Dining out remains a firm fixture of British life. More than a quarter of all Brits (27%) say they eat out at least once a month, with nearly one in ten doing so weekly or more often. Predictably, younger consumers are leading this trend. Men aged 18–34 (39%) and women in the same age group (35%) are especially likely to dine out frequently—well above the national average.

While the numbers dip slightly for the 35–54 segment, there's still a respectable showing—28% for men and 23% for women. Among those 55+, around a quarter of men (25%) and women (23%) continue to eat out monthly, highlighting broad appeal across age groups.

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A taste for Chinese, Indian and Italian

So, what’s on the menu for these frequent diners?

Asian and Mediterranean flavours dominate. Chinese cuisine tops the list, with 37% of frequent diners saying they’ve eaten it in the past month. Indian follows closely at 34%, while Italian rounds out the top three at 31%. Though further down the list, Japanese (13%) and Mexican (11%) still carve out a niche.

These preferences indicate a continued mainstream embrace of globally inspired dishes.

Chain reactions: where frequent diners go

When it comes to brand preference, frequent diners show a clear pattern—familiarity and accessibility matter. The restaurant chains listed here aren’t just the most visited in absolute terms—they stand out because they show the largest relative preference compared to the nationally representative population. This ranking is based on Z-scores, which dynamically account for both the volume and proportional difference between frequent diners and the broader population.

Looking at QSRs, McDonald’s leads the pack: 45% of frequent diners visit the chain, compared to 35% of the general population. KFC (20%) and Burger King (14%) also outpace their national norms, as do Domino’s Pizza (14%) and Costa Coffee (28%).

J D Wetherspoon stands out among pubs and bars — frequent diners over-index at 34% compared to 25% of all Brits. Greene King Pubs (16%) and All Bar One (4%) also register far stronger relative engagement among this group.

In the casual dining arena, Nando’s (15%), Pizza Hut (9%) and Pizza Express (9%) punch above their weight. Even more premium offerings like Miller & Carter (6%) and Harvester (7%) show elevated interest among those who eat out often.

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. The figures used in this analysis are drawn from responses collected between July 2024 and July 2025. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in Britain and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.

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