With the widespread use of digital media platforms, food and beverage establishments, products, chefs, and destinations are increasingly recognized and evaluated through digital content before being directly experienced. This development raises important questions regarding the extent to which digitally presented content reflects actual experiences and the mechanisms through which consumer perceptions are shaped. The formation of consumer perceptions in digital media environments has become increasingly complex as it is intertwined with the dynamics of the post-truth era, in which emotional appeals, constructed narratives, and algorithmic guidance often outweigh objective facts. Despite this growing relevance, studies that conceptually examine the reflections of these dynamics within the field of gastronomy from a post-truth perspective remain limited. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to examine the mechanisms influencing the formation of consumer perceptions in gastronomy through the lens of the post-truth approach. The findings suggest that consumer perceptions of food and beverage experiences are the product of a multilayered process of digital construction. Mechanisms such as electronic word-of-mouth communication, the bandwagon effect, and fear of missing out influence consumer decisions independently of actual experiences, while influencer marketing, fake reviews, and visual manipulation foreground curated representations of experiences. Furthermore, washing practices enable businesses to construct favorable organizational images that may be disconnected from their actual performance. The development of independent monitoring mechanisms for such practices, the transparent labeling of AI-generated content, and the strengthening of digital media literacy emerge as key recommendations for industry stakeholders and policymakers.