Trends spotlight: what’s on UK restaurant menus

Tapas and vermouth on tap

Aperitivo hour has had a chic upgrade with vermouth on tap and tinned fish delicacies appearing on restaurant menus. We headed to Tollingtons Fish Bar in Finsbury Park to try pickled anchovies, grilled sardines and vermouth on tap to wash it down. At Sabor, the tapas menu has a selection of fishy snacks to choose from, including lardo, anchovies and picos and a whole section dedicated to premium tinned Galician seafood, including scallops and sardines. Vermouth on tap can also be found at Bar 44 Cardiff. Pair it with an order of boquerones – butterflied pickled Cantabrian anchovies dusted with sumac. Try anchovies in fried form with Café Cecilia’s sage and anchovy fritti or skewered with olives for gildas at Quality Wines.

To create the vibe at home, check out our best vermouth cocktails. At your next get-together, serve up our sage and anchovy fritti recipe.

This summer, ice cream is taking a turn for the unexpected, with unusual new flavours taking their place in freezers, restaurants and ice cream shops around the country. Taking inspiration from herbs and flowers, vegetables, storecupboard ingredients and condiments, and even a taste of the sea, there’s an unusual ice cream for everyone this summer.

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We headed to Fortnum & Mason to try some unusual ice creams for ourselves. Fortnum & Mason has taken its signature eau de nil colour and transformed it into bright silky soft serve, with a minty flavour inspired by iconic Blackpool rock. A classic chocolate flake has even been swapped out, with the soft serve garnished with a stick of rock instead. Elsewhere, at The Ice Cream Project by Anya Hindmarch, flavours inspired by cult brands included ice creams made with Kikkoman soy sauce, Filippo Berio pesto, Perello olives and even Sarson’s vinegar. For those who prefer to stick to the sweeter side, Bird’s custard ice cream and McVitie’s Penguins or Jaffa Cakes have also been transformed into frozen form. Wilson’s in Bristol serves up a unique oyster ice cream, topped with a bright rhubarb vinaigrette, whilst Gelupo in London served up fig leaf ice cream in August.

To recreate at home, try our tarragon ice cream recipe or gently spice up a classic with this smooth chocolate and black pepper gelato.

This year, dips have had an upgrade and plain hummus and guac have been considerably elevated. Whether you’re packing for a picnic, looking for snacks to go with drinks when hosting friends, or ordering nibbles to kick off a restaurant meal, gourmet dips are everywhere. We headed to , a Greek restaurant in Borough Market, to try some gourmet dips for ourselves. The menu has a selection of spreads to choose from, including baba ghanoush and tahini with Jerusalem artichoke crisps, or tarama topped with pickled cucumber, carob rusks. Don’t miss the hot crisps and fluffy bread for dunking. You can also try whipped sheep’s cheese topped with hot honey at Yasmin, fresh cheese dips at Bavette Bistro in Leeds and beetroot pesto at The Laundry in Brixton.

Make our gourmet dips at home with these queso fundido, hummus labneh and muhammara recipes.

Matcha is popping up everywhere across the UK, with interest in its health benefits as well as its delicious taste. Matcha has a grassy, slightly sweet and nutty flavour, which pairs well with white chocolate, mango, strawberry and more. Matcha’s eye-catching, vibrant green hue makes it great for Instagram posts – as a result, coffee shops and cafés are getting increasingly creative with flavour combinations and swirled toppings.

We visited some of our favourite matcha spots in London. Konveni Matcha Café is a matcha specialty café with a mission ‘to introduce people to the true taste of matcha’. You can choose from three grades of matcha powder, ranging from the house blend; a rare, handpicked blend; and an intense blend – there’s something for matcha beginners and enthusiasts alike. Tsujiri offers a wide range of matcha drinks and desserts. The floats are very popular, with the strawberry matcha float being a favourite. Jenki highlights the health benefits of drinking matcha, with the menu offering additions to complement that. The calming lavender and CBD is floral and sweet, and the immune-boosting ginger and turmeric is spiced and warming.