USA Today has asked restaruant guidebook publisher Zagat Survay about this year’s five hottest dining trends.
Among them:
•Beer, beer and more beer. An unusual amount of beer-centric eateries have opened thus far, leading Zagat Survey to dub this year “the year of the beer garden.”
The article is about the US market, but I think the same goes for quite a few European countries as well.
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No-one who has been to a beer garden in Germany can fail to fall in love with the idea. They can be down-to-earth and basic — a few tables under some trees — or pretty posh, with crisp tablecloths and spectacular views. It drives me mad that there are so few beer gardens in the UK. I think the weather, licensing laws and property prices are to blame.