon our core audience, and we hope that this provides an opportunity for [vegetarians] to try a restaurant concept that normally isn’t geared to them, but also still is very much geared to the people who want a more classic option as well. We’re really trying to please everybody.”

Similarly, Cafe Mado, a Brooklyn restaurant known for its seasonality and foraged vegetables, began running “Steak Mondays” in May, offering $80-per-person, steak-centric prix fixe menus one night a week. The choice to stay open on Mondays — and the necessity, therefore, to make Mondays special — was strategic, according to general manager Rylan Price: Many restaurants in the area are closed, so the restaurant saw Steak Mondays as a way to get not only neighborhood folk but also industry people, who more typically have the day off, in the door. 

“We wanted to essentially throw a steak night party at the end of [their] week,” Price says. For $80, each diner gets a cold appetizer, steak, and various sides, including a potato, a vegetable, and a bread; plus dessert. “We want it to really feel like you’re really getting a bang for your buck,” says Price, adding that the format offers the comfortable feeling of a tasting-menu experience at a more approachable price. Mondays, once “an absolute graveyard,” are now steady business with higher check averages and a celebratory ambience. “It’s everyone on my team’s favorite night of the week,” Price says.

The eternal appeal of the steakhouse is, yes, the pomp and circumstance of its retro-formal elegance, but also the reassurance of knowing what we’re getting, as Steak House author Eric Wareheim told me earlier this year. It’s a category with practically codified trappings — red banquettes, dark wood, white tablecloths, frosty martinis — and therefore clear expectations. The steakhouse, like the neighborhood chicken spot, allows us to feel like we’re not taking a risk with our money. Even in a city like NYC, full of interesting restaurants, sometimes you don’t want “interesting.” “What becomes of dining as the world turns to shit?” wrote Interview’s J Lee earlier this year. “Overwhelmingly, the answer is Hillstone. Hillstone. Hillstone. Hillstone,” referring to the buttoned-up, intentionally predictable chain with fanatical devotees.

Still, I think attributing the steakhouse’s popularity only to comfort ignores the optics of status, even if it’s just an illusion. It’s impossible to separate the experience of the steakhouse from its cultural image: a timeless place where power lunches and excess reign, where the lure of bygone eras with better economies and less guilt about the state of the planet hangs in the air as pipe smoke once did. The steakhouse is about nostalgia, both real and imagined, and in these politicized times, that draws people on both sides of the aisle.

Even if you don’t have a corporate card and you’re not an exec like Don Draper, it makes you feel powerful to sit in a steakhouse, big knife in one hand and stiff drink in the other, in front of a crimson-centered piece of meat. What is eating another animal, after all, if not the ultimate display of one’s power? 

For so many people, power felt elusive this year; the wrong people had too much of it. It’s for this reason, I think, that the steakhouse seemed so compelling. The concept allows us to cosplay stature for as long as it takes to put down a porterhouse. We can be treated like big dogs by a hospitality lifer in a red-and-black coat, in a place that gets name-dropped by Taylor Swift. It’s only when we step back outside that, like Cinderella’s magic dissolving at midnight, we have credit card debt and job insecurity once again. 

The holiday season is a Sharknado of party planning, travel coordinating, and dinner menu development, so it’s fully understandable if you chose to forgo the Black Friday sales rush for this year’s gift shopping. Were I in your shoes, I, too, would have tucked into some leftover pumpkin pie and taken my granny to the new Zootopia movie instead of feverishly price-comparing consumer electronics and novelty socks. That being said, the next-best ideal time to order gifts is now(ish), and if you’re worried about whether or not your posh Parisian glassware will make it to your far-flung giftee in time, I suggest opening your heart and wallet to these last-minute food gifts that will either ship quickly or instantly (i.e. digitally) to make sure you don’t fall short. 

The following food-related gifts run the gamut of beautifully packaged desserts and holiday hams that arrive on doorsteps in a couple of days, natural wine subscriptions for the avid host, and digital experiences such as cooking MasterClasses from the likes of Alice Waters. Even if you made procrastinating a contact sport this year, your lucky giftee will be none the wiser. 

Send gourmet food and tablescape decor straight to their door

This next-level Nutella panettone

I live across the country from my family, so I’m no stranger to blasting off a Veselka smorgasbord or Ina Garten’s iconic coconut cake to their doorstep from Goldbelly. The food delivery site is home to almost 1,000 vendors and (so many super-famous and beloved) restaurants, which means you’re likely to find something for any and every kind of appetite, like this Nutella panettone from Settepani. I pulled up to Thanksgiving with this handsomely packaged dessert, and both the freshness of the pastry and intensity of the hazelnut-chocolate treat (there are what I would describe as “swaths” of Nutella inside) kept a dozen of us happily nibbling all week. 

Settepani Nutella Panettone

Where to Buy:

• $79.9 at Goldbelly

Because everyone loves the ham-bearer

No one likes schlepping a big old ham home from the supermarket, but everyone loves eating it — especially during the cozy months. Why not be the savior of the holiday feast, and send an easy-to-slice, boneless ham straight to your in-laws’ doorstep? This half-size beauty comes from Snake River Farms, which uses small family farm hogs of the coveted Kurobuta (Japanese for “black hog”) breed to achieve a marbled, succulent ham, and costs under a hundo but makes an ideal holiday-dinner showstopper.

A decadent dessert for the vegan and gluten-free cousin

Visiting a Milk Bar location kind of feels like living inside a box of Funfetti cake mix (read: delightful), and the NYC bakery, reputed for its rich and playful desserts, really delivers for the gluten-free and/or vegan folks with this Crunch Pie. As the bakery’s site explains, “[we fill the] smooth chocolate shell with a crunchy combo of peanut butter and toasted rice cereal, and top off with a salty-sweet chocolate-peanut coating.” Milk Bar also offers both flexible and scheduled deliveries, so you can ensure it arrives in as little as one day.

Milk Bar Peanut Butter Crunch Pie

Where to Buy:

• $58 at Milk Bar

Flowers for the dinner party

Food people are sensory people, and a winter-themed floral bouquet can make their day. Bouqs’ holiday offerings run the gamut of cottagecore arrangements (see: these effortlessly elegant red and white tulips) and more robust holiday bouquets like the punny Pining For You, a dramatic assortment of red spray roses, white pinecone, cedar, and protea. 

Bouqs Pining For You Bouquet

Where to Buy:

• $77 at Bouqs

The coolest food subscription gifts

A pint-of-the-month subscription

The family-owned, Santa Barbara, California-based McConnell’s ice cream has been around since the 1940s, and while its classics continue to hit the spot (the denseness of the Sea Salt Cream and Cookies is perfectly matched by its creaminess and scoopability), it also packs some excellent limited-edition flavors and drops; I keep it on my radar for holiday offerings (Reindeer Tracks rocks) to its collaborations with other iconic SoCal sweets slingers (don’t miss the See’s Candies ice cream collab, which includes flavors such as Vanilla with California Brittle). Treat your giftee to a new flavor every month from the family-owned creamery with this subscription service, and then invite yourself over for a tasting. 

McConnell’s Pint of the Month Club (3 Month Membership)

Where to Buy:

• $195 at McConnell’s Pint of the Month Club (3 Month Membership)

For the natural wine snob

Every friend group has one: the wine aficionado who talks about “murky, flirty oranges” like a millennial Frasier Crane. Give them a subscription to Mysa’s natural wine club, and you’ll forever be on their good side. Each box is a mix of red, white, sparkling, and orange wines from small and indie wineries, which they’ll love to explain to someone at their next jazz-electro smallpipe concert at Pioneer Works. 

Keep them caffeinated

Trade Coffee specializes in supporting independent roasters in the United States, and it offers a  variety of subscription boxes that will deliver a fresh bag of coffee every two weeks to your lucky giftee; choose from a rotation of light, medium, or dark roast beans, or (my personal favorite for the random coworker you got for Secret Santa), the company’s bestselling bean subscription box.  

Trade Coffee Best Sellers Subscription Service (3 Bags)

Where to Buy:

• $50.97 $33.98 at Trade Coffee

This chef-developed meal service (will make their life so much easier)

I was a meal-kit service skeptic for a long time, but then I remembered it’s not 2003 and there’s a lot more on the docket than just frozen pasta. CookUnity, for example, has found a niche in providing meals that are developed by a collective of decorated chefs, and cooked fresh by their team before they ship out to your giftee. I tried the service during a particularly busy week, and I still think about the cheesy beef picadillo by chef Anthony Nichols. If you know someone who truly loves food but could use a break from cooking this holiday season, offering even a week’s worth of meals for the household (you can customize your frequency and portion needs) can be a big help. 

CookUnity Chef-Made Meal Subscription Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at CookUnity

Flamingo Estate’s tastemaking seasonal subscription box

Flamingo Estate is the dreamweaver behind unforgettable pantry goods like Pamela’s Pickles, (developed by none other than Pamela Anderson herself), a candle that smells like Sant Ambroeus’ iconic prinsesstårta cake, and a luxurious seasonal subscription box where every single goodie feels lovingly curated. This season, the Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand has managed to box up a White Lotus-level vacation to Bhutan with a coffret of Himalayan honey infused with coveted cordyceps sinensis and rare black turmeric, Bhutanese chile paste, a hazelnut chocolate spread made with Bhutanese ingredients like Timur peppercorns, and even more extra-special treats.

Give the gift of a digital class

If they make a yearly pilgrimage to Chez Panisse

A live, Zoom-in Ethiopian cooking class

Eleni’s Kitchen has been a Portland, Oregon staple for traditional Ethiopian food for almost a decade. Uncommon Goods offers a live digital cooking class with its chef, Eleni Woldeyes, that teaches your giftee how to make authentic Ethiopian dishes. As one student of the experience writes in their review on the site, “I loved the flavors, patience and structure of the class. It was easy.”   

Uncommon Goods Simmered in Spice Ethiopian Cooking

Where to Buy:

• $70 at Uncommon Goods

The best food and restaurant gift cards

Last but not least, let’s hit the gift card aisle. It used to be that you had to haul yourself over to a brick-and-mortar location to scoop a gift card, but now you can send your giftee the card instantly and digitally, along with the promise of Taiwanese dumplings, heirloom tomato hand soap, Le Creuset finds from Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table – you name it. 

The gift of perfect xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung

Give them the gift of settling the bill at Din Tai Fung, the iconic, Michelin-starred Taiwanese chain whose soup dumplings have famously mastered the so-called “golden ratio” by being folded between 18 times to achieve that delightfully thin, aesthetic wrapper. An evening of xiao long bao and a pear-lychee martinis? Truly a gift worth remembering.

Din Tai Fung eGift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Din Tai Fung

A shopping spree (or guaranteed slam-dunk treat) at Williams Sonoma 

Can’t decide between gifting your loved one a monogrammed steak brand, a Christmas tree focaccia, or a Dolce & Gabbana pasta tin? Let them choose their own adventure with a Williams Sonoma gift card.

Williams Sonoma Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Williams Sonoma

There’s something for everyone at Sur La Table

If you love cooking, eating, or throwing dinner parties, Sur La Table is the spot for sourcing all the cookware, tools, and gadgets you could ever need — and it always has great sales. 

Sur La Table Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Sur La Table

They’ll want to frame this gift card from Flamingo Estate

Yes, it’s a physical gift card, so you still need to get it shipped — but Flamingo Estate, as with everything it makes, has designed an aesthetically gorgeous and trop chic card that feels ceremonial and premium.

Flamingo Estate Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Flamingo Estate

Check out the rest of Eater’s holiday gift guides here. 

Amid yet another complicated year, there were, indeed, many high points too. The restaurant and bar scene across the United States felt legitimately exciting once again. It was a great year to enjoy a little treat, whether in the form of an over-the-top savory croissant or a fancy drink from a third-culture coffee shop. These are the trends we loved this year (and that we wouldn’t mind seeing continue into next year too).

Steakhouse revival

“I’m thrilled about the return of steakhouses — or at least the renewed cultural obsession with them. I love settling into a red leather booth with a martini and a blue-cheese-smothered wedge salad before sawing into a medium-rare ribeye. Give me pâté, scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach… this is what life is about. Steakhouses never truly went away, but the appreciation for them again brings a tear to my eye.” —Hilary Pollack, deputy editor

Thick burgers

“I’ve never been a huge burger person, but I’m loving that the thick tavern-style burger is having its moment. There are still smashburger spots everywhere, but plenty of bars have gone back to making thick patties that pair well with a well-made martini. It feels opulent despite literally being a burger in a bar, and these thicker burgers are also being made with higher-quality (sometimes even locally sourced) beef.” —Emily Venezky, editorial associate

Approachability

“In a year full of $22+ cocktails and $50+ entrees, I appreciate that many chefs clearly made efforts toward approachability. In New York City, one-Michelin-star Corima opened Vato, a daytime tortilleria. Chef Alan Delgado, formerly of the high-end Oxomoco, opened Los Burritos Juarez, with a streamlined menu of burritos, none of them over $11. Bánh Anh Em opened as a destination for ambitious Vietnamese food, and while tables remained hard to get, the restaurant’s take-out-friendly $15 bánh mì proved an excellent and significantly easier way to get a taste. The folks behind the still-buzzy Semma opened the stop-by-anytime stall Kebabwala in a food hall. These chefs were clearly considering ways to share their food with more people. After all, everyone really should get a chance to try that stellar Corima tortilla.” —Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter

Matcha

“I’m a huge matcha fan and all the pop-ups and influencers promoting it have really forced most cafes to adopt it into their menu these days, which is amazing for me. It’s a great caffeinated drink option if you’re not an espresso or chai person.” —Jillian Beck, editorial coordinator

New-school Indian fine dining

“I love the creative turn that Indian restaurants have taken of late, especially in the Southwest, where swanky Indian fine dining is booming. I started seeing this trend turn with Kahani in Dana Point, California; it’s led by talented chef Sanjay Rawat, who transformed the stodgy Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel’s steakhouse into a dimly lit, Indian fine-dining restaurant with New American-style plating and polished curries. Then I checked out Tamba in Las Vegas, a sleek restaurant tucked into an urban shopping mall that’s serving thoughtful, colorful takes on pan-regional Indian favorites. Finally, there was Indibar in Scottsdale, a jewelry-box dining room where they serve top-notch tandoor meats and inventive Indian-inflected cocktails, also in a strip mall.” —Matthew Kang, correspondent

Bar food that feels intentional

“I love nice restaurants that design specific dishes and experiences for the bar. This isn’t entirely new, of course, but I love that cool spots like Firstborn in Los Angeles have snack-focused bar menus and fantastic cocktails. Kato has been doing this for a while too, and is probably the best example in the city, but so does Meteora, and now, Baby Bistro is doing something similar with its front patio. Bar 109 is the natural extension of the idea, a standalone snacks-and-drinks offshoot right next door to the high-end Corridor 109.” —Ben Mesirow, associate editor, travel

Wine bars with good, not-Eurocentric food

“One of my favorite trends of the year was a shift in wine bar food. More specifically, I’ve been really into the wave of new spots putting a focus on cuisines outside of sad, predictable Eurocentric cheese plates. I love to have banchan with a Beaujolais, and I also welcome more exciting versions of typical wine bar fare like charcuterie; at Lei, the jinhua ham and fresh fruit (recently, figs) is a delight.” —Mary Anne Porto, senior editor at Punch