Over the coming pages, RLI dives into the dynamic world of food & beverage (F&B) and the concepts and trends that are revolutionising the sector. We will take a closer look at a selection of companies who are redefining dining experiences worldwide, responding to the growing demand for immersive offerings that go far beyond an ordinary meal.
According to JLL’s ‘Food & Beverage Report 2023’, experience remains one of the top trends in the sector. After a tumultuous few years around the world, consumers’ demand for fun and novel experiences that go against the grain remains unabated.
The report also highlights that food halls remain very popular with consumers and new concepts are opening steadily. This is a viewpoint shared by Cushman & Wakefield, who in their ‘Food Halls of Europe’ 2024/25 edition highlight that food halls have become the heartbeat of modern dining culture, offering an array of cuisines and a gathering place for communities.
Cushman & Wakefield continue by saying since their last report back in 2017, food halls have gone from hidden gems to must-have destinations, dotting the urban landscape across continents. The rise of this concept speaks volumes about their ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences, foster community engagement and redefine the concept of eating out.
When you check in at the rooftop restaurant Mar y Vino in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, you may be asked to remove and stow your shoes. That’s because most of the tables at this seafood-centric spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean are positioned in a few inches of water. This new concept redefines what a rooftop restaurant bar is and is an experience to remember. Mar y Vino is an innovative gastronomic space that delights its diners with a unique experience facing the sea. Located in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, the restaurant blends the beauty of the seascape with the exquisite cuisine and wine, all in a relaxed atmosphere to create an unforgettable culinary experience.
Opened earlier this year, Saluhall is a surprisingly new kind of food hall and an exciting place to eat, drink and explore in the heart of San Francisco. It showcases five Bay Area restaurateurs as well as an in-house bakery, burger bar, soft serve shack and three full-service bars. On Level 2 guests will find the Cookery Skola, a community-focused cooking school offering both private and public classes that range from perfecting cardamom swirls to elaborate three-course dinners. Saluhall is the combined, collaborative efforts of Ingka Centres, KERB and Claus Meyer & Ko, who together are working towards a new way of doing food halls.
Earlier this year, CAN Design, an emerging architectural and design firm in Hong Kong, proudly announced the completion of Foodie Sky, a brand-new rooftop dining and garden space at Hefei MixC. This project aims to create a trendy micro-vacation destination, redefining social dining with a fresh natural aesthetic. The Foodie Sky on the sixth floor is an exciting addition to Hefei MixC, helping to transform the rooftop into a functional, attractive urban space where visitors can relax, socialise and enjoy the ambiance. The rooftop restaurant experience is taken to yet another level at Foodie Sky, offering dine-in experiences with the top culinary outlets in the city. The rooftop, filled with various fusion restaurants, perfectly merges natural beauty with leisure living.
These days, high-end brands are increasingly pairing their collections with caffeine and sweets to connect with more customers and drive engagement within brick-and-mortar spaces. An example of this is Maison Kitsuné, a company that has successfully translated its cult brand into spaces that appeal to their target audience: a caffeine-obsessed cohort of millennials and Gen Z. Since the opening of the first Café Kitsuné in Tokyo, Japan, in 2013, Maison Kitsuné has since unveiled multiple outposts across the world, with a particularly strong presence in Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila), in addition to cafes in Shanghai and Beijing. Its global expansion became evident when they opened new outposts in London and Los Angeles last year.
Back in August, the stunning new $70M home of Coopers was revealed. The new, world-class facility has been designed to offer a unique and immersive experience for local, national and international tourists, celebrating the 162-year legacy of the brand. Now, the home of Coopers comprises a restaurant, three bars and an expansive outdoor plaza, alongside a dedicated tasting room and interactive history displays. For the first time in the history of the business, Coopers will expand its realm into the world of whisky using the new on-site whisky distillery, positioned alongside a new microbrewery which will allow Coopers to produce small-batch experimental beers. All of these new facilities sit within the visitor’s centre building at the heart of the Regency Park site. The two-storey building, which has capacity for 400 people, features a unique curved design inspired by the iconic Coopers roundel label, utilising stainless steel, copper, timber and concrete elements.
At Belgium’s Dinner in the Sky, guests are strapped into chairs 150 feet in the air. The five-ton, suspended aerial table hangs from a 120-ton crane that can accommodate staff and 22 guests. The dining setup, which is now available in more than 45 countries worldwide, is similar to Japanese hibachi, except diners wear safety belts and the chef is strapped into a harness. One of its most recent attractions opened in Dubrovnik, Croatia this summer and offered incredible vantage points of Babin Kuk, the Pearl of the Adriatic and the Elaphiti Islands.
Meanwhile in Lindesnes, Norway, guests are invited to dine at Under, half-sunken into the icy waters of Lindesnes, five meters below the surface. The panoramic view of the seabed offers a visual gateway to the sea and connects the guests to the wildlife outside. This unique dining experience provides visitors with an opportunity to take in the otherwise rarely seen marine ecosystem of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Under has been designed with sensitive consideration for its geographic context and aquatic neighbours. In time, the structure will become a part of its marine environment, as the roughness of the concrete shell will work as an artificial reef, welcoming limpets and kelp to inhabit it.
Founded in Madrid by Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manuel Campos, TATEL has expanded to Ibiza, Mexico City, Valencia and most recently Dubai. Now Leisure Quest, the Dubai-based operator behind Dubai’s TATEL restaurant has announced its first international opening.
Teaming up with MABEL Hospitality, the firms will focus on Spain, opening TATEL in Marbella. The venue in Marbella will be located at the Villa Tiberio on the Golden Mile, walking distance from Marbella Club and Puente Romano Resort. Opening alongside the Spanish restaurant in Marbella is VILLA TATEL MARBELLA, a pool club with a cocktail bar. There will also be a Prohibition-era-themed club and high-end lounge. They will be designed by Lazaro Rosa Violan. TATEL will open in Marbella by Q2 2025.
Beginning with the dream of bringing pioneering shipping container architecture to East London, BOXPARK transformed the space into the world’s first pop-up dining and shopping destination in 2011. Since then, BOXPARK has gone from strength-to-strength opening some of the biggest food, culture and social hubs in the U.K. centred around the famed Eat. Drink. Play. philosophy – always with local communities at its heart. Its first location outside of London opened its doors earlier this year in Liverpool and is located in the historic Canning Hall as part of the Cains Brewery Village situated in the Baltic Triangle, Liverpool’s cultural and creative hub. The fully integrated all-day dining and events space spans 21,000sq ft and features eight independent traders from the city and surrounding areas. BOXPARK Liverpool also features a 5,500sq ft external terrace for al fresco dining and intimate events.
Arcade Food Hall & Bar in the heart of Battersea Power Station opened last year and the 24,000sq ft space offers a modern approach to dining, housing a 500-cover food hall, two bars, three restaurants and a private dining room, all set in the buzzing atmosphere of the Power Station. Guests can experience 13 different cuisines made up of new brands such as Phed Power; fiery stir fries and salads from Isan, Thailand. Siu Siu; Cantonese comfort food inspired by the roast meat restaurants of Hong Kong, and Leccami Gelato; authentic Italian gelato. Existing brands such as Hero; Indian fast food, Sushi Kamon; Japanese sushi, Tipan Tapan; Nepali street food, and Shatta & Toum; Middle Eastern shawarma kitchen also form part of the line-up of global cuisines on the menu. The new food hall has two bars; Tap Room and ABC Bar. Tap Room showcases a wall of 32 taps, serving cocktails using locally sourced ingredients and a host of beers from international and South London breweries. ABC Bar, inspired by classic cocktail culture, offers a concise menu of the world’s most famous cocktails.
Multinational brewery and pub chain BrewDog, headquartered in the UK, has opened its first bar in Thailand, as part of an ongoing international expansion drive. BrewDog currently operates over 100 bars and hotels globally and last year announced plans to open another 200 venues in key markets over the next seven years. The company has opened new bars in Perth, Rotterdam and Denver this year. Its venture into the Thai capital of Bangkok is part of the company’s wider expansion plans across Asia. The multinational brewery is partnering with Atalanta Hospitality on the new venture. The company’s site in Ploenchit, a short walk from Ploenchit BTS station opposite to Central Embassy, will be the location of the first BrewDog bar in Bangkok, according to Atalanta Hospitality CEO Jerry Taechaubol.
Ten years ago almost on the day, Time Out Market Lisbon opened its doors to the public as the world’s first editorially-curated food and cultural market. It was the culmination of an idea from Time Out Lisbon’s editors to bring their ‘best of the city’ ethos to life and together under one roof: a curated mix of the best chefs, restaurateurs, drinks and cultural experiences. Before this year there were eight Time Out Market locations, but this will increase to ten by the end of the year. Back in July, Time Out Market Barcelona opened its doors at Port Vell, on the upper floor of Maremagnum, across a 5,250sq m space packed with 14 kitchens, a patisserie, four bars – two indoor and two outdoor – and a full service restaurant. There’s also a podcast studio, a stage and an event space, all curated with the same editorial finesse as their food. Meanwhile, Time Out Bahrain will become the tenth location by the end of the year, opening in City Centre Bahrain and joining Time Out Market Dubai in the region. Spanning over 3,000 sq m and offering 900 seats over two levels, Time Out Market Bahrain will feature an editorially curated mix of eleven kitchens, a dessert counter, a coffee shop, a stage and an al fresco rooftop.
Al Ghurair Centre has begun its ambitious plans to redefine Deira’s dining scene with the launch of Flayva, a global ‘street food’ hall that features 23 exciting homegrown concepts that opened earlier this year on 16 February. Situated at the core of the lively Deira community, Flayva is located on the ground floor’s east wing of the beloved Al Ghurair Centre—the region’s original and cherished destination. Spanning an expansive 3,318sq ft, the all-in-one culinary hotspot can accommodate approximately 500 guests at a time, providing a spacious and vibrant setting for a rich variety of dining experiences in the heart of Deira. From Indonesian to Vietnamese, Indian to Japanese, Lebanese to Filipino, the recently-launched Flayva features a melting pot of flavours for every palate.
In line with its commitment to creating exceptional experiences for all its guests, Dubai Festival City Mall has announced the opening of its much-awaited licensed food hall – Market Island. Home to several outstanding international brands, the unique and diverse dining experience is set to redefine gastronomic excellence. The Market Island is strategically located on the ground floor at the northern end of the mall, covering an expansive area of 70,000sq ft. As the largest food hall of its kind in the Middle East, it boasts a seating capacity exceeding 3,500, hosting more than 50 diverse food outlets and restaurants. The Market Island has introduced several internationally acclaimed brands making their debut appearance in Dubai, including Pasta Art, Nikkei Sushi, John Dory and Gelato Ado amongst many others.