The menu can rightfully be called an important component of a high-quality lunch. This is not just a list of dishes and drinks. This is the face of the restaurant, because first we “eat” with our eyes, and only then we taste the dishes. The more beautiful and attractive the menu, the better the impression the visitor will have. And if the level of service and talent of the chef cannot be corrected by designers, then creating a stunning menu is entirely within their competence.
We invite you to look at 15 impressive menu examples made in different styles. Perhaps you will find inspiration here and create your own masterpiece!
06. L'Encant
The menu of the L’Encant sushi bar in Spain was developed by the design agency Nuria Vila. The mixture of Spanish and Japanese culture led to the creation of a menu using custom materials: a wooden cover and stone paper inside.
07. Fade St. Social
You can convey the national character and mood of the establishment through the menu if you decorate it with illustrations, as is the case with this bar in Dublin. Illustrator Steve Simpson created funny and colorful drawings that highlight the mood of the bar.
08.Mr. Brown
The menu can be not only part of the identity, but also part of the restaurant’s interior, as is the case with this Mexican establishment.
09. Smith
If there is a need to change the restaurant menu frequently, you should not make it expensive, because in the end it can be very costly. The restaurant-club in downtown Toronto offers an interesting menu in the form of a large newspaper with black and white illustrations and large, easy-to-read text. Illustrator Tracy Ma contributed to its creation, making it stylish and inexpensive, allowing you to change it every season.
10. Eleven Madison Park
This elegant, minimalist menu originates from New York's Eleven Madison Park restaurant. Developed by designer Juliette Cezzar, it offers 28 ingredients from which the client can create 16 dishes of his choice.
11. Fat Cow
A restaurant in Singapore that specializes in beef uses Japanese cooking and serving methods. Inspired by the Japanese "Wabi Sabi" aesthetic, creative agency Foreign Policy designed a custom wooden stand on which the menu is served.
12. Cafe Kafka
A cafe in Barcelona with Mediterranean cuisine is notable for its menu. Antique-style illustrations and an interesting layout make a pleasant impression and clearly demonstrate the rich history of the establishment and its vintage character.
13. Maddigan's Freehouse
A traditional London pub, the Maddigan boasts a significant number of regular customers. Therefore, when the question arose about updating the style, designer Aaron Kitney was tasked with not scaring away old clients and attracting new ones. This is how this attractive, conservative design was born.
14. Aroma
When content guides form. This is exactly what happened in the case of the Aroma restaurant in Barcelona. Designer Eren Saracevic used a minimalist style to describe each item on the menu. And to support the main idea, the designer placed an illustration of a nose on the cover of the menu.
15. Wives
This cocktail menu is one of the most remarkable. Following the concept of Singapore's 13 Wives, each drink is the story of one fictional woman, as told in this little black book. This is another creative from the Foreign Policy studio.
Based on materials from creativebloq.com
This article will talk about what menus there are in restaurants. It will help you get a correct idea of the menu development process, avoid possible mistakes and unnecessary costs, and get not what you get, but what you would like.
Menu- a key detail of any restaurant. After all, sales and the impression of a restaurant depend on how the menu looks. The menu is part of the image. The menu is responsible for arousing the client’s appetite and arousing his desire to order a dish. Now there are different trends in restaurant menu design. Let's divide them into two broad categories to begin with. Menus are text, without photographs and menus with photographs of dishes, all or selected ones. Both designs can look good and stylish. But only a menu design with photographs will whet the client’s appetite. Of course, with a menu with photos, you will have to tinker a little longer, but the result will not be long in coming if everything is done correctly.
If we decide to make a menu with photographs, then first of all, we need to find a photographer. First we need a photographer and a designer. Or a design studio with a full-time photographer. There are also companies specializing only in restaurant services. Everyone has their pros and cons. This topic will be discussed in the article "Designer or design studio? Who to work with?" Most often, photographers work on their own. Therefore, in this article we will look at working with a photographer and designer.
You can contact any universal photographer. But it’s best to immediately find a photographer whose portfolio includes photographing dishes for a restaurant. Such photographers are called food photographers. Why is a food photographer better? Food photography has its own characteristics, just like any genre. Here it is important to have the appropriate technology and equipment, it is important to know the organization of the process so as not to waste the customer’s unnecessary time, to have the appropriate props, to be able to retouch food photography, to be able to beautifully serve dishes for shooting.
The cost range for food photographer services is very wide. Many people make money from this only for the originality of the services. You can read how to choose a food photographer wisely in the article: “Food photographer services and cost of services”
When a food photographer has been found, we order him to photograph dishes for the restaurant. A good food photographer will not promise to photograph all the dishes in 3-5 hours. A good photograph of an average restaurant menu takes at least 2 days, 5-7 hours each. Next, you need to acquire the necessary products for shooting. In addition to the ingredients for your dishes, you may need accompanying products that will decorate the menu in the frame. To do this, it is better to consult with a photographer or designer in advance. The chef prepares the dishes, the food photographer photographs them, and the waiters have the opportunity to eat to their heart's content.
Advice: It’s a good idea to feed the photographer, too, because he’s on his feet all day trying for you. He has no time to go away to eat, because he doesn’t want to waste your time. He will be grateful to you, and this will have a good effect on his work.
Advice: Food styling and food photography for menus require a high degree of concentration. A food stylist is often responsible for a complex composition. But food photographers also work very hard. In addition to the aesthetic part, he must also have the technical part in order. After 3-4 hours of work, perception often becomes dull. The optimal amount of work without a break is no more than 4 hours. Then you should take a break. We need to “refresh” our outlook. It's like if you inhale a lot of aromas one by one, you soon stop distinguishing them. There is also an optimal number of working hours, which is 5-6 hours. If time allows, it is better to split the shooting into 2 days or 5 hours, rather than suffer for all 10 hours at once. In this case, the first and last photographs may be clearly inferior in quality to the first.
The shooting is over and you are waiting for the photo.
Advice: It is better to discuss how long to wait for a photo with the photographer in advance. For all photographers, this can take varying amounts of time, from a week to a month. It should be taken into account that the food photographer has his own real queue. This point can be clarified in advance. But planning ahead is unrealistic.
Sooner or later you get them :) They look good, but in magazines they are much more appetizing, brighter and juicier. What's the matter? It's a matter of final retouching. A food photographer does batch processing of his photographs, but he does not do the final retouching. For this you need either a retoucher or a designer. There are also nuances here: it’s one thing to remove garbage in the frame, but it’s quite another to remove product defects: tears and cracks, raw meat in a cutlet, etc. This retouching is an additional job for the retoucher.
Most design studios and designers work on an advance payment basis. On the one hand, you shouldn't be afraid of this. Menu design is a product that is weakly protected by copyright and requires insurance. On the other hand, of course, you need to be vigilant.
Probable error: Some firms may agree to work without advance payment. But surprisingly, they often simply disappear with your order! The answer is simple - they simply give preference to customers who have paid in advance. A professional designer is simply reluctant to take on an order without advance payment.
Turnkey menu design development for a restaurant and photo shoot: Menufoto team.
Photographer
Guests make their choice quickly, but usually the order is not very large, which leads to a low check. Why? Because a one-page menu does not allow you to immerse yourself in the gastronomic world of the establishment and does not awaken the desire to try something new. This menu is associated with something ordinary. Suitable for coffee shops and some family restaurants that change their menu frequently.
- Two page menu
The structure that works best for the menu. This format is easy to read and immerses the guest in the gastronomic world of the establishment. It makes it possible to see all menu items at once and facilitates the decision-making process. Suitable for all categories of restaurants: from coffee shops to the premium segment.
- Three page menu
A three-page menu is a reasonable choice if you offer many items and need more space. However, remember that the two-page version is easier to read.
- Multi-page menu
The more pages you have on your menu, the less control you have over your guest's choice. This structure should be avoided. A great way to offer guests more items is through special offers and seasonal menus.
HOW TO PLACE ITEMS IN THE MENU?
There are two main answers to this question, and they are mutually exclusive. directions on how to arrange items on the menu.
The first school suggests arranging the items in such an order that the guest follows the traditional sequence of dishes. This means that appetizers are placed before the main course and subsequent dessert.
The second school believes that guests do not “read” the menu from beginning to end. Instead, they skim through it. Therefore, if you want to highlight certain menu items, you need to place them where the guest looks first. These areas are called focal points and they vary depending on the menu structure.
- In a one-page menu, the main focal point is in the middle of the page. The guest focuses their attention here first, then moves to the bottom of the page and finally to the top.
- In a two-page menu, the main focus is at the top right of the right-hand page.
- With a three-page menu, the main focus is in the center of the menu. Next, the sequence is as follows: upper right corner; top left corner; bottom left corner; back to the top right corner; bottom right corner and finally back to the center of the menu.
- Place profitable items in the menu on the right to focus the guest's attention on them. This method will help increase your check and lead to greater profits.
DO NOT FOCUS ON THE PRICE COLUMN
A common mistake when creating a menu is placing the list of prices in a column on the right side of the menu opposite the items.
Instead, put the price below the dish description, leaving two lines between them. Use the same font style and size for both description and price. An alternative option is to place the name of the dish and its description in the center, and center the price below them.
BRIGHT ELEMENTS
Bright elements such as various colored sections, icons, frames. Use them to direct your guest's attention to those dishes that bring you the most profit. Just don’t get carried away here, so as not to turn your menu into solid squares, frames and colored inserts. In this case, the guest will simply choose a dish that he knows and has tried many times, rather than deciding on a gastronomic experiment in your restaurant.
HOW TO DESCRIBE DISHES?
Don't just list the ingredients. Write words that evoke emotions and arouse interest in the dish. Perhaps you want to tell guests why you put this dish on the menu. Maybe this is a family recipe that was inherited from your grandmother, or is it your favorite dessert from childhood? Make the description more personal and emotional so that the guest orders not just a dish, but becomes part of the story and can tell friends and family about it.
The menu contains not only information about the dishes offered at the establishment, but is also an important element of the corporate identity (the concept of the establishment). In this connection, most restaurateurs strive to make it colorful, beautiful and ideally consistent with the general style of the establishment. can be made in a wide variety of styles. But the most common are 2 menu design styles:
- In the form of a folder. This is the simplest and most practical option. It is a folder containing pieces of information. The leaves themselves can be made of any paper. Some make them colorful by ordering a design from specialists, while others print them on plain office white paper - their appearance is limited only by the restaurateur’s imagination. The practicality of this option is that when replacing dishes and updating the menu, you do not have to incur extra cash expenses, but simply print out the updated pages and put them in a folder. Folders for menus can either be bought at a regular stationery store or ordered from specialized companies that can make a folder from almost any material and even print it on the logo or name of the cafe.
- In the form of a catalog. This option is also quite common. It consists of fastened (stitched, etc.) sheets of durable paper (polished). Most often, in addition to the information about the dishes, the catalog also contains photographs of the dishes offered. But if you decide to order such a catalog, then keep in mind that you will have to carefully monitor the availability of all the dishes offered on the menu. Since, unlike a folder, when you can replace one piece of paper with another at any time, in this case it won’t work out that way. And when introducing new dishes, you will again have to contact the printing house.
In addition to these options, there are a huge number of others, reflecting the non-standard approach of restaurateurs to presenting their products. For example, I also came across a menu made in the form of a newspaper, which had to be unrolled and filled with it across the entire table in order to get acquainted with all the menus. Personally, I didn’t really like this option as a visitor to the establishment, since there were rather small round tables in the hall and it was simply impossible for two visitors to unroll this bright colorful newspaper at the same time. But, nevertheless, this did not really scare away the guests of the coffee shop, since the quality of the dishes and the service were at the highest level.
Having finished with the appearance of the menu, let’s take a closer look at its information content. All dishes on the menu are arranged in a certain sequence - cold appetizers, salads, hot appetizers, breakfasts, first main course (soups), second main course, side dishes, desserts, drinks. Signature dishes (if there are any) are most often placed on the first page. This is an approximate order of dishes - it is sometimes slightly modified (for example, placing breakfasts before snacks) or adding its own sections, depending on the cuisine (for example, in Italian they add a “pasta” section, or in Russian - “pancakes”).
The menu for a cafe must include the name of the dish, its ingredients, weight (in grams) and price. The weight of a dish is most often written in several quantities, indicating the main weight of the dish and decoration (if any), for example, salad - 120/5 g. – means that the salad weighs 120 grams and contains greens (parsley, dill, etc.) weighing 5 grams.
According to the rules, each page must have the establishment’s seal and signature, which are placed mainly on the back of the page or at least once at the end of the entire menu.
Although there are different opinions about the presence of a seal and signature on the menu. According to the “Resolution of the State Statistics Committee of Russia dated December 252, 1998 No. 132,” a public catering establishment is obliged to draw up a menu plan in one copy every day. This is done by the production manager on the eve of the day of cooking, after which the menu plan is approved by the head of the organization. The menu plan indicates the names and numbers of dishes according to the Collection of Recipes or according to TTK, STP, and technical specifications. Dishes in the menu plan are written in the following sequence: appetizers, first courses, second courses, drinks, set meals, etc. And this rule must be followed when creating a daily menu plan. And in theory, signatures and a seal are placed on this document. In this connection, many restaurateurs do not consider it obligatory to sign the menu for visitors, limiting themselves only to this internal document. But, nevertheless, it is still recommended to certify the menu for visitors, for example, for me personally, during some kind of inspection, the presence of signatures and seals was once checked ;-).
Well, at the end of this article, I will post for your viewing a sample menu for a cafe (for children), technology cards (and the menu form itself) for which you can buy in the Cafe-Mania online store
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor to change the content of the templates and download the print-ready pdf file to your computer. Menu design for restaurants and cafes.
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor to change the content of the templates and download the print-ready pdf file to your computer. Menu design for restaurants and cafes.
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor to change the content of the templates and download the print-ready pdf file to your computer. Menu design for restaurants and cafes.
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor to change the content of the templates and download the print-ready pdf file to your computer. Menu design for restaurants and cafes.
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor to change the content of the templates and download the print-ready pdf file to your computer. Menu design for restaurants and cafes.
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor to change the content of the templates and download the print-ready pdf file to your computer. Menu design for restaurants and cafes.
http://setmymenus.com - laconic templates for designing menus for cafes and restaurants. Use the online editor, ()
