The Ultimate 2025 Dining Bucket List

2025 is the perfect year to expand your culinary horizons by exploring a cuisine you’ve never tried before. Whether it’s Ethiopian, Peruvian, Filipino, or something simply obscure, trying a new type of cuisine opens you up to a world of unique flavours and cooking techniques. Seek out a restaurant that specialises in authentic dishes, whether it’s a small family-owned spot or a trendy new venue offering fusion dishes. Not only do you get to introduce your taste buds to new flavours, but you’re also opening yourself up to develop a deeper appreciation for different cultures and their food traditions.

Our top pick: Lahpet for some traditional Burmese food in London

Even if you’re not a full-time vegan, try a completely plant-based meal at a vegan or vegetarian restaurant to experience the creativity and deliciousness that can be achieved without animal products. Many top-tier vegan restaurants are redefining what plant-based food can be, offering dishes that range from decadent vegan cheese boards to mouth-watering plant-based sushi or gourmet desserts. 2025 is the year to experience how the future of food is evolving. Book a reservation at a local vegan spot or even try a vegan tasting menu to discover how chefs are using innovative ingredients such as jackfruit, cauliflower, and tempeh to make dishes that rival anything on a meat-based menu.

Our top pick: Pastan in London, Bristol, or Brighton for some unbelievable vegan pasta

Treat yourself to a truly special evening with a chef’s tasting menu. This experience typically involves a multi-course meal where the chef curates dishes based on the freshest seasonal ingredients, designed to take you on a journey. Often paired with wines or cocktails, a chef’s tasting menu allows you to taste ingredients and flavours you might not have chosen yourself. Whether it’s at a Michelin-starred restaurant or a renowned local spot, the tasting menu experience is a great way to discover new foods and techniques, all while being treated to the very best a restaurant has to offer. It’s perfect for celebrating a milestone or just treating yourself to something extraordinary.

Our top pick: Adam Reid at The French in Manchester

For an immersive dining experience that’s all about freshness, skill, and precision, book a seat at a sushi restaurant offering omakase. Omakase translates to “I’ll leave it up to you,” which means the chef selects the courses, often tailored to the freshest fish available that day. The experience can be both intimate and interactive as the sushi chef prepares each piece of sushi right in front of you. The progression of flavours — starting with lighter, more delicate fish and building up to richer, more intense options — makes for a pretty unique dining experience.

Our top pick: Roji in London

If you’ve never dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant, make 2025 the year to check it off your list. A Michelin star is a prestigious accolade that signifies culinary excellence, so dining at one of these restaurants offers a special opportunity to taste food crafted by some of the best chefs in the world. Whether it’s a multi-course tasting menu, a carefully curated wine list, or the finest ingredients imaginable, Michelin-starred restaurants deliver a dining experience unlike any other. It’s the ultimate indulgence for food lovers and a memorable experience that you’ll talk about for years to come.

Our top pick: Pine in Newcastle Upon Tyne

treet food is often the heart and soul of a culture, offering authentic and budget-friendly options that give you a taste of a region’s true cooking style. Whether you’re trying taco trucks, Asian street stalls, or food markets, this type of dining gives you a chance to taste vibrant dishes in their purest form. Seek out a restaurant or food market that specialises in street-food-inspired dishes, or visit a food truck that offers traditional fare from countries like Mexico, Thailand, or India. Often, these meals are prepared right in front of you, making for a more casual, interactive, and sensory dining experience.

Our top pick: Banh Boy in Belfast

Any meal of the day is the perfect opportunity to indulge in fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and a farm-to-table dining experience takes that indulgence to the next level. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, find a cosy, local restaurant that focuses on seasonal dishes made with ingredients from nearby farms. From inventive salads and fresh seafood to hearty pastas and house-made desserts, farm-to-table restaurants highlight the best of each season in every bite. Not only will you enjoy dishes that are full of flavour, but you’ll also be supporting local farmers and artisans. It’s a satisfying and mindful way to enjoy any meal, whether you’re starting your day, enjoying a midday break, or unwinding at dinner with friends and family.

Our top pick: Barnaby’s at the Vineyard in Cornwall

One of the most glamorous ways to dine out is with a view. Whether you’re overlooking a city skyline, the ocean, or a picturesque landscape, rooftop or sky-high dining offers both incredible food and an unbeatable atmosphere. Book a reservation at a rooftop bar or restaurant and enjoy cocktails and a meal while taking in stunning panoramic views.

Our top pick: The Radisson Red in Glasgow