THE AESTHETIC OVERLOAD

Why People Have Started to Care More About Vibe Than Food

- By Gauri Ghadge

Somewhere between a lavender-hued matcha latte and a neon-lit selfie wall, something vital was lost: the food. Not the kind that looks good on camera, but the kind that lingers in memory, the kind that makes you close your eyes and savour.

Today, cafés and restaurants increasingly resemble film sets; meticulously curated for digital validation rather than culinary pleasure. And as the design game intensifies, the dining experience quietly dilutes.

Welcome to the era of vibe over value, where "Instagrammable" is a business model, and the real flavour is often found only in the pixels.

A WORLD BUILT FOR THE 'GRAM

The modern dining landscape has undergone a striking shift. It is no longer enough for food to be delicious; it must be photogenic. And the space it is served in must be nothing short of theatrical. What was once ambience, an enhancer of the meal, has become the main course. Murals, mirror ceilings, floral swings, pastel chairs, terrazzo tables, and gold-plated cutlery dominate the scene. Dishes are engineered more for symmetry than seasoning. Even drinks arrive not in tumblers but in vintage birdcages, teacups, or glass domes clouded with dry ice.

Every table is now a tripod waiting to happen. Cafés are built not for comfort but for content creation. In a world obsessed with aesthetic appeal, flavour has quietly slipped out of focus.

This is not an accidental evolution; it's a response to demand.

People want places that photograph well. Dining is no longer just about taste, but optics. Social currency has become as valuable as the experience itself. And so, owners design accordingly. The result? A rising breed of eateries where everything looks better than it tastes.