How to design a restaurant menu that guests can read

Start with the list, not the look

Before you pick fonts or colours, write the whole menu as plain text: every section, every dish, every price. Most layout problems are really list problems. A section with 22 items will look crowded in any design, and a section with two items will look lost.

Group dishes the way guests think about a meal, usually in the order they eat it. A typical restaurant runs starters, mains, breads or sides, rice, desserts and drinks. An Indian restaurant might split mains into veg and non-veg, or by tandoor, curry and biryani. Keep it to the groups your kitchen actually works in.

• Aim for 5 to 12 dishes per section. Split longer sections, merge tiny ones.
• Give each section a short, plain name. Guests scan for words like starters, mains and desserts.
• Use a one line section note for shared details, such as served with rice or available after 7 pm.

Build a clear hierarchy

A reader should see three levels at a glance: the section heading, the dish name, then the description and price. Each level needs a visible step in size, weight or style. If dish names and descriptions are the same size and weight, the page turns into a grey block.

Keep the number of type styles small. One typeface for headings and one for text is plenty, and many good menus use a single family in two or three weights. Decorative script works for the restaurant name, rarely for 40 dish names.

1. Restaurant name and a short tagline at the top.
2. Section headings, clearly larger or set in a contrasting style.
3. Dish names in a strong weight, at a comfortable reading size.
4. Descriptions smaller and lighter, one or two lines at most.
5. Marks such as veg, vegan or spicy beside the name, explained once in a legend.

Place prices so they are easy to find, not loud

Prices belong in a consistent place, either aligned in a column on the right or set straight after the description. Right aligned columns with dot leaders are classic and easy to scan. Prices that follow the text are calmer and stop guests reading down the price column first.

Whatever you choose, align them, use the same number format everywhere, and leave out the currency sign if your whole menu is in one currency. Our guide to writing menu prices covers half and full portions, sizes and add-ons in detail.

Choose a size and layout that fits the list

Count your dishes before you pick a format. A short cafe list fits a single A4 or US Letter page. A full restaurant menu often needs two A4 pages, an A3 sheet, or a bi-fold. Drinks and desserts work well on their own slim card so the main menu stays short.

Two or three columns on a landscape page let a long list breathe. A single centred column suits fine dining with fewer dishes. See menu sizes for exact dimensions and when to use each.

Proof it like a guest, then print

Print a test copy at real size and read it at arm's length in the light of your dining room. Small grey text that looks fine on a laptop can vanish under warm bulbs. Check that every dish has a price, every mark appears in the legend, and nothing is cut off at the edge.

For a print shop, send a PDF with bleed and crop marks so backgrounds run to the edge after trimming. Keep the address, hours and any tax note in a small footer.

Doing this in Platebill

In Platebill you type the menu as sections and dishes, or paste an existing menu as text, and the layout sets the hierarchy for you. You can switch between layouts and sizes without retyping, because the dishes are kept as data, not as text boxes. If a format runs out of room, the editor tells you which dishes do not fit, and you can step the type size down. The print PDF comes with 3 mm bleed and crop marks.