Key points from the infographic
- The graphic ranks 20 restaurant cuisines by how often people in the UK search for them online in a month.
- Indian cuisine leads with 1,625,160 monthly searches, ahead of Italian (1,392,070) and Chinese (850,390).
- Thai, Turkish, Japanese, Greek, Mexican, Korean and French complete the top 10.
- Each cuisine comes with a one-line description and a list of five to eight popular dishes.
- It was made for Aluna, a Pan Asian restaurant and cocktail bar at The Mailbox in Birmingham [2], and carries Aluna’s contact details.
Top 20 restaurant cuisines, the infographic in text
Title. Top 20 Restaurant Cuisines. Unveiling online search trends and popularity. Monthly number of searches.
Footnote. The numbers in boxes tell us how often, in one month, users in the UK search for these specific topics online.
| Rank | Cuisine | Monthly UK searches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian | 1,625,160 |
| 2 | Italian | 1,392,070 |
| 3 | Chinese | 850,390 |
| 4 | Thai | 562,800 |
| 5 | Turkish | 389,000 |
| 6 | Japanese | 366,880 |
| 7 | Greek | 263,270 |
| 8 | Mexican | 241,490 |
| 9 | Korean | 229,250 |
| 10 | French | 144,380 |
| 11 | Lebanese | 100,870 |
| 12 | Vietnamese | 86,630 |
| 13 | Spanish | 81,580 |
| 14 | Brazilian | 59,830 |
| 15 | Caribbean | 51,070 |
| 16 | American | 50,340 |
| 17 | Singapore | 35,780 |
| 18 | Portuguese | 50,340 |
| 19 | Polish | 33,880 |
| 20 | Nigerian | 50,340 |
The 20 cuisines and their dishes
Descriptions are condensed from the graphic; dish names are as printed.
1. Indian (1,625,160 searches a month)
Rich in spices, layered in textures and engulfed in delicious aromas. Dishes listed: Samosa, curry, naan bread, biryani, tandoori chicken or fish, masala, butter chicken, dal soup.
2. Italian (1,392,070 searches a month)
Simplistic yet delicious, Italian cuisine has a large number of traditional specialties which are protected under EU law. Dishes listed: Risotto, pizza, pasta, gnocchi, lasagne, gelato, Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham).
3. Chinese (850,390 searches a month)
Widely diverse; the “Four Great Traditions” are Chuan, Lu, Yue and Huaiyang, representing the cuisines of West, North, South and East China. Dishes listed: Peking duck, kung pao chicken, sweet and sour pork, dim sum, dumplings, ma po tofu, char siu.
4. Thai (562,800 searches a month)
A complex yet careful balance of ingredients and elements that create a powerful taste. Dishes listed: Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, Tom Kha Gai, Yum Talay, Pad Kra Pow, Gaeng Daeng, Kao Pad.
5. Turkish (389,000 searches a month)
The heritage of Ottoman cuisine. Dishes listed: Baklava, döner kebap, lahmacun, dolma, meze, börek, menemen, pilav.
6. Japanese (366,880 searches a month)
Rice and seafood, deep-fried goods in light batter and simmered dishes. Dishes listed: Sushi, tofu, ramen, tempura, udon, sashimi.
7. Greek (263,270 searches a month)
A combination of wheat, olive oil and wine, with fish and meats from pork and lamb to beef, poultry, rabbit and goat. Dishes listed: Moussaka, pastitsio, papoutsakia, soutzoukakia, stifado, souvlaki.
8. Mexican (241,490 searches a month)
An ancient and complex cuisine with many traditional and European influences. Dishes listed: Chilaquiles, pozole, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, burritos.
9. Korean (229,250 searches a month)
Heavily based on rice and vegetables, meat and seafood, with sesame oil, garlic and soy sauce. Dishes listed: Kimchi, red rice cakes, Korean stew, bibimbap, bulgogi, jajangmyeon.
10. French (144,380 searches a month)
A cuisine with its own indigenous style, defined by light meals with simple yet striking presentation. Dishes listed: Croissant, the baguette, coq au vin, ratatouille, beef bourguignon, escargots.
11. Lebanese (100,870 searches a month)
Famous for its traditional flavours, zest and spice. Dishes listed: Shawarma, hummus, kafta, kibbeh, manakish.
12. Vietnamese (86,630 searches a month)
A combination of sweet, salty, bitter, sour and spicy. Dishes listed: Bún bò Huế (beef noodles from Huế), broken rice (or sticky rice), spring rolls and summer rolls, filled rice batter pancakes, noodle soup.
13. Spanish (81,580 searches a month)
Heavily olive oil based, with meats and herbs. Dishes listed: Gazpacho, paella, tortilla Española, gambas al ajillo, pisto, turrón.
14. Brazilian (59,830 searches a month)
Influenced by a range of countries. Dishes listed: Feijoada (stew), farofa, vatapá, pastel, picanha, brigadeiro.
15. Caribbean (51,070 searches a month)
A fusion of cuisine from around the world. Dishes listed: Jerk, roast pork, pepperpot, conch, chicken with rice, Cuban sandwich.
16. American (50,340 searches a month)
As diverse as its population. Dishes listed: Thanksgiving dinner, cheeseburger, Reuben sandwich, hot dogs, Philly cheese steak, nachos.
17. Singapore (35,780 searches a month)
A culturally enriched cuisine. Dishes listed: Chicken rice, nasi lemak, laksa, fried carrot cake, kambing soup, Hokkien prawn mee.
18. Portuguese (50,340 searches a month)
Emphasis on fish, meat, olive oil, bread and tomato with herbs and spices. Dishes listed: Caldo verde, Portuguese cod fish, grilled sardines, petiscos, bifanas, francesinha sandwich.
19. Polish (33,880 searches a month)
Incredibly versatile, with elements of foreign cultures and quite affordable. Dishes listed: Pierogi (dumplings), bigos (hunter’s stew), gołąbki, tatar (raw minced beef), karp smażony (fried carp), kartacze (potato dumplings).
20. Nigerian (50,340 searches a month)
Colourful and extravagant, spicy and flavoursome. Dishes listed: Jollof rice, iyan, àmàlà, ogbono soup, puff-puff, pepper soup.
Footer. www.aluna.uk.com, with offices listed in Birmingham (128-130 The Mailbox, Wharfside Street, B1 1RQ) and Bristol (4 Broad Quay, BS1 4DA).
How to read the numbers
The figures measure online search interest from UK users in one month, as the footnote says. They are not restaurant counts, sales or survey results, so a high number shows how often people look a cuisine up, which can include recipes as well as restaurants. The graphic does not name the search tool, the month or the exact search terms used, so the figures cannot be checked or updated like for like.
The top three stand well apart from the rest. Indian, Italian and Chinese together account for 3,867,620 of the searches shown, more than the other 17 cuisines combined (2,797,730 on the graphic’s own figures). From 11th place down, every cuisine has fewer than 101,000 searches a month.
Notes on this infographic
- Three cuisines carry the same figure, 50,340: American (16th), Portuguese (18th) and Nigerian (20th). That puts Portuguese and Nigerian above Singapore (35,780) and Polish (33,880), which rank higher. The repeated number looks like a copying error on the graphic; the correct figures for 18th and 20th are not given anywhere we could find.
- The graphic spells Portuguese as “PORTUGESE”, and the Korean entry says “soy cause” for soy sauce. The Singapore panel is headed “Singapore” rather than Singaporean. We use the standard spellings in the text above.
- The infographic was uploaded to aluna.uk.com in August 2023 [1]. The page it was published on now returns a 404 error, so we link to the Internet Archive copy of the full-size image file. Our old record also named Bootcamp Media as author; we could not confirm that, and the graphic itself carries only Aluna’s branding.
Sources
- Aluna, Top 20 Restaurant Cuisines infographic, full-size image, uploaded August 2023 (Internet Archive copy of 28 August 2023, the same graphic at 1600 pixels wide).
- Aluna, Pan Asian restaurant and cocktail bar in Birmingham, home page.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
