The Hottest Restaurant Trend Of 2026 Takes Cooking Steak To The Next Level

Have you been wondering what's new in the restaurant biz? We all know about the rise of specialty non-alcoholic cocktails and the gourmet-ification of traditional street food, but 2026's latest (and greatest) trend is actually nothing new at all. In fact, it harkens back to the dawn of humankind, before modern conveniences like gas and electricity were even a concept. 

Of course, we're talking about live-fire cooking. One wouldn't be wrong in calling it primitive, and perhaps that's why it's garnered such modern-day appeal. Maybe it activates a DNA memory of long-forgotten roots, or ignites a primal, instinctual sense that this is the right way to cook. 

Whatever the case, live-fire cooking is having its moment in 2026, particularly in the restaurant world. We got a chance to sit down with Curtis Stone, owner and head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Gwen in Los Angeles, about the current hype around cooking over live fire — here's what he had to say. 

In case there was any residual doubt about live-fire cooking being the current "in" thing in the restaurant biz, The 50 just named Asador Extebarri — a Basque live-fire restaurant — the best restaurant in the world, praising the fact that "everything on the menu is touched by the grill." 

There's certainly a flavor appeal to cooking over live fire, which Stone was quick to acknowledge. "I think people are just recognizing how significant that scent, the visual, and then of course the flavor of the food is," he says, "which is why we're experiencing this craze around live fire in restaurants." He also highlighted the romanticism of a visible fire, harkening back to humankind's history with the resource. It's always been a source of light, warmth, and comfort, and he thinks that plays a big role in our modern draw to it.

When we asked Stone to share about other live-fire restaurants he was excited about, his first stateside mention wasn't even a fine dining spot — rather, he referenced La Barbecue in Austin, Texas, calling it "incredible. ... [there's] real refinement in it." 

The extreme heat you can achieve with live fire is especially beneficial when you're cooking steak, but Stone was also quick to acknowledge that it can be trickier to navigate than other cooking methods. Live fire is fabulous when you want to achieve a good Maillard reaction, which caramelizes the outer layer of the steak — however, you should be careful not to overcook your steak.

To prevent overcooking, Stone shared his method with us. "We take it from the grill onto a rack and we'll let it rest for five minutes in between searing," he says. "So that's the way you sort of slow down that cooking process and you're allowing the heat to transfer through the protein slowly rather than quickly." He also recommends not letting any flames touch the steak directly — this could lead to some bitterness in your steak, rather than that even, beautiful sear. Ultimately, cooking a steak over live fire should yield a smoke-touched, perfectly-seared steak with a caramelized exterior and juicy, succulent interior. 

Of course, live fire isn't only great for cooking steak. After all, we've all had the experience of making campfire s'mores! Other proteins and vegetables, like fish and peppers, cook up delightfully over a live flame, and Stone offered several tips and tricks to use when using a live fire to cook other foods. 

Stone loves to cook fish over live fire, but noted some common pitfalls when dealing with the protein — namely, it's so delicate that it's likely to stick to the grill. He recommends using a wire basket to hold the fish while it's over the fire, to make it easier to remove and mitigate the risk of overcooking. 

A mesh basket is also a great tool to use for skinny vegetables that risk falling through a traditional grill rack. Some vegetables also cook particularly well in closer contact with the heat source. "You can even wrap a cabbage and nestle it into the coals," Stone explains. "You can cook peppers directly on the coal. Anything that chars well will be delicious over a live fire."